Would you use Air Integration without a SPG

[Marie13]

Out of curiosity, for those with 2 HP ports, how would you feel about adding a second AI transmitter rather than an SPG? Obviously there's still the same failure point of your computer (but if that dies, the dive is over anyway), but has the advantage of being way more compact/improving in-water resistance.

Really?

 

[Belzelbub]

Out of curiosity, for those with 2 HP ports, how would you feel about adding a second AI transmitter rather than an SPG? Obviously there's still the same failure point of your computer (but if that dies, the dive is over anyway), but has the advantage of being way more compact/improving in-water resistance.

Largely unnecessary. This would be the equivalent of divers with two HP ports attaching two SPGs. I've never seen a diver with more than one SPG on a single 1st stage. Since both SPGs and Transmitters can and do fail, having redundancy should be the same for both.

Also, depending on the transmitters, this will likely make things worse. For PPS type (including Swift)I think it could be done with 1 gray and 1 yellow/green, or a Swift, or two Swifts. Putting two of the same color is likely to lead to interference. Divers that use two grays on different cylinders don't often report COMMs errors likely due to the transmitters turning on at different times. With both transmitters on the same 1st stage, they will likely turn on at the same time, which means they will likely interfere with each other. The Swifts could work as they actively avoid interference, and the Gray/Yellow/Green transmit at different intervals to eachother.

I still think it's largely unnecessary for most divers, but for those that do need that level of redundancy, it could work.

 

[Jimbo77]

Here this article on the Shearwater blog : Extreme (and Not So Extreme) Multistage Sidemount Cave Diving with AI - Shearwater Research

Of course it’s a Shearwater article so potentially biased but anyway relevant.

 

[tursiops]

Largely unnecessary. This would be the equivalent of divers with two HP ports attaching two SPGs. I've never seen a diver with more than one SPG on a single 1st stage. Since both SPGs and Transmitters can and do fail, having redundancy should be the same for both.

Failure of something is not necessarily an emergency, it might be just an annoyance, or something important but not urgent. Failure of a first stage is an emergency, and you deal with it a such. Failure of a light on a day-time recreational dive that you have been using to look under ledges is an annoyance. Failure to suddenly not know your gas pressure is important, but not an emergency; you surface, and change your SPG or your transmitter battery for the next dive. Redundancy is critical for those possible failures that constitute emergencies...hence buddies or ponys for OOG. You probably can't even carrry enough gear to have redundancy for everything!

Also, depending on the transmitters, this will likely make things worse. For PPS type (including Swift)I think it could be done with 1 gray and 1 yellow/green, or a Swift, or two Swifts. Putting two of the same color is likely to lead to interference. Divers that use two grays on different cylinders don't often report COMMs errors likely due to the transmitters turning on at different times. With both transmitters on the same 1st stage, they will likely turn on at the same time, which means they will likely interfere with each other. The Swifts could work as they actively avoid interference, and the Gray/Yellow/Green transmit at different intervals to eachother.

Excellent point!

 

[tursiops]

Here this article on the Shearwater blog : Extreme (and Not So Extreme) Multistage Sidemount Cave Diving with AI - Shearwater Research

Of course it’s a Shearwater article so potentially biased but anyway relevant.

Shearwater did not write that article, but rather an accomplished independent diver wrote it. I suspect her credentials and personal credibility are far greater than any potential bias from Shearwaer.

 

[Jimbo77]

Shearwater did not write that article, but rather an accomplished independent diver wrote it. I suspect her credentials and personal credibility are far greater than any potential bias from Shearwaer.

You’re right. But I guess if the guy have said AI is bad, I’m not sure Shearwater posts the article.

 

[tursiops]

You’re right. But I guess if the guy have said AI is bad, I’m not sure Shearwater posts the article.

Possibly not.
Maybe you should write an article about how AI is both unnecessary and dangerous, and see if they will publish it.

 

[BlueTrin]

5 pages already!
There is NO right or wrong.
My Apeks DS4 has only one HP port.

You just need to dive manifolded twins then you can have both a SPG and transmitter!

 

[Jimbo77]

Possibly not.
Maybe you should write an article about how AI is both unnecessary and dangerous, and see if they will publish it.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against the AI, I’m actually a Swift owner and thinking about the relevance to keep my SPG.

I meant it’s always delicate to read an article saying how a thing on the brand site. If you see what I mean.

And sorry it’s not clear. As you guess I’m not a native English speaker.

 

[tursiops]

Don’t be wrong. I’m not against the AI, I’m actually a Swift owner and thinking about the relevance to keep my SPG.

I meant it’s always delicate to read an article saying how a thing on the brand site. If you see what I mean.

And sorry it’s not clear. As you guess I’m not a native English speaker.

You were perfectly clear. I was just trying to defend Shearwater a bit (not that they need my help!).

Your English is fabulous. I lived in Brussels for a year, worked hard at French, and at the end of the year I was told that when I was at my best I sounded like an illiterate Belgian farmer.