GJC
Contributor
If it were that much of a problem, I'm sure that a lot of underwater photographers would have mentioned it before now.
Is this true?
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I doubt that modern flash cameras could disrupt radio frequencies or Bluetooth communications with today’s compliance testing companies have to go through to get their designs approved for sale. But how much fun would it be to be able to trigger a flash camera and disrupt everybody’s Bluetooth communications and reset their computers. just kidding. 
ATJ
Contributor
I take 150-350 photographs per dive and it has never happened to me using PPS transmitters, Shearwater Perdix AI, and Oceanic Atom 3.0 The only time my dive computers have lost a signal is due to the positioning of the dive computers relative to the transmitter(s). My dive computers are mounted on my camera rig and so are always close to and sitting directly between the strobes.
It is worth noting that (at least for PPS transmitters) there is no connection as such between the transmitter and the dive computer and so nothing to be broken.
A standard PPS transmitter broadcasts the tank pressure every 5 seconds along with its ID. The dive computer listens for the broadcast of the ID(s) it has been told to listen to. When it receives the broadcast from the specified transmitter, it displays the tank pressure. There's a time out built into the dive computer so it goes into an error state if a broadcast is not received within a specified amount of time.
With my Perdix AI, if no signal is received for 30 seconds, it goes into a warning mode (flashes the last pressure received in yellow). After 90 seconds with no signal, it flashes red with no pressure reading. That basically means it missed receiving 5-6 broadcasts for the warning state and 17-18 to go into full error mode.
For the Atom 3.0 it is 20 and 60 seconds respectively, so 3-4 and 11-12 missed broadcasts.
So, while I very much doubt that a strobe firing is going to disrupt the broadcast from a PPS transmitter, if you were to somehow fire the strobe(s) at exactly the right time to disrupt the signal (unlikely to get the timing right) the dive computer would pick up the next broadcast. The chances of firing the strobes at exactly the right moment for 17-18 times is astronomical!
It is worth noting that (at least for PPS transmitters) there is no connection as such between the transmitter and the dive computer and so nothing to be broken.
A standard PPS transmitter broadcasts the tank pressure every 5 seconds along with its ID. The dive computer listens for the broadcast of the ID(s) it has been told to listen to. When it receives the broadcast from the specified transmitter, it displays the tank pressure. There's a time out built into the dive computer so it goes into an error state if a broadcast is not received within a specified amount of time.
With my Perdix AI, if no signal is received for 30 seconds, it goes into a warning mode (flashes the last pressure received in yellow). After 90 seconds with no signal, it flashes red with no pressure reading. That basically means it missed receiving 5-6 broadcasts for the warning state and 17-18 to go into full error mode.
For the Atom 3.0 it is 20 and 60 seconds respectively, so 3-4 and 11-12 missed broadcasts.
So, while I very much doubt that a strobe firing is going to disrupt the broadcast from a PPS transmitter, if you were to somehow fire the strobe(s) at exactly the right time to disrupt the signal (unlikely to get the timing right) the dive computer would pick up the next broadcast. The chances of firing the strobes at exactly the right moment for 17-18 times is astronomical!
clownfishsydney
Contributor
I was always certain that the first Uwatec dive computers with air integration were susceptible to interference from strobes, but only problem was loss of connection which sometimes did not come back.
The issue of losing signals between transmitters and wrist dive computers because of camera strobes were reported in early model AI hoseless dive computers over 20 years ago, in the mid to late 1990's and early 2000's. I have never experienced it and I have been using these computers since the first one out in the market (Sherwood/Cochran) and have been doing u/w photography since early 90's. I only do u/w photo diving when I am not teaching so I do a lot of u/w photo and I normally use two AI hoseless dive computers with two different transmitters.
In the mid 90's when hose less computers with transmitter first came out, it wasn't unusual for bigger strobes (bigger than the nikon SB 105 or sea and sea Ys50-60) to cause the tank pressure link to drop for a few seconds after a flash discharge, by the time the strobe was ready to fire again the tank pressure was showing and you would fire again and lose it. It wasn't consistent and by the second gen of wireless transmitter in 98 or so, the problem was gone.
I think this is another article by an "expert" that hasn't kept up with technology
I think this is another article by an "expert" that hasn't kept up with technology
ISTR seeing it it someone's manual that a DPV motor can interfere with the transmitter, too. Oceanic, probably: I think I was looking at Atoms at the time.
It's nothing new: car "high tension leads" were invented because EM interference from high-voltage side of the ignition system is enough to disrupt radio reception not only in the car itself, but in the entire street. Sparks, induction coils, capacitor discharges, interfere with radio signals. Film at 11.
It's nothing new: car "high tension leads" were invented because EM interference from high-voltage side of the ignition system is enough to disrupt radio reception not only in the car itself, but in the entire street. Sparks, induction coils, capacitor discharges, interfere with radio signals. Film at 11.
Just read something on the BBC website about an old television set knocking out the town's broad band every time it was turned on.
Old TV caused village broadband outages
Old TV caused village broadband outages
broncobowsher
Contributor
Same article linked in Hackaday Second-Hand Television SHINEs, Takes Down Entire Village’s Internet
I just learned that the high altitude nuclear blast EPM isn't an offensive weapon. They were made into a defensive weapon to disrupt the electronics of warfare. I wouldn't expect any dive computer to work correctly after being subject to an EMP.
If you want to know what the power of a capacitor discharging is, search "shrunken coins". Slam a massive amount of energy through a coil and the magnetic field can alter the size of a coin.
There are extreme cases that you will never see in a normal dive, ever.
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