My Suunto Cobra dead from check-in airline luggage

[sea nmf]

I packed my Suunto Cobra in with my check-in baggage as I have done on several prior airline trips and with no problems.

Apparently the device is toast and has to be sent in for possible repair. I am now stuck without a dive computer on this trip. QUOTE]

But your camera is still OK, right? I would really miss your pictures.

 

[Alex777]

Your symptoms are the same as the ones my wife and I experienced from nearby radio transmissions. See this thread: weird Cobra malfunction I suspect the airport XRay machines.

 

[Chris Bangs]

Yes his camera is OK! I gave him my Cobra to use so he is back in business!

cheers CB

 

[ce4jesus]

Always carry on my stuff. Just too afraid of the baggage apes. I made the mistake of packing my dive knife with my BCD on the last trip. I even taped the handle to the sheath before packing it in the suitcase. TSA must've untaped it, then tossed it back into the case unsheathed. I was lucky my BC wasn't like swiss cheese when it arrived. So now there's tape, rubber bands and a note in single syllable english. "IF YOU TAKE IT OUT, PUT IT BACK!!!"

 

[Hemlon]

Always carry on my stuff. Just too afraid of the baggage apes. I made the mistake of packing my dive knife with my BCD on the last trip. I even taped the handle to the sheath before packing it in the suitcase. TSA must've untaped it, then tossed it back into the case unsheathed. I was lucky my BC wasn't like swiss cheese when it arrived. So now there's tape, rubber bands and a note in single syllable english. "IF YOU TAKE IT OUT, PUT IT BACK!!!"

I would have been furious.

 

[deepstops]

As Charlie pointed out, aircraft cabin pressure is equal to 8,000' altitude while flying at cruising altitude. I wouldn't think this would whack the pressure transducer on the computer.

Maybe the computer just couldn't take the punishment of being tossed around by the ramp workers?? They are notoriously brutal to suitcases.

 

[Blox]

Didn't say it was at sea level pressure, just that the cargo and passenger cabins are at the same pressure.

That is correct, you didn't (and I did not claim you said that either, if you re-read my post). However, you also said right before that, that altitude can't be the problem because of this, which seemed to indicate, that you assumed pressure to remain constant throughout. I merely meant to point out that that is not the case, and, because there is a pressure change during the flight, this couldn't be ruled out as a contributing factor.

 

[Aelvin]

Your symptoms are the same as the ones my wife and I experienced from nearby radio transmissions. See this thread: weird Cobra malfunction I suspect the airport XRay machines.

I wonder why Suunto didnt shield the computer against radio transmissions....

 

[Tigerman]

Id say the most likely cause to and kind of damage on your luggage is the mere handling of the check-in luggage. Its not like its handled nicely... Its thrown around as if it was only cotton in the bags, not as if there could be something that can take damage in them..

And btw, dont ever assume you packed something "on the bottomn of the case" since they seem to ALWAYS throw the bags with the top down...

 

[paulwlee]

The Suunto quick disconnect device is close to the first stage so it requires you to carry the hose along with the computer.

I'm 99.99% sure you can attach that same quick disconnect to the computer side. Besides the obvious benefit of not having to lug around the hose unnecessarily, it probably also makes for much nicer hose routing (no rigid post sticking out of the first stage).