Best First Dive Comp under $700?

[eelnoraa]

Is the VT3 the Oceanic predecessor to the VT4 ? If so, what do you think about the VT 4.1 ? It's going for $700 right now with transmitter.

I don't own a VT4.1, but to me, I just won't spend $700 on a computer that doesn't have a bright color display. AI and transmitter has no value to me.

From VT4 manual, the display is some what customizable, but the issue is still the overall concept of what AUP/Pelogic believe what divers need to see. The Main Dive Screen dedicates the entire 3rd row for AI related information. What if I don't want to use AI, that space just go unused. Also, it display ART and NDC. For recreational computer, I wonder why do I need to know both. Either ART=0 or NDC=0, I need to start my ascent anyway. VT3 display the shorter one between them, which is what a computer divers needs to know. But overall I think ART number is dangerous. (more on this later)

Alt1: "ALT", time of the day and temperature.
Alt2: "ALT", max depth, elapse time
Alt3: "ALT", O2 saturation percentage, PO2 and FO2
Gauge: Depth, Runtime, EDT, tank pressure and ART

You can be judge for yourself if they are the info you want.

As for ART is dangerous, here is why. The way Pelogic defines ART is that when ART=0, you should start your ascent at proper rate, complete the safety stop as indicated by the computer, then finish the ascent to the surface. At this point, you should have the reserved gas (set in menu) left in your tank. Let's say you set the reserve to be 500psi. When ART=0, you start ascent following the computer's instruction, you will reach surface with 500psi.

The problem is that it only accounts for the diver. If the buddy has a gas lost at ART=0 or close to 0, you has to share gas. Depend on depth and depending on your reserved setting, you may not have enough gas to get both divers to surface safely. This is the main reason I moved away from AI computer. If I have to make adjustment to my ascent pressure based on the environment which the computer doesn't know, I may as well do it all by myself.

 

[dmaziuk]

A big bright display and a USER CUSTOMIZABLE presentation of the same old tired information.

Actually... it has to be big enough to have room for customization and that pretty much means TFT which means bright colours -- well, "bright" is the backlight but colour means you can get high-contrast very visible colour scheme. It'll look bright. So if it's really user-customizable it pretty much will be big and bright.

The amount of customization you can squeeze into "fixed segment" LCDs is... well... don't bother.

 

[lowviz]

... The amount of customization you can squeeze into "fixed segment" LCDs is... well... don't bother.

Let's not hop between high and low ends. There will always be a well-served low end. I still dive my Uwatec smart Pro for knock-off dives. I truly can't believe that it has lasted this long. I love it. Strap it on and forget it, find out what happened later.

The point that I attempt to make is that user customization is important and massively underappreciated. When I first started diving, I stayed focused on NDL and almost nothing else. Now, it is just another datum. People dive differently.

Large and bright seems to play well across the board. It may be the only common denominator.

So how about average depth? Me, I couldn't care less. Totally useless waste of my attention. A friend of mine, however, requires it as one of the only two useful things that a DC can provide. Who is wrong?

There is no middle ground, there is no best for everyone.

Big, bright, and let ME decide what I want to see.

 

[ronscuba]

I don't own a VT4.1, but to me, I just won't spend $700 on a computer that doesn't have a bright color display. AI and transmitter has no value to me.....

Many feel the same. Was asking about the VT4.1 because you were talking about the VT3.

Seems like many improvements in new dive computers is along the line of advances in screen and chip technology. Color, better screens, user selected info. IMHO, this is even more reason to buy what fits your needs now vs. buying for the future.

 

[lowviz]

...//... user selected info. IMHO, this is even more reason to buy what fits your needs now vs. buying for the future.

That is a reasonable approach.

My Petrel 2 gripe is that I only get two choices for "Last Stop". It only offers me 10' or 20'. All my previous plans end at 15'. Makes it a nuisance to compare to past plans.

Maybe I should have waited...

 

[dmaziuk]

The point that I attempt to make is that user customization is important and massively underappreciated.

The point is you can't customize 'segment' LCDs that non-big-bright DCs have. I'm talking hardware. If you want customizable you end up with a petrel-type screen because there's just no other really viable hardware option.

Say, n2ition display: it has 3 rows with large XX:X.X and smaller X'XX at the top, 2 smaller XX:X.X in the middle, and one XXXX at the bottom, plus a few little things scattered around. You can't customize the size or the layout, all you can change is what these numbers show. As in you can show your depth as 12:3.4 and elapsed time as 5'67 -- go figure what those mean.

The customizable hardware is a dot-matrix display. A character is usually 5x3 dots. You make them bigger by making "larger dots" e.g. 2x2 pixel squares. You can very easily work out how many characters of a given size you can fit on a display of a given size. Once you do, you'll end up with a 2" 320x240 colour TFT which is what petrel 2 and ostc use. The runner-up is a liquivision's (presumably -- they don't spell out their screen size and resolution) 1.8" OLED.

 

[lowviz]

The point is you can't customize 'segment' LCDs that non-big-bright DCs have.

Yes, your non-point is that you can't customize something that is fixed. Low end of the target market. That is a nice, cheap, robust, low-power option.

I'm talking hardware. If you want customizable you end up with a petrel-type screen because there's just no other really viable hardware option.

Back to high end of the target market. I pretty much know what I'm talking about, I'm a retired EE, Systems (hardware).

Say, n2ition display: it has 3 rows with large XX:X.X and smaller X'XX at the top, 2 smaller XX:X.X in the middle, and one XXXX at the bottom, plus a few little things scattered around. You can't customize the size or the layout, all you can change is what these numbers show. As in you can show your depth as 12:3.4 and elapsed time as 5'67 -- go figure what those mean.

Back to the low end again.

The customizable hardware is a dot-matrix display. A character is usually 5x3 dots. You make them bigger by making "larger dots" e.g. 2x2 pixel squares. You can very easily work out how many characters of a given size you can fit on a display of a given size.

Yeah. That is one of the point-addressable displays that are currently in production. You can program them to show just one whopping big digit if you so choose, enter the software/hardware debate.

Once you do, you'll end up with a 2" 320x240 colour TFT which is what petrel 2 and ostc use. The runner-up is a liquivision's (presumably -- they don't spell out their screen size and resolution) 1.8" OLED.

OK. Those are the economical display choices of the moment. Better will come, maybe even here now.

 

[ronscuba]

Electronics and display technology is quickly evolving. The advancements at the high end have made things much more affordable on the medium and low end. Just look at PC's, phones, monitors and HDTV's.

Now those advancements are trickling down to dive computers. The traditional advice of buy it once might still apply to fins, mask, BCD, but it's now less applicable to dive computers.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

My Petrel 2 gripe is that I only get two choices for "Last Stop". It only offers me 10' or 20'. All my previous plans end at 15'.

Just stop at 15' - the Petrel will not care.

 

[lowviz]

Absolutely correct.

Problem is, I like to run plans to compare the "bend and mend" model to the bubble model and then check both with my past plans. I only do light deco, usually less than 15 min.

The differences are small, probably inconsequential, but I like to get a "feel" for each model. Hard to do when most of my time is spent on the last stop.