do transmitters fail?

[lexvil]

Dead battery most likely.

Right, and the 4 other dead batteries I tried in it, tricky batteries because the all fooled the volt meter.

 

[caruso]

Right, and the 4 other dead batteries I tried in it, tricky batteries because the all fooled the volt meter.

Broken voltmeter.

 

[tursiops]

Scubapro, the old flat battery one, I still use it as a quick removable plug on a back up reg. It just quit working one day.

I guess we ought to distinguish between the types of transmitters. It hardly seems fair to say they are unreliable when that "data" comes maily from ScubaPro and Suunto units, whereas there are few problems other than brief data losses from the entire family of those made by PPS. Aside from the user error of letting a battery get old and weak.

 

[Glenn Williams]

I am currently using a aqualung 550c, i am a little neurotic about keeping my eye on my gas, and I hate always having to look down.
Thinking about making that switch to an air integrated wrist computer, specifically the shearwater Teric. Would the transmitter take the place of my i550c on my regulator? Are there any worries about the transmitter failing and your diving blind?

Thanks!

Yes they fail and more frequently than you think. My tank pod failed and was replaced under warranty. May I suggest having a console mounted tank gauge as a backup to your transmitter in case the transmitter fails, you have a mechanical backup. It’s what I use and have peace of mind.

 

[lexvil]

I guess we ought to distinguish between the types of transmitters. It hardly seems fair to say they are unreliable when that "data" comes maily from ScubaPro and Suunto units, whereas there are few problems other than brief data losses from the entire family of those made by PPS. Aside from the user error of letting a battery get old and weak.

I wouldn’t call them unreliable, mine went 8 years before it quit, I had a spare but I trust them as much as any other gear.

 

[Glenndini]

Yes they can fail I guess. But then it would only fail to transmit pressure to the computer (sometimes only briefly) and then you would simply end the dive. As for redundancy, I've never heard of anyone carrying a back up SPG to an SPG and they have been known to fail too.

 

[doctormike]

The problem with determining the reliability of transmitters by anecdotal evidence is that there may be a high percentage of units that fail, but for ones that don't, they work fine for a long time. So if you had 1000 of these in service with a 20% failure rate (totally unacceptable), you would have 800 very happy divers posting here saying that their transmitter never failed in their experience.

The other concern is the transmitter as a gas line failure point. I'm not sure if they are more likely to leak than a standard HP hose and SPG, but a buddy of mine just told me a very scary story about putting them on his CCR first stages and having the O2 transmitter attachment blow out inside a wreck.

For the OP - situational awareness is great, but how often do you really need to check your gas? For most divers, once they get some experience this becomes less and less of a compulsion. Not sure if your dive count is correct, but if so, realize that you can have a simple SPG clipped off and check it occasionally without it being much of a distraction.

If the transmitter fails and you have no other way of checking tank pressure, then you end the dive. Assuming a reasonable amount of experience and situational awareness, you shouldn't find yourself surprised by an empty tank. What if your tank-pressure-measuring device fails another way? What if it sticks and you think that you have more gas than you really do? Again, the only defense against that, SPG or wireless AI, is situational awareness, and knowing how fast your tank should be draining...

 

[Griffo]

I am currently using a aqualung 550c, i am a little neurotic about keeping my eye on my gas, and I hate always having to look down.
Thinking about making that switch to an air integrated wrist computer, specifically the shearwater Teric. Would the transmitter take the place of my i550c on my regulator? Are there any worries about the transmitter failing and your diving blind?

Thanks!

I notice everyone has latched onto the discussion on transmitter reliability, and not your constant gauge watching. While I always applaud divers who keep an eye on their gas (i've had several dives with people who didn't and suddenly are like "oh i've 30 bar left at 30m), you will certainly gain confidence the more you dive.
Assuming your dive count on your profile is accurate, i'd encourage you to just keep diving. After a hundred dives or so, you should definitely be able to estimate your remaining gas on most dives simply by depth and length of time. You'll find that you'll need to check it far less often than you probably are now.

 

[Drea13]

Dive count is accurate as of a recent trip, albeit on the low end. Every dive is getting more and more comfortable and now I am hooked. It’s hard to gauge time down there, it goes so fast it seems. I wish Shearwater made a rec only version. Nothing is 100% but reliability is priceless and they seem to be the best

 

[rongoodman]

Dive count is accurate as of a recent trip, albeit on the low end. Every dive is getting more and more comfortable and now I am hooked. It’s hard to gauge time down there, it goes so fast it seems. I wish Shearwater made a rec only version. Nothing is 100% but reliability is priceless and they seem to be the best

What would a rec only version give you that the current rec mode doesn't? It's hard to see why it would be significantly cheaper to build and sell.