Ratio Dive Computers Announces New iX3M 2!! Our Best Dive Computer yet!

[GDHLEWIS]

Haha my problem is how much she’ll complain about the price all psychology, 549 looks so much better than 649 apparently.

I scoured the user manual and I can’t see much difference outside of the lsk? I think I’ll get her the 2 but I’m curious

easier to ask for forgiveness than permission

 

[Dnaber]

easier to ask for forgiveness than permission

Do like I did and sell some of your unused dive gear and tell her it won't bet that expensive (sure you're lying but she won't know that).

You can also sell your blood for dive cash...... just saying

 

[sebastiaan]

Does anyone have experience with Ratio's transmitters and (Santi's) heated undersuit? Do they work without dropping signal?

I'm searching for a new computer to replace my aging Suunto D6 and want to have AI. On here I read that Shearwater has issues with signal loss from the transmitter when a heated vest / undersuit is used. I've asked Shearwater about that and they confirmed that the issue and don't have a solution for it.

Garmin's MK2i is an option as that uses sonar but I'd rather have a larger screen like on the I3XM.

I've emailed Ratio about it and hopefully they have an answer when they return to office after the holidays on the 9th. However real world experiences are appreciated.

 

[Wibble]

Does anyone have experience with Ratio's transmitters and (Santi's) heated undersuit? Do they work without dropping signal?

I'm searching for a new computer to replace my aging Suunto D6 and want to have AI. On here I read that Shearwater has issues with signal loss from the transmitter when a heated vest / undersuit is used. I've asked Shearwater about that and they confirmed that the issue and don't have a solution for it.

Garmin's MK2i is an option as that uses sonar but I'd rather have a larger screen like on the I3XM.

I've emailed Ratio about it and hopefully they have an answer when they return to office after the holidays on the 9th. However real world experiences are appreciated.

Seems nonsense. Heating is 12V DC and can’t interfere with low frequency radio signals. Does the person reporting that have problems with torches too?

I’ve used two AI transmitters on my rebreather to a Shearwater Nerd and a Santi heated vest for years with no problems.

Suunto and Shearwater cannot be compared. Shearwater computers are used by most technical divers, few will use Suunto and none on rebreathers (backup aside), not least due to Suunto sticking to their non-standard algorithms.

Suunto AI is a ridiculous design that recommends the user to send it into their Local Dive Shop to replace the $50 battery. The design has very limited battery changes due to the screws.

 

[grantctobin]

Seems nonsense. Heating is 12V DC and can’t interfere with low frequency radio signals. Does the person reporting that have problems with torches too?

Do you know what pulse wave modulation is?

 

[sebastiaan]

Shearwater have confirmed via e-mail that the problem exists, they know about it and don't have a solution for it. So it's not nonsense. Running 140 Watts through a resistive wire to create heat will produce EM interference. That's a given.

I'm not talking about Suunto AI. I'm asking about if anyone has experience with the transmitters from Ratio and if they have experienced the problem with connection loss with the transmitters when using heating.

 

[Wibble]

Do you know what pulse wave modulation is?

So you’re talking about a Pitkin Controller?

 

[grantctobin]

So you’re talking about a Pitkin Controller?

Pitkin, Pitkin 2, UWLD controllers. It’s PWM from the step down that interferes with the transmitter

 

[Rob9876]

I received some dive shop gift certificates and I'm thinking I will buy something this week. For those who have been actually using these iX3M2 computers: please tell me how you are liking them, the good and the bad?

 

[Puppeteer]

I have the Ratio iColor Deep Watch, which is a little different to the ix3m, but the general OS and heart of it is the same.

What I like:

• Everything always just seems to be where you need it, at each stage of the dive.
• Air integration just works. Once you have it set up, and you decend it just shows your air. It doesn't on the surface though unless you push the watch into dive mode.
• My dive buddies love the colour coded transmitter.
• The algorithms match well with other dive computers (if you adjust gradient factors to match.)
• Battery life is amazing. You can leave it off charge for a week and it may get as low as 95% charge.
• Screen is good for all conditions except full sunlight at the surface. The ix3m may be better with this.
• Easy integration with subsurface.
• Upgradeability
• Ratio Support is great
• Having the oxygen sensor option is great if you don't just dive air.
• Being able to download dives straight to my mobile phone via subsurface.
• The menu system makes sense for the most part (how you select and change things is very intuitive). A couple of the menu items are in slightly strange places (Mixes and transmitters are on different menu trees, and the oxygen meter is off the compass page). Once you are used to them, it's not a problem, just a little unintuitive when you do it for the first time.

What I don't like so much

• It's too easy to accidentally change your heading on the compass. Bump a button and you've lost the bearing you had set. I wish it had a confirmation for changing a heading like the Garmin.
• I wish the dive screen stayed up for 5 minutes after surfacing. It pretty much immediately goes back to watch mode, so you need to go into the dive log to get data for post dive records on dive boats etc. Not a major issue, just annoying to me.
• The display can be hard to read in direct sunlight.