scubamaverick
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I have heard that TUSA is coming out with an air integrated wrist computer. Does anyone know when or any details?
Air integrated wrist computer?
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TUSA
Contributor
The IQ-950 Zen Air is an air-integrated hoseless watch computer that is expected to be available in early 2010. The Zen Air follows the styling ques of the IQ-900 Zen with some aesthetic changes and the addition of tank pressure, 3 mixes and transmitter to name a few. It is being displayed at DEMA, 11/4-7 at booth #1519 for any attendees.
OP
scubamaverick
Registered
Thanks for the info. I look forward to seeing it at my LDS.
OP
scubamaverick
Registered
Any updates on the IQ-950 Zen Air release date?
TUSA
Contributor
Estimated availability is April for the US.
pcdownunder
Registered
anybody using the Tusa IQ 950 Zen?
I received my IQ950 a week before leaving for a trip to Bonaire and we just got home Saturday. I got to use it in the pool during class once before leaving so I would be at least familiar with it. My initial impressions were very positive, however during the course of the trip some things came up that concern me.
I was surprised how conservative (at least above about 60 feet) the 950 is in plan mode compared to my current computer (Wisdom), my old computer (Cobra) and all the other computers in the shop (a combination of Genesis, Cressi, Zeagle and Tusa). I had planned to dive my Wisdom in parallel with the new Zen to compare them on "real" dives, ie multiple dives (we usually make 5 a day) over a week, but that didn't happen due to another diver having a low battery in her computer on arriving, so I donated my Wisdom to her for the week.
The Zen was easy to use, and easy to read, even though my arms are getting too short these days and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to read the small screen after using my Wisdom for 5 years and getting used to its large display. Fortunatly, that wasn't as much of an issue as I was afraid it would be and I was able to read the 950 comfortably and easily. This was my first wrist computer and all in all I was happy and impressed with it.
However, there were some issues with it that concern me. First, on about 4 dives, after the fact several dives changed to Gauge mode in the log. They were most certainly not started in Gauge mode, and only after a period of surface time did they display as Gauge mode in the log. I know they were Normal mode in the water, as I was playing with the computer, accessing the PO2 screens and such under water, and it also showed nitrogen and O2 bars, and NDL time remaining (not just air time). Also, once a dive is made in Gauge mode its supposed to be locked to Gauge for a 24-hour SI, which it wasn't. One day's dive sequence involved (in the log at any rate) Nor, Gau, Gau, Nor dives. After returning home and downloading the computer to my PC, all those dives showing Gauge mode in the computer show normal mode in the PC.
One dive it shows me entering into Deco (ie Deco bar flashing in the log display). I noticed this after the fact when reviewing the dive. Fortunatly it didn't lock me out. I wasn't expecting it, as it wasnt an agressive profile (I did much worse dives on that trip and never entered Deco.) The dives leading up to it were Dive 1 87 feet for 42 min after a 10-hour SI, Dive 2 83 ft 63 min, after a 69 min SI, Dive 3 (the one showing Deco) 50 feet for 62 min, after a 69 min SI, followed by Dive 4 64 feet for 65 mins after a 2-hour SI. I was really interested in seeing where in the dive I went into deco, so after downloading the computer I went through the dive line by line in hte software and it shows no indication of entering deco status in the PC.
The alarms were almost totally inaudible underwater. The only time I heard it beep was when I was expecting it (ie nearing 1500psi) and held the computer up to my ear. More than 6 inches away I couldn't hear it, and I am not hard of hearing (unless you ask my wife). My dive buddy says he could hear it from time to time, so maybe it is just me.
Many times underwater the link from the transmitter was lost. Sometime for several minutes, until I moved the computer close to the transmitter (I put my hand on my head for a few seconds). It seems pretty touchy about that, and it varied a lot. Some dives it was losing the link every few minutes, other dives it never seemed to lose it. This was annoying but not all that bad, as the link could be restored easily. It was just aggrevating that when I would look at the computer it was blinking all zeros for pressure and ATR. And of course if i was below 1500psi, on re-establishing the link, it would re-activate the "Turn" alarm.
All in all in spite of the negative points, I am still really liking the 950, partly for how easy it is to use -- I shoot a lot of video and its so easy to just glance to the side at my wrist and see the computer as opposed to removing one hand from the camera and picking up the console. Also, for the techno-lover in me is just the "cool" factor of the hoseless air integration. However, the dives that changed to gauge mode after the fact give me cause for concern. I am hoping some kind of explaination can be found for that.
Also, I am unsure what the capacity of the memory on this computer actually is. All I can find in the manual is that it will hold 24 dives (a pretty small number in my mind for a $900-plus computer). I did 28 dives during the week, and as expected the first 4 disappeared from the log. However when I downloaded the computer when I got home, all the dives were there, including the 2 that were logged in the pool the week before.
John
I was surprised how conservative (at least above about 60 feet) the 950 is in plan mode compared to my current computer (Wisdom), my old computer (Cobra) and all the other computers in the shop (a combination of Genesis, Cressi, Zeagle and Tusa). I had planned to dive my Wisdom in parallel with the new Zen to compare them on "real" dives, ie multiple dives (we usually make 5 a day) over a week, but that didn't happen due to another diver having a low battery in her computer on arriving, so I donated my Wisdom to her for the week.
The Zen was easy to use, and easy to read, even though my arms are getting too short these days and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to read the small screen after using my Wisdom for 5 years and getting used to its large display. Fortunatly, that wasn't as much of an issue as I was afraid it would be and I was able to read the 950 comfortably and easily. This was my first wrist computer and all in all I was happy and impressed with it.
However, there were some issues with it that concern me. First, on about 4 dives, after the fact several dives changed to Gauge mode in the log. They were most certainly not started in Gauge mode, and only after a period of surface time did they display as Gauge mode in the log. I know they were Normal mode in the water, as I was playing with the computer, accessing the PO2 screens and such under water, and it also showed nitrogen and O2 bars, and NDL time remaining (not just air time). Also, once a dive is made in Gauge mode its supposed to be locked to Gauge for a 24-hour SI, which it wasn't. One day's dive sequence involved (in the log at any rate) Nor, Gau, Gau, Nor dives. After returning home and downloading the computer to my PC, all those dives showing Gauge mode in the computer show normal mode in the PC.
One dive it shows me entering into Deco (ie Deco bar flashing in the log display). I noticed this after the fact when reviewing the dive. Fortunatly it didn't lock me out. I wasn't expecting it, as it wasnt an agressive profile (I did much worse dives on that trip and never entered Deco.) The dives leading up to it were Dive 1 87 feet for 42 min after a 10-hour SI, Dive 2 83 ft 63 min, after a 69 min SI, Dive 3 (the one showing Deco) 50 feet for 62 min, after a 69 min SI, followed by Dive 4 64 feet for 65 mins after a 2-hour SI. I was really interested in seeing where in the dive I went into deco, so after downloading the computer I went through the dive line by line in hte software and it shows no indication of entering deco status in the PC.
The alarms were almost totally inaudible underwater. The only time I heard it beep was when I was expecting it (ie nearing 1500psi) and held the computer up to my ear. More than 6 inches away I couldn't hear it, and I am not hard of hearing (unless you ask my wife). My dive buddy says he could hear it from time to time, so maybe it is just me.
Many times underwater the link from the transmitter was lost. Sometime for several minutes, until I moved the computer close to the transmitter (I put my hand on my head for a few seconds). It seems pretty touchy about that, and it varied a lot. Some dives it was losing the link every few minutes, other dives it never seemed to lose it. This was annoying but not all that bad, as the link could be restored easily. It was just aggrevating that when I would look at the computer it was blinking all zeros for pressure and ATR. And of course if i was below 1500psi, on re-establishing the link, it would re-activate the "Turn" alarm.
All in all in spite of the negative points, I am still really liking the 950, partly for how easy it is to use -- I shoot a lot of video and its so easy to just glance to the side at my wrist and see the computer as opposed to removing one hand from the camera and picking up the console. Also, for the techno-lover in me is just the "cool" factor of the hoseless air integration. However, the dives that changed to gauge mode after the fact give me cause for concern. I am hoping some kind of explaination can be found for that.
Also, I am unsure what the capacity of the memory on this computer actually is. All I can find in the manual is that it will hold 24 dives (a pretty small number in my mind for a $900-plus computer). I did 28 dives during the week, and as expected the first 4 disappeared from the log. However when I downloaded the computer when I got home, all the dives were there, including the 2 that were logged in the pool the week before.
John
Last edited:
TUSA
Contributor
John-
Please email us at scuba@tusa.com or pm us your email and we will contact you. We would like to review your computer data. Thank you.
Please email us at scuba@tusa.com or pm us your email and we will contact you. We would like to review your computer data. Thank you.
Sent. I would be happy to provide you with any data you would care to look at.
Please don't get me wrong. It was not my intent to bash the 950, only highlight some of the minor issues I encountered on my trip. Once I figured out that I was not locked to Gauge mode, and that it was apparently a display glitch and I knew it had tracked my dive properly, that was a non-issue for me. The audible alarm issue is probably me just not hearing it. I only hear my Wisdom about half the time. And losing the link underwater, that just comes with the hoseless territory.
Over all I am happy with this computer, and would recommend it once we get an understanding on what happened with the log display.
Please don't get me wrong. It was not my intent to bash the 950, only highlight some of the minor issues I encountered on my trip. Once I figured out that I was not locked to Gauge mode, and that it was apparently a display glitch and I knew it had tracked my dive properly, that was a non-issue for me. The audible alarm issue is probably me just not hearing it. I only hear my Wisdom about half the time. And losing the link underwater, that just comes with the hoseless territory.
Over all I am happy with this computer, and would recommend it once we get an understanding on what happened with the log display.
I feel a need to post a follow-up to the issues I had with my IQ950. After a couple training dives over the Fourth of July weekend where some more anomalous data showed up again, TUSA generously decided to replace my 950 with a new one. It arrived late last week, and I spent last weekend doing training dives again and the new computer performed flawlessly. Thanks TUSA for resolving this issue and for shipping me a replacement so quickly. It's looking like it will be a long time before this computer is relegated to my "box of old dive computers"
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