Vyper Air?

[DavidInNH]

I've got a Vyper Air with problems. (Actually, it is is on its way back to the manufacturer.) Unit has only 4 dives on it and has screwed up tank pressure on 3 of them. Gets down to the 700PSI area and starts flashing the low-pressure warning. Then loses communication (reporting "FAIL") for a while. When it eventually comes back, pressure readings are wrong. (Has reported higher pressure than was real (1704 PSI, 1600+, even 2408 PSI)! This hasn't been a problem as I knew I was still in the 600-700PSI range and on shore dives, but this should not be happening. Dive shop is sending it back to the manufacturer along with my dump of the dive data showing the readings.

Shop indicates that Suunto will probably just swap it out. If this problem recurs, I'll be looking for a refund and will go back to a hosed unit (although I guess this one is sorta-hosed!).

 

[DavidInNH]

Just to keep my information on this thread up to date. Aqualung replaced the Vyper Air with another brand new unit. On all four of that unit's dives, the same problem occurred. I brought it back to the dive shop at which I purchased it and they've sent it back to the distributor and refunded the purchase price. I've put some of that money toward the Suunto Cobra with SK-3 compass. This hosed unit hasn't been in the water yet (and isn't likely to be for a couple of months) but won't have the same problem as it doesn't use a transmitter.

I've heard (indirectly) that Suunto knows of a problem and is swapping units out but hasn't got a solution yet.

 

[String]

Ive got a vyper air and done about 600 dives on it. I dont use the wireless/AI part of it though (i dont see any need to).

Had no problems with it, display is nice and clear, battery life is good. It just "works". Gauge mode doesn't give you an ascent rate indication but thats my only real complaint.

 

[DavidInNH]

I bought the Vyper Air because of the wireless/AI features and was willing to pay for them. Not willing to pay for them if they don't work.

 

[(Close this account)]

I use The vyper with my aqualung setup and I realy like the wireless feature it does drop comms from time to time but comes back on line I guess being close to a steel wreck distorts the transmission great computer fun to dive

 

[Old Maine Diver]

Let us know what finally happens.

 

[ajduplessis]

Has anyone had experience with reseting it under water? Can it even be done? With everything you hear about loosing communication, I would hate to have to stop a dive just to surface and reset the comms. Might just stick with the Wisdom 2 I have. Don't have to worry about comms, but I really like the wireless aspect.

I dive rec with a additional SPG, AI is backup. You should not need to worry about canning the dive when lossing comms.

 

[CPH]

I had toruble with my Vyper when it lost comms underwater. It would not reconnect till I surfaced. The compass was pants.
I had Cobras, Vypers and a Gekko but I have now got a Galileo Luna and the comms have been great. They will connect underwater. In face that is one of the selling points that you can have upto 4 transmittors registered to it so your stage bottles will come onto the screen as you assend to them and give you the option to connect to them.
The compass is nothing short of fantastic. The display gives very good semi-circle display with degrees below and on the lower part of the screen it still has your basic dive information.

 

[Belce]

I got my Vyper Air almost two years ago and use the wireless transmitter for air pressure. When it didn't work it was due to the transmitter battery being low and sounds exactly like your situation. It would cut out and then come back indicating more air than I started with.

 

[DavidInNH]

I dive rec with a additional SPG, AI is backup. You should not need to worry about canning the dive when lossing comms.

I've never had a problem with my analog SPG which was part of my old console - no backup needed. As I've said, it doesn't make sense to buy the Vyper to reduce a hose and then have to buy another SPG and add the hose back for backup.

I've gone to the Suunto Cobra which has a hosed pressure gauge.