Hoseless Computers/Consoles-Anyone love theirs?

I have thought it would be nice to get one more hose off the first stage and reduce the number of things hanging off my gear by going to a hoseless computer/console like the UWATEC Air Nitrox Z with wireless transmitter. Are any of you using them or have you used them? Do you or did you love it or were there errors/malfunctions that might make this a poor choice.

As always, your time in commenting is greatly appreciated.

Best Regards,

Mike

I've used hoseless AI computers for 4-5 years now, but the Uwatec model. For photography they are great. All your information is right there on your wrist, which is right in front of you on the housing handle.

I have also had all sorts of reliability issues. The Oceanic I had would often not give an air reading until I got in the water. I jumped in the water a couple of times with partial or empty tanks because I couldn't get a read. I put a pony reg button style SPG on the first stage so I could at least check the tank for air before jumping in. On one dive, the computer air reading just froze. I couldn't see the button SPG and it was so small anyway, my buddy couldn't read it for me.

I switched to a Suunto Vytec. It has been even more unreliable. Since I also do tech stuff, I now use a SPG on 32" hose clipped off on my left chest ring. I still like having all the info on my wrist, but I don't rely on it. Losing a hose for streamlining is overrated.

I've owned an older model Oceanic hoseless computer for about 5 years now, and with a few minor exceptions it has worked quite well. Currently its air pressure reads about 500 psi low, so that a full 3000 psi aluminum tank reads 2500 psi. I tried to breath it to zero to check its low end pressure and again I had about 500 psi when I checked with another guage. Since Oceanic has a fixed fee service charge and my warrantee is long gone, I have decided to live with the problem for now, but will send it to Oceanic as soon as my back up Diverite Nitek 3 computer comes back from service. I have never used the Suunto, but working for a Scubapro shop I've used the Air Z Nitrox many times. I personally prefer the Oceanic's green-yellow-red deco status scale, as it allows me to build in my own personal visual safety margin w/o reprogramming the computer. I also like that I can turn off the audible ascent speed warnings on the Oceanic, since I don't always want to hear a beeping computer when teaching diving and skills like the CESA , or chasing a student w/ buoyancy control emergencies.

Doug

Over my last 100 or so dives I've been using Cochran Technology's Gemini hoseless. I've had absolutely zero problems with it, including diving on various Nitrox mixes.

The interesting variation that this computer has is that the main electronics and computer live in a small box that clips to your BC hose, sort of on your shoulder. The rationale behind it being that if you move your hand up quickly, you don't trigger a rapid ascent alarm. They also incorporate redundant battery compartments in the computer unit.

The computer unit communicates via RF to a wrist unit -- the display area is large, like that of the Aeris series if you've seen them.

I like my Gemini a lot -- the newer ones have more features, but even the old ones are extremely customizable w.r.t. conservativeness etc. The backlight on the wrist unit is a deep red that does not kill your night vision. I also dive with a Vyper as a backup, but the SPG function has been very reliable.

Yeang

Hoseless is nice yes

but ... what happens if your batteries die unexpectedly, it floods for no reason, the transmitter stops transmitting your air (which seems to be the biggest problem with them)

I would love to have a hoseless system, but even I a tech lover couldnt find myself trusting the units not after seeing as many units fail as I have done working at a dive shop that saw many people fervishly swapping over their regs for our spare reg, just because they didnt know how much air they had.

If you do want one (which why wouldnt you) get one that may not be the newest on the market but does everything you want it to, and has been fixed of all it's little bugs and problems that it was originally made with, they all are. Either that or have a back up computer so that if you ever have to send it back cause it stops working properly you have another to keep you company on your diving.

I have the Suunto Vytec - I enjoy using mine and having all the info in one place to quickly glance at but I have had my fair share of problems and scary moments (3 to be exact). I use a scubapro mini air gauge as a backup all the time now.

Suunto Vytec here. I really like it. If it fails I abort. I am very anal about always checking my guages so if it did fail I would have a good guestimate as to how much air is remaining. As for the next dive, it would be my backup hose gauge and tables.

One other note. One of the reasons I went with the Suunto is because the Uwatec's are known to lose the signal for a moment after strobes fire. I have not had that problem with the Suunto.

I like my Vytec a lot but some times it has some hiccups (it don't find the sender) and you have to un- and rescrew the 1st stage from the bottle to solve this problem.

I ended two times UW without noticing that i had no connection. I stayed very close to a guide on these (shallow) dives so that i could have grabbed his s+spare 2nd stage in case of problems. on both dives the air was plenty so no probs. (Don't do this at home! You should abort your dive in this case esp. if you are not so experienced diver!)

I got very religious about checking the connection before jumping into water. But if I would take a dive where i probably have to do decompression I would put a second hosed finimeter at the second HP exit.

Hi!

A friend of mine is using the Uwatec Aladin Air X Nitrox without any problems for a few years now. He also has a pressure gauge he keeps in his pockets for a backup. As Uwatec computers tend to compensate pressure readings to 20°C (a conversion graph is in the rear section of the manual) there usually is a difference between computer readout and analog gauge. That's nothing to worry about.

He bought The Aladin Air X because he wanted the info "at hand" while taking photos. He's absolutely satisfied with this solution.

Up to now I used an Aladin Air (air integrated, hosed type) but I am now switching to the Uwatec Smart Com (same type) as a backup and a new test unit (I'm not allowed to dive it without a backup yet) of a model to be available soon. It's a gas integrated wrist model that was announced on DEMA and presented behind thick glass. I'll test dive it in Sulawesi in May.

Radio transmission in general is error prone. I know only about the way Uwatec does it, so other brands may do it differently: The computer calculates deco info from depth, temperature and time as any other non-gas integrated device, if no gas info is available. If there are failures during the dive, the calculation is corrected as soon as there is new gas data available. The algorithm is designed to fall on the safe side. Gas info allows more bottom time if you don't breath too much ;-)

You may optimize the radio connection by re-positioning the transmitter. There's a section in the manual describing different settings. With the Uwatec models, you get the tank pressure as soon as the tank valve is opened. There's also an indicator showing that the transmission is working. The transmitter battery is user changable (in contrast to the computer battery).

Helge ;-)=)

Hey, guys. I've been using the Uwatec Aladin Air Z Nitrox for a long time now, and I love the thing. I don't baby it at all, and it's been a real workhorse. The transmitter's battery power started to get low while I was in Indonesia in December, which resulted in lots o' beeping as the transmitter's range shortened, but it wasn't such a big deal.

I wish there was some way to test the battery in the transmitter itself. Uwatec didn't replace the battery when I sent it in. They replaced the entire transmitter unit!

I very rarely get radio transmission errors. If I lose gas info, it's only for a few seconds. If my computer were to die, I would abort. I carry a second computer clipped to a D-ring or to my camera, so I can rig up a pressure gauge and continue diving.

I like my Vytec a lot but some times it has some hiccups (it don't find the sender) and you have to un- and rescrew the 1st stage from the bottle to solve this problem.

You do not have to take the first stage off the tank. All you need to do if there is any failures or you need to switch transmitter channels is turn the air off and purge your reg. This turns the transmitter off. Turning the air on will turn the transmitter off. You do need to make sure to "link" or establish a connection with the transmitter and the wrist unit every time you turn your air on. This is done by holding the wrist unit close to the transmitter for a few seconds. This sets the channel of the transmitter so multiple people can use Vytec's and not interfere with each others readings.

Hi!

 

The transmitter battery is user changable (in contrast to the computer battery).

 

Helge ;-)=)

Helge,

I have been diving an Aladin Air X since 1995 and haven't seen any documentation or any way to change the Transmitter battery. How do you change the battery and what battery does it take?

Seems that I wear out the wrist units, I am really hard on dive gear, before the battery runs dry, although I did run a transmitter dry and ScubaPro replaced it gratis.

I am now on my fourth wrist unit, 3000 plus dives on them. Seems that they are good for 800-1000 dives that last 60-90 minutes, of course the newer ones with the nice backlighting will drain the battery faster when the backlight is used..

I also dive the Nitrox version when I can find that magical gas.

I like my Vytec a lot but some times it has some hiccups (it don't find the sender) and you have to un- and rescrew the 1st stage from the bottle to solve this problem.

 

You do not have to take the first stage off the tank. All you need to do if there is any failures or you need to switch transmitter channels is turn the air off and purge your reg. This turns the transmitter off. Turning the air on will turn the transmitter off. You do need to make sure to "link" or establish a connection with the transmitter and the wrist unit every time you turn your air on. This is done by holding the wrist unit close to the transmitter for a few seconds. This sets the channel of the transmitter so multiple people can use Vytec's and not interfere with each others readings.

Yes I know! Thats the theory. But sometimes this doesn't work for some obscure reason. un- and rescrewing help then every time.

Simon

Hi!

I've got 3 brand new transmitters and there's a section in the (preliminary) manual that describes how to change the batteries. They're slim button type lithium cells you get at most stores in "civilized" areas.

I didn't use radio transmission with the Aladin series so it could be that the older generation is tightly sealed and the battery can't be replaced with one of those.

My transmitters have 3 small phillips screws at the socket where you may open the housing.

Could be, that mine are next generation devices. If so, you've got to wait until they hit the market.

Helge ;-)=)

I've used several brands of hoseless computers and they have ALL failed at one point or another. Sometimes it's as simple as changing a battery, others are more fatal like the transmitter flooding. My Cochran Gemini loses its signal if its worn on the same hand as my 18w HID light. In any case, I hate the concept of aborting a dive - especially if I've spent a lot of money to get somewhere I probably wont be again for some time - just because my computer has died.

I have a simple Scubapro mini pressure gauge and a wrist mount computer. I also have the dual mini console that includes a depth gauge with the pressure gauge. I don't use them both, most of the time is use the dual gauge and it just sits clipped to my belt down to the left out of the way.

I know my breathing rate and when I need to start watching the gauges to make the turn back to the surface. I usually check it about every 10 minutes early in the dive and more often as needed as the pressure falls below 1200psi.

If my wrist computer dies, I can finish the dive with the mini console. I'm not concerned about time because I'm pretty much an air hog and have to turn back well before I've exceeded decompression limits. I also wear a dive watch so when I hit 20 feet I can stay for a good safety stop.

I like reducing points of failure and diving with backup devices. My experience (and it's only MY experience, not a comment about how your computers have served you) is that hoseless computers have the ability to cause more problems than they solve. And they die at the worst possible time.

The bottom line is that hosed gauges are 100% reliable, hoseless are less than 100%, your mileage may vary. :-)

Hi!

I agree. That's why most first stages have 2 HP sockets. A small (mechanical) gauge as a backup is a good idea. It is no problem to finish a dive without gas info transmitted to the computer (it should estimate gas consumption like a normal non-gas wrist device). All other info than your tank pressure may be derived from other sources (buddies, e.g.) so a pressure gauge is the most important backup.

Depending on the kind of dive more redundancy may be advisable.

Helge ;-)=)

I think a additional Dive Watch and some diving Tables in the BCD Pocket are never a bad idea.

I've used a hoseless for 5 years, I had to send it back to the factory once because I couldn't get it to turn on. It was repaired at nocharge other than shipping at a local LDS. My Genesis AI has been wonderful in getting rid of another hose. I do carry a old skinnydipper in my BC pocket as a redundant check. I really like using a hoseless. My big problem now is that I want to dive Nitrox and my computer isn't Nitrox compatible :roll:

Dive Safe,

Caymaniac

Hi!

 

.

My transmitters have 3 small phillips screws at the socket where you may open the housing.

Could be, that mine are next generation devices. If so, you've got to wait until they hit the market.

 

Helge ;-)=)

Helge,

Just examined my transmitter and the 3 screw heads have been deliberately ruined such that you cannot remove the screw without drilling them out. Guess that discourages "User Replacement"

Or it is one of the Transmitters that I sent back and they replaced the battery in it and were sloppy when the put the screws back in.

Just checked my other transmitter which is on my 1st stage. It too has munged up screw heads.

Considering that both transmitters have been in for battery replacements I feel certain that the screw heads were deliberately destroyed by the service department.

How old are your transmitters.?

Hi!

I've got them from the Uwatec technical department fo testing. They're brand new, more or less (although I think they might have experienced some strange tank dives). They work with the next generation of Smart computers. Oooops. There's also the section in the manual explicitely describing the replacement of the battery. It also states, that it should be done by a trained person and that the o-ring should be replaced together with the battery. If the screws were deliberately damaged to prevent users from opening, we can say that at least, it'll improve with the next generation.

Helge ;-)=)