Icon HD Air integration availability

[jakobon]

I just don't understand you people. The AI is just a convenience! It's not meant to be the ONLY source of air information. You need to have a stanadard manometer with you anyway? You're still gonna have it even when the AI is released.

Is anyone honestly even considering using ONLY the AI for monitoring air?!

Jeez...

Jeez, I absolutely intend to bring a standard manometer for backup.

In general, I really enjoy the functionality and design of the Icon HD and bought it, in part, because of the promised AI. But I look forward to the extra information the AI will bring, that a standard manometer can never provide - I would never trust my life on a single piece of electronic equipment !

Also, I absolutely expect the September 2011 release date to be a joke ! Come on, that would affect the credibility of the entire Mares brand, and I do think Mares have invested to much energy and finance into that to make such a huge blunder !

Selling diving equipment is all about "trust" - who in their right mind would dive with equipment that they do not trust - and who would get into business with someone that cannot be trusted ?

I am completely confident that Mares will make the the IA available during spring 2011 - which means during the next month.

Best regards,
Jakob

 

[jagreenm]

Just did a Google search and found this:

New Mares ICON HD NET with air integration in May - Sportextreme.com Blog

 

[Lady Godiver77]

I just called Mares to inquire about when the AI would be available. I was told that they are now looking at sometime in July 2011. They are in the final phase of testing right now. A mailer will go out when it is all ready. So much for Spring 2011.

 

[zoranb]

...[if] I want to use manometer as my main gauage i wouldn't bother buying comp with AI, but I want to use manometer as a a backup only and if I want to confirm comp readings..I hope this would help you understand why so many of us are upset with Mares...

I'm not upset with Mares, but I get a feeling your scuba instructor might be a bit upset with you if he/she reads this.

U want to use your manometer as a backup? You can do that without the AI. Just reach to your left and grab the hose and presto! The backup is there.

 

[rafal1676]

Zoranb I don't know what they teach you in your scuba class but in my they never told me that I have to use only manometer and nothing else. What's more I think that my scuba instructor would be proud of me that I'm serious about my safety and instead of using just one piece of equipment which helps me dive safely i want to use two(if comp fails I still have manometer).

 

[Pumuckel57]

Here is the link to the German mares Site, where they announce the start of replacement in June:
Get ready mit ICON HD net ready! - News - Mares - just add water

 

[RDRINK25]

Here is the link to the German mares Site, where they announce the start of replacement in June:
Get ready mit ICON HD net ready! - News - Mares - just add water

Only thing I saw troubling is when I translated the page this that you have to have a sales slip and bring back to the original dealer! Not to mention that that you have to have all the accessories.


For the period from 06.01.2011 to 31.12.2011 acquired, your dive computer ICON HD to an absolute bargain price of 350 € in a new ICON-HD net ready to be exchanged with air integration over the Mares dealers. To make the process for you as simple and straightforward as possible, you should observe the following:

1. Verify that all required documents and accessories:

- ICON HD
- Sales slip
- Warranty Card
- USB cable
- USB power adapter plugs, including all
- Charging / Interface bracket
- Dive CD Organizer
- User manual CD
- Neoprene Case ICON HD

2. The following technical conditions should be met:

- The computer should always have the latest firmware version 2.0.
- The computer should have at least 50% battery charge.

3. Perform the following steps should you now:

- Please bring your ICON HD from 01 June 2011 at the Mares-dealer from which you purchased the computer. Only this dealer may perform the conversion.
- Your Mares dealer "stamp" your HD ICON electronically and therefore declared him registered as a replacement for action - automatically creates a purchase order via a net ICON HD ready by Mares Germany.
- They are the Mares dealer immediately informed when the new computer is ready for pickup is equipped with transponders. Until the net ICON HD ready arrived at the dealer, you can use your "stamped" ICON HD to continue naturally.

 

[jd950]

I just don't understand you people. The AI is just a convenience! It's not meant to be the ONLY source of air information. You need to have a stanadard manometer with you anyway? You're still gonna have it even when the AI is released.

Is anyone honestly even considering using ONLY the AI for monitoring air?!

Jeez...

I have been diving wireless AI computers for about 4 years. I used to also dive with an spg as a backup to the AI computer. The first SPG failed one day. I bought another and eventually it stopped working properly. Probably just bad luck on my part. I took it off and never got around to connecting another backup SPG. I take one on dive trips with the intent that if my wireless AI computer (obviously not a Mares) fails on a dive I will need to abort that dive, and connect the backup before the next dive (A simple procedure taking a few minutes). I may stop taking it altogether however, as it would be pretty easy to buy or rent an spg from a dive op if that were to happen. On technical dives or dives requiring decompression, where a normal ascent to the surface at any point in the dive might not be reasonable, I might feel differently.

So, yes I dive with only one source of air information. Most divers do. From what I have seen, most people diving with an SPG only have one (I don't think I have ever seen a rec diver with 2 SPGs) and in my usage, the SPG have proven less reliable than my computer. I frequently dive with two other divers who use wireless AI. None of us has had a computer failure on a dive. I am comfortable with electronics and wireless technology. If I would not dive with two pressure gauges, I see little reason to dive with an AI computer and a second pressure gauge. If I were using a new computer or new transmitter I would probably use a backup SPG for awhile until I was sure the computer was in fact reliable.

By the way, I have also been present on at least 2 occasions when a high pressure hose burst just before a dive, although I have never seen one burst during a dive. Those events required repair before the diver could dive. A burst hose during a dive would not only render the SPG useless, it would create an air loss and depending on the point in the dive at which this happened and the nature of the dive, this could create a situation requiring sharing air or other actions. One could argue that since eliminating an SPG eliminates the high pressure hose, a potential failure point is removed.

 

[jakobon]

I registered my Icon HD about 2 weeks ago together with my Mares dealer.

The registration process is quite extensive, and involves installing the most recent DiveOrganizer, importing a custom .REG file, performing a firmware upgrade of the Icon HD unit to at least 2.0 and filling out a web form with dealer information.

Note: The .REG file provided by Mares is only for Windows XP, so if the dealer uses Windows 7, the file content must be updated to allow import !

After rebooting the computer and connecting the Icon HD unit, a new "Update ..." menu item is show in DiveOrganizer under "Computer". This menu item starts the registration process by extracting the device ID, check it with a database at Mares and if verified, forwards you to a website, where the dealers information must be registered.

The web registration is not that well documented, because the documentation does not contain a description about the details that (the dealer) should enter. In general, all information should be related to the DEALER, NOT the end-customer !

Clarifications;
- The "Country" is the country of the dealers Mares distributor, not your home country (if those are not the same).
- The "Customer number" is the dealers customer number at the Mares distributor.
- The "E-mail adress" is for the dealer, not for the end-customer.
- The "Notes" field can be used by the dealer to enter the customers name or other detail that shows him what unit is for what customer ...

After submitting the web registration, the dealer should (within a few minutes) receive a confirmation e-mail from Mares to show that the process is successful.
And then you just have to wait for the dealer to inform you that the new unit has arrived

Have fun

Best regards,
Jakob

 

[Zak OHara]

Hi all,
Well, some of you clearly have your ears and eyes to the ground on this. Yes, we will begin the upgrade process officially on 8/15/ in N. America. I think many of you have more details than the some dealers (somehow?) (Icongate?). We will notify all of our N. American dealer on Monday with the details of how the program works. I only tell you this because if you call them today or over the weekend they may be uninformed. I am making this short post, because I will be out of communication through Wed 8/11 with no internet access. So I apologize in advance if you try to speak with me directly. By Monday evening most dealers should be able to respond to your inquiries directly.

Thanks to everyone for their patience.


Best,