Reliability of Hoseless Computers?

[RAWalker]

Okay. On around 30% of the dives I lead someone in the group has a computer that beeps because it's lost its signal. I can't give you the numbers of divers with/without wireless integrated computers, but the total number of divers in the group never exceeded 8.

A computer beeping isn't a failure nor is it loosing sync if it regains sync within a small enough amount of time that the diver isn't endangered. The beeping is an alarm to make the diver aware that they need to monitor the computer to make sure that the problem clears or call the dive.
Most modern dive computers handle a short data dropout without a problem. These short term data losses are acceptable under the conditions of standard recreational diving and pose no more risk than not looking at your SPG.

So your quote of 30% of the dives you lead hearing a beep tells me nothing.
Other reasons for beeping could be due to fast accent or decent, low bottle pressure, nitrogen loading, PO2 or user error in setting up the alarms on the computers.

You heard beeping, to me it sounds like the computer was working and you dive with a lot of people that either don't know how to set them or are causing voilations that cause alarms.

 

[RJP]

The primary benefit of a hoseless air integrated computer is streamlining, reducing failure points, and convenience.

To quote the old song from Sesame Street "One of these things is not like the other..."

Now I'm not a hoseless basher - diving a Vytec DS as I do - but hoseless does NOT reduce failure points. It INCREASES potential failure points, at a minimum by a factor of two since you're essentially replacing one piece of gear with two (transmitter + receiver)

Add to that that each of the two has various electromechanical parts which could fail, plus each has it's own battery that could fail.

The strap on the receiver could break.

The transmitter could get bumped/knocked off.

Etc.

All in all the chances of each of these failures occuring may be remote, and the net overall likelihood of a critical failure may only be marginally higher than with an SPG, and fall within acceptable limits for most divers on most dives. However, switching to hoseless does not REDUCE failure points.
- receiver has a

 

[fppf]

Well one could say, by going hoseless the transmitter is hard plumbed to the HP port of the reg. Thus if wreck diving eliminates the chance of cutting a high pressure hose, causing a loss of gas. And every tech diver I know uses a wrist mounted bottom timer.

You can go back and forth all day long.

 

[RJP]

You heard beeping, to me it sounds like the computer was working and you dive with a lot of people that either don't know how to set them or are causing violations that cause alarms.

You ain't kidding! 90% of the time a beeping computer indicates USER ERROR of some form or another.

There was a guy on our boat once that dove two computers. Not at the same time, mind you, but on consecutive dives! Why? "This one always starts beeping at me about halfway through the second dive. I have no idea why, but discovered that by switching computers the problem went away."

We don't let him on the boat anymore.

 

[eponym]

There was a guy on our boat once that dove two computers. Not at the same time, mind you, but on consecutive dives! Why? "This one always starts beeping at me about halfway through the second dive. I have no idea why, but discovered that by switching computers the problem went away." We don't let him on the boat anymore.

Good one!

A personal observation regarding Suuntos synching up with the wrong tank: I have to hold my Suunto Vytec within 3" of the transmitter to get it to sync up after I turn it on. I don't see how I could sync it up with someone else's Suunto transmitter unless we're gearing up back-to-back.

-Bryan

 

[fppf]

Yeah then he is going to get bent and cry how he did everything perfect. Then they will download the log from the computer he was using and say, yeah you should not have gotton bent.

 

[mruseless]

To quote the old song from Sesame Street "One of these things is not like the other..."

Now I'm not a hoseless basher - diving a Vytec DS as I do - but hoseless does NOT reduce failure points. It INCREASES potential failure points, at a minimum by a factor of two since you're essentially replacing one piece of gear with two (transmitter + receiver)

Add to that that each of the two has various electromechanical parts which could fail, plus each has it's own battery that could fail.

The strap on the receiver could break.

The transmitter could get bumped/knocked off.

Etc.

All in all the chances of each of these failures occuring may be remote, and the net overall likelihood of a critical failure may only be marginally higher than with an SPG, and fall within acceptable limits for most divers on most dives. However, switching to hoseless does not REDUCE failure points.
- receiver has a

OK, I can see your argument... but to my way of thinking, it seems the number of failure points stays the same. Obviously a battery could fail, but that is countered by not having a hose that could be cut or get entangled. Bumping could damage a hose or a transmitter, so that one pushes. But I see the computer as being a single point of failure, whether its acting as a receiver or just a computer. I guess technically there are different electronics involved, but it seems that the majority of failures that affect one would affect the other (like cracking the case, or the strap breaking, or the battery failing), and a failure of the transmitter/receiver would not necessarily end the dive. Is my thinking flawed there?

 

[RJP]

Is my thinking flawed there?

Yes...

 

[mruseless]

Elaborate please

 

[Thalassamania]

I've used a wireless AI computer for many years and never had a problem. Why is it better than an SPG on a hose? Because it was given to me, I doubt if I'd have gone out and bought one. Now that I've used one and gotten used to the convenience, frankly I would replace it with a similar device. It looks to me like the OCEANIC ATOM 2.0 is the best of the bunch.