Feature Request - Shearwater Phone App for Settings

[rob.mwpropane]

For the record, I can not stress how much I like my Perdix. It's like having access to an extra brain underwater. Everything I need directly on the front page just the way I like it. It's pretty perfect. Linked up with a transmitter, being able to look at dive profiles later to be able to plan better on future dives is epic.

With that being said, I would love it if there was an app for the phone to be able to manipulate the settings with the phone via bluetooth. The Deep 6 Excursion does this (I'm sure there are others) and I think it saves me so much time. Going through the onboard menu on the Perdix to change what gases I'm using for the day just feels like a pain in the butt (to me). Being able to edit all the settings via an app would make an already great computer just that much easier to learn and use not just for me but for everybody, especially people new to the computer.

With that said, I'm not a coder, I don't program stuff. I have no idea the headache that I'm asking. Maybe something is in the works, maybe it's something way too hard to do and it'll never come to fruition... but momma always told me if you don't ask you'll never know

Thoughts?

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Interesting idea. I'm certainly not against it!

Since the Shearwater app (iOS or android) is already the typical method used to upgrade the firmware, the bluetooth connection between the phone and dive computer is already designed as a bidirectional interface. As an IT guy (although not an iOS or Android coder), I would think this is definitely doable from a technical perspective.

 

[tbone1004]

we've been asking for years, like @The Chairman always says, follow the #1 rule of scuba and don't hold your breath. @Shearwater makes great hardware, but their apps for both mobile and desktop have always left a lot to be desired.

 

[GF99/99]

Yes interesting idea and yes I would agree its a little bit of a hassle to change gases all the time if you like me and your always diving different TX and deco gases all the time. Also I wish it held more than 5 gases. But that being said I have been using Shearwaters for so many years that I'm pretty fast a clicking through all the menus.

Now speaking of cool Bluetooth innovations what would really put Shearwater ahead is if they came up with reliable Bluetooth wireless Po2 readout. I would absolutely loooove this!!

 

[Wibble]

Hmmm. Not sure I'm keen on settings being done remotely.

On my rebreather I may need to configure 3 Shearwater devices: Petrel, Nerd, Perdix (backup).

Going through each one to set the gas up is an important part of my checklist. It's pretty damn easy: left click all the way to the System Settings, then select the Diluent & Bailout screens and twiddle.

This means I can 'check' off ☑︎☑︎☑︎︎ each computer as I go through my checklist. BTW setting the computers up is done during the bailout gas check and whilst waiting on the negative pressure check.

If I didn't do this, I'd have to ensure that I bugger about with the phone, connecting it to each device and still have to faff around ensuring that those settings are correct.

(Only an alternative take on this)

 

[Manatee Diver]

As someone that has owned more Terics than anyone else (thanks to all the replacements that I've gotten), I would love this. Getting a replacement means sitting down for 30 minutes going through the menu and setting everything up. It would be nice just to be able to flash the settings from a saved file.

 

[Wibble]

Does it *really* take that long to say Metric and 50:80 GFs?

 

[Marie13]

This would be very nice as an option to have, but I wouldn’t want to be forced to change settings on my phone.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Hmmm. Not sure I'm keen on settings being done remotely.

On my rebreather I may need to configure 3 Shearwater devices: Petrel, Nerd, Perdix (backup).

Going through each one to set the gas up is an important part of my checklist. It's pretty damn easy: left click all the way to the System Settings, then select the Diluent & Bailout screens and twiddle.

This means I can 'check' off ☑︎☑︎☑︎︎ each computer as I go through my checklist. BTW setting the computers up is done during the bailout gas check and whilst waiting on the negative pressure check.

If I didn't do this, I'd have to ensure that I bugger about with the phone, connecting it to each device and still have to faff around ensuring that those settings are correct.

(Only an alternative take on this)

Than don't use the app to do it. I don't think anyone is proposing that it MUST be done remotely, only that it be an optional additional way to manage the computer settings. In your instance, you wouldn't have to change anything about your process.

 

[broncobowsher]

Forget the phone. laptop setup. Mouse and keyboard inputs. A phone you are now trying to do everything with a touchscreen. Don't see a big enough benefit in using a small touch screen over using the basic buttons. But a full size screen, drop down menus, keyboard input. I could like those.

I did an aftermarket fuel injection on an old truck a few years back. Came with a little hand held controller. It would do everything you asked. But was a pain to go through all the menus and screens. It was even touch screen like a phone. Got the laptop cable and software. So much easier doing this stuff on a laptop.

Just little things like programming gasses. keyboard presses are so much nicer than scrolling through numbers.