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My D-3 is history
- Thread starter blueface
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
, There was no answer in this thread for more than 90 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
check this one, Suunto D4. The most popular among Freedivers nowadays.
Thanks mattbigblue! Tomorrow I will try my friends Oceanic GEO. It is a scuba diving computer but it does have a free dive mode. I will look into the D-4. I'm sure someone will let me sample it.
I have tons of scuba friends.
Skip
I just ordered the D-4 and it will be 500 bucks! I found out that if the battery dies I must send it off island to get a replacement and that will take 3 weeks!
I was speaking with our buyer and he said the problem with the D-3 and Mosquito was that people were trying to change the batteries themselves and kept flooding the units! The result was a whole lot of returns and no profit for aqualung.
Solution= Sell a computer that requires professional service when the battery dies. I guess I can't blame them but I live in Guam and the Aqualung store is in North Dakota or something.
Skip
Any body else own a D-4? Comments?
O
octopus
Guest
I have had both Mosquito and D3 for a very long time. I have always changed batteries and maintained o-rings myself. No problems there. You could even buy replacement o-ring (I am not sure if this is available any more).
I also do not know anyone of my freediving friends who flooded their D3 or Mosquito. Many people here on DB replace batteries in their D3s themselves.
I do not buy the argument.
D3 was great, it wasnt just the battery change issue that was a problem, quite alot of them had problems with the buttons falling off or the unit just simply dieing, we had a pretty big run of that here in australia with both the Mosquito and the D3.
if your after a freediv only computor the Aeris F10 is the new kid on the block which martin stepanek helped design, it has all the alrams need plus a nice big dive log.
5 year warranty, unlimited dives and a user changable battery, it basically runs the sam housing as the Geo with some slight cosmetic changes and different software.
there have been some minor problems with them that will be remedied with a fre firm ware update. user changable battery is a big plus and very easy to do.
cheaper than the D4 by quite alot as well.
i've been using the prototypes and now the production model for just pover 2 years now and am more than happy with it.
D4 is a good unit no doubt but having all the extra functions to deal with plus the ludicrus charge for a battery change is a major disadvantage it cost over $150 in australia to have the battery changed!
DD
if your after a freediv only computor the Aeris F10 is the new kid on the block which martin stepanek helped design, it has all the alrams need plus a nice big dive log.
5 year warranty, unlimited dives and a user changable battery, it basically runs the sam housing as the Geo with some slight cosmetic changes and different software.
there have been some minor problems with them that will be remedied with a fre firm ware update. user changable battery is a big plus and very easy to do.
cheaper than the D4 by quite alot as well.
i've been using the prototypes and now the production model for just pover 2 years now and am more than happy with it.
D4 is a good unit no doubt but having all the extra functions to deal with plus the ludicrus charge for a battery change is a major disadvantage it cost over $150 in australia to have the battery changed!
DD
I don't know if the flooding by changing the batteries thing is really true (I've changed my battery many times with no problem) but is it possible to change the battery on the D-4 without paying an arm and a leg? I there a way to do it yourself?
i've watched PLENTY D3 flood, 3 very close friends all lost theirs within the space of a month to this, in saying that if donme properly its fine.
the issue isnt lways the battry alot of them flooded through broken buttons as well.
good computor but unfortunatly long gone, still some bouncing around.
as for the D4 there may be but it requires specific tools to remove the battery casing, which it would appear in australia at least you cannot buy.
anything is doable, but the other issue is that becuase they are supposed to be replaced by autherised agent you cant just purchase Oring kits for them so even if you can get the back oof and replace the battery if the Oring is screwed then your up shit creak. not to mention voiding any warranty you may have had.
stupid idea to restrict the ability to change the battery in my opinion, but i guess they believe it is one way of reducing the accident factor when it comes to battery changes.
DD
the issue isnt lways the battry alot of them flooded through broken buttons as well.
good computor but unfortunatly long gone, still some bouncing around.
as for the D4 there may be but it requires specific tools to remove the battery casing, which it would appear in australia at least you cannot buy.
anything is doable, but the other issue is that becuase they are supposed to be replaced by autherised agent you cant just purchase Oring kits for them so even if you can get the back oof and replace the battery if the Oring is screwed then your up shit creak. not to mention voiding any warranty you may have had.
stupid idea to restrict the ability to change the battery in my opinion, but i guess they believe it is one way of reducing the accident factor when it comes to battery changes.
DD
Happily my D3 still works after 6 years!
I think the D4 is a fine unit, though I would miss the repeatable countdown function the D3 has. The steep price is also a concern, I much rather spent it on a new suit, I need.
The F10 looks and sounds very attractive, but I'm happy I can wait for the few hard and software issues to be resolved. - Too bad the manufacturer has not given any date when the fix is to be implemented / available.
These drizzling amounts, are they making these things of solid gold? - Or did they loose touch with reality of economies, governments and banks 'failing' all over the world, taxing the people to death?
I think the D4 is a fine unit, though I would miss the repeatable countdown function the D3 has. The steep price is also a concern, I much rather spent it on a new suit, I need.
The F10 looks and sounds very attractive, but I'm happy I can wait for the few hard and software issues to be resolved. - Too bad the manufacturer has not given any date when the fix is to be implemented / available.
These drizzling amounts, are they making these things of solid gold? - Or did they loose touch with reality of economies, governments and banks 'failing' all over the world, taxing the people to death?
Thanks for the response Kars. Whenever I dive with my friends, I jelously look at all you lucky guys with a shiny new looking D-3 that they've had since the begining of time and I feel sick!
Now I'm upset because I just assumed the d-4 had the profile mode! That was excellent for watching descent/ascent rates and bottom time.
Skip
I have had the D3 for 7 years, it works (on a good day) but I cannot say that I am happy with it. Depth figure too small to read easily, can't hear the alarm unless I strap it to my ear in which case I cannot see it, and the countdown that Kars loves so much is even smaller and unusable. The PC interface was designed in the pliocene and it takes 5 to 20 attempts before the connection is established. This was my first and last Suunto ever. Still, I haven't really seen a decent depth watch at a sensible price around, so I stick with it. (well I got a Nemo recently as a prize, so I am going to try that soon but it seems to lack some important functionalities).
About prices Kars: they charge 500Eur for a product which has at the most a 100Eur value, simply because the freediver community is small (which means little scale economy) and because people are willing to pay.
About prices Kars: they charge 500Eur for a product which has at the most a 100Eur value, simply because the freediver community is small (which means little scale economy) and because people are willing to pay.
D4 willn do everything you want it to... and a couple of things you dont.... hahaha.
it still has the real time dive profile to view so don worry there.
only prob is price and the battery change issue.
the F10 solves those problems and is simpilar to use.
the small issues people are seeing dont actually effect the working unit, not in my experience anyway.
issues that matter:
- low battery light showing VERY early on solutio ignore it, the unit keeps working for a LONG time... this glitch will be fixed in software update
- Dive log on computor alwasy showing dive number as 1...... silly mistake which will be fixed , but does not effect day to day usability.
there are some small bugs but nothing that renders the computor unusable.
and in saying that i have also seen plentyn of D4 and D3 go back to manufacturer over the years for software or hardware issues so they arent perfect either.
DD
it still has the real time dive profile to view so don worry there.
only prob is price and the battery change issue.
the F10 solves those problems and is simpilar to use.
the small issues people are seeing dont actually effect the working unit, not in my experience anyway.
issues that matter:
- low battery light showing VERY early on solutio ignore it, the unit keeps working for a LONG time... this glitch will be fixed in software update
- Dive log on computor alwasy showing dive number as 1...... silly mistake which will be fixed , but does not effect day to day usability.
there are some small bugs but nothing that renders the computor unusable.
and in saying that i have also seen plentyn of D4 and D3 go back to manufacturer over the years for software or hardware issues so they arent perfect either.
DD
Thanks for all the help. I just changed my order to an F-10. The battery change issue was the biggest reason. I live in Guam and we are light years away from everything. I would be without a computer for 3 weeks!! That's a hell of a lot of-"Hey man, can I borrow your D-3? I'm going diving tomorrow."
Yes DivingDane, I could barely hear my depth alarm even if I listened for it.
Skip
Yes DivingDane, I could barely hear my depth alarm even if I listened for it.
Skip
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thats easy fixed! buy 2! hahahahahahahaha.
one for your wrist and then one attached to yoyr neck weight, or just the module on a string tucked into your hood, that way you can hear the alrams as clear as day and see the numbers if you wish.
mind you if you have the computor on your EQ hand then it will be by your face most of the dive and should be pretty easy to hear.
have fun with your new toy!
DD
one for your wrist and then one attached to yoyr neck weight, or just the module on a string tucked into your hood, that way you can hear the alrams as clear as day and see the numbers if you wish.
mind you if you have the computor on your EQ hand then it will be by your face most of the dive and should be pretty easy to hear.
have fun with your new toy!
DD
I can't wait to get it! I thought about buying a D-4 and an f-10 but that's too much money. I'd rather get another gun or a nice new wetsuit.
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