First Dives with Uwatec's Galileo Sol

I doubt they will let me have a go with one, after I spelled UWATEC incorrectly in my new book! Doh.

Well, I for one didn't spot that.........

R

...after I spelled UWATEC incorrectly in my new book! Doh.

Lol Alex, UWTEK sounds more professional

Hi Davephdv:

Regarding maps. I am not aware of an on-line chart library. It looks like you basically up-load a jpeg version through SmartTRAK.

I picked up a Galileo Sol this past week and am presently playing with the new software. Pretty similar to the the version I used with my Smart computer. Can hardly wait to upload charts.

Cheers,

Dan

I have not used the Terra yet (Diving it next week) but I love the heart-rate part of the Sol even just to see how I'm doing!

Last week I got 180bpm on a hard swim against a surface current to a down line and later 47bpm during a deco-stop at 6m. My buddy said I should have been dead on both counts!

Hi Davephdv:

 

Regarding maps. I am not aware of an on-line chart library. It looks like you basically up-load a jpeg version through SmartTRAK.

 

I picked up a Galileo Sol this past week and am presently playing with the new software. Pretty similar to the the version I used with my Smart computer. Can hardly wait to upload charts.

 

Cheers,

 

Dan

Don't want to discourage you but I found that the "maps" feature of my Sol to be the least useful and stopped using it. Firstly the resolution means that you are limited to very large thick lines and large shapes. Anything fine, small or complex gets lost in the resolution. I tried doing a simple map of one of the wreck sites that I dive often. I drew it in a simple drawing package and uploaded to the Sol. I tried several versions. If I made it big and simple, it was not useful underwater. If I made it detailed and complex, the detail was lost in the resolution.

On the other hand, I have found the ability to load text messages very useful. I have programmed about 15 simple messages, a few related to diving (e.g. let's turn around and go back) but most related to video shooting with a model.

Some examples are:

"Stop, wait here 15 seconds, then follow me",

"Swim over my head",

"Look at this thing that I am pointing at",

"Please don't smile or wave at the camera".

I use these to give instructions to people who volunteer to model for my underwater videos. Works well. Just scroll to the message and show it to them. Beats waving your arms around like a crazy man...

But, please let us know if you do have a successful experience with drawing maps for the Sol.

Regards

Peter

Finally had a few minutes to play with creating maps. To be legible, here is what I have found:

1.) Lines need to be 2 points or thicker to appear on the computer. Hairline widths do not work.

2.) Font size needs to be about 24 point to be legible when it is compressed and transferred to the Galileo.

3.) If anyone is interested, I have a template for drawing maps/info that matches the size of the Galileo "screen." You create maps/headings/directions inside the rectangle.

This is definitely not a high definition charting function, but I have found it useful for general headings and locations. My "science project" has been the grid for a local underwater park in Edmonds, Washington.

Switching topics, how do other Galileo owners transport their units? The case it came in is fairly bulky, and I am looking for something smaller for overseas trips. I am not sure I could get through the new and improved US Homeland Security procedures wearing it on my wrist.

Cheers,

Dan

Finally had a few minutes to play with creating maps. To be legible, here is what I have found:

 

1.) Lines need to be 2 points or thicker to appear on the computer. Hairline widths do not work.

 

2.) Font size needs to be about 24 point to be legible when it is compressed and transferred to the Galileo.

 

3.) If anyone is interested, I have a template for drawing maps/info that matches the size of the Galileo "screen." You create maps/headings/directions inside the rectangle.

 

This is definitely not a high definition charting function, but I have found it useful for general headings and locations. My "science project" has been the grid for a local underwater park in Edmonds, Washington.

 

Switching topics, how do other Galileo owners transport their units? The case it came in is fairly bulky, and I am looking for something smaller for overseas trips. I am not sure I could get through the new and improved US Homeland Security procedures wearing it on my wrist.

 

Cheers,

 

Dan

Yes, my experiece with the map function is similar. Useful for a couple of high level directions (eg a compass heading from one place to another) but can't include a lot of detail.

I have travelled a lot with my Galileo Sol. It's case is attractive but bulky. Here is what I do:

- Leave the transmitter attached to the first stage (deep in the center of dive bag among neoprene)

- Heart monitor in the side bag of the dive bag (where I keep dry stuff like my hat)

- Computer in a ziplock plastic bag in one corner of my carry-on bag (with my video housing).

The computer is quite tough, apart from the plastic protection screen, which is prone to scratching. The ziplock bag os sufficient to prevent it from scratching inside my carry-on bag.

By the way, has anyone found a place to buy replacement plastic protection screens for the Sol? I have managed to scratch mine twice, scrambling up a diveboat ladder in rough seas and wriggling through narrow gaps in a shipwreck.

Regards

Peter

I'm up to 80 dives with mine since late last year. Just upgraded the firmware to 1.4 so hopefully by the 19th of March when I hit YAP I'll see how it performs with the deep stops.

One thing I did notice was the battery indicator shows one bar less than full if I haven't had it in the water for a few weeks. Once wet though it goes back to fully charged....weird, but then again my stinger used to do exactly the same??

As for the dive site maps I never had the patience to complete even one drawing.

Hi Peter:

I am not certain, but you should be able to get a replacement plastic cover from your UWATEC dealer. I scratched the cover on my Smart Tec several times, and was able to order replacements from my local dealer (Underwater Sports Seattle, uws@underwatersports.com, +011.206.362.3310). If you can't find a replacement through your local dealer, you might give them a call.

Thanks for the travel packing info. Will try your technique next month when we take off on our next diving trip.

Cheers,

Dan

Now for those that are interested my Galileo Sol died during my 82 nd dive with it. On the morning of the 20th March I had my first dive since January 26th and after checking my surface interval time (59 mins) I turned the display off and got ready to enter the water again.

When I entered the water the computer refused to start and would accept no commands from any buttons. Fortunately I always use a spare computer so I continued the dive anyhow.

I washed the Galileo when I returned to the hotel and left it for 12 hours to dry at which time it still would not work. Finally I removed the battery and cleaned the terminals and now after another 44 dives it is still working again although my confidence was a bit shaken. I emailed Uwatec about this but as of now they have not reponded to me.

As for the PDIS stops they seemed to work fine although they sometime wanted you to repeat several stops at the same depth if you happened to multilevel up and down a lot.

Cheers.

Any Mac users with the Galilee? Their smart track software didn't work. Scubapro put me in touch with their tech guy. About the fourth version of the software worked (the others didn't recognize the Galilee, just older model Uwatec computers) If your wondering version 1.8 is the one that worked.

Thing is it records dive time as universal standard time. Both the computer and my Mac software are set to CA time but the time in the downloaded dives still matches the Universal time and date.

The PDIS works great. A real comfort when you are doing repeated deep dives in remote parts of the world.

I love the computer though I'm not sure any computer is worth that much money.

Hi Pig004:

If you find out what happened, would it be possible to post what caused the issue?

Thanks,

Dan

Any Mac users with the Galilee? Their smart track software didn't work. Scubapro put me in touch with their tech guy. About the fourth version of the software worked (the others didn't recognize the Galilee, just older model Uwatec computers) If your wondering version 1.8 is the one that worked.

 

Thing is it records dive time as universal standard time. Both the computer and my Mac software are set to CA time but the time in the downloaded dives still matches the Universal time and date.

You must be talking about JTrak, not SmartTrak. SmartTrak, developed by ScubaPro/Uwatec, is Windows only and comes on the install disk included with the dive computer. It is already at version 2.x It works well with the Galileo Sol, both downloading dive logs and uploading changes to the Galileo's settings and personalisation.

JTrak is developed by an a third party. It sort of works but not very well. That time zone problem is just one of the issues.

I gave up on JTrak and am running SmartTrak under Bootcamp, wasting 5Gb of disk on my MacBook Pro.

Hopefully MacDiveLog will come to our rescue soon...

Regards

Peter

Hi Pig004:

 

If you find out what happened, would it be possible to post what caused the issue?

 

Thanks,

 

Dan

Dan from what I can gather it was simply an issue with the battery terminals. I guess because the computer sat for 2 months without moving something must have built up on the terminals?

Anyhow when I removed the battery and cleaned the terminals it seemed to work fine again. I also inspected for any flooding of the battery compartment but found none. I checked the battery cover alingment and did find that the 2 dots were not in line as per the manufacturers recommendation so possibly there was insufficent tension on the battery spring. I assume this was the problem as the hour running count went from 300 hours to 0 when I replaced the battery.

Like I said it has worked for 42 dives now without a problem.

I don't expect anything from Uwatec about it as I'm sure they probably don't have clue although a response would have been nice.

Thanks for the added information. I have not checked the battery cover alignment since I purchased my Sol: will do this evening when I get home.

Thanks Again,

Dan

To Walt (if you are monitoring this thread),

I can not send a private message to you. The system says your mail box is turned off or full.

Regards

Peter

Hey, thanks Peter for giving me a heads up on that. Don't know whats up with my PM feature on this site.

You can send a PM to me at wstearns@uwjournal.com

I would like to here from you on the Galileo Sol.

Walt Stearns

Editor-in-Chief

Underwaterjournal

Now for those that are interested I have logged about 225 dives on my Galileo sol since I bought it last year. Now the instruction book mentions the tranmitter battery should last about 150 to 200 dives and then there will be a warning on the computer to change the battery on T1?

I have not recieved any warning about the tranmitter battery getting low. I assume it is as the tank pressure stopped showing full (200 bar) but instead started to decrease by about 5 bar over the past 20 or so dives. Currently now a full tank only shows 95 bar or so. However when the pressure gets to 50 bar it matches once again with my SPG.

Anyone have a the same experience as I'm assuming this is the problem. I guess I'll know for sure when I change the battery??

No experience like that. It doesn't sound like a battery issue to me. More like a sensor issue. Of course you can test it by changing your battery.

Except for the time zone issue Jtrack works fine. Not nearly sophisticated as the Divetrack software. I have the divetrack software on bootcamp. I consider it a waste of time and space on a trip. Jtrack is fine for those.

I transport the unit by just putting it in my carryon or carryon camera bag.

Oh crap I hope its not the sensor.......