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Mike, I mispoke - the Uwatec transmitter is used in the Sea & Sea hoseless. Re Cochran and their hoseless unit (and I know this will get me flamed) but here goes: I think that this unit is a work in progress and for my purposes is paradoxically both too much and too little. First the unit itself is clunky: the CPU and transmitter reside in a 4 x 6 x 2 box that mounts on the tank valve and clips (?) to a hose. I doubt by the size that there are many VLSI chips involved and it's probably a standard circuit board. The unit turns on by either immersion/pressure or tapping on an area of the box. You have to tap pretty hard and I think that this, while theoretically neat, will make for practical failures. Most computers don't like being banged on. Batteries are AA for the CPU and Ns for the wrist unit. The unit allows for a gas switch. I thought that you would have two transmitter units, one for each tank. But no, when you stop breathing the unit assumes you have begun to use the second mixture. This obviously saves the expense of an additional CPU/transmitter, but means that the SCR is assumed and not measured. The pO2 of either gas may be adjusted in increments of 0.1%. To do so requires (1) a laptop or (2) a weird blue box with a "probe" and a rheostat. The latter stated for "field" use is really clunky and I found very difficult to use. The unit has many user settings for, not only gas, but "J" factors. I believe that it uses the Buhlman algorithm, but this can be considerably modified. All user changes require the use of a computer interface, although it will default in the event these are not set. The download profile is considerably more elaborate than the Air-X, but my guess is that this is due to software not actual additional measured. For example the profile display will give you a pPO2 profile and various other statistics calculated on time/depth measurements. (By the way this would be a nice addition to Abyss. i.e, to be able to plot the curves of various gasses over time, superimposed on the dive profile, rather than clicking on each waypoint and having them display in a table only for that waypoint. It is easier to get a feel for it as a graphic, which after all is the main point of Abyss). What would I like to see change in the Cochran/Beuchat unit? Miniaturization of the transmitter/CPU. Not only more convenient, but probably more reliable. Cochran's choice to put all the brains in one unit is a little scary to me. If it fails (? ripped off by a rock or snag ?) you have a paper weight on your wrist. At least the Air-X defaults to a depth/time computer with no gas info. i.e., if the tank transmitter (about 1 x 1 inch) fails (Which is in fact what happened to mine ultimately - no sweat, I still had all my deco info and I knew I had enough gas to get home). The gas switch concept on the Cochran in OK (it assumes you are at rest during deco on the second gas, I guess), but it would be nice to actually have a read-out from the 2nd tank. All in all, we the consumers are the losers not to have two companies in competition for our business. Too often these issues are settled by the lawyers, rather than for the benefit of the customer. And so it goes. Peter Heseltine On Wed, 24 Apr 1996, Wixson, Steven M (Mike) wrote: > I wish I knew. I went to Florida this past weekend and on the way out > to the dive site I tried to check my tank pressure and couldn't get any > tank data. I tried several times to re-pair it to no avail (it didn't > even give me the "pair" message). This is a new unit, it has seen action > no more than 4 times so I wouldn't expect it to be the batteries. > > Let me also give a warm thanks to Cochran for screwing all of us Uwatec > owners. > > Mike > > >---------- > >From: Peter N.R. Heseltine[SMTP:heseltin@hs*.us*.ed*] > >Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 1996 2:58 PM > >To: Wixson, Steven M (Mike) > >Cc: Harold Gartner; Erik Stein; Chris Parrett; Dennis Pierce; > >techdiver@terra.net; Peter N.R. Heseltine > >Subject: RE: Demise of Uwatec USA > > > >Mike, > > > >What exactly happened to your transmitter? Mine just failed in the > >middle > >of a dive - cold water for me (44oF). The wrist unit of course remained > >functional. The whole thing had been working fine for two years. I > >assumed > >it was the battery, but they (Uwatec) said no. They kept it and said > >they > >would run tests, in the meantime they sent me a new replacement wrist > >and > >transmitter. > > > >This same transmitter is used in the Mares and I believe the Oceanic > >units - so it may be of value to all to know exactly why they failed. > > > >Peter Heseltine > > >
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