Need help choosing a new computer, read this

[tbone1004]

I would change battery first, these things can do weird things when they have low voltage.... Check that and if it doesn't work, I'm sure DGX will take it back

 

[Centrals]

I also couldn't find a manual for the N2ition 3 on-line, but here's a link to the similar Dive Rite NiTek Trio:

http://www.diverite.com/downloads/diverite_162.pdf

As Tursiops warns in post #31, it may not be EXACTLY the same computer, but it's very close. And the manual seems to cover at least some of the features missing from the (incorrect) N2ition 2 manual, like Compass settings, etc.
-Don

DGX is also recommended to use this manual.

 

[dberry]

I would change battery first, these things can do weird things when they have low voltage.... Check that and if it doesn't work, I'm sure DGX will take it back

Yup, putting in a fresh battery did the trick - seems to work normally, although I haven't taking it diving yet.

I expected a low-battery warning, not permanent lockout in DECO mode. OTOH, I guess that IS the low battery warning...

 

[tbone1004]

yeah that's a little strange, but who knows, could have been a bad battery with something else going on. will find out

 

[dberry]

FWIW, after putting in a fresh battery, I took my $170 special diving on my right wrist, along with my usual PDC on the left. It seemed to work fine, showing same temp, depths, etc and there was no problem viewing the log later. You can't (easily?) upload data to a computer, but it does show you a little graph of the depth profile in the dive log mode on the watch, and you can step through it minute by minute. We didn't get very deep, so I didn't really get to compare tissue loading indicators or conservative factors with the other PDC. The digital compass works okay and is nice bonus (but I wouldn't leave my analog compass at home.)

These PDCs may all date from around 2008 (that's what the date resets to when you replace the battery.) If so, it's not crazy that the batteries could have drained more than a little. I'd recommend anyone who buys one of these just replace the battery when you get it. It's only a few bucks, and may avoid a frozen computer like I encountered.

Thanks again for bringing this deal to my attention, TBone. I'm really glad to have a backup / PDC for my daughter.
-Don

 

[Gjoyce3]

Based on these reviews, I picked up a pair my myself and my son (we both just completed OWC and are quite new to diving). We took one out on our last OWC dive (the class provided Zoops for use, so we both had computers). One thing I noticed was a lack of an audio alarm (I had a time alarm and a depth alarm set - both of which should have tripped). To be fair we were wearing hoods. Are these things loud enough in general that I should be concerned, e.g. replacing the battery and/or getting the whole unit replaced?

Jerry

 

[buddhasummer]

I have a dive buddy with a LUNA and the alarm is most annoying, he doesn't seem notice it but I do. It's so irritating I told him to turn it off when he dives with me as if he's not paying attention to it what's the point anyway. Rant over. Of course I have no idea as to what settings he's using so could well be user "error".

 

[dmaziuk]

I have a dive buddy with a LUNA and the alarm is most annoying, he doesn't seem notice it but I do. It's so irritating I told him to turn it off when he dives with me as if he's not paying attention to it what's the point anyway. Rant over. Of course I have no idea as to what settings he's using so could well be user "error".

That's about my only complaint about my leonardo: when there's more than a couple of them in the group you can't tell who's beeping. Here's one big plus of a HUD DC: the alarm'll flash in my face without annoying anyone else.

 

[tbone1004]

we'll bring this thread back from the dead for little while.

There have been some major changes this year in dive computers.
AUP *Hollis/Oceanic/Aeris*, has sold Pelagic Pressure Systems to Aqualung. This has resulted in Aqualung dropping Suunto from the product line which was picked up by Huish *Atomic/Zeagle*. Seabear has sold out to Scubapro. We have yet to see many real changes from any of this, obviously Suunto won't change much since it is more of a distributor relationship, but it will be very interesting to see what AUP does now that they no longer own the larger dive computer manufacturer, and what Aqualung does now that they can actually design their own computers. Seabear has been disappointing because the promised release of the AI transmitter at DEMA hasn't materialized, and the T1 appears to be dropped. Very sad.

BUT! We have good news. The long discontinued Hollis DG03 is no longer the best bang for the buck computer and has been officially removed from my recommendation. I never really liked that computer anyway, had a terrible GUI and you needed a PhD in computer wizardry to change gasses on it, but it was cheap and had a bunch of features that would allow you to grow with it, and that made it a "good enough" option. Thanks to our good friends down at Deep 6, they are bringing a multi gas puck style computer, with bungee mount, in a bunch of color options for somewhere around $150. This is going to be a great option for everyone looking for their first dive computer that they can grow with, without breaking the bank.

 

[djtimmy77]

I was reading several weeks ago that the new zoop has guage mode...