New Shearwater AI transmitter - the Swift

[Manatee Diver]

I think there's something hokey about the pairing system with PPS as well but I can't remember and don't want to look it up at the moment. I'm sure users of PPS transmitters are used to it. With scubapro or ratio, you pair the tx when you buy it. You could also connect them to other computers simultaneously (i.e. for buddy or sidemount doubles). Once and done. Forever. Even if you change batteries on the computer and the transmitter. All you do to pair the transmitter is touch the computer to the transmitter for a few seconds. The computer will pop up with a "do you want to pair to this tx" type screen on its own.

Hokey? You just enter the serial number into the computer, the computer then listen for that serial number. That is dead simple IMO. When I was having battery issue with my Teric which resulted in the guts getting replaced every six months (which is fixed now *knocks on wood*), I could setup my computer sitting at a table by copying the settings from one to the other. Didn't need to pull out a reg or anything (which I stopped doing after the fourth or fifth time). Once it is done, you never have to touch it, as long as the transmitter is transmitting and is in range your computer will pick it up. No issues with multiple computers either.

Sure that is a little slower than your procedure, but it is hardly hokey.

 

[ATJ]

They've got the problem where they conflict with each other when multiples are in use. Scubapro supports 8 with no special anything. Ratio supports 10 at a time. In both cases there's no special green or yellow or whatever. You just use up to 8 or 10 of the appropriate brand transmitter. A tech diver could concievably use one of these computers and have pressure data for every single bottle he brought for the dive. Not that a tech diver should be using a Scubapro (for other reasons) but as far as transmitters go, Scubapro is good. Ratio is a solid tech computer, although there are things I dislike about it.

I often use two together and have never had any issues with them over hundreds of hours of dives with two transmitters.

I have never wanted or needed to use more than two. While my Oceanic computers support up to 4, the Perdix (up until now) only supports 2. So for that usage, the standard transmitters are perfectly fine.

Now that Shearwater support up to 4 transmitters, they have brought out a modified PPS transmitter than avoids any problems so it is no worse than the Scubapro or Ratio transmitters.

The fact that the PPS transmitter transmits when pressurized regardless of change in pressure. I.e. when you put your reg on a tank, test everything, and sit down for an hour long boat ride. With other brands you don't have to turn things back off in order to conserve battery.

This might be a valid point if battery life on the PPS transmitters was an issue. The thing is the batteries last for ages and way longer than the specs.

I've had my original Oceanic PPS transmitter since early 2014. Since then I've done over 100 dives per year (even over 200 in one year). Let's assume 100 dives a year, so over 700 dives with that transmitter. My average dive time now is over 2 hours but let's assume an average dive time of 90 minutes. Most of my dives are shore dives and I set up my tank as my first task after arriving at the dive site. It is at least 30 minutes before I start the dive, so let's assume the transmitter is pressurised for 2 hours for each dive. (That's not taking into account the time it is pressurised after the dive before I get back to the car so the estimate is very conservative.) This means that I have had the transmitter pressurised for over 1400 hours since I've had it. I only remember changing the battery once in all that time but let's assume I have changed it twice and it's about to go flat (even though it isn't). That makes over 460 hours of use per battery. At the price of the batteries, I really don't care that there will be a small amount of extra battery use.

Now, look at the flip side. If I read what you are saying correctly, if the pressure doesn't change, the transmitter goes to sleep. This means when I do a dive with my two independent tanks, while breathing from one tank, I won't know what the pressure of the other tanks is. Hmmm - this would be a deal breaker for me. Thanks for pointing it out and I'll avoid Ratio and Scubapro computers.

I think there's something hokey about the pairing system with PPS as well but I can't remember and don't want to look it up at the moment. I'm sure users of PPS transmitters are used to it. With scubapro or ratio, you pair the tx when you buy it. You could also connect them to other computers simultaneously (i.e. for buddy or sidemount doubles). Once and done. Forever. Even if you change batteries on the computer and the transmitter. All you do to pair the transmitter is touch the computer to the transmitter for a few seconds. The computer will pop up with a "do you want to pair to this tx" type screen on its own.

The what now? With my Oceanic and Shearwater dive computers all I do is put in the serial number of the transmitter and I'm done. FOREVER. Even if I change the battery in the computer or transmitter.

That's why I think PPS Sucks compared to the other options, and why I think it's so great that Shearwater rolled their own.

But they haven't rolled their own. They are still using the PPS transmitter (otherwise it wouldn't work with all their existing AI computers) and have made an enhancement on the transmitter side to stop the potential for interference.

 

[Diving Dubai]

If I read what you are saying correctly, if the pressure doesn't change, the transmitter goes to sleep. This means when I do a dive with my two independent tanks, while breathing from one tank, I won't know what the pressure of the other tanks is.

That's not how transmitters work. Sleep doesn't mean sleep.

All transmitters work in roughly the same way (despite weasel words in the marketing). When the the sensor sees zero pressure, the radio transmitter turns off. When it's off and the sensor sees some pressure, it turns the transmitter on. You know this.

For "Sleep" when the Sensor sees no change of pressure over a time, it'll reduce the frequency the transmitter sends data (or might turn it off)

The computer just displays the last received pressure value from that transmitter changing only when it receives an update or goes into surface mode (however they've programmed the software)

So diving if multiple cylinders and transmitters you always know the current pressure of that cylinder.

 

[ATJ]

For "Sleep" when the Sensor sees no change of pressure over a time, it'll reduce the frequency the transmitter sends data (or might turn it off)

So it is not actually "conserving" the battery, just using slightly less.

So I'll only have to change the $8 battery every 5 years and one month instead of every 5 years.

 

[Diving Dubai]

I have never wanted or needed to use more than two. While my Oceanic computers support up to 4, the Perdix (up until now) only supports 2.

My Eon supports 10, but as you rightly point out during a dive you'll rarely use more than 2 or 3.

I have all the transmitters in my household registered on my computer (7) While the transmitters are generally kept with the gear, having them all registered on the computer just makes life easier if I pick up the "wrong one"

The S/W Fan club always assume that reason for limited transmitters and/or needing different colour transmitters to prevent the chance of interference on teh Shearwater lies with the PBS transmitter.

But transmitters are pretty dumb, and as you highlighted you've never seen and issue on yoru Oceanic, as I haven't in over 1000hrs underwater on my Eon with multiple transmitters

I believe the "issue" lies with how SW have implemented AI on their computers. Upto this latest update they've also only made gas consumption calculations from 1 transmitter rather than both (as every other manufacturer does)

So you could suggest that its the SW computers that are the limiting factor NOT the transmitter

 

[Diving Dubai]

So it is not actually "conserving" the battery, just using slightly less.

Pretty much

I believe it reduces the Transmitter pings by 30%. I think it's marketing BS (probably to hide something else maybe poor power consumption) If you've invested a few hundred $$ on a transmitter, then an annual (or regular) battery change shouldn't be onerous as long as the change battery frequency isn't too short. On my Suunto Pods it's 300 dives or 1 year No experience of a PBS unit

 

[ATJ]

But transmitters are pretty dumb, and as you highlighted you've never seen and issue on yoru Oceanic, as I haven't in over 1000hrs underwater on my Eon with multiple transmitters

I believe the "issue" lies with how SW have implemented AI on their computers. Upto this latest update they've also only made gas consumption calculations from 1 transmitter rather than both (as every other manufacturer does)

So you could suggest that its the SW computers that are the limiting factor NOT the transmitter

Actually, I have also not had any issues using two transmitters with my Shearwater either. I've only had the Shearwater for around 4 years but I have found it slightly more reliable in reading the transmitters.

Yes, the shearwater would only give me SAC and GTR for one transmitter, but the Oceanic would only give me GTR (never SAC) for the transmitter currently in use, so I never got it for both as such. I'd just have to remember what the GTR was when I switched and add it to the current GTR, although that would have changed because I'd be getting shallower.

I do like the addition of the SM mode (where it takes the total pressure of the two tanks into account) although it only works if both tanks are the same size.

 

[ATJ]

On my Suunto Pods it's 300 dives or 1 year No experience of a PBS unit

As I mentioned above, I have changed the battery of one of my PPS transmitters once (or perhaps twice) in the 7 years I've been using it. I've not yet had to change the batteries in my other two transmitters, but I don't use them as often. The battery consumption of the PPS transmitters is nothing to be too concerned about and at $8 a pop even less of a problem.

 

[Diving Dubai]

Exactly. According to the articles about the situation that I read, most or all of the class members first tried to get Suunto to fix the failed computers. Suunto denied there was a problem until people hired a lawyer and sued, now they get to live with being a scuba pariah for a while.

Item fails outside of warranty user wants it fixed for free or for less than the price of a new computer. Manufacturer refuses. People get upset. Yawn

As for their being a "problem" While manufacturers of all sorts of products do deny issues, generally to trigger a recall you'll need a failure rate to cross a threshold of a certain % of manufactured items.

Also manufacturers build into the price of a product, the cost of replacing a certain amount of warranty items. No-one loses money of replacements (unless they've really got their maths wrong

For example, you said you got screwed with a faulty transducer and didn't sue (yet).

You clear read what you wanted to read

What I actually said was that Suunto replaced FOC 12 transmitters over 18 months - quickly and without fuss. The actual problem was identified as the old distributor fitting counterfeit buttery's (since the products weren't shipped to here with the batteries for various valid reasons

 

[Diving Dubai]

Actually, I have also not had any issues using two transmitters with my Shearwater either. I've only had the Shearwater for around 4 years but I have found it slightly more reliable in reading the transmitters.

I think most people are like that, BUT Shearwater obvious decided there was a problem worth suggesting users have different
colour transmitters

I do like the addition of the SM mode (where it takes the total pressure of the two tanks into account) although it only works if both tanks are the same size.

It's a minor bugbear that the Eon still doesn't support SM, so 2 gases being displayed at the same time. I'm sure there is a reason why the computer can't do it or maybe the costs of new code aren't worth the hassle. It really doesn't bother me. I wasn't willing to invest more $$ on dedicated PPS transmitter just for my Perdix on SM when I have 2 spg's in front of me, and I'm beyond the point now of being interested in my consumption data. But then again with SM if I need to be concerned about gas on a dive, then I have much bigger issues to concentrate on

I have changed the battery of one of my PPS transmitters once (or perhaps twice) in the 7 years I've been using it.

The Suunto Pod has a LiOn battery and those figures are Suunto's numbers. I change mine annually because I live in the Middle East. In the Summer even in the shade my PODs will be in temps over 40C no idea what the internals read, so it's pretty hard on batteries on any equipment (Car batteries only last 18 months here - 2 years if you're really lucky)