Cobra 3 - Beep? I can barely hear it

[DitrasetMan]

Good morning,

I dove with my new Cobra 3 yesterday, and I noticed that the beeping sound it makes underwater is very quiet (and almost inaudible when the computer is down by my side).

Anyone else have this issue with their Cobra (or other computers)?

 

[doctormike]

That's not a bug, that's a feature. IMHO, any computer beeping should be turned off. It's the opposite of what a diver should be going for - situational awareness. Any diver relying on (or even assuming the presence of) an electronic reminder about depth, time or tank pressure is going to pay that much less attention to their dive parameters.

With experience, I find that I need to check gas less and less, as I'm more aware of my SAC, etc... But I don't like audible alarms. My 2 psi...

 

[ajduplessis]

^^^^^
perfectly said

 

[ScubaSteve1962]

That's not a bug, that's a feature. IMHO, any computer beeping should be turned off. It's the opposite of what a diver should be going for - situational awareness. Any diver relying on (or even assuming the presence of) an electronic reminder about depth, time or tank pressure is going to pay that much less attention to their dive parameters.

With experience, I find that I need to check gas less and less, as I'm more aware of my SAC, etc... But I don't like audible alarms. My 2 psi...

Until you gain that experience what's wrong with a little help to remind you? But to answer the OPs question, I have a cobra 3 and the beeping is low, but I've noticed when at depth I still have to clear my ears every once in awhile and then I can hear it. It's not an equalizing problem, it's just that sounds start to get a little muffed. As you get more dives under your belt, you'll never hear the beep because it won't get to that stage. Also if you look at your dive profile when you upload to your computer it will tell you what the alarm was for.

 

[ianr33]

Until you gain that experience what's wrong with a little help to remind you?

No beeping so everything must be good,yes?

Unless you happen to be at 300 feet with a flooded computer.

 

[doctormike]

Until you gain that experience what's wrong with a little help to remind you? But to answer the OPs question, I have a cobra 3 and the beeping is low, but I've noticed when at depth I still have to clear my ears every once in awhile and then I can hear it. It's not an equalizing problem, it's just that sounds start to get a little muffed. As you get more dives under your belt, you'll never hear the beep because it won't get to that stage. Also if you look at your dive profile when you upload to your computer it will tell you what the alarm was for.

I promise that I'm not trying to be snarky, we all love diving, and we love giving advice to people who are starting out. I hope that you take this the right way - I think that you are missing the point entirely. It is especially dangerous for a new diver to be seeking that "help". The last thing that a new diver needs to be thinking is that the absence of beeping means that everything is OK.

We expect a new diver to be frequently checking his or her SPG and depth gauge, and with experience to do so less often. The idea behind an audible alarm is to compensate for someone NOT doing that. A dangerous crutch, and one that should be eliminated.

And finally, it's really not a good thing if your computer is alarming during a dive, but you plan on waiting until you are home and have uploaded your dive to your laptop to find out what the alarm was about!

"Hey, it says I missed a deco stop! Can I fix that with the text editor..?"

 

[ScubaSteve1962]

No beeping so everything must be good,yes?

Unless you happen to be at 300 feet with a flooded computer.

No beeping means you must be doing things right, it doesn't mean you never look at your computer until it beeps. Expecting a new diver with new equipment to jump in and have the experience that you have, it just doesn't happen. If you've wait until you're at 300ft to look at your gauges/computer, you really don't need to be diving, beeping or no beeping!!

I promise that I'm not trying to be snarky, we all love diving, and we love giving advice to people who are starting out. I hope that you take this the right way - I think that you are missing the point entirely. It is especially dangerous for a new diver to be seeking that "help". The last thing that a new diver needs to be thinking is that the absence of beeping means that everything is OK.

We expect a new diver to be frequently checking his or her SPG and depth gauge, and with experience to do so less often. The idea behind an audible alarm is to compensate for someone NOT doing that. A dangerous crutch, and one that should be eliminated.

And finally, it's really not a good thing if your computer is alarming during a dive, but you plan on waiting until you are home and have uploaded your dive to your laptop to find out what the alarm was about!

"Hey, it says I missed a deco stop! Can I fix that with the text editor..?"

When I say a little help, that's just what I mean, a little help. Like ascending to fast, (those are the alarms I get) not that you're low on air, or you're getting close to deco, or you need to make a safety stop, there are some things that if you paid attention in OW that you know you need to keep your eye on. If your computer is alarming I would hope you are looking at it then, not wait until you get home. The OP asked about the beeping and instead of getting answers to his questions he gets people who want to give advice which happens a lot on SB you don't get answers you get point of views. Don't get me wrong you guys give great advice it's just sometimes it's unsolicited advice. And no I didn't think you were trying to be snarky.

 

[DitrasetMan]

Until you gain that experience what's wrong with a little help to remind you? But to answer the OPs question, I have a cobra 3 and the beeping is low, but I've noticed when at depth I still have to clear my ears every once in awhile and then I can hear it. It's not an equalizing problem, it's just that sounds start to get a little muffed. As you get more dives under your belt, you'll never hear the beep because it won't get to that stage. Also if you look at your dive profile when you upload to your computer it will tell you what the alarm was for.

Well, I noticed when I was about to finish a dive at 30 feet, and I went below 700 psi, I did not hear the "less than 700 psi alarm" beep. I knew I was around that range of psi regardless, but I was surprised that I did not hear the audible alarm. When I looked down at my Cobra 3, the psi was blinking because it was slightly less than 700 psi.

In testing the unit, while at the surface, I put the Cobra 3 in and out of dive mode (which automatically checks the battery and makes a beep) and I could hear the beep floating above the surface while the unit was out of the water, and I could also hear it just beneath the surface (while I was submerged) when the unit was in front of my face. But, when I dunked myself in the water and the unit made the beep while it was down by my side, I couldn't hear it. So I guess it is normal to be that quiet.

I just wanted to make sure that there is nothing wrong with my unit.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Keep diving, eventually you will be so deaf, that you will hear no beeps....

I have a computer that beeps when I go into deco. I think it just does it for a short duration and then stops. I think it is a nice feature, but I wish it was louder. I don't see it as some kind of huge crutch. Often I don't hear it all, but then i can hear it on my video.

 

[doctormike]

No beeping means you must be doing things right

Potentially fatal assumption.

If your computer is alarming I would hope you are looking at it then, not wait until you get home.

if you look at your dive profile when you upload to your computer it will tell you what the alarm was for

Not sure which of the above quotes is your recommendation for computer diving...

The OP asked about the beeping and instead of getting answers to his questions he gets people who want to give advice which happens a lot on SB you don't get answers you get point of views. Don't get me wrong you guys give great advice it's just sometimes it's unsolicited advice.

Sorry to provide distracting, unsolicited and off-topic advice. Here's my answer to the OP's question: No, I don't have that problem with my Cobra or with my other Suunto computers. Hope that helps...