Gas shutdown drills with the Vytec

[Shawn95]

A while ago someone posted about the Vytec resetting when the pressure reaches 0. The topic was having the Vytec serviced to recognize the same code. I will be ordering a new Vytec but my LDS does not know about the change. Does anyone have the email from Suunto regarding this.

 

[Chaos]

A while ago someone posted about the Vytec resetting when the pressure reaches 0. The topic was having the Vytec serviced to recognize the same code. I will be ordering a new Vytec but my LDS does not know about the change. Does anyone have the email from Suunto regarding this.

The procedure for selecting a new code is not all that difficult. If the transmitter resets, you can easily make it get a new code. I think the procedure is outlined in the manual, but from the top of my head it's like this: press and hold the 'plan' button until the text 'code' appears. Press the left button, then confirm with the 'smart/mode' button. (I could be off, but I don't have the computer here with me. I'll edit the text after I check) It only takes 5 seconds to do under water or on the surface, like after a valve shutdown excersise. I do it quite a lot during training dives.

But perhaps beside the point: I wouldn't like to rely exclusively on a pressure transmitter. Add a pressure gauge and you'll be fine. The transmitter is not a dangerous point of failure, other than possible (and probable) problems with the battery. The transmitter becomes unreliable without warning when the capacity drops, leaving you without valuable information. Happens to me frequently as the water temperature drops.

I'll try and get more info from Suunto about locking the code. As far as I know, it isn't possible.

 

[Genesis]

WARNING The current transmitters will reset their code if you depressurize the stage. The wrist unit cannot resync underwater; the procedure does not work in dive mode!

I found this "the hard way" shortly after starting to dive doubles regularly, and complained directly to Suunto about it.

HOWEVER, Suunto does have a fix for this. I have one of the "beta" transmitters that has the corrected firmware in it, and it works. It requires TWO zero-press events within a reasonably short time to reset the code - a SINGLE zero-press event will NOT change the code, which makes valve shutdown drills (so long as you don't do a lot of them in quick succession!) ok.

I'm not surprised your LDS knows nothing of this - as far as I know this firmware is a BETA, and I'm one of the few who has it. Get your LDS to talk directly to Suunto Finland (NOT Aqualung in the US) - Sten Stockman is the person there who can help you.

Suunto's transmitter has a low-battery warning which RELIABLY will tell you long before the battery dies, so the usual suspects about "no-notice" failures do not apply to the Suunto units. I have had mine on my kit now for about 100 dives without incident, other than this particular misfeature with the code resets.

 

[theskull]

I have had quite a few FAIL events. Only some were caused by gas shutdown drills. I love the transmitter and pressure display, but would NOT rely on it. Always dive with a SPG as well!

theskull

 

[Genesis]

I've had none other than the ones I induced with my own actions (e.g. gas shutdown drills) and since getting the beta firmware, have had NONE at all.

"FAIL" means the code reset, or the transmitter isn't (transmitting, that is.)

It can only happen a few ways:

1. The transmitter is physically broken.
2. The transmitter is out of battery power. Since you get warning a LONG time prior to it actually failing (the low batt warning is displayed on the computer while the transmitter is in use), this is 100% your fault; you ignored the warning.
3. The transmitter is MOMENTARILY obscured by something that blocks the signal. This is not fatal, but if it happens often you need to re-do where things are on your kit so it doesn't happen. The "free air" range of the transmitter is many FEET (like 6+); if your mounting doesn't permit a clear signal its probably easily fixed. (I have mine on my right post pointing down; it is EXTREMELY well protected this way by the first stage and tank, and is essentially impossible to "prang", yet it has a clear signal path to my right arm, where my computer is.) If this DOES happen the "FAIL" will go away as soon as the signal is reacquired.
4. The code reset because you allowed the pressure to go below 160psi. The only way this is likely to happen is on doubles during a valve drill. The new firmware addresses this problem, in that the code does not reset during a single depressurization event any longer.

If you're getting "FAIL"s, I'd love to understand HOW you're provoking them, because they're darn hard to provoke on the Suunto.

 

[theskull]

The ways I "provoke" a failure do not include 1.Broken 2.Low Battery.

They do include 4.Gas Shutdown Drill occasionally.

More often they are caused by 3.Lost signal. This can happen a number of ways, including:
Set up gear, moved boat, computer/transmitter went to sleep.
Floated on surface for several minutes while planning next dive, comp/trans went to sleep.
Left gear on shore while running up to staging area to get additional weights for a student.
Removed and replaced BC while UW.
Signal was never acquired on startup--very rare, but has happened (always hold my computer right next to the transmitter while turning on air/computer).

My FAILs have been rare considering the number of dives that it operated perfectly on, but often enough that I would not consider relying on the transmitter alone.

theskull

 

[Genesis]

The ways I "provoke" a failure do not include 1.Broken 2.Low Battery.

They do include 4.Gas Shutdown Drill occasionally.

More often they are caused by 3.Lost signal. This can happen a number of ways, including:
Set up gear, moved boat, computer/transmitter went to sleep.

Take a breath, the computer "wakes up." If on the surface, it is easily re-paired. If at depth, the code is not erased. No problem. (It will show "fail" if you go on a deco bottle for more than 5 minutes or so, but a breath off the reg "restores" communication.)

Floated on surface for several minutes while planning next dive, comp/trans went to sleep.

You can re-pair on the surface. Just take a breath and stick your arm back there for a few seconds.

Left gear on shore while running up to staging area to get additional weights for a student.

Ditto.

Removed and replaced BC while UW.

Not an issue. Take a breath, the Xmitter turns back on. No change in code occurs.

Signal was never acquired on startup--very rare, but has happened (always hold my computer right next to the transmitter while turning on air/computer).

LOOK AT THE COMPUTER BEFORE GOING UNDER! If it says "CODE" then you didn't get a signal. Take a breath, transmitter turns on. Signal is acquired, go dive.

My FAILs have been rare considering the number of dives that it operated perfectly on, but often enough that I would not consider relying on the transmitter alone.

theskull

Its all in technique. I've seen zero "FAIL"s EXCEPT those I provoked with a valve drill or other underwater depress - but I did read the manual

 

[Chaos]

I've had my transmitter battery run out of power twice already. Not a big issue, but an annoying one. The unit would pair up fine, at the surface, but under water the voltage would drop too low due to the sudden drop in temperature - and I've never seen the low battery warning.

 

[Genesis]

I don't do ice diving

If I was to run into that battery changes on some number of dive or time intervals would just become a matter of routine.... As it is I HAVE seen the warning, and was fine for the rest of the dive day (a couple of hours of bottom time) - switched the battery after that, so I have no idea how long it will go from the time the warning shows up until it croaks.

 

[Chaos]

I haven't done any ice dives in a while either, but even in summer the temperature here can drop from a comfortable 72 deg. to about 40 below the thermocline. That'll sometimes be enough for the battery voltage, unfortunately.