Announcing the SubGravity H3 - Powered by SeaBear

[buddhasummer]

True, but I was thinking more in terms of the other model although haven't seen so maybe size is its limiting factor also. Yeah, didn't really think that post through. Cheers for the pointer, I'll go and stand in the corner.

---------- Post added September 11th, 2015 at 05:12 PM ----------

Does the T1 have a user replaceable battery? I did a quick search but couldn't find the info.

---------- Post added September 11th, 2015 at 05:13 PM ----------

Found it: inbuilt rechargeable.

---------- Post added September 11th, 2015 at 05:14 PM ----------

What's the expected price of battery replacement for the T1? Thank you.

 

[tbone1004]

even on the T1, you have a weird balancing act. Shearwater chose to go with easily replaceable standard batteries with the AA battery. That comes with a size requirement to handle the physically larger alkaline battery, but gives you 35 hours of diving. The T1 and H3 are much smaller computers than the Petrel, so while the T1 has a 24hr dive time, and the H3 only has 12h, the form factor advantage is there. It's a balancing act, but to get a small watch sized computer with that much processing power, you have to find the balance between size/duration.

Either way, 12h of dive time on a rechargeable battery isn't that bad. Just plug it in each night with your light and call it good.

 

[drrich2]

isnt that kinda like saying an oil change also includes unscrewing the drain plug and also screwing it back in so all the new oil stays in?

I would've thought so, too, except I recall a friend telling me about a truck dealership trying to sell the tailgate as an optional add-on for more money. Or the 'resort fees' added onto the nightly rate for hotels you book. Let them state whatever things are included.

Richard.

 

[RonR]

<snip> It's a balancing act, <snip>

Exactly, it is a balancing act- all design is compromise. Small coin cells as are used in some computers can&#8217;t deliver enough current for color screens. And making a battery replaceable requires infrastructure- threads, mounting provisions, spring contacts, that can be greatly simplified, and made more reliable, by using a specialized battery with direct connectors. A robust system that allows a battery to be user replaceable (beefy O-rings, threads) will add size- and each time it is opened, there is some small chance that the seal will end up compromised. On the other side, Li-ion batteries are highly reliable, current dense, and last a long time- not forever, but a number of years before gradually losing capacity. We have batteries here that have been going nearly 10 years. I think we will get more and more used to devices containing power sources which never need to be changed, or require replacement only if something fails.

-Ron

 

[dmaziuk]

What's the expected price of battery replacement for the T1? Thank you.

Somewhere upthread they said T1 has 2 of the same battery. So 2x$1 for the battery + $99 for replacing it = $101. Or thereabouts.

 

[buddhasummer]

even on the T1, you have a weird balancing act. Shearwater chose to go with easily replaceable standard batteries with the AA battery. That comes with a size requirement to handle the physically larger alkaline battery, but gives you 35 hours of diving. The T1 and H3 are much smaller computers than the Petrel, so while the T1 has a 24hr dive time, and the H3 only has 12h, the form factor advantage is there. It's a balancing act, but to get a small watch sized computer with that much processing power, you have to find the balance between size/duration.

Either way, 12h of dive time on a rechargeable battery isn't that bad. Just plug it in each night with your light and call it good.

Thanks, makes sense. Unfortunately for me as I get older and different parts of my body begin their decline my memory is fading fast and the number of times I've forgotten to re charge my phone is embarrassing. Guess I'll need to stick with my Petrel, it's more forgiving of old age.

 

[drrich2]

On the other side, Li-ion batteries are highly reliable, current dense, and last a long time- not forever, but a number of years before gradually losing capacity. We have batteries here that have been going nearly 10 years. I think we will get more and more used to devices containing power sources which never need to be changed, or require replacement only if something fails.

Excepting the rare 'lemon' in any product line, it stands to reason by the time the H3 battery performance degrades to the point prompting replacement, and the replacement does the same, at least several years shall have passed. While ideally we'd like our gear to last for ages whether we replace it or not, I wonder what % of divers would want to keep using the same computer long enough to ever need a 2nd replacement?

Richard.

 

[buddhasummer]

Excepting the rare 'lemon' in any product line, it stands to reason by the time the H3 battery performance degrades to the point prompting replacement, and the replacement does the same, at least several years shall have passed. While ideally we'd like our gear to last for ages whether we replace it or not, I wonder what % of divers would want to keep using the same computer long enough to ever need a 2nd replacement?

Richard.

With a baby and one salary I'm one of the % who need my gear to last me till I die.

 

[dmaziuk]

I wonder what % of divers would want to keep using the same computer long enough to ever need a 2nd replacement?

On the flip side, if it ain't broken why fix it? It's not an iGizmo that you must buy a new model of every 5 months. If it doesn't get you bent today it'll probably won't get you bent 10 years from now so why not spend the money on something else instead.

 

[stuartv]

I wonder what % of divers would want to keep using the same computer long enough to ever need a 2nd replacement?

Richard.

I've seen some posts here where people are still using some pretty darn old computers. And I suspect dive computers have come a much longer way from those moldy oldies than computers are going to change in the next 10 or 15 years...

I suspect there will still be many very content Petrel 2 owners in 10 years...