Garmin sonar sound changes?

[brsnow]

Any thoughts on if garmin will make changes with the T1 to lessen the sound? Outside of my area of expertise but can a change in frequency or other adjustments lower or eliminate? Could that be an update or require new hardware? Thank you for the insights.

 

[spchampion]

You can already lower the transmitter power as part of a capability Garmin introduced in the middle of last year. From the manual:

You can customize the settings for paired transmitters prior to a dive.

On the paired Descent™ dive computer, hold MENU, select Dive Setup > Air Integration > Transmitters, and select a transmitter.

Set Transmit Power
Allows you to adjust the power setting if your transmitter is losing connection with the paired dive computer underwater.

I don't recall the exact settings, but it's something like high, medium, low. The default is medium (or some equivalent), and you can adjust it to low instead.

I did this for my T1, and it helped...some... I could never hear it when wearing a hood, but it was really noticeable the first time I dove without a hood on. Lowering the power made it go from obnoxious to ignorable (even though I can still hear it).

On the flip side, I will occasionally see connection issues underwater, but never for very long (usually less than a minute) and not frequently (once every few dives).

I have often wondered how the transmitter sounds to other divers around me, or if it bothers any marine life. I'm a traditional back-mount diver, which puts the transmitter pretty close to my ear where I can hear it easily. But I have no idea how far it carries beyond me. Nobody has ever mentioned hearing it. No clue about the marine life.

 

[RonR]

I don't know at what frequency the Garmin operates, but having worked on our own transmitter and in the past been familiar with the Liquivision transmitters as well as some ultrasonic comm systems, and knowing how noisy scuba divers & regulators are in general, I expect it's like someone having a quiet conversation in a full football stadium. You can hear if you are close enough and listen. I'm certain that the sound output is a very tiny fraction of, for instance, a boat's depth sounder. I wouldn't worry too much about disturbing creatures.

The main advantage of acoustic signals is that underwater they have the potential to travel longer distances, so you can monitor other divers. Our own transmitter (not yet on the market) we get 2-300 feet reception with decent consistency, and I can only hear it if I try hard. But then, I'm old, and my high frequency hearing is probably not great.

Ron

 

[brsnow]

I don't know at what frequency the Garmin operates, but having worked on our own transmitter and in the past been familiar with the Liquivision transmitters as well as some ultrasonic comm systems, and knowing how noisy scuba divers & regulators are in general, I expect it's like someone having a quiet conversation in a full football stadium. You can hear if you are close enough and listen. I'm certain that the sound output is a very tiny fraction of, for instance, a boat's depth sounder. I wouldn't worry too much about disturbing creatures.

The main advantage of acoustic signals is that underwater they have the potential to travel longer distances, so you can monitor other divers. Our own transmitter (not yet on the market) we get 2-300 feet reception with decent consistency, and I can only hear it if I try hard. But then, I'm old, and my high frequency hearing is probably not great.

Ron

Ron,
Thank you, It is an expensive gamble if it is really noticeable. I think at 50 years of age I might not notice it. My dive buddy heard it over video and said it would drive him crazy, I watched the same video can’t tell if I can hear it or not even turning up the volume

 

[tursiops]

Ron,
Thank you, It is an expensive gamble if it is really noticeable. I think at 50 years of age I might not notice it. My dive buddy heard it over video and said it would drive him crazy, I watched the same video can’t tell if I can hear it or not even turning up the volume

You need an older dive buddy....

 

[brsnow]

You need an older dive buddy....

Lol, sadly he is 50 as well!

 

[ATJ]

Ron,
Thank you, It is an expensive gamble if it is really noticeable. I think at 50 years of age I might not notice it. My dive buddy heard it over video and said it would drive him crazy, I watched the same video can’t tell if I can hear it or not even turning up the volume

Interestingly, I have an old Citizen Hyper Aqualand dive watch I often carry on my dives. At certain times it will beep and other divers have complained to me about it but I have never heard it on a dive. I have shot video and can easily hear it on the video.

 

[waterone]

Ron,
Thank you, It is an expensive gamble if it is really noticeable. I think at 50 years of age I might not notice it. My dive buddy heard it over video and said it would drive him crazy, I watched the same video can’t tell if I can hear it or not even turning up the volume

Everything sounds louder when I watch a video of a dive. Sometimes I wonder why I didnt hear some things that the video clearly captured.

I can hear mine even on low but at least it isn't annoying anymore. But I haven't met anyone that can hear it, even when right next to me during a dive. I also cant hear it when I ditch and don my gear, so it seems it has to be within few inches of my ear.

 

[Hoag]

Interestingly, I have an old Citizen Hyper Aqualand dive watch I often carry on my dives. At certain times it will beep and other divers have complained to me about it but I have never heard it on a dive. I have shot video and can easily hear it on the video.

I have a Citizen Hyper Aqualand dive watch too, and the beeping drives me crazy. I love the watch. I just wish there was some way to turn off the alarms. Specifically, for mine, the too fast ascent alarm will beep if I move my arm upwards too quickly.