Aladin AirZ O2 and INON Z220 (F)

Good afternoon altogether

Yesterday i started using the Z220. I have been shooting with the Canon 550EX in a seacam housing before and i never had a problem with the tank transmission data.

On the latest dives with the 220 i realized, that the transmitter of the tank data seems to shut down...

Anyone realized the same??

I thought that kind of problem should have been solved - i remember this stories of transmission-breakdowns a couple of years ago, with the old AirX-series.

Regards,

Andre

Nope they haven't fixed the problem of some strobes interferring with tank data transmission to the wrist unit.

It was a problem with the old AIR-X and the AIR-X Nitrox models and is still a problem with the AirZ O2 models both nittox and air.

It happens with my YS-120s and also with the YS350s. It seems to happen more frequently when the strobes are in close the my housing and thus are closer to the wrist (receiver) unit.

It is not as prevelant when I am shooting wide angle and have my strobes pushed out away from my camera on long arms.

did i not wanna hear that !!

just taken delivery of my air z nitrox computer with plans to buy housing/strobe outfit for my D70 setup.

had subal/inon's in mind for my rig but maybe not unless this is an issue with all strobes.

any1 experienced any issues with the subtronic strobes interfering with tank transmissions from this computer?

regards, paul.

Do all strobes do this? I just spent a week shooting twin DS125's and never had any trouble. 80% of the time I had them in close shooting macro. My Air Z Nitrox worked great. I don't know if I was just lucky or what? I sure hope it doesn't rear its ugly head later though.

Regards,

Michael

OK. :-(

Next weekend i'm going to check if there is still interference with the computer bound to the jacket.

As far as i found out by myself, other air integrated computers (Suunto Vytec ore even better the new D9) are no alternative - is this right?

At least i can't deal with the idea to do a fallback to another additional hose... But maybe it helps to bind the computer to the jacket.

Regards,

Andre

i don't know about aladin, but i experienced the same thing a couple of times with my suunto vytec and inon z220, but the computer re-syched itself each time.

this connection break can occur even with no strobes around, but again the re-synch is automatic (with the suuntos at least)

I have not experienced it on the d9 yet.

/paul

I recently got an old Datatrans, and an SB105, Inon 180Ds, and Z220 will all cause it to lose connection once every few dives (but then again, so will a whole lot of sunlight on the surface before I get in the water.)

Dan

@3@5:

Sounds more interesting than my equipment. Once the Aladin loses connection with the transmitter, it will _not_ resynch!

If the Vytec resynchs each and every time, it loses connection, i would switch over from Uwatec to Suunto. Another advantage with the Suunto is, that you can change the battery by yourself. Is it also possible with the transmitter?

@dan:

What do you mean exactly? I think datatrans is the softwarepackage for all those Uwatec-computers.

Andre

Andre,

i have not had to chage the battery on the transmitter yet (have had it for 1.5 years and approx 150 dives so it will probably have to happen soon).

i think you can do the change yourself, but i'll have to check that on the manual. i'll keep you posted.

/paul

I have been diving the Aladin model of Uwatec computers since the first AIR-X in 1995 and currently have the Air and Nitrox models of Air Z series and they have always resynched and presented correct tank pressure after approx 5-15 or 20 seconds after loss. The loss of tank pressure display is directly related to when the strobe has been fired and it is in the recycle to full capacity mode. Once the display is reobtained I never lose the display until I take a shot and my strobes discharge. It doesn't happen all the time and is related to the position of the display unit relative to the strobe.

Thank you very much, Paul! If it is possible to change both batteries (wrist-unit and transmitter) this would be another argument for me to change.

@Tonym:

Hmmmm... maybe my transmitter doesn't resynch because batterypower is down??? Unfortunately there's no way to check the transmitter. :-(

*gnarf* my girlfriend would really appreciate that aladin problem... ;-)

Andre

Andre,

There is no way for a user to change batteries in the Aladin models we are talking about. Try and find someone else with the same computer and see if you could borrow the tank unit. Synch your wrist unit to the borrowed tank unit and see if you get tank pressure on the display. If your tank uint battery is close to being dead you will probably get low tank readings on a full tank. That has been my experience.

I've used an Oceanic DataTrans and its counter part the Aeris 750GT. I've never had it lose the signal from strobe use (Ikelites). No problem with the Aeris Atmos Ai.

My Vytec has lost its signal many times. It has never regained the signal. Sometimes it just give me "Err" message. I've had the air freeze up. It once read 497 and never budged. While on the surface I breathed the tank down to nothing, while the Vytec just kept reading 497 psi.

So, I still have the Vytec, but I've also got an SPG and won't dive without it.

I've never used the Uwatecs.

Now hang on!!!

It is not THAT bad.

Probably you know when the strobe puts out the flash it also puts out a masive radio discharge. Sort of like when you drive through a thunderstorm and you are listening to the radio and you hear hisses and noises.

The radio, being analogue makes you hear the hisses but since your computer to tank transmitter connection is digital (well, of course the radio stuff is analogue but that's just the phisical layer in the architecture model .... OK ... I'll stop now!) and there is a protocol that has to be follow. Just imagine you are talking to me and you say "Hello" and I say back to you "Hello". hat's how your computer and the transmitter talk. Computer says give me your readings and the transmitter sends the data.

Welllll, just imagine that this data is corupted by your strobe, ... that's when the computer (thank you CRC and checksum calculations!) is not displaying partial understood data packets. ...

That's why it doesn't displays anyhting.

So, don't wory about it. It is going to re sync.

Let me know if you need more explanations

Vlad

@Paul:

Where are you? :-) Is it possible to change the transmitter's battery?

@Tony:

Unfortunately you're right. That's why i'm thinking about to change vom Uwatec to Suunto. But if it is also not possible to change battery in the transmitter it would be a bad deal.

@vlad:

Sorry to say, but you're definitely wrong. My Aladin and scorpio-fish's Vytec DO NOT regain the signal.

Last Sunday i tied up my Aladin to my jacket, so that it is not that near to the strobes compared to the situation when it is at my wrist. Result? They never lost connection deuring the whole dive and i have been on macro.

Next weekend i will try other setups.

Regards,

Andre

sorry still travelling, won't be home before this coming week end to check on the manual.

but a quick scan of the suunto site seems to indicate that you can change the battery yourself as they sell a battery repacement kit for the vytec transmitter.

i'll keep you posted this week end when i get back home.

/paul

Andre,

This is REALLY bad if your computers don't sync back. That is bad firmware...

In this case I would agree with you that you need to change the computer.

I think the new Aladdins work OK with strobes but I am not 100% sure.

Vlad

ok i checked, the manual says that you can change the vytec transmitter battery yourself, however, it strongly recommends to have a dealer do it...

hth

/paul

OK, thank you very much, Paul!

Today i have been on macro (strobes near wrist) and aladin tied to jacket. Same transmitter problem again and it didn't resync. After a few minutes it simply displayed "---" at the tank data window.

Half an hour later i gave my camera to my buddy and what do you think happened? Yeah, right, it resynced...

So maybe the transmitter unit is low on battery, but however - i'm fed up with it. I will step down to analog instruments. :-( Aditionally i will talk with Uwatec, when it's time to change battery in the computer. Maybe it is indeed bad firmware, Vlad.

Regards,

Andre

Have had no trouble with my Oceanic Atom wireless air integrated computer.

I have never lost signal for more than a few seconds and it has no trouble resyncing once you move the computer back into range.

Changing battery is easy to do by user and pressing a button on the computer will check the battery of both the computer and transmitter.