to use VR3 with Dolphin

[caveseeker7]

TecMe in Germany offers single and tripple sensor holders that mount like the Oxy2.

 

[Life-Is-Good-Diver]

Yes, I contacted them for mine, I wanted the triple sensor holder, and If I remember they wanted over $300 USA for the holder ?

 

[ken chung ar]

Ken, I had my VR3 hooked up to my Dolphin with a P-connector , and loved it. The only thing I didn't like , was the wire coming down my arm. The Vr3 speaks for it's self. Everyone I know here that is diving RB, all went to the Vr3 set up as well. The only thing is, you'll have two sensor's in one bag, one for the Vr3, and your oxy-gage, unless you don't plan on using the Oxy-Gage anymore, but It's nice to have 2 senor's . I like one sensor in the bag, and one right at the begging of the loop, where the Oxy-2 normally mounts. A friend of mine is taping into the scrubber, and adding a sensor there. The Dolphin scrubber has room I believe between the mesh, and the scrubber cap, sorta where the water trap area is I believe on the opposite side.

thank you FLTEKDIVER, Cameron and caveseeker7,

your opnions are very valuable. in particular, FLTEKDIVER's was an eye-opener. i was going to give up using Oxygauge when i buy VR3. but as he said, it's much better to use two O2 sensors than to be dependent completely on one.

ken chung ar

 

[Life-Is-Good-Diver]

Sure no problem Ken chung ar , As I been down the same road before. I tried the
Oxy-gage , then went to the HS Explorer PPO2 Meters , which will only give you fixed PPo2 , Here's the link :

http://oxycheq.com/HS_Explorer_PPO2.html

The have as caveseeker7 said, the Model - O , HS Explorer computer which will connect the same as the Vr3 .

Then I tried The Uwatec Air-Z 02, and Oxy-2, that set up was $1,500 for both the computer and the Oxy-2, Leisure pro has them in stock, but as someone mentioned earlier in the thread, I think there stopping production on those. Nice thing is it has 2 sensor's in the Oxy-2. here's the link to Leisure pro :

http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/Item...Context_954/Sort_SKU/DescSort_0/UTCAAZO2.html

Then you have the Vr3, which by the time you add up the p-connector, computer, sensor, etc, I paid $1,800 for mine as well, but well worth it.

I would keep the Oxy-gage where it is, and make another hole in the counter-lung, adding the Vr3, so you have 2 independent sensor's for Ppo2, even if both are in the bag, two's better then one in my opinion.

Good luck with your decision, and let us know what you decide.

 

[ken chung ar]

I would keep the Oxy-gage where it is, and make another hole in the counter-lung, adding the Vr3, so you have 2 independent sensor's for Ppo2, even if both are in the bag, two's better then one in my opinion.

Good luck with your decision, and let us know what you decide.

hi FLTEKDIVER,

i have been pondering upon adding VR3 to my dolphin ever since your post in november last year. i got in touch with terri at dive rite express and found that it would cost over USD 2,000 to buy VR3 with the monitoring kit for dolphin.

before my final commitment to purchase VR3, i want to find out one more thing.

when i dive dolphin, i often switch my breathing gas to air in order to save EANx. i need to do this because EANx supply in okinawa does not exist outside american base.

at present, as i use stinger made by suunto, i cannot change my EANx setting on the computer while diving. when i use VR3, is it possible to switch the computer setting from EANx to air manually while i use my bailout air bottle at the safety stop ?

ken chung ar

 

[rigdiver]

hi FLTEKDIVER,

i have been pondering upon adding VR3 to my dolphin ever since your post in november last year. i got in touch with terri at dive rite express and found that it would cost over USD 2,000 to buy VR3 with the monitoring kit for dolphin.

before my final commitment to purchase VR3, i want to find out one more thing.

when i dive dolphin, i often switch my breathing gas to air in order to save EANx. i need to do this because EANx supply in okinawa does not exist outside american base.

at present, as i use stinger made by suunto, i cannot change my EANx setting on the computer while diving. when i use VR3, is it possible to switch the computer setting from EANx to air manually while i use my bailout air bottle at the safety stop ?

ken chung ar

Ken;
The VR3 will allow you to switch gasses. I can't understand why you would want to switch to air at a safety stop. You allude to a supply problem with EANx. How much could gas cost for a safety stop? It has to be cheap when factoring in the physiological advantage of EANx.
Bill

 

[ken chung ar]

Ken;
The VR3 will allow you to switch gasses. I can't understand why you would want to switch to air at a safety stop. You allude to a supply problem with EANx. How much could gas cost for a safety stop? It has to be cheap when factoring in the physiological advantage of EANx.
Bill

hi bill,

thank you for your info. in other words, with the use of VR3, you can manually switch its gas setting from EANx to air although the sensor inducates it's EANx that is in the breathing bag.

let me elaborate on what i "allude". as there are no commercial EANx suppliers in okinawa, i ship my 10L steal tank with two bailout bottles from tokyo. i can dive my dolphin for 200 minutes while using the orifice for 40% EANx and a 10L tank. somethimes in the past, the diving lasted slighlty longer than planned because of my guests, when i got short of my EANx and switched to bailout air (remember i always carry TWO bailout air bottles). this could have happened at the depth of -20m, which i did not like. it's far better to breathe air at the depth of -5m in terms of N2 absorption into tissue. that's why i started to use bailout air at a safety stop of each dive.

in short, the issue is not the cost. it's an absolute lack of availability of EANx in okinawa. it's also a relative issue that i do not want to run out of EANx at the depth because i want to use the physiologic benefit of EANx there most.

ken chung ar

 

[Life-Is-Good-Diver]

Hi Ken, great to hear back from you. Your making a wise decision by asking question's first, before buying a expensive pc of equipment like the VR3.

I can understand your lack of availability on getting EANx in your area. So what I gather from your post, is you want to use your EANx at depth, and use air at your safety stop's,( your bail-out ) simply because once that 10L tank runs out, you cannot fill it at a local supplier, so there for your diving is done until , #1 you get another fill, which you can't , #2 you ship your tank back out, and wait until it returns to dive again.
or #3 you have back up tank's , say another 10L filled with EANx , which I'm not sure if you have.

So I can see if you only have one tank filled with the EANx , which is your breathing gas at depth on the matching orifice, then you get up to your safety stop, and breath your bail out, which has air , to conserve your EANx for your next dives.

I think what your trying to ask, is yes the VR3 has switchable gasses underwater, that you can do manually , going from a EANx to air, but I also think your trying to ask, if the VR3 is connected to the " breathing loop " , and you shut down your loop, can you switch the VR3 to OC , and air as your breathing gas , which the question would be yes also . You can do that under water also. The VR3 will then calculate your tissue loading for using OC , and air.

Just a hint , when I'm diving my VR3, I keep the back light on all the time, and get the bigger front's also, the font size is small on the display, and the back light setting always on underwater really helps me see the display better. You will use more battery power, but the battery is a AA , and very easy to change.

Another thing I like with the VR3, it gives you micro bubble stop's on the way up , and you can set the conservative setting to which you like .

One neg about the VR3, is there is no audible alarms, but the screen will flash if you pass a stop that is required , which is nice, but i like the audible alarms, but some people hate them, personal preference really.

Good luck, if you have any other question's, feel free to ask!

 

[ken chung ar]

hi FLTEKDIVER,

i appreciate your thoughtful comments. you described explicitly what i could do with VR3.

in fact, your last post was the final push that i needed. i am now more than convinced that i will be able to dive my dolphin more safely. that's why i placed my order for VR3 and the connecting kit for dolphin at the dive rite express HP and sent email to terri about the order.

thank you again.

ken chung ar