Opinions on helium testers wanted.

[rddvet]

It's an easy decision. Divesoft. Preferably the blue one, not the solo. It's a workhorse, won't give you issues, if it does their customer service is at the same level as DGX or shearwater, and lastly the helium analysis is via sound, so there's no helium sensor to replace regularly. I'm on the Gas Blenders page on fb and anytime this question comes up, it's 99% divesoft and a small percent other brands.

 

[KentB]

It's an easy decision. Divesoft. Preferably the blue one, not the solo. It's a workhorse, won't give you issues, if it does their customer service is at the same level as DGX or shearwater, and lastly the helium analysis is via sound, so there's no helium sensor to replace regularly. I'm on the Gas Blenders page on fb and anytime this question comes up, it's 99% divesoft and a small percent other brands.

I agree I love my divesoft.
But the post is 17 years old so I’m gonna assume they have made a decision by now haha

 

[broncobowsher]

Hello, even though I know this posting is old I feel like I need to reply. My father was the owner of ATOMOX Inc. and passed away a number of years ago, I have recently gotten all of his old hardware and products and documentation. I have been combing through everything and decided I needed to reach out to anyone who purchased any of his products to see if they are still using them and or need them repaired or replaced. Please contact me if this rings a bell for you!

That is very good of you. Little odd in bringing up such an old post for this. I would recommend starting a new thread so people will see it in the title and not buried in an ancient post. Just make a post titled something like "I have lots of ATOMOX parts" and place the post you made there. It will be a lot easier for people to find now and in the future. It references only your father's business. People running them and doing a search will be easier to find.

And won't have the oddball saying "Get a Divesoft" because they didn't bother to actually read the thread.

 

[rddvet]

I agree I love my divesoft.
But the post is 17 years old so I’m gonna assume they have made a decision by now haha

Holy crap, I didn't even notice

 

[boulderjohn]

So here is something to think about.

A couple years ago, researchers decided that there is no such thing as the helium penalty. It can be treated the same as nitrogen. That means that there is no need to have an expensive helium analyzer--just use a regular nitrox analyzer to get the O2 percentage and save yourself a ton of money.

On the other hand, that same research said that it might still be a good idea to pretend the helium mattered, since it was evidently better to do the extra deco. So maybe you should measure the helium and pretend it matters.

But that means you are trying to fool the algorithm. Maybe the solution is to have an algorithm that is keeping up with the latest research.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

A couple years ago, researchers decided that there is no such thing as the helium penalty. It can be treated the same as nitrogen.

That sounds crazy to me. I base the craziness assertion on the fact that Helium loads and unloads 2.5 X faster than nitrogen, so it must be accounted for.

 

[Jack Hammer]

So here is something to think about.

A couple years ago, researchers decided that there is no such thing as the helium penalty. It can be treated the same as nitrogen. That means that there is no need to have an expensive helium analyzer--just use a regular nitrox analyzer to get the O2 percentage and save yourself a ton of money.

On the other hand, that same research said that it might still be a good idea to pretend the helium mattered, since it was evidently better to do the extra deco. So maybe you should measure the helium and pretend it matters.

But that means you are trying to fool the algorithm. Maybe the solution is to have an algorithm that is keeping up with the latest research.

That sounds extra crazy to me. Only using an O2 analyzer for trimix is essentially not verifying what one is breathing. Sounds a lot like promoting complacency. Dive computer algorithms are way off topic too as I've also yet to see a readily available analyzer that offers a choice of deco algorithms while telling you what's in the tank.

 

[Manatee Diver]

It's an easy decision. Divesoft. Preferably the blue one, not the solo.

They are all black now, a few months ago they changed the color of the anodizing on the He/O2 analyzer.

Unfortunately they didn't update the USB port, I wish they had moved from the full size USB B port to USB C.

 

[kensuf]

That sounds crazy to me. I base the craziness assertion on the fact that Helium loads and unloads 2.5 X faster than nitrogen, so it must be accounted for.

Yeah, it sounds looney tunes but as I recall, the study that said the helium penalty was incorrect came from a couple of people at NEDU that work on decompression theory (Doolette pops to mind). Unfortunately, rubicon has been down for awhile and I don't know where else that study was published.

 

[rddvet]

I was mostly taught the helium penalty is old science, but there's no reason to not accept the penalty since extra deco didn't kill anybody.
Not testinig for helium in your mix is ridiculous to me and is borderline dangerous. II think people are absolutely bat-sh-t crazy for not testing for CO. But to go as far as to say don't worry about the helium is just dumb. Sure I can dive a 21% mix and not really care if there's 35% heliium in it and be fine, but I want to know. Otherwise you're just another complacent diver.
I suspect the "no need to test" didn't come from the reseearchers. It probably came from lazy, cheap divers that used it as an excuse not to buy a helium ana.yzer