Any Suunto D4 reviews to report?

[peacenluv]

i started out with a d6 and since it only has surface interval in minutes, i bought the nemo excel for usd400.. and then i bought the cressi edy for USD339.95 for backup and my friends to use.. for normal daily spearfishing, both watches function perfectly for me...

i am pretty hesitant to buy the d4 cause i think suunto should just update the d6/d9 sw and support their customers with updates instead of picking their pockets.. but to each their own...

 

[ADR]

i am pretty hesitant to buy the d4 cause i think suunto should just update the d6/d9 sw and support their customers with updates instead of picking their pockets.. but to each their own...

Well said and yes they should support existing customers who have invested in their more expensive top-shelf products, like you

 

[trux]

In fact it is not Euro that increased its value, it is Dollar that lost European manufacturers will have hard time selling cheaper to the USA, because the costs here are simply high. That's a good chance and good time for US companies to come out on the market with competitive and cheaper products.

 

[trux]

i am pretty hesitant to buy the d4 cause i think suunto should just update the d6/d9 sw and support their customers with updates instead of picking their pockets.. but to each their own...

Well said and yes they should support existing customers who have invested in their more expensive top-shelf products, like you

According to a Haywyre's comment in this blog post at Shark-Freediving, it looks they indeed do it. Haywyre claims Herbert Nitsch did his NLT record of -214m with a Suunto D9 running the D4 firmware. Maybe you can contact Suunto. I do not know though if the user can replace the firmware via cable. It would be lovely, but I doubt it. More likely the watch needs to be sent to their service workshop.

 

[ADR]

According to a Haywyre's comment in this blog post at Shark-Freediving, it looks they indeed do it. Haywyre claims Herbert Nitsch did his NLT record of -214m with a Suunto D9 running the D4 firmware.

yippee - i will definitely be contacting them and Herbert, in case he wants to sell that model to me. Nice pickup Trux!

 

[trux]

yippee - i will definitely be contacting them and Herbert, in case he wants to sell that model to me. Nice pickup Trux!

Please let us know if Suunto accepts doing it. Also try asking them if they would not allow users doing the firmware exchange themselves - of course on their own responsibility, and giving up the warranty. It would be nice to have the possibility to load different firmware versions there and back, when needed.

 

[ADR]

My Question to Suunto and their response

Response (Derek Ross)
Dear Sir/Madam,
Thank you for contacting Suunto.
Unfortunately this option is not currently available. Using a D9 with D4 firmware would remove several of the D9 features (compass, air integration etc.) and changing the firmware can only be done at authorised service centers. It is possible that a firmware update for the D9 may be developed in the future that would add some of the D4 features.

With Best Regards,
Suunto Helpdesk

Customer (Andy Ross)
Hello Suunto,

I'm an Australian freediver/tech diver who has owned many of your products. I understand that Herbert Nitsch did his world record freedive with a Suunto D9 loaded with D4 firmware. How would I go about buying the same thing as the product quality of the D9 is excellent and the D4 firmware is what I'm looking for. I will be buying a D4 anyway but the D9 hardware / D4 firmware is really what I'm after.

kind regards

Andy Ross

 

[sheepeck]

Maybe they understood that you want actually D9 plus functions of D4.
If you don't mind loosing some D9 features, than it sounds like they would be able to do it. Don't you think?

 

[ADR]

I didn't read it that way but you might well be right. I'll try again....

 

[peacenluv]

go andy.. i'll lose whatever scuba functions for seconds instead of minute surface time display update in gauge mode in my d6.. of course all d4 sw into my d6 would be cool tool.. but no need to be greedy.. hahah

 

[Kars]

Sounds like a nice quest of hackers and crackers, download the software of the D9 - D6 - D4, unraffle it, find which binaries alter the sampling etc, and change and update your D9, D6 to you slightly adapted cracked firmware version. Perhabs these guys would like to help out? Hack a Day

BTW I think it's not immoral to understand something you own, and than alter it more to one's liking.

 

[trux]

Sounds like a nice quest of hackers and crackers, download the software of the D9 - D6 - D4, unraffle it, find which binaries alter the sampling etc, and change and update your D9, D6 to you slightly adapted cracked firmware version. Perhabs these guys would like to help out? Hack a Day

BTW I think it's not immoral to understand something you own, and than alter it more to one's liking.

Well, I started my IT career with assembler and machine code programming, disassembling and modifying firmware of many devices (only legal/official projects though). This part would not be too difficult. The problem is that you won't get the D9/D6/D4 firmware anywhere, and downloading it from the watch won't be possible unless Suunto discloses the protocol for doing it. And I am afraid they won't. The chances you could find the right way alone are close to zero, unless they use some known/open protocol (which is rather unlikely) and someone finds it by accident. You would need to remove the BIOS memory chip from the watch to pull the firmware from it, but considering the high density of the circuits on the watch board, you would likely kill the device doing it.

Hence, unless someone gets the firmware and the instructions for downloading/uploading directly from Suunto, there is little chance.

 

[ADR]

I now have my hands on a D4 and if it performs half as good as it looks and feels then I will be very happy. The composite construction is more impressive in real life than in the marketing pics. It feels very solid indeed and I'm really looking forward to getting it in the water this weekend.

 

[sheepeck]

It means you won't try now to get D9 with D4 firmware?
Hope you will be satisfied with your new comp

 

[azapa]

is it true that the battery is not user changeable? If so, what does a user who does not live in Europe or the US do when it goes flat? I have changed my Mosquito battery twice already, they seem to last a year of diving.

 

[ADR]

Here are a couple of D4/D3 comparison pics

 

[H.Balázs]

I now have my hands on a D4 and if it performs half as good as it looks and feels then I will be very happy. The composite construction is more impressive in real life than in the marketing pics. It feels very solid indeed and I'm really looking forward to getting it in the water this weekend.

Hi Andy,

Please, share with us your first thoughts/impressions/emotions about the d4! I'm hesitating between d4 and stinger (d9 is to expensive for me, and not so beauty as the others). I had a stinger earlier (and F1 also), and I was really satisfied with it. I know the technical details of both computers, and I know that the d4 is most advanced than the stinger (100m depth is more than enough for me at the time, but... I really dont like the plastic things.

Best regards,
Balázs

 

[fflupo]

is the download working on apple now?
and what max. depths?

 

[Stephan Whelan]

but... I really dont like the plastic things.

The plastic "issue" is really surprising. The unit is extremely solid and sturdy with the plastic only being the outer protective layer - the main computer underneath is solid and metal so you actually get the best of both worlds.

 

[H.Balázs]

Thanks the answer Stephan. Finally, I bought the d4 in the local diving shop, here in Budapest. The price was 94.910 hungarian forint, wich is 369 euro at the time.

regards,
Balázs