Aeris 500AI Failure

[seaangel]

I don't know if anyone has ever experienced this, but my Aeris 500AI failed on my first dive this past weekend in the Bahamas. When I checked it pre dive it came on as usual, the pressure was reading 3260 and all looked good. I took my giant stide into the water, descended to 65 ft., then took another check of the guages as I began to follow our group, hmm, now I had 4920 psi!
I showed it to the dive lead and we buddy shared for a good part of the dive then returned to the ascent line where I took back over on my first stage, looked at the computer and low and behold it showed 2020 psi now, what the heck. I ascended and when back on the boat looked at the computer to see what it read it was back on 4920 again!!! I left it as was to show to my
LDS shop owner/instructor when he returned with the group he was diving with. He was puzzled, took it into the main salon of the boat and proceded to open the battery compartment. The battery had exploded and acid was all over the compartment, he cleaned the contacts and got a new battery for it, but it would not work. Needless to say, I had to borrow a spare computer and pressure/depth gauge for the rest of the weekend. He is going to send it back to Aeris, but I am not so sure now that I want to rely
on the Air intergrated system. I had a close scare and that was enough.

 

[VTWarrenG]

Personally, I'd say avoid anything air-integrated -- they're too expensive, too difficult to repair, and, as you've seen, have more than a few failure points. I recommend a quality SPG, loose, clipped to the hip, depth/timer on the right wrist, compass on the left wrist.

- Warren

 

[randyjoy]

Air integration or not, the battery exploding part is what concerns me. A battery failure screws up non-AI computers, too.

If you do what VTWarrenG suggests, that config doesn't need batteries.

 

[newton]

Originally posted by VTWarrenG
Personally, I'd say avoid anything air-integrated -- they're too expensive, too difficult to repair, and, as you've seen, have more than a few failure points. I recommend a quality SPG, loose, clipped to the hip, depth/timer on the right wrist, compass on the left wrist.

Aside from the too expensive part, the above configuration has the potential to suffer from the exact same problems as the original poster.

If your depth guage/timer blows a battery, you lose the ability to know how deep you were down, or how long (assuming you're using the digital gauge that is recommended by Mr. DIR himself). That gauge is also impossible to repair, and they have the same # of failure points as the hoseless computer. Every hoseless computer I've seen/used can be used without the transmitter, so the only 'failure' point in it is the same with te above timer.

Even if you're using a watch and an analog depth gauge, you're still unable to fix it in the field. It's just simpler/cheaper to replace it. (And yes, I've had both a watch *AND* a depth gauge die on me during a dive.)

Many of the DIR folks actually use computers, although when doing deep/deco diving, run them in gauge mode.

Understanding *why* a computer might be bad is good to know (brain rot et. al), but blanket statements that all computers are bad without justifiable reasons won't win you any friends.



Nate

 

[VTWarrenG]

When did I say computers are bad? Please go back and study my post a bit more before making references to my abundance or paucity of friends.

I stated, I thought succinctly, that AIR-INTEGRATED units are bad.

When did I say that a timer/depth gauge could be repaired in the field? That's irrelevant, anyway. It feels like we're not even having the same conversation!

The reason I turn people away from AI units is simple: one processor, one battery, one LCD, one button, one component failure leads to the sudden loss of two or more instruments. Many of these fancy AI units put the computer, the depth gauge, the pressure gauge, and even the compass on one unit. Anyone who's been diving for more than a few trips has seen at least one computer or other electronic device fail. Underwater electronics are still not very reliable. I thus advise people to avoid electronic instruments whenever possible. Naturally, the computer and the timer are going to be electronic. That isn't a problem, necessarily, if that the diver carries a backup.

The hoseless AI units are certainly better, IMO, because they don't put high-pressure air so close to the electronics. Unfortunately, though, they still offer the vulnerability of losing several instruments with only one electronic failure, which I find unacceptable.

In addition, ALL of these AI units are more expensive to purchase and to repair than more reliable, though less "cool," traditional instruments. I like the cheap and effective simplicity of separate, analog (when possible) instruments.

- Warren

 

[newton]

Originally posted by VTWarrenG
When did I say computers are bad? Please go back and study my post a bit more before making references to my abundance or paucity of friends.

I stated, I thought succinctly, that AIR-INTEGRATED units are bad.

When did I say that a timer/depth gauge could be repaired in the field? That's irrelevant, anyway. It feels like we're not even having the same conversation!

My bad, I'm just used to the DIR anti-computer mantra, and jumped to conclusions. My humble apologies.

However, the reasons you stated for avoiding AI units are the same ones for avoiding a combination depth gauge/timer.

The reason I turn people away from AI units is simple: one processor, one battery, one LCD, one button, one component failure leads to the sudden loss of two or more instruments. Many of these fancy AI units put the computer, the depth gauge, the pressure gauge, and even the compass on one unit. Anyone who's been diving for more than a few trips has seen at least one computer or other electronic device fail. Underwater electronics are still not very reliable. I thus advise people to avoid electronic instruments whenever possible. Naturally, the computer and the timer are going to be electronic. That isn't a problem, necessarily, if that the diver carries a backup.

So, the AI has no disadvantage vs. your recommendations except cost, right? And, many people choose to carry redundant computers anyway, although now they own twice as many pieces of expensive equipment.

The hoseless AI units are certainly better, IMO, because they don't put high-pressure air so close to the electronics. Unfortunately, though, they still offer the vulnerability of losing several instruments with only one electronic failure, which I find unacceptable.

So, you'd argue that an integrated timer/depth gauge as recommended by GI3 (either the Uwatec or OMS) is unacceptable to you? (This is a serious question, and not a troll.)

In addition, ALL of these AI units are more expensive to purchase and to repair than more reliable, though less "cool," traditional instruments.

I'll repeat again. *NO* timer or depth gauge is easy/cheap to repair. Some are cheaper to replace than others however.

If the gauge is really expensive to start with, it may be more cost effective to fix it than to completely replace it. With the 'more reliable' traditional gauges/timers (which I happen to disagree with, having seen both timers and depth gauges fail), you simply just throw it away and buy a new one.

The bottom line is that the arguments you gave boil down to cost issues, as the downsides apply equally to the integrated digital timer/depth gauge. However, if you're comparing completely separate analog gauges, then you your point is having combination instruments is bad since one failure == multiple failures. This I'll buy, but it's not that big a deal since if it died, it's time to abort the time, regardless of whether one gauge died, or all gauges die. (The one big issue is if your computer dies on a long trip and you have no replacment, you're done diving, since you can't dive without *any* instruments.)

Me, I *really* like my hoseless AI computer. I believe it makes me a better diver, since I understand both how it works (both literally as figuratively, being an engineer that has worked on something similar), as well as it's shortcomings. I'd also like to think that my brain hasn't rotted because I use it, but I'm a bit biased.



Nate

ps. Have you taken the DIR-F course yet? If so, how did it go?

 

[daylight]

Seaangel,

Interesting story. I always assume that there will be a failure during a dive and plan accordingly. You were very excited that you experienced a failure of a complex electronics device and yet proceeded to buddy breath. Did you turn the dive?

Unless I am misunderstanding what occured, You and your buddy placed yourselves in a potentially risky situation. Why didn't your buddy call the dive when you commenced to share air? If your buddy had gone OOA or had a first stage failure you both could have been up the proverbial creek. Did your instructor comment about how you dealt with the failure?

Just wondering.

Stay safe and dive often.

Larry

 

[seaangel]

We did not buddy breathe for any longer than it took to turn around we were 12 minutes out from the boat into the dive when I found the computer locked down at a psi of more than I began with. So I would say it took another 12 minutes to return to the tag line and begin our ascent. I switched back to my first stage to do the safety stop and return to the boat. We did not take any risks or any thing that was out of the ordinary, we did not make it a panic abort if that is what you mean to call the dive. We did it in a methodical and slow return for all of our safety. We had a very large group diving together, and we all returned at the same time when this occurred. My instructor even as of today is not sure what caused this to happen and he felt we did the right things to get back from that dive.

 

[seaangel]

Today I went to my LDS to look into a back-up system. I have ordered a Uwatec (? spelling) with an analog depth gauge. I will have both systems on my gear so if one fails the other will be there. My dive instructor wears a similar set-up, and he said that most of the others that dive with us wear two, or have another with them in case of a break down.