Dive Computer Buddy project on Kickstarter

[DiveNav]

I am glad to announce that Kickstarter has accepted our new Dive Computer Buddy project!

Dive Computer Buddy is a Smart adapter that allows you to wirelessly connect your iPad (or any tablet or smartphone equipped with Bluetooth 4.0 low energy technology) to your dive computer and download all your logs as soon as you complete a dive.

Our goal is to integrate support for Dive Computer Buddy (and for as many model-specific dive computers as possible) into our existing divePAL program. Additionally, we plan to license our DCbuddy API to selected third party developers of diving log Apps so they can integrate support for our DCbuddy device into their own branded products.

As we did for our bluebuddy wireless data logger, and for our Nitroxbuddy Smartphone Oxygen Analyzer, we have decided to enlist the help of the Kickstarter community to bring this new product to market.
If you are not familiar with Kickstarter, please check out their "What is Kickstarter?" page.

If you want to know more about this new product, or if you would like to preorder a Dive Computer Buddy at a very special price (while also supporting our project), check out our Dive Computer Buddy project on Kickstarter!

 

[tursiops]

I assume if you have two different supported computers you just need one Dive Computer Buddy and two interface cables?

 

[DiveNav]

I assume if you have two different supported computers you just need one Dive Computer Buddy and two interface cables?

Correct.

 

[DiveNav]

First of all a BIG THANK YOU from the DiveNav Team to all of our backers. I am really impressed by the speed this campaign is moving. In a little more than a week we have almost reached 50% of our goal. Please continue to support us.

As indicated in the DCbuddy project description on Kickstarter, one of the rewards is the DCBUDDY - Do It Yourself ($70). This reward is perfect if you own already an USB cable for a dive computer supported by this reward AND you are comfortable doing a bit of soldering.

Again, you can pledge for this reward if you already have a download cable for any of the following dive computers: Aeris A300, A300AI, A300XT, Atmos AI, XR2 or Elite T3, Oceanic Veo180Nx, Veo 250, Veo 2, Veo 3, VT3, VT4, OC1, OCS, OCi, Pro Plus 2 or Pro Plus 3, Sherwood Wisdom 2 or Wisdom 3, Suunto D4, D4i, D6, D6i, D9, D9Tx, DX.

Check out this video that shows how to modify a Suunto USB cable. Next month we will have a video for the Oceanic Veo family of dive computers.

[video=youtube;WNJVlo6sl3c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNJVlo6sl3c[/video]
​

On the software front we made quite some progress in integrating into divePAL for iPhone support for DCbuddy. Right now we are focusing on the Suunto D family of dive computers, but we expect to address other brands / models in the next few weeks. Once we are done with this you will be able to add a log to divePAL either by entering it manually, or downloading it from a bluebuddy data logger or downloading it from a dive computer via DCbuddy.

If you want to know more about this new product, or if you would like to preorder a Dive Computer Buddy at a special price (while also supporting our project), check out our Dive Computer Buddy project on Kickstarter and make your pledge NOW.

 

[DiveNav]

Thank You again to all of our backers for your support. We are a the mid point of this campaign and we are getting closer and closer to reaching our target.
Please spread the word; tell your diving buddies and your dive club how much you like Dive Computer Buddy and ask them to become backers too (use this link) so we can bring this new product to the market in a timely fashion.

Dive Log for iOS
I am glad to report that the we have entered into an agreement with More Mobile Software and they are going to add support for Dive Computer Buddy to their well know dive logging App Dive Log for iOS. So, if you are already using Dive Log for iOS, in few months you will be able to retrieve a log from your dive computer, via DCbuddy, with your iPhone / iPad equipped with Dive Log for iOS and then synchronize it with your Mac equipped with Dive Log Manager. Please check directly with More Mobile Software on their schedule.

Android
Several of you asked if Dive Computer Buddy will work with Android smartphones. The answer is YES!
Dive Computer Buddy uses Bluetooth 4.0 low energy technology (BLE) and as such it will work with any smartphone that supports BLE. We are planning to integrate support for DCbuddy into our own divePAL for Android App. Additionally, as we did with iOS developers (see above) we plan to license our DCbuddy APIs to selected third party Android developers of diving log Apps so they can integrate support for our DCbuddy device into their own branded products. Please check directly with individual third party Android developers on their plans to support DCbuddy and their schedule.

Hurry Up
If you are not (yet) a backer but you are interested in a better (and easier) way to log your dives, DCbuddy is for you as it enables direct download from a dive computer to your tablet/smartphone. Hurry up; pre-order your DCbuddy on Kickstarter (use this link) and you will get it first and at a discounted price (and if you are based in USA you will not pay shipping either).

 

[DiveNav]

Fine tuning the Suunto Cobra family protocol(s) / interface

Just a quick update to show our progress with the Suunto Cobra family interface / protocol(s).

The prototype for the Suunto Cobra family cable has arrived ....

..... and it looks cool and clean on a Vyper Air .....

.... and it works too

 

[DiveNav]

Almost there
While I am writing this update we are at 94% of the target. We are getting there!
We just need few more backers (a dozen or so) and we can make this product a reality.

If you are already a backer (Thank You), please pick up the phone and ask your dive buddy to make his/her pledge.

If you are not yet a backer, this is the moment to dive in; make your pledge and get a DCbuddy at the special Kickstarter price (and if you are based in USA you will not pay shipping either)!

Oceanic OC and Veo (and other Pelagic computers)
In the past few days we made a lot of progress with the Oceanic OC and Veo families of dive computers. We have finalized the design of the connectors and fine tuned the protocol for the OC family devices (OC1, OCS and OCi) and for the models of the Veo family (Oceanic Veo 2, Veo 3, VT4, Pro Plus 2.1 and Pro Plus 3, Aeris A300, A300AI and A300XT and Sherwood Wisdom 3)

We still have some work to do with the "old" Veo type of dive computers (such as the Veo 180, Veo 250, Atmos AI ...) as their protocol is a bit "unique" ... but we should have them finalized in a week or so.

MacDive 2
I am glad to report that the we have entered into an agreement with Mint Software and they are going to add support for Dive Computer Buddy to their well known program MacDive 2 - the digital dive log for Mac OS X. Please check directly with Mint Software on their schedule.

 

[DiveNav]

Funded!

 

[DiveNav]

Thank You to all our backers for your vote of confidence and for making this campaign a success. We are extremely excited about our new Dive Computer Buddy product and we will do our best to ship your rewards as soon as possible; maybe even before the dates indicated in the project page.

In fact, we have already procured the necessary PCBs, have identified a supplier for some of the cables and launched manufacturing of the tooling for the housing.

Last Call

If you are already a backer and have a friend that is still undecided, tell him/her to act now as there are only few hours left.

If you are not a backer but were considering to become one, this is your last chance to make your pledge and get a DCbuddy at the special Kickstarter price (and if you are based in USA you will not pay shipping either)!

 

[DiveNav]

Just a quick update to let our backers know that today we are shipping out the first beta unit to our super beta testers. Actually, they are more than beta testers as they are developers of diving log Apps themselves.

This first beta unit includes two cables and supports the following Suunto dive computers:
Cobra, Cobra3, Mosquito, HelO2, Vyper, Vytec, Vyper Air and Zoop
D4, D4i, D6, D6i, D9, D9Tx and DX

Our own integration of DCbuddy into divePAL is moving forward at a good pace.
If we could get enough housings in the next 30 days, we could even accelerate the schedule a bit and ship the Suunto rewards in May instead of June
But I doubt it is going to happen

If you missed out this great Kickstarter project, you can pre-order a DCbuddy on our online store HERE