New SWIFT™ AI TRANSMITTER and New Firmware Release

[tbone1004]

@stuartv not a mechanical switch, the system is solid state and is likely triggered when output from the piezo hits a certain threshold.

 

[stuartv]

@stuartv not a mechanical switch, the system is solid state and is likely triggered when output from the piezo hits a certain threshold.

I didn't figure it was mechanical. The point was really that it does not have to sit there in a standby mode, burning a trickle of battery to know when it should "wake up".

 

[scubadada]

I'm with my friend @stuartv

So, Shearwater is now manufacturing the MH8A transmitter. Perhaps the patent has expired since 1997, perhaps they have an agreement. I don't need the transmission avoidance, I don't need the function LED, I don't need the "no tool" removal, I don't need the more complex battery change, I don't need the higher price. I have been successfully using PPS transmitters since 2010. Thank you Shearwater, give me an AI Peregrine.

 

[-JD-]

Basically the same additions for the Teric, too: https://www.shearwater.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Teric-Release-Notes-v19-English.pdf

 

[scubadada]

I didn't figure it was mechanical. The point was really that it does not have to sit there in a standby mode, burning a trickle of battery to know when it should "wake up".

See user manual, turns off below 50 psi. Close your valve and purge your reg

 

[stuartv]

See user manual, turns off below 50 psi. Close your valve and purge your reg

I know. My comment was in response to an earlier post about wanting a feature where it would turn off while pressurized, if it was not used for a while. To do that, I think it would have to be always on. Just going between a standby mode that used little battery (but still some) and active mode (normal battery consumption). I like the way it works now, where off is OFF.

 

[Shearwater]

No more custom splash screen?



Or did I just forget where to look?

Hi, Bonz. Sorry about that. Can you try manually reloading your splash screen again? Sometimes splash screens get overwritten during firmware updates.

Cheers

 

[Belzelbub]

Other brands only require changing every 2 or 3 years. Obviously that depends in part on how often you use them. In my mind it's not really the expense, although I guess that depends on what you're paying for batteries. Every time you open a DC or transmitter, you risk water intrusion if everything isn't perfect with the seals.

I change the batteries in my transmitter once a year whether they need it or not. Could probably go longer, it’s just not a big deal to me to change it out once a year. Usually when I get the rest of my gear serviced, so it’s easy enough.

Also, I care because I like to setup my gear sometimes before the boat even leaves the dock. Then my transmitter and DC go to sleep on the way out. I do a quick check before splashing to make sure everything's still okay. Having to wait until I get to the dive site for prep in order to conserve tx battery would not be my first choice.

It should be something that can be done exclusively in software. Therefore I suspect we'll see it eventually. Shearwater has a fantastic track record making product improvements to existing products via software updates.

I understand about the prep. I usually prep ahead as well, but turn off the valve and purge until ready to dive, That serves the same function as turning it off in software, but just seems easier tor turn off/on by the valve.

I get your reasoning though. Sounds like it’s a feature you would value. I’d place it lower on the priority, for me as the turn on/off with pressure works great for me.

 

[Shearwater]

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen.

There is a power saving mode intended to extend the battery when pressurized but not in use. If the Swift detects no pressure change for 15 minutes, it begins transmitting every 15 seconds rather than every 5 to save power. This extends Swift battery life by about 2-3 times when compared to a normal transmitting mode.

The transducer is still polled at the normal rate and as soon as there is a change in pressure, regular transmissions will resume (approximately every 5 seconds - the transmission rate is dynamically variable to avoid collisions). The power saving mode was designed more for stages that people charge but don't use right away, or with bailout bottles where pressure won't change much over the dive. The power saving mode is not meant to compensate for leaving pressurized cylinders in a truck for weeks on end.

Cheers

 

[Belzelbub]

It took a few tries before it showed version 84 in shearwater cloud for me, before that it was 81. I think there’s caching going on, or it takes longer for the app to check in the background so it needs to be running for a while maybe.

After that the upgrade was smooth.

Yep. That must have been it. Left the app open for a while and tried again. This time v84 was available.

I’m liking the configurable Mini displays. Previously, there was a fixed AI Mini display, but I didn’t care for it. I like the gas pressure to be full size when using in AI mode so it’s easy to spot, and the AI Mini was just too cluttered.

I set the Mini to show TTS, GTR, and SurfGF. I think I’ll like this better. Also, since I turn off AI when I’m using the aquarium’s regs, it was nice to see that it shuts down the GTR display automatically in that Mini display.

Obviously haven’t dove with this setup yet, but I think it gives me all the info I’m looking for without the tank pressure getting lost on the display.