Better OC Trimix Computer . . .

[Slamfire]

Why not just buy an OSTC 2n instead?

If Heinrich W had more presence here in North America, there's a good chance I would have gone with an OSTC. Having to ship all the way to Germany to deal with a potential issue dissuaded me in favor of the X1. I then asked some questions about interfacing the X1 with a rebreather and the people I asked clarified some erroneous preconceptions I had about the Shearwater and I ended with a Predator. Both Liquivision and Shearwater are in my local metropolitan area. I can literally just drive to their offices any given day.

As the conversation strayed toward fischer cables and breathers it really did not apply to your OQ. I watched with great amazement the emergance of the X1. Everyone seemed to be on that bandwagon in the beginning, now it is just another choice. My statement was directed at anyone who thinks they can make a good tech purchase now that will be relavant more than 2 years down the road. The r&d people never stop working to improve or change everything. Electronics are super sensitive to near obsolesance in about a 14 month cycle.
Eric

The future is now. It's just not widely distributed.

 

[ajduplessis]

Of course, there's always the D9tx..
Suunto D9tx Titanium | Suunto

The suuntos are very good dc's but keep you in the water for a long time diving helium based mixes. I have dived them on P-2 with helium and the time conpares to VPM +3 run times for the same profile. I would not dive them to 300ft, cant carry that much gas. Cut slates and dive in gauge.

 

[Jax]

Nice find: http://liquivision.com/docs/Compare_X1_VRx_v2.pdf


Edit: Maybe not - seems like it's old . . .

 

[Valery]

Jax, just go buy an X1 you won't regret it. What ever is your dive (trimix, deep or else) it will still be 10 steps ahead.

There's nothing more pleasant on a deep dive than seeing your computer matching exactly your slate, and that can be done easily with multideco and v-planner.

Bottom line there's nothing it can't do, not a configuration you can't make on it, for me any other choice is compromise.

Depending on your dive type it might actually have too much feature that you might not need

 

[mathauck0814]

for me any other choice is compromise.

Can you elaborate on this a little bit? What would the compromises be if you were to suddenly "have to" dive a Shearwater, Suunto, etc? Curious because I generally feel the same way about my Shearwater (that anything else would be a compromise)...

 

[Slamfire]

There's nothing more pleasant on a deep dive than seeing your computer matching exactly your slate, and that can be done easily with multideco and v-planner.

The new VPM algorithm in the Shearwater does match Vplanner tables pretty close -- at least for dives that do not go crazy deep.

 

[Valery]

Well like I said, when I looked for a computer to buy I first started looking on the algo then on the software implementing this algo. At this time vpm was only available on the x1. I do understand that SW has now implemented vpm toped with GF but again it's also available on the x1 as well as vpm-b, vpm-b/e, GF, vpm-b/GFS. I would also add that v-planner is an excellent dive planner, there's not a feature not available for you in it, it's very technical and a pure pleasure to plan deep dive. That's for the software part.

As for the hardware, I'd compare the x1 to a hogarthian configuration, it's straight to the point: no oring so no failure point. On the SW you also need to change the battery witch has an oring too. The x1 is potted, water can't penetrate it.
It has 2 ceramic sensor, it's small and yet the screen is amazingly readable.
You connect it to the rebreather by infrared again no failure point.
It has no button that could break or stop responding or be difficult to use with thick gloves.

The above is my personal preference, some people like donut bc (like me) other still dive shoe horse style bc. Some other dive dir or hogarthian and other people some other configuration.

Don't get me wrong the SW is an excelent computer. I just found the x1 perfect.

 

[ianr33]

It has no button that could break or stop responding or be difficult to use with thick gloves.

Just to point out that the "buttons" on the Predator are piezo electric sensors. No moving parts or O rings.

 

[Valery]

I can talk on the x1 for hours but I won't do it, it'll certainly become very boring.
So just a few more point:
It's rechargeable, all upgrades are totally free and freaking easy to do, it's full trimix/CCR there's nothing more to purchase, v-planner and multideco are from the same company so they match exactly whatever the dive, it has a built in compass, you can switch it to a pure bottom timer, its body is made from cnc aluminum so you can drive with your car on it (they did it you can see the movie on their website), etc....

 

[Slamfire]

On the SW you also need to change the battery witch has an oring too. The x1 is potted, water can't penetrate it.

Also, at the risk of repeating myself, I see the potting as a potential issue when the time comes to change the battery. Potting seems like a great idea if you're not going to ever need access to the guts again. But the battery will eventually need to be replaced. I know nothing as to how the battery is installed. But if it is potted, how do you get the old one out and the new one in? Wouldn't it be much easier to just put it behind an o-ring? Maybe Liquivision did figure out a simple way to have replaceable batteries without orings, but I have no clue as to how it would be done.