SmartCom Issues - Anyone Else Heard Of These

[JDostal]

I recently purchased a nice new Uwatec/ScubaPro SmartCom computer. Overall, I'm impressed with it and I like it. It combines every single nice feature of every computer I've seen into one easy to use dive computer. I'm a fan.

However...we've been having bad luck with them.

About a month ago, a friend of mine got in the water and saw nothing but the wrench icon on his screen. Nothing would get it to work. It wasn't the replace battery icon - it was something different. That unit has been shipped back to Uwatec for analysis.

So he has his nice new unit, fresh from the LDS. We go down, hanging out at about 80ffw. We've been down for awhile so the air is getting near the point where we need to start coming up and heading back. He looks at the RBT calculation and it says :99 minutes. Right!! We come up, do our SI and head back to the water for another dive. Same thing happens again - unlimited RBT.

So, despite all of the problems my friend had, I bought my SmartCom last Thursday. We're down at about 120ffw and my RBT shows... :99 minutes. Needless to say, there is another SmartCom on the way to my LDS right now as my warrantly replacement.

I called Scubapro's contact number on their website and the guy I talked to only had one other report of this. For all I know it was my friend =) The Scubapro rep that is in contact with our LDS is kinda confused about the whole thing.

Has anyone else had something like this happen to them with their SmartCom?

I'm starting to lose my faith in ScubaPro lately...we had to send three of the MK25/S600 regulators back to them for work because they would without fail free flow at about 75ffw (we don't dive them anymore despite the fact they've been "fixed"). I just had to bring my RecTek BCD in as the corrugated inflator hose had a injection mold fault and was cracked all to heck.

Don't they test for this kind of stuff? Or, are my group of friends and I just unlucky as all hell with their gear? Anyone else have any experiences similar to this? I would like to mention that despite all of the problems we've had with their gear, their customer service has been outstanding! We have had no problems getting replacement units or repairs on all of the gear, usually right on the spot.

 

[Diversauras]

I bought mine in NC and was back in the midwest when it arrived. I asked the dive shop to put a few dives on it, et voils, it failed on the first dive, tho I don't know the specifics. That one went back to Scubapro. I have another that passed a weeks worth of gorilla diving with the dive boat crew.

I have another Uwatec nitrox pro from before and was planning to give it to my son, but am now thinking of buying another for him so I will have a back up for smart com. Actually he'll probably get the used one...

Anyway I am off to COCOs Island in Feb and unless I get another 50 or so dives on the smart com I am not sure I will trust a 5000 dollar trip to ir without a back up. I love the nitrox pro but was looking for a more conservative machine and I love the features in the smart com, but I've been in the airplane business all my life and I learned early that two motors were better than one, ie; two computers must also be better than one...

 

[aymanme]

This was posted in another thread as well: http://www.scubaboard.com/t10584/s.html

Having said that, I have the same problem with one of my smart coms. I returned it to the store though, I suppose they are sending it back. I noticed this prior to our last trip but we did not have enough time to send it back.

- ayman

 

[ScubaFishee]

After anxiously waiting for it's arrival for three weeks, my
SmartCom finally came and I picked it up from the LDS. It's my first computer and I hadn't done my OW yet, so I couldn't wait to get it wet. Took it to a practice session in the pool two days before my OW cert. That night, after downloading the info to my PC, I was scrolling through the displays and at one point it just would no longer turn on. Nothing. No warnings, no symbols, no noises... nothing!

Took it in to the LDS, who called ScubaPro. ScubaPro said this was the first case of that they'd heard of and wanted it sent back to them for analysis. Got a new replacement the same day and it's been working fine. I only have seven dives so far using it (including my OW cert dives), but I've had no problems and I absolutely love it.

I just chalk the problems up to typical version 1 release syndrome. I usually avoid buying the first version of anything electronic because unfortunately, it's almost impossible to test for so many variables.

 

[petersmit]

Maybe this is old news, but better save than sorry
Source:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml02/02205.html

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Johnson Outdoors Inc., of Racine, Wis., is voluntarily recalling about 1,700 SCUBAPRO/UWATEC™ dive computer consoles. The U-Line™ submersible pressure gauge that is part of the dive consoles can malfunction and display inaccurate pressure readings. Divers using the consoles could fail to decompress properly during a dive, causing decompression sickness.

CPSC and Johnson Outdoors Inc. have received four reports of the pressure gauge malfunctioning. No injuries have been reported.

Only U-Line™ submersible pressure gauges contained in UWATEC™ brand Smart PRO™, Pro ULTRA™, and Sport PLUS™ dive computer consoles are included in the recall. The consoles are mostly gray in color and the brand name "UWATEC™" is written on the front of each console. The pressure gauges are made in the U.S. and the computers are made in Switzerland. All of the recalled consoles have a test code that appears on the back of the gauge as follows:

Test Codes:

Tested - IL
Tested - LL
Tested - DM
Tested - JL
Tested - AM
Tested - EM
Tested - KL
Tested - BM
Tested - LL
Tested - CM


Aquatic sports, sporting goods and dive shops nationwide sold these gauges from January 2002 through May 2002 for between $500 and $700.

Consumers should stop using the recalled consoles immediately and contact SCUBAPRO/UWATEC at (800) 382-2211 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's web site at www.scubapro.com . Consumers should send the console to SCUBAPRO/UWATEC, Attention: Tech Services/U-Line PG 1166 Fesler Street, El Cajon, CA 92020, to receive a replacement pressure gauge.

No other SCUBAPRO/UWATEC products are included in the recall.