Does everyone really need an SPG? (w/transmitter)

[scubadada]

I will keep my transmitter directly connected to my 1st stage and have a SPG under my left arm, attached to my left chest D ring. Thanks very much. Why would I want my transmitter dangling around with the rest of my stuff? This is getting a bit carried away. The topic of direct connect vs. short hose has been addressed previously. Of course, do what you want

 

[rsingler]

This is getting a bit carried away.

I dunno. I thought it was inventive!
There are those that say that having a direct rigid mount to your first stage is a potential risk either in an overhead environment or with a deck monkey grabbing your rig. I buy that second argument from personal experience, and use a 6" hose, myself.
If you buy into that, and you want redundancy, this both removes a second hose and moves the transmitter to a protected location closer to its receiver.
Like I said, I thought it was inventive. I may try it!

 

[scubadada]

I dunno. I thought it was inventive!
There are those that say that having a direct rigid mount to your first stage is a potential risk either in an overhead environment or with a deck monkey grabbing your rig. I buy that second argument from personal experience, and use a 6" hose, myself.
If you buy into that, and you want redundancy, this both removes a second hose and moves the transmitter to a protected location closer to its receiver.
Like I said, I thought it was inventive. I may try it!

To each, their own

 

[scubadada]

AI transmitter damage when directly connected to 1st stage
Attaching AI transmitter to the 1st stage

 

[Fishyhead]

I have an analog SPG clipped off my BCD. Of the AI computer or transmitter dies, I can continue diving on my backup computer and the SPG. An SPG is useful for breath checks before jumping in the water too.

 

[CosbySweater]

More real world data to contribute:

I had the pairing feature fail on my Suunto AI/transmitter in the water this weekend. This is at least the 3rd or 4th time it’s happened. Perhaps it’s just my equipment. Though, had it not been for a backup hardlined AI (which I use as both an SPG and backup computer) I would have scrubbed the dive.

The pairing feature was out of commish all weekend, actually. I just couldn’t get it to pair no matter what I tried. Brand new battery in the transmitter. Ended up double dipping the Spiegel Grove the next day using my other AI. No problem. No missed dives. No configuration changes. Just called on the backup to do it’s job.

TBH I’m getting fed up with Sunnto and their customer service. My next machine will be a Shearwater.

 

[CosbySweater]

.

 

[J-Vo]

Waking this thread up, as I finally had an actual wireless transmitter failure.

I was about 800' up the Hill 400 line in Ginnie on my way to the whale bone. The TX on my right tank lost connection, but I didn't think anything of it until it didn't come back. As I'm side mount I didn't think anything of it and continued my dive timing my gas switches on the 5's rather than switching on pressure. At the end of the dive I checked and confirmed my tanks where within a couple hundred PSI of each other.

Upon investigation, there are not obvious issues with the transmitter other than it will not connect. It does not look to have flooded and changing the battery did not help. I should note, I only have one transmitter that I bought new, and that one is on my wife's single tank regulators. The one that failed is serial number 12,XXX, while the other one I use is serial number 13X,XXX, and my wife's is 12X,XXX. So I surmise that the failed transmitter is an order of magnitude older manufacturing date then the other two and has seen a lot more water time.

This gives me an excuse to buy a yellow transmitter for my side mount pair. Not that I have had any issues with two gray transmitters.

 

[scubadada]

Hi @jvogt

I had a transmitter that worked perfectly for 7 years/900 dives before it simply quit working. It had never been flooded, battery compartment was pristine.

My transmitter was Oceanic brand and it was replaced with a new transmitter for just $120, through their service program Service - Oceanic Worldwide This service has been continued after Oceanic was acquired by Huish. If your transmitter is an Oceanic, this program would work for you. I have no idea if other brands have similar service programs for transmitters that are out of warranty, perhaps worth looking into

 

[UCFKnightDiver]

I had an incident on a boat diving sidemount where my transmitter on my left tank lost connection. I noticed it as I jumped in the water and had to haul myself back out, and the crew were nice enough to grab my backup SPG and install it. Kind of annoying. First time I've had an issue. Transmitter reconnected when I tried it back at home and worked fine for the last dive. I'll probably still run just transmitters for now, but definitely has me second guessing my decision. I don't love running transmitters + SPGs at the same time but I do want what I run to work consistently.