Vytec - Two recent problems

[SM Diver]

First Problem: I have been losing my Air Pressure and getting a failed message. I have a back-up, so it does not pose a problem, but is annoying. I just went down to three battery bars. Is there a correlation between air pressure failures and minimal loss of battery power? I am going to change over the batteries anyway, but just wondering.

Secondly, the computer is not allowing me to swith gasses if my air pressure is less than 750psi, which is where I have my alarm set. This is a problem, because it is not uncommon to have just under this amount by the time I am ready to switch over. In the Vytec manual it mentions that it won't allow you to switch gasses if doing so would create a PPO that violates your setting. However, it does not say anything that I can find about not allowing a switch due to the volume in your primary tank.

Anyone had similar issues?

 

[Diver0001]

Have you approached Suunto with these questions? I would be very interested to hear what they have to say about it.

R..

 

[SM Diver]

Not yet. I'll send them an email today and see what kind of response I get.

 

[theskull]

Low battery power, including diving in COLD water even with a full battery, can bring on an air pressure FAIL. Also need to check/replace the battery in the transmitter!

Computer should let you switch gases at any air pressure rating, BUT it will not allow you to make the switch if you are not at the proper DEPTH! Example: If switching to 100% Oxygen you must be at 19 ft. or less to make the switch--20 ft. = NO (and this is assuming that you set the PPO at 1.6 for the O2).

Hope this helps,
theskull

 

[Aerodog]

I've received the FAIL message every now and then. I can't pin any specific environmental factors that bring this on. I have had MUCH worse things happen such as INCORRECT pressure readings. Once, my alarm went off and I looked down to see 50 psi (I was expecting 2200 PSI at that point of the dive). Not really a great feeling when beach diving a remote site off Maui 50 feet underwater. But just as I was thinking of giving my buddy the out of air signal, the psi started to raise, VERY quickly. Five minutes later, alarm went off again, and this time the computer read 500 psi but was already starting to increase back to the expected 1700 psi. I moved my Citizen dive watch away from the Vytec, since it was butted up against the Vytec when the anomalies occured and I think I remember whenever the Citizen ascent alarm went off the problems seemed to occur. Haven't had an issue since I moved them to their own wrist. Contacted MFG who was interested in the problem but hasn't contacted me since I related the preceeding story to them.

 

[SM Diver]

Follow-up: I contacted Suunto and they sent me back an email, saying that I should not be getting a fail message with three bars still showing, and that I should be able to switch to the next gas even with a low air alarm.

I switched the batteries in the transmitter and receiver. I did six dives yesterday and did not have a single fail, thus, I would draw that there is a clear correlation between a mild battery depletion (three bars), and the fail problems. Of chorse, the transmitter does not have a gauge, so maybe it had nothing to do with the power of the receiver, but the power of the transmitter.

As for the problems switching to the next gas, I was using multiple gasses all day yesterday and had no problems, even during an air alarm a couple of times. What I found is that with my unit, sometimes you have to hold the mode button longer, up to 4 seconds. If you hold it long enough, it will let you go to the second gas.

So, all issues resolved.