I have one of the infamous EPG's that I got a couple years ago for the price of the rubber boot (they were obsolecent then). I thought it would go well in the console with my also nearly obsolecent matrix master computer. And hey, the price was right.
I do mostly cold water diving and quickly discovered that the EPG is a battery hog and will eventually die on you expectedly at depth when the batteries cold soak. The clock on the EPG aggravates the situation as it always runs and drains the batteries so even if you don't dive much, you still need to change the batteries every 3 months to avoid having them die on you if they get cold at depth. The EPG's low voltage indicator that would otherwise provide you with a pre-dive low battery warning is not set sufficiently high to allow for the effects of low temperature on battery voltage.
It has other potential issues as well. It is air integrated in a poorly done sort of way as it will give air time remaining at depth but, given that it is only an SPG and has no clue how deep it is or how long it has been there, it will give absolutley no consideration for the air required for ascent, deco, saftey stops etc. I never paid any attention to it for this reason, but it struck me as a potentially dangerous thing for a new diver who may not be aware of or fully consider it's limitations.
Other than that it had an impressive gee whiz factor, was fun to play with, was exceptionally accurate in its role as an SPG, and worked well with in its limitations as long as I made sure the batteries were fresh.
But to be honest I am surprised anyone is still selling these even on close out. (If they are not throwing them away they should at least be giving them away.) They are, all things considered, a potential hazard to their users, particularly if the user is a new diver or a diver who does not monitor their SPG frequently or who does not maintain adequate situational awareness as to his/her gas consumption and expected remaining gas supply.
