Assessing fitness of Aeris ATMOS 2 computer

[tank29]

Hello!

I am returning to diving after a long break and would like to solicit some advice regarding my old ATMOS 2 dive computer. I have kept all of my gear, including this computer, in very good condition while I was out of diving for 10+ years. I have replaced the battery in the computer, taken it to a local pool and the only quirk that I've noticed is that whenever I power it on, it initially tells me that the battery is low (I get the flashing battery charge indication), but it eventually clears and shows a full charge, which is what I expect (as I tested the battery with a multi-meter and it's fine). Everything else seems to be working as expected.

As Aeris is completely out of business, what are your thoughts about figuring out if this computer is safe to dive with? I plan on diving with a backup bottom timer and depth gauge with any computer that I dive with. I also plan on using tables to double check my dive profile for any serious, non-local mud hole dives that I will do, also, regardless of the computer I use.

I look forward to hearing what people think about this! Thanks for the help!

tank

 

[runsongas]

if the depth is reading correctly, then it is usable. what brand batteries are you using? the generic button cells sometimes have a voltage drop during higher drain which may be causing the dive computer to think the battery is almost dead.

 

[tank29]

They are generic batteries. Maybe I should try switching to a more reliable brand. I was going for quantity rather than quality when I bought them. In hindsight, that seems like a silly approach for most any SCUBA diving equipment. Thanks for the comment!

 

[68raggtop]

Sony was the recommend battery. They will sometimes show the same behavior. The low battery flashing usually goes away within 5 minutes on mine.

 

[tank29]

I decided to replace the battery, just to see if that helped things. While I was replacing it, I made sure that the brass leads were in good contact with the battery. It may have been in my mind, but it seemed that the one that floats over the - side of the battery was a little further off than it should have been. In any case, when it powered back on, there was no low battery indication.

I did check the old battery and it was reading 3.0 V; the fresh one was 3.25V. I would be surprised if that is what caused the issue, so I suspect that I may have bent the lead a little when installing the now old battery. It seems good now though! And it turns out they were Samsung batteries, so I don't think brand quality should have been a factor.

Thanks again for the inputs!

 

[Seaweed Doc]

I still dive my aeris Atmos. I now have a backup computer (brand new in June) and they consistently agree.

 

[68raggtop]

As I recall, the low battery indicator is caused by the amount of power drawn from the battery during its diagnostics during boot up. After it’s complete, there is no where near as much drain and the battery recovers from that event. That’s why it clears after a few minutes.