Suunto HelO2 vs Hollis TX1
- Thread starter kassj0peja
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not at all, until now i have only been rec. diving. the thing is that I'm taking extended range & advance nitrox this summer, and i don't want to purchase a computer that will not preform as i would like. i did not learn diving in english - so maybe im missing something here.
thank you in advance,
Orr
Try this: Gradient Factors | Dive Rite
My take on it is you should ignore this stuff and choose a computer based on things you know, like your bank account balance, shiny colour screen, and whether you intend to go through full decompression courses soon.
My take on it is you should ignore this stuff and choose a computer based on things you know, like your bank account balance, shiny colour screen, and whether you intend to go through full decompression courses soon.
No tech diver ever really should run into this locking out situation. AN/DP or Trimix. And, if you did, it would probably be wise to sit out for 24 hours anyway, as it means you really screwed up or had an accident. And when you're tech diving, if you have an accident that causes you to surface prematurely, you screwed up.
You are more likely to get a lockout on the TX-1 doing a recreational dive. I usually do rec dives also using my Atom which runs the DSAT algorithm. DSAT can behave just like GF95/95 on some dive profiles. So, if I followed the Atom, it's entirely possible that I would end up getting out of the water with a GF higher than 90, which would cause the TX-1 to lock out.
All this info illustrates that tech divers generally are more conservative than rec divers. One reason for that is that rec divers are doing NDL dives which load the tissues differently than longer, decompression dives.
All of that said, as a tech diver who has owned a TX-1 (which I have now sold), I would not really consider using a TX-1 as a primary tech computer. It's okay as a backup. But, I felt like the readability and the possibility to get locked out were significant reasons to not depend on it as my primary. I may be somewhat biased, though, since my local diving is generally low to very low viz. The TX-1 is not very good for those conditions. If my diving were all in clear water with decent light, then I would probably be a lot more accepting of the TX-1.
As it is, my first TX-1 broke back at Halloween (roughly it's 7th or 9th dive) and it took Hollis until some time in March to replace it - which they did with a brand new one. But, in the meantime I bought a Perdix AI and I sold the TX-1 as soon as I got the new one back from Hollis.
If you're going to only own 1 tech computer, I would highly recommend something that is very readable, like a Shearwater or Ratio iX3M. They're expensive. But, your computer is a lot more important to your safety on tech dives than when you're just doing recreational dives. That is one thing I would say not to skimp on. A used Petrel 2 or Perdix isn't that much more expensive than a TX-1 and I think they are well worth the extra money.
Good point. Even so, I still would not prefer to use, nor recommend, a TX-1 as a primary tech computer.
As @orr said he's starting tech training this summer, I would suggest, one, to ask his instructor for advice on what to buy, and, two, definitely buy something that supports Buhlmann ZHL-16B or C. For all we know, his instructor will tell him he only needs 2 devices that are either a bottom timer or a computer with Gauge mode. In which case, he could possibly wait to buy anything until he completes his training.
+1 on asking the instructor. Hopefully the classes include enough deco theory to answer the question "what's gf 90 and why I should care"
With the current msrp on atom 3.1, tx1 is arguably a better rec. option if you're after air-integrated puck that's a step up from dg03. But if you want to go tech, I too don't think tx1 is the best choice.
+1 on asking the instructor. Hopefully the classes include enough deco theory to answer the question "what's gf 90 and why I should care"
With the current msrp on atom 3.1, tx1 is arguably a better rec. option if you're after air-integrated puck that's a step up from dg03. But if you want to go tech, I too don't think tx1 is the best choice.
Having owned both, for NDL dives, I would dive my Atom over a TX-1, every time. Just as easy to read. Less bulky. As long or longer NDLs. 4 buttons on the Atom vs 3 on the TX-1. But, yeah... the Atom is only good for use in Gauge mode on tech dives. Which still makes it a perfectly fine backup. I used mine as my backup all the way through my AN/DP class.
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