Used Computers

[Ishkrbibbl]

i see lots of Used Computers online at decent prices but it seems risky to trust something you really may not know the history of.
Can you get computers “checked out” to make sure they are running right?
LDS? Manufacturer?
Who?
And now the chum....
Air integrated or not?
Yes I’m in search of...
Thnx, d

 

[diversteve]

If they're older they may have logs that you can't delete - even if the battery is removed - so you'll have to over wirte it with your future dives. Only matters if you're going to download to some sort of log program.

I'd be wary of any old Scubapro/Uwatec's as they were oil-filled and the battery replacement is an expensive factory repair. I have one (Sport Ultra) that showed ERR for about 4-5 years b4 it died - but was unusable when it did.

Also Aeris is out of business - I see a lot of their oprphaned computers (Elite) being sold - my buddy has one in the closet.

I believe Uemis (SDA) is out of business also.

As long as there was no water leaks - most are probably OK. Get one that allows self-service battery changes and make sure there's a kit avaihalble - usually just an o-ring and a standard battery but not always. Some need a special tool.

Pelagic Pressure was owned by AUP (Oceanic/Hollis) - they made their computers. Recently sold to Aqualung so IDK what models are no longer supported but it would be some still out there.

Also Liquivision seems to have suffered a similar fate since being bought by Huish but its hard to tell except they only talk of warranty repairs on their website last I checked.

Some of the early AI receivers occasionally lost the connection. Generically what helped was to have the receiver mounted on the first stage on the same side as the watch.

Probably not a problem for anything made this decade. My buddy had an older Oceanic that rarely did. Usually just for a few seconds so he had a backup spg on a hose - it didn't seem to lose any data just the screen updates. It's probably a good idea anyway - most regs have two HP ports.

The tech at my LDS has a "pressure pot" he can use to simulate the pressure at depth - not sure how common that is.


otherwise....lol

 

[scubadada]

...Pelagic Pressure was owned by AUP (Oceanic/Hollis) - they made their computers. Recently sold to Aqualung so IDK what models are no longer supported but it would be some still out there...

It's easy to check which Oceanic computers are supported by Huish Support » Service. I've had very good service from Oceanic, before and after the acquisition.

 

[TrimixToo]

My experience to date has been that they work...or they don't. It is very obvious when they don't. You can cross-check them with a buddy's computer and use the NDL for your maximum depth if it doesn't work, but the probability of this is low. I have bought a few very used computers cheap and all have been fine. YMMV.

In this respect, they differ from mechanical analog depth gauges, which can work, sort of work, or not work. I trust those things about as far as I can thrown them--underwater. Unless they have been recently checked. Then, I trust them about as far as I can throw them out of the water. (I had a very near miss when a nearly new one malfunctioned a long time ago. 165' is *not* 120', particularly on a single 72. No wonder I was OOG on this dive, which predated widespread use of SPGs, one of which I acquired before diving again.)

 

[Centrals]

I'd be wary of any old Scubapro/Uwatec's as they were oil-filled and the battery replacement is an expensive factory repair. I have one (Sport Ultra) that showed ERR for about 4-5 years b4 it died - but was unusable when it did.

DIY is NOT that difficult and there are plenty info on SB and you tube.
ERR usually means change battery.
Liquid paraffin(medical grade for eg. mild constipation) works.