Suunto USB cable DIY

[jstefanop]

I like many others refuse to pay around 100 bucks for a USB download cable for a $400+ dive computer that essentially costs less than 10 bucks in parts. Ive looked around and have seen a few DIY for the older serial cables, but wonder if anyone has come across a DIY for the new USB cable that works with the newer line of dive computers from suunto (vyper, zoop etc).

I am an electrical engineer, if no one has attempted this I would be more than willing to reverse engineer a cable if someone is so kind to as lend me one (promise I won't break it), and post the DIY for everyone to benefit!

 

[300bar]

Did you build your regs aswell They also cost $20-30 in parts . Just want to know.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I agree that $100 price tag is too high for an official download cable. I ended up purchasing a used old-style serial Suunto download cable for $20. I already had a serial-to-USB adapter lying around which worked.

A German company sells it's own version of the USB Suunto download cable for $52.95 (incl. shipping) on Ebay.

Good luck with your efforts. I'll be monitoring this thread...

 

[NCadiver]

I like many others refuse to pay around 100 bucks for a USB download cable for a $400+ dive computer that essentially costs less than 10 bucks in parts. Ive looked around and have seen a few DIY for the older serial cables, but wonder if anyone has come across a DIY for the new USB cable that works with the newer line of dive computers from suunto (vyper, zoop etc).

I am an electrical engineer, if no one has attempted this I would be more than willing to reverse engineer a cable if someone is so kind to as lend me one (promise I won't break it), and post the DIY for everyone to benefit!

Why don't you also make the software to go with it. If you company would lower your salary they could lower the price of there product.

I agree that $100 price tag is too high for an official download cable. I ended up purchasing a used old-style serial Suunto download cable for $20. I already had a serial-to-USB adapter lying around which worked.

A German company sells it's own version of the USB Suunto download cable for $52.95 (incl. shipping) on Ebay.

Good luck with your efforts. I'll be monitoring this thread...

Why don't you buy the part from that German company and sell them here.

The price has drop over the years but you weren't diving then.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Why don't you also make the software to go with it. If you company would lower your salary they could lower the price of there product.

There are now third-party companies that allow direct download from a Suunto computer to a PC/Mac via a download cable. As one datapoint, MacDive charges $25 for one software license. In my opinion, that's a reasonable amount given the quality of the program.

Why don't you buy the part from that German company and sell them here.

Eh, I'll pass. Frankly, I don't have the time or inclination to set myself up as a middleman for third-party Suunto download cables. I'd rather spend my free time diving.

 

[jstefanop]

Why don't you also make the software to go with it. If you company would lower your salary they could lower the price of there product.

I actually own my own software company that makes $2 dollar apps that should be worth $20. Yet I still reply to every customer, and still update the apps for years without asking a cent for all the new features.

Then we have these companies that have the balls to charge you 100 bucks for a cable after they sell you their product for 500.

If you don't find anything wrong with that then you must be some trust fund kid diving off your daddies money. Money does not grow on trees, and companies that rip of their customers like it does should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[muzikbiz22]

I actually own my own software company that makes $2 dollar apps that should be worth $20. Yet I still reply to every customer, and still update the apps for years without asking a cent for all the new features.

Then we have these companies that have the balls to charge you 100 bucks for a cable after they sell you their product for 500.

If you don't find anything wrong with that then you must be some trust fund kid diving off your daddies money. Money does not grow on trees, and companies that rip of their customers like it does should be ashamed of themselves.

What is the correlation with your software and a cable from a dive computer company ?

If Suunto sold 1000's of these cables a year, then perhaps the cost would be a lot lower. Reality is, (and I'm guessing), they're lucky if they sell 200 cable's a year. Simple economics, build more of something, and the cost of manufacturing goes down. Not to mention, these are probably built by a 3rd party manufacturer, and the connector is a proprietary connector on the cable. Besides, it's not like this cable is the ONLY expensive thing related to scuba diving. The sport in general, is all-around expensive.

FWIW, i have the D4i, the Suunto cable, Macdive and DM4(Mac). All work fantastically, I don't feel ripped off and I sleep well at night.

 

[NCadiver]

Well if you buy the clone cable and the Macdive software or that other software then theprice is almost the same.

@Bubbletrubble that's the typical answer not enough money and not worth my time.

@jstefanop since you’re a business man what there cost per unit and how many do they make and how many do they sell? Additionally the cable was made for the Cobra and Vytec and not the Zoop. I wish I was a trust fund kid I would have more dive gear.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Well if you buy the clone cable and the Macdive software or that other software then theprice is almost the same.

Cost of third party cable: $50
Cost of MacDive: $25
Total cost: $75
MacDive has a lot more features, a more aesthetically pleasing interface, better integration into the OS, integration with iPhoto (a photo storage app), and is far less clunky than Suunto Dive Manager. MacDive was written as native software for the Mac.

Saving $25 and getting more for your money is a good deal, if you ask me.

@Bubbletrubble that's the typical answer not enough money and not worth my time.

Like it or not, it's the truth. I'm a diver, not a dive gear retailer. Why so salty?

I have nothing against Suunto at all. The company chose to set a price of approx. $100 for the download cable. Other options exist which provide more functionality at a cheaper price. I have no idea what the marginal profit on each cable is (including development costs for the free software), but if Suunto wanted to sell more cables, the price should be lowered somewhat. The company could make it so that everyone who owned a Suunto computer wouldn't think twice about purchasing a download cable.

 

[300bar]

You're all forgetting something.

Those cables are a small market and R&D costs a lot of $$$
Software is already offered for free, the money has to come from somewhere.