Any Air Integrated Wrist Computer Connectivity Issues?
- Thread starter sixt3denied
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Two things not yet mentioned:
1) Wireless AI got a bad reputation from the early Suunto transmitters; apparently not a problem anymore. The Pelagic transmitters have never had this bad reputation, and they've been around 25 years. Pretty tried and true technology.
2) The Pelagic (Oceanic, Shearwater, etc) transmitters do not "connect" to anything; they just broadcast, like an AM or FM radio station. All your computer does is listen to the radio...there is no connection. It cannot lose a connection...all it can get is a crappy signal momentarily, like driving through a tunnel while you are listening to the FM radio in your car. And, just like the radio in your car, some radios are better than others, so even though the transmitter is broadcasting just fine, YOU may not hear it with your particular computer or configuration. in practice, any lost signals come back quickly. Remember the transmitter only broadcasts every 5 seconds, so nothing comes back instantly; it might take 5 or 10 seconds for your computer to hear the transmission again and decode the signal. You don't use a lot of gas in 5 or 10 seconds, not to worry.
1) Wireless AI got a bad reputation from the early Suunto transmitters; apparently not a problem anymore. The Pelagic transmitters have never had this bad reputation, and they've been around 25 years. Pretty tried and true technology.
2) The Pelagic (Oceanic, Shearwater, etc) transmitters do not "connect" to anything; they just broadcast, like an AM or FM radio station. All your computer does is listen to the radio...there is no connection. It cannot lose a connection...all it can get is a crappy signal momentarily, like driving through a tunnel while you are listening to the FM radio in your car. And, just like the radio in your car, some radios are better than others, so even though the transmitter is broadcasting just fine, YOU may not hear it with your particular computer or configuration. in practice, any lost signals come back quickly. Remember the transmitter only broadcasts every 5 seconds, so nothing comes back instantly; it might take 5 or 10 seconds for your computer to hear the transmission again and decode the signal. You don't use a lot of gas in 5 or 10 seconds, not to worry.
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You're not the first one to ask that question
You may be able to narrow down your choices with a couple questions. Which form factor do you want, 3 of the 4 computers you listed are watch style? Which decompression algorithms would be acceptable to you and which would not? Many of us on SB have our own biases.
The deco algorithms he has mentioned are Suunto (Suunto), Oceanic (PZ+ and DSAT), Aqua Lung (PZ+), and all the others (Buhlmann).You're not the first one to ask that question
You may be able to narrow down your choices with a couple questions. Which form factor do you want, 3 of the 4 computers you listed are watch style? Which decompression algorithms would be acceptable to you and which would not? Many of us on SB have our own biases.
In addition to algorithm and size (watch or big), other decision criteria might be screen quality, user-changeable batteries or not, battery life if rechargeable, price, download capability, and coolness factor. People seem to rate all these criteria differently. For example, I sleep every night. so if my rechargeable computer will go for two days, I'm perfectly happy, because I can even forget to charge it now and then! I do like to download my dives, and having had all kinds of download systems (cables, special connectors, weird drivers, infrared, BT, etc) i am a BIG fan of BT. For me, that is a HUGE positive factor.
AndyNagy45
Registered
I am partial to Shearwater. I love the Teric, ,my wife has the new peregrine (not AI) and my daughter the predix. Had an old Suunto before, nothing wrong with it worked well. I think there lots of options and good choices it all comes down to $$, the display and type of diving etc. Think it maybe hard to go wrong nowadays with any of the main brands on the market. In either case i think i would always still have an spg as back up. that's my preference along with how you connect it.
Look at the Scubapro HUD, my friends who bought it rave about it.
https://www.scubapro.com/hud-promotion
Belzelbub
Contributor
Not really an issue. I’ve been diving with the same PPS transmitter since 2013 or so. First with an Oceanic VT4.1, and with a SW Perdix AI for the last year. I can’t really recall diving and seeing that I wasn’t getting tank pressure, and I check fairly regularly.
I did, however, notice that on a handful of dives, the downloaded data indicated that there were a few times where the computer wasn’t receiving the pressure data when expected. These always cleared up quickly, and, as mentioned, were not at all an issue during the dive. All instances were when Inwas using the Oceanic. Since switching to the Perdix, I haven’t noticed any connectivity during the dive, or afterwards in the downloaded data.
Overall, though, this is not an issue.
I did, however, notice that on a handful of dives, the downloaded data indicated that there were a few times where the computer wasn’t receiving the pressure data when expected. These always cleared up quickly, and, as mentioned, were not at all an issue during the dive. All instances were when Inwas using the Oceanic. Since switching to the Perdix, I haven’t noticed any connectivity during the dive, or afterwards in the downloaded data.
Overall, though, this is not an issue.
ATJ
Contributor
It is worth pointing out that there isn't a connection as such (in the true sense of the word) between the transmitter and the dive computer (at least with respect to those computers that use the Pelagic Pressure Systems transmitters: Oceanic, Shearwater, etc.). Understanding this helps to understand potential issues.
The PPS transmitters simply broadcast the pressure reading along with the serial number. This happens as soon as there is pressure to the first stage. It happens regardless of the presence of a dive computer to listen. The PPS transmitters broadcast roughly every 5 seconds. Shearwater sell a couple of different versions that slightly vary the interval between broadcasts to avoid potential clashes but for the discussion assume ~5 seconds. Think of it like a radio station broadcasting and the broadcast isn't dependent on any radios tuned in (from a technical perspective).
The dive computer simply listens for the broadcasted signal. You tell the dive computer which serial number to listen for. Every ~5 seconds the dive computer receives the broadcast with the tank pressure and displays the pressure.
Now, just like a radio station, the transmitter has limited range and the signal can be blocked. If the dive computer is too far from the transmitter (like if you drive out of town and lose your radio station) the signal doesn't reach. If there is something in the way, like your body (you drive into a tunnel and lose your radio station) the signal won't reach.
Dive computers provide some leeway in the event of unreceived broadcasts. My Perdix AI will go for 30 seconds before it does a soft time out: display the most recent tank pressure but flashing yellow. This means it missed around 6 broadcasts from the transmitter before it goes into a warning state. (My Oceanic Atom 3.0 did this after 20 seconds). The Perdix continues to show the most recent pressure for another 60 seconds (so 90 seconds) in total and then goes into the No Comms state (that's 18 missed broadcasts). (My Atom 3.0 was 60 seconds in total.)
When the above error states occur, there is no lost connection as such, just that the signal from the transmitter has not reached the dive computer for a period of time. The solution is simple, move the dive computer to within range of the transmitter and it will pick up the next broadcast and be happy.
For the last few years I have been mounting my dive computers on my camera rig (just above the viewfinder). My camera rig is normally right in front of me within range of my transmitter(s). I almost never see the error states above. On the rare times I see them, I just raise my camera a little higher and 5 seconds later all is good.
Note, I also regularly dive with two tanks and two sets of regs. I have a transmitter on each set of regs. I have standard Oceanic branded transmitters (i.e. the will be broadcasting with the same interval). I have never had the transmitters clash.
The PPS transmitters simply broadcast the pressure reading along with the serial number. This happens as soon as there is pressure to the first stage. It happens regardless of the presence of a dive computer to listen. The PPS transmitters broadcast roughly every 5 seconds. Shearwater sell a couple of different versions that slightly vary the interval between broadcasts to avoid potential clashes but for the discussion assume ~5 seconds. Think of it like a radio station broadcasting and the broadcast isn't dependent on any radios tuned in (from a technical perspective).
The dive computer simply listens for the broadcasted signal. You tell the dive computer which serial number to listen for. Every ~5 seconds the dive computer receives the broadcast with the tank pressure and displays the pressure.
Now, just like a radio station, the transmitter has limited range and the signal can be blocked. If the dive computer is too far from the transmitter (like if you drive out of town and lose your radio station) the signal doesn't reach. If there is something in the way, like your body (you drive into a tunnel and lose your radio station) the signal won't reach.
Dive computers provide some leeway in the event of unreceived broadcasts. My Perdix AI will go for 30 seconds before it does a soft time out: display the most recent tank pressure but flashing yellow. This means it missed around 6 broadcasts from the transmitter before it goes into a warning state. (My Oceanic Atom 3.0 did this after 20 seconds). The Perdix continues to show the most recent pressure for another 60 seconds (so 90 seconds) in total and then goes into the No Comms state (that's 18 missed broadcasts). (My Atom 3.0 was 60 seconds in total.)
When the above error states occur, there is no lost connection as such, just that the signal from the transmitter has not reached the dive computer for a period of time. The solution is simple, move the dive computer to within range of the transmitter and it will pick up the next broadcast and be happy.
For the last few years I have been mounting my dive computers on my camera rig (just above the viewfinder). My camera rig is normally right in front of me within range of my transmitter(s). I almost never see the error states above. On the rare times I see them, I just raise my camera a little higher and 5 seconds later all is good.
Note, I also regularly dive with two tanks and two sets of regs. I have a transmitter on each set of regs. I have standard Oceanic branded transmitters (i.e. the will be broadcasting with the same interval). I have never had the transmitters clash.
ATJ
Contributor
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