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>[much analog v. digital stuff snipped]
>> I disagree, the divers caused the out of air situations through poor
>>planning, training or whatever reason. The computer can't "cause" you
>>to run out of air unless it malfunctions.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
snip...
>I have been a victim of failures of both digital and analog displays of
>tank pressure. The one time an analog gauge failed, I was at 87 feet and
>had NO air. Thankfully I had NO decompression obligation (I planned it
>that way, thank you very much!) and did the ol' "blow and go".
I'm not quite sure if you are agreeing or disagreeing with my post, or maybe
making comments about the thread in general.
In your case the malfunction caused the problem, not the type of the gauge. If
the gauge or computer display is working properly, it is the divers
responsibility to become familiar with it and how it looks.
>Displays can contribute to the cause of an 'event'. In the 1960's a BOAC
>VC-10 flew into the ground whilst attempting a night landing in the Far
>East.
As I said in my original post, human factors design can affect how well the
device can be read. Poor design increases the probability that a display will
be misread. BUT, it is the diver's or pilot's responsibility to continuously
re-read instruments in order to catch errors like that.
>Modern cars have digital fuel gauges that also display "miles remaining".
>Many people feel comfortable driving around with "43.4 Miles Remaining"
>indicated on their fuel display. If the amount of fuel left was displayed
>by an analog gauge that showed 3/16ths of a tank, they would think "I'm
>almost out of gas, I have to stop driving and refuel!" The needle has
>wandered down to the below 1/4th mark and it looks real close to empty.
Good example, but the reaction to refuel at below 1/4 tank is partly based
on the inherent uncertainty of "how far can I go on less than 1/4 tank?". To
answer that question the driver needs to know how much fuel "less than 1/4
tank" is and how many miles per gallon the car is currently getting, and then
multiply the two numbers together. They don't have the information so there is
uncertainty.
True, a diver may be tempted to "cut it too close" if they have all the info,
but it is their responsibility to resist that temptation. They have no one to
blame but themselves if they don't.
Rick Fincher
rnf@sp*.tb*.co*
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