Wireless

[*Floater*]

Seems to me that replacing an spg with a wireless system like the Atom 2.0 (computer argument aside for the moment) would be welcomed by DIR. You reduce the failure possibilities by two rotating o-rings, two swedges, one hose, and one bordon tube and you can have, not just redundancy for your back gas pressure but can also monitor an additional cylinder (or be non redundant on your back gas and monitor two slung cylinders).

Maybe in the future if the wireless transmitters become more reliable first (and hopefully less expensive).

On another note, I don't see the point of wearing both a wireless and a traditional SPG; for me the whole point of the wireless unit would be to get rid of the traditional SPG.

 

[Thalassamania]

(and hopefully less expensive).

Heck, anyone who spends a kilobuck and a half for a divelight to dive during the day in warm clear tropical water shouldn't worry about spending about the same for a high-tech SPG/Depth Gauge/Dive Logger/Thermometer<G>.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Maybe in the future if the wireless transmitters become more reliable first (and hopefully less expensive).

On another note, I don't see the point of wearing both a wireless and a traditional SPG; for me the whole point of the wireless unit would be to get rid of the traditional SPG.

Heads-up Display coming (but what about reliability & cost?):
http://www.oceanicworldwide.com/p_computers_iddm_development.html

 

[roakey]

Heads-up Display coming (but what about reliability & cost?):
http://www.oceanicworldwide.com/p_computers_iddm_development.html

Seeing more than one mask pulverized after falling onto a deck, this is the absolute last thing I'd buy.

I'm sure they'll sell lots to the noobs, though...

Roak

 

[rjack321]

That actually looks like a well thought out product. Not DIR (yet), but well designed and conceived nevertheless. I imagine that had something to do with its defined market vs. some non-diver dreaming up some weird gimmik like the Hub.

 

[Meng_Tze]

Seeing more than one mask pulverized after falling onto a deck, this is the absolute last thing I'd buy.

I'm sure they'll sell lots to the noobs, though...

Roak

And thats why they keep coming out with more and more of this stuff...... people keep buying them. Good for them,

 

[Rainer]

I'm sure they'll sell lots to the noobs, though...

Roak

I think for now it's only available to the military...

 

[CompuDude]

Heads-up Display coming (but what about reliability & cost?):
http://www.oceanicworldwide.com/p_computers_iddm_development.html

It uses a standard transmitter, however, so you don't gain any benefit other than nothing on your wrist. The same arguments about the transmitter being a point of failure compared to a regular SPG would apply.

That said, it's pretty cool. But not all that different from having the same info on your wrist... it's just a little closer to your eyes. And in theory, I suppose it would be easier [read: possible] to read in a completely zero-vis situation.

 

[CompuDude]

As somebody else pointed out, there will always be an O-ring at the first stage, even if the port is plugged. So you do not increase the number of first stage O-rings by adding an extra hose or transmitter.

The place where you do increase the O-rings is at the SPG itself. There are two small O-rings on the "spool" that connects the SPG to the hose. This is a mechanical connection, and one that is very prone to leakage (as texdiveguy learned on his quarry dive). The good news is that HP leaks are not typically catastrophic, as the rate of leakage is usually pretty slow. It's probably not a good idea to continue a dive if you discover one, but on the other hand it's not going to be as urgent a situation as a leak in a LP hose.

The biggest downside to adding extra gauges (mechanical or otherwise) is that they do not really give you any additional "good" information that you can't get elsewhere. That in effect makes them unnecessary. And of course, if it's not really necessary, then there's no reason to bring it on the dive.

I think in the end it depends entirely on how closely you intend to adhere to the DIR rules and regs. If you want to be 100% compliant at all times, you need to take the transmitter off. It has been established that the "bulk" of the transmitter introduces a point of failure (however minor), an entanglement hazard (however minor) and is not considered necessary, and thus it should be left behind per DIR philosophy.

If, however, you decide you want to be compliant only during team technical dives with a greater degree of risk, and less compliant on easy reef dives with no overhead issues, then you could perhaps leave the transmitter attached, whether you pay attention to it or not... but in that case you are purposely breaking the "rules", the way I read things.

I have a wireless AI for my SmartTec. I *could* remove the transmitter when I'm using my SmartTec in guage mode for DIR-related drills, dives and practices, but when diving strictly for pleasure, or when doing drills and dives decided to skills practice in an easy reef-like setting with no overhead complications, it's more trouble than it's worth to remove it, for me, at this point. And frankly, the more you mess with it, the more likely you are to make a mistake and/or help cause a failure, so it's best to leave it alone. At the point at which I go into a deco, wreck, cave, or other overhead environment dive, that sucker needs to come off.

And that's my semi-DIR stance on the subject. ;-)

 

[Thalassamania]

I think in the end it depends entirely on how closely you intend to adhere to the DIR rules and regs. If you want to be 100% compliant at all times, you need to take the transmitter off. It has been established that the "bulk" of the transmitter introduces a point of failure (however minor), an entanglement hazard (however minor) and is not considered necessary, and thus it should be left behind per DIR philosophy.

And who established that? Whomever it was, he (or she) doesn’t have a small fraction of the brains that an amoeba is born with.

If, however, you decide you want to be compliant only during team technical dives with a greater degree of risk, and less compliant on easy reef dives with no overhead issues, then you could perhaps leave the transmitter attached, whether you pay attention to it or not... but in that case you are purposely breaking the "rules", the way I read things.

I don’t want to be compliant I want to be complacent, errr… incompetent, er … incontinent er … intercontinental ... whatever.

I have a wireless AI for my SmartTec. I *could* remove the transmitter when I'm using my SmartTec in guage mode for DIR-related drills, dives and practices, but when diving strictly for pleasure, or when doing drills and dives decided to skills practice in an easy reef-like setting with no overhead complications, it's more trouble than it's worth to remove it, for me, at this point. And frankly, the more you mess with it, the more likely you are to make a mistake and/or help cause a failure, so it's best to leave it alone. At the point at which I go into a deco, wreck, cave, or other overhead environment dive, that sucker needs to come off.

It doesn’t need to come off, it needs to get off.

And that's my semi-DIR stance on the subject. ;-)

And that’s MY full-DIC (Do It Correctly) stance on the subject!