Would you use Air Integration without a SPG

[Doctorfish]

Every now and again the AI does not sync or fails mid dive and I have had to sit out or come up early. As a result, I now have a small SPG on my rig as well. Rarely need it, but if I do, I do.

By the way, I have never been on a commercial dive boat that did not have tools on board. I only bring a tool kit along when shore diving.

 

[formernuke]

 

[Akimbo]

If you're in the middle of a rec dive and your transmitter/SPG fails, are you gonna die? No, you just bail out, go back to the truck/boat, attach the spare, and try to avoid getting a sunburn before the next dive.

Good answer considering this is the Basic forum. A backup SPG is something a diver might consider on more demanding hard overhead (wrecks & caves) and/or longer soft overhead (decompression) dives where the options to just surface or bum air off your buddy are more limited.

You should cut this new diver and member some slack. This is the Basic forum and it is a Learning Zone. We were all newbies even if it has been a long time.

 

[Marie13]

It is common for cave, tech, and CCR divers to use transmitters only. But these are almost always paired with Shearwater computers. Those transmitters are quite reliable.

I do baby cave dives myself with just transmitters on my sidemount tanks.

Carry a SPG in your bag just in case.

 

[scubadada]

I have used my backup SPG on 17 of 1724 dives, 0.98%. Nine of those occasions were transmitter failure, the other 8 were my fault, batteries, transmitter not installed on reg set. I have not missed or shortened any dive.

 

[BlueTrin]

Like others said, just carry on enough to have a backup, like a backup SPG and the tools to install it, so you won’t miss the second or subsequent dives.

 

[Belzelbub]

The transmitters are not all equal, but those from Shearwater and PPS (Oceanic, AquaLung, Tusa, Setc) seem very reliable.

Exactly. Almost all complaints about losing Comms seem to involve Suunto transmitters. PPS seem to be quite reliable.

Any thoughts on the Scubapro G2 transmitter reliability?

I haven't heard much regarding the Scubapro transmitters, so that leads me to believe they are fairly reliable.

One thing, though. As I understand it, the Scubapro transmitters have a battery saving feature, such that if the pressure doesn't change as expected, it will go to sleep somewhat, and stop transmitting. I don't know that it's necessarily a problem, just seems unnecessary. The PPS transmitters turn on with tank pressure, and turn off when pressure drops below 50 psi. As long as you don't leave the regulator pressurized for extended periods of time, the battery lasts plenty long. I usually replace my transmitter batteries once a year, and have never seen a low battery warning.

OP, I have 2 HP ports on my 1st stage. I have an SPG in my save a dive kit, but only have the transmitter connected.

 

[CanadaDan]

edited for clarity:

FWIW I wouldn't dive without an SPG but I like my AI.

Option to have both with one HP port:

OmniSwivel HP Swivel Y-Block: 2 Port 7/16-Inch F = 1 Port 7/16-Inch M

This high pressure Y-block provides the ability to split a single high pressure supply. A popular use for the twin adapter is to allow both wireless transmitter and an SPG on a first stage single HP port.

www.divegearexpress.com

 

[tursiops]

FWIW I wouldn't.
Option:

OmniSwivel HP Swivel Y-Block: 2 Port 7/16-Inch F = 1 Port 7/16-Inch M

This high pressure Y-block provides the ability to split a single high pressure supply. A popular use for the twin adapter is to allow both wireless transmitter and an SPG on a first stage single HP port.

www.divegearexpress.com

Curious why not?

 

[SpaceCased]

Apologies. I tried searching for similar threads but didn’t find any.