Shearwater AI w/ Oxygen
- Thread starter v101
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Yes, I use a transmitter on both the Oxygen side & diluent side of my rebreather, with no problems. I have them on 9" hoses.i just made sure to O2 clean hoses & use O2 compatible O- rings & lubricants.
I k ow of probably 20 people using them on their rebreather oxygen. All have them directly attached without a hose (too many added failure points). Not a single one of them have done any sort of oxygen cleaning. I don’t think it’s necessary. I wouldn’t and I oxygen clean stuff all the time for my fill station and personal use.
broncobowsher
Contributor
Add one more. Linked to the NERD. Have to use hoses due to 1st stage packaging on the rEvo. There just isn't room to pack a transmitter in that space. So a couple of hoses and the transmitters live behind my neck.
Had a lot of debate on which transmitter is T1 and which is T2. I picked O2 on T2 for two reasons. Pre-jump checklist turns on the DIL first (that would be T1) and O2 second (that would be T2). Another reason is T2 and O2 both end in "2", so a mental note.
I've been running it that way since the first of the year. Cleans the gauges from your chest, less hoses to snake around when gearing up. Actual log of how much gas you use (or waste) and where in the dive it happens. There is a little display to keep track of gasses (as compared to sometimes checking them during the dive). It has helped my vigilance of keeping track of gas supply during the dive.
Cons, yes there are some. Have to power up the NERD to check gasses. Can't do a quick check as easy. More batteries. More expense.
Overall impression? I like it. They are staying. But to be safe the original gauges are in the save a trip kit. Not the save a dive, save a trip. A jaunt to the local lake, if they failed, go home. But on a big trip, the gauges can always be put back in service. Might miss a dive doing the retrofit, but still save the trip. Although I have never experienced transmitter issues, I have heard a few stories. Enough to know they are not perfect. But dang if they are not close.
Had a lot of debate on which transmitter is T1 and which is T2. I picked O2 on T2 for two reasons. Pre-jump checklist turns on the DIL first (that would be T1) and O2 second (that would be T2). Another reason is T2 and O2 both end in "2", so a mental note.
I've been running it that way since the first of the year. Cleans the gauges from your chest, less hoses to snake around when gearing up. Actual log of how much gas you use (or waste) and where in the dive it happens. There is a little display to keep track of gasses (as compared to sometimes checking them during the dive). It has helped my vigilance of keeping track of gas supply during the dive.
Cons, yes there are some. Have to power up the NERD to check gasses. Can't do a quick check as easy. More batteries. More expense.
Overall impression? I like it. They are staying. But to be safe the original gauges are in the save a trip kit. Not the save a dive, save a trip. A jaunt to the local lake, if they failed, go home. But on a big trip, the gauges can always be put back in service. Might miss a dive doing the retrofit, but still save the trip. Although I have never experienced transmitter issues, I have heard a few stories. Enough to know they are not perfect. But dang if they are not close.
My concern in not implementing AI, despite the benefit above, is after a "boom!"
If my issue is differentiating between a first stage leak or a tank oring leak, and which side it's coming from, I will waste precious time waiting between pressure updates from the two transmitters to see which, if any, tank is leaking.
Looking at an analog gauge needle would seem to be much faster!
On the other hand, now that I think about it, maybe that's a non-problem. If my problem is a leaking supply hose, for example, shutting down the firsts will stop pressure loss, and both analog and digital will not show any change.
If it's a tank oring, on the other hand, I can't stay on the loop during ascent by feathering my O2 supply, for example. I'm screwed, since gas loss is continuing and I can't do anything to stop it.
What do you all think? Is waiting for the pressure update for what will require a mandatory B/O a significant concern? Will the time saved by immediately seeing a slowly dropping needle be worthwhile?
If my issue is differentiating between a first stage leak or a tank oring leak, and which side it's coming from, I will waste precious time waiting between pressure updates from the two transmitters to see which, if any, tank is leaking.
Looking at an analog gauge needle would seem to be much faster!
On the other hand, now that I think about it, maybe that's a non-problem. If my problem is a leaking supply hose, for example, shutting down the firsts will stop pressure loss, and both analog and digital will not show any change.
If it's a tank oring, on the other hand, I can't stay on the loop during ascent by feathering my O2 supply, for example. I'm screwed, since gas loss is continuing and I can't do anything to stop it.
What do you all think? Is waiting for the pressure update for what will require a mandatory B/O a significant concern? Will the time saved by immediately seeing a slowly dropping needle be worthwhile?
broncobowsher
Contributor
Pressure updates are fairly quick. I'll probably be seeing pressure changes in the NERD before I have the valves completely shut down. Faster than shutting down the valves than pulling up the gauges.
There are always points of failure. If there is one that you are fixated on, you will tend to ignore others to cover the one you are fixated on. Take a step back, are there benefits that go with the risk? How do they balance out? You can decide on the choice based on how you weight the benefits vs. risk.
There are always points of failure. If there is one that you are fixated on, you will tend to ignore others to cover the one you are fixated on. Take a step back, are there benefits that go with the risk? How do they balance out? You can decide on the choice based on how you weight the benefits vs. risk.
I use my yellow transmitter, also T2, on my O2 side. Also on a hose because the APD Tek kit doesn't really have any where easy to put it. I still have the gauges as though as I'm not ready to go transmitter only.
Similar threads
