drrich2
Contributor
Hi:
One of the popular, full-featured AI wrist unit dive computers has been out awhile, and I was interested in it, but read about poor battery life, and the tray for the rechargeable battery looking fragile although some think it seems to hold up well in real world use. The somebody posted about using the rechargeable battery & after 3 dives the indicator goes into yellow, and someone else said he got 5 - 6 dives on rechargeable over a weekend (he didn't explicitly state how much power was left at the end of that, but the phrasing did not sound good).
Apparently computers like the Cobalt (I have) and Petrel (I've read of, not owned) have demonstrated the value of excellent screens and intuitive interfaces that operate more like an iPhone and less like programming a digital watch. Therefore, big, emmitive screens (produce light) have gotten popular, people like wrist units (compact, with small batteries) and many people like A.I. (so the transmitter needs a battery, & the computer uses more power to stay in touch with it).
But if you have to open a battery compartment every time you change a battery, I'd think there'd be a risk of flooding. Even if it never floods, the tedious hassle of frequent battery changes would be aggravating, and the fear of flooding an ongoing anxiety. I prefer the Cobalt console approach; built-in rechargeable you can recharge without opening anything, with power for lots of dives.
My question is about wrist dive computers in general, whether AI or not.
If you found a dive computer that was otherwise an excellent fit for your needs and wants, at a decent price, what is the minimum # of dives you would demand on a single battery charge before you'd pass on it and get something else?
1.) 5+ Dives.
2.) 10+ Dives.
3.) 15+ Dives.
4.) 20+ Dives.
5.) 30+ Dives.
I'm keeping it simple, figuring that even on a live-aboard in an exotic location, for a 1 week trip you don't likely get over 30 something dives.
Richard.
One of the popular, full-featured AI wrist unit dive computers has been out awhile, and I was interested in it, but read about poor battery life, and the tray for the rechargeable battery looking fragile although some think it seems to hold up well in real world use. The somebody posted about using the rechargeable battery & after 3 dives the indicator goes into yellow, and someone else said he got 5 - 6 dives on rechargeable over a weekend (he didn't explicitly state how much power was left at the end of that, but the phrasing did not sound good).
Apparently computers like the Cobalt (I have) and Petrel (I've read of, not owned) have demonstrated the value of excellent screens and intuitive interfaces that operate more like an iPhone and less like programming a digital watch. Therefore, big, emmitive screens (produce light) have gotten popular, people like wrist units (compact, with small batteries) and many people like A.I. (so the transmitter needs a battery, & the computer uses more power to stay in touch with it).
But if you have to open a battery compartment every time you change a battery, I'd think there'd be a risk of flooding. Even if it never floods, the tedious hassle of frequent battery changes would be aggravating, and the fear of flooding an ongoing anxiety. I prefer the Cobalt console approach; built-in rechargeable you can recharge without opening anything, with power for lots of dives.
My question is about wrist dive computers in general, whether AI or not.
If you found a dive computer that was otherwise an excellent fit for your needs and wants, at a decent price, what is the minimum # of dives you would demand on a single battery charge before you'd pass on it and get something else?
1.) 5+ Dives.
2.) 10+ Dives.
3.) 15+ Dives.
4.) 20+ Dives.
5.) 30+ Dives.
I'm keeping it simple, figuring that even on a live-aboard in an exotic location, for a 1 week trip you don't likely get over 30 something dives.
Richard.