Oceanic Atom 1.0

[Vie]

Since they both use the Atom's transmitter, I could have the DT+ as a backup. If the link from the xmitter dies (hard death that doesn't come back w/in decent timeframe) while on a dive, I'll abort the dive and surface. If one of the computers dies, I'll have the other as a backup reading the same data. If the xmitter dies and I want to dive again during the trip, I can revert to the older DT+ xmitter and just use the DT+ as my primary computer and the atom as my backup without air integration.

So, is the atom worth it? Is the small display useful or hard to use. Are the buttons easy to press with gloves? Reading this thread makes it sound like the jury is still out.

The DT’s transmitter and the Atom’s are very similar looking but are NOT the same (according to my LDS). I’m also not sure if two computers can share one transmitter—when I first bought the Atom, we tried using two Atoms to read air pressure from a single transmitter attached to a tank and it did not work. I would definitely check with Oceanic before using your DT and Atom together and sharing one transmitter.

The Atom’s display is easy to read. The buttons are easy to press with gloves as the clear plastic screen guard actually gives the buttons a much bigger surface area. Is the Atom worth it?—I don’t know yet!

 

[jnb2b1]

So, what's the story on the Atom? I am considering this as an upgrade to my Data Trans plus. Since they both use the Atom's transmitter, I could have the DT+ as a backup. If the link from the xmitter dies (hard death that doesn't come back w/in decent timeframe) while on a dive, I'll abort the dive and surface. If one of the computers dies, I'll have the other as a backup reading the same data. If the xmitter dies and I want to dive again during the trip, I can revert to the older DT+ xmitter and just use the DT+ as my primary computer and the atom as my backup without air integration. If the curcumstances are worse than any of these scenarios then I will assume that the water gods are trying to tell me something and lay on the beach for a while and catch up on my tan.

So, is the atom worth it? Is the small display useful or hard to use. Are the buttons easy to press with gloves? Reading this thread makes it sound like the jury is still out.

Any info is appreciated. Since I am about to try a new LDS and they are oceanic dealers, I would like to toss them my business to get us off on the right foot.

Thanks,
Chris

It is a great size and very easy to read,I have 60 dives on mine and love it. I did have to change batterys before my last dive trip. I wear it the whole time on my dive trips. I was jacking around with it in the hotel pool and wearing it when i was snorkling. It's nice! Jump in and it works!
I do wish they would have given you a setting to have the back light come on when ever you hit any button on the watch. I was doing a deep night dive on a wreck and would have been easier while moving in tight spaces. Less thinking about it when I was little narced would have been nice. No biggie it's a pretty sweet watch.

 

[jnb2b1]

The DT’s transmitter and the Atom’s are very similar looking but are NOT the same (according to my LDS). I’m also not sure if two computers can share one transmitter—when I first bought the Atom, we tried using two Atoms to read air pressure from a single transmitter attched to a tank and it did not work. I would definitely check with Oceanic before using your DT and Atom together and sharing one transmitter.

The Atom’s display is easy to read. The buttons are easy to press with gloves as the clear plastic screen guard actually gives the buttons a much bigger surface area. Is the Atom worth it?—I don’t know yet!

I bought the Atom without the transmitters, I use the Aeris Atmos Elite Transmitters and they work fine. I got 2 of them for $399.00 and thats what they wanted for one of the Atom transmitters. I got my Atom when it first came out though, They had not raised the price on the Aeris Atmos Elite Transmitters yet. I think they did'nt think of the price difference clicking with people. They wanted $449.00 for the Atom transmitter and $199.00 for the Aeris Atmos Elite Transmitters (same thing) Some one getting screwed!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JB

 

[cmalinowski]

The DT’s transmitter and the Atom’s are very similar looking but are NOT the same (according to my LDS). I’m also not sure if two computers can share one transmitter—when I first bought the Atom, we tried using two Atoms to read air pressure from a single transmitter attched to a tank and it did not work. I would definitely check with Oceanic before using your DT and Atom together and sharing one transmitter.

The Atom’s display is easy to read. The buttons are easy to press with gloves as the clear plastic screen guard actually gives the buttons a much bigger surface area. Is the Atom worth it?—I don’t know yet!

I sent a message to oceanic and they said that the atom xmitter will work with the DT+, but not the other way around. Something about a longer coil in atom xmitter. They even said that it would work better on the DT+. I never thought that they wouldn't send to multiple units at once. I figure that it's just xmitting a signal. It's up to the receiver to catch that signal.

I will have to send a message to oceanic about the multiple recvr setup I'm thinking about.

 

[cmalinowski]

I bought the Atom without the transmitters, I use the Aeris Atmos Elite Transmitters and they work fine. I got 2 of them for $399.00 and thats what they wanted for one of the Atom transmitters. I got my Atom when it first came out though, They had not raised the price on the Aeris Atmos Elite Transmitters yet. I think they did'nt think of the price difference clicking with people. They wanted $449.00 for the Atom transmitter and $199.00 for the Aeris Atmos Elite Transmitters (same thing) Some one getting screwed!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JB

Way cool idea. I don't know much about them. Have you had any inconsistensies with the elite xmitters? Any reason to thing that they send different data or something? Just curious why they are so different in price.

 

[jnb2b1]

Way cool idea. I don't know much about them. Have you had any inconsistensies with the elite xmitters? Any reason to thing that they send different data or something? Just curious why they are so different in price.

They are the same thing, but they can charge more if they market them for the atom. Before I bought them I called Oceanic and said that I had a VT and I was going to use that xmitter with my Atom for a 2nd tank. He told me it would be fine. The Oceanic VT and the Aeris Atmos Elite are the same thing. You can not buy the Oceanic VT xmitter by them self but you can buy the Aeris Atmos Elite xmitter. I have had 60 or so dives with them and I'm still alive.

JB

 

[cmalinowski]

Here is the email that I got back from Oceanic on the xmitter. I have another into them to see about two computers using the same xmitter.

Thanks for your email regarding the ATOM Computer and the transmitter. Unfortunately the Transmitter for the original Dtrans Plus Computer will not work with either the VT Pro or the ATOM. The reason for this is the shortness of the receiving coil in these receivers. However, the original Dtrans Plus will work very well with the new Transmitter. In fact the linking range goes from 4' to almost 8'. Hope this helps.

 

[jetfixer]

So what is the consensus here? Is the Atom worth buying? I am in the market and was considering it but don't know after reading these posts. Vie? Any comments?

 

[Vie]

So what is the consensus here? Is the Atom worth buying? I am in the market and was considering it but don't know after reading these posts. Vie? Any comments?

Personally, I haven't given up on the Atom. I do think that it is very easy to use. Would I advise anyone else to buy an Atom? No, unless they insist on a watch-size dive computer with wireless transmitter. Basically there are only two on the market - the Atom and Suunto's D9. They both have had problems. If you don't travel much (and don't need your dive computer to double as a watch) and don't care about size or air integration, go for a simpler computer.

 

[Vie]

Has anyone tried the OceanLog (Atom) v 10.0.2 patch? Any improvement?