What's the difference between Sunnto d4 and d4i?

[Firefox73]

Hi

Recently noticed that Sununto's website shows a new version of the d4 called the d4i which is due for release around June/July 2011.

Does anyone know what the main differences are between the two i.e. what do you gain or lose between the old and the new and are they useful features or not?

 

[trux]

Some features of D4i announced:

1. Optional wireless integration (Scuba)
2. Full continuous decompression algorithm (Scuba)
3. Timer in Dive Mode (Scuba)
4. Three dive modes: air, nitrox and free (Scuba)
5. New electronic internals to increase memory (140 hours of logs - I suppose in Scuba mode, in Free mode it may be less) and accuracy
6. Colour options including black, blue, red, yellow and white (with a black strap)
7. New transfer cable giving significantly faster data speeds,
8. A new digital pressure sensor for greater accuracy and better tank pressure data reception.
9. The menu system has been revised to bring the more regularly accessed features to the front of the options to reduce button pushing and streamline the process
10. There are lots of minor tweaks and improvements that have been made that aren’t immediately obvious without comparing old for new including some of the useful information such as surface time between dives has been brought forward to the time mode.

 

[Firefox73]

Well done Trux, not just for the speed of reply but the content:king.

Do we know whether they have cut any features of the old d4?

Finally, any idea on pricing? More, less or about the same as the old one? With so much competition about now and the recession, I would have thought Suunto would not want to price themselves out of the market with a high RRP.

 

[trux]

I am afraid you'll have to wait for the price a bit. Though, D4 never belonged to the cheaper options, and I doubt they will reduce the price, but let's see.

 

[Unclejake]

Wow Trux. The new D4 doesn't sound like it has the three things most of us would like.

1) A decent scratch protection membrane
2) A much, MUCH louder alarm.
3) A true user replaceable battery

Someone ought to design a watch like this with a Bluetooth earpiece that talks to the diver in his/her own language.

10 mtrs
20 mtrs
30 mtrs Glide phase
40 mtrs Mouthfill
50 mtrs That'll do pig. That'll do.
60 mtrs Are you insane?
70 mtrs Pull up. Pull up!

etc....

 

[Simos]

I think the difference is the i

 

[Snootiee]

Looks like you are able to pre-order them now,...

Suunto D4i. Instruments Computers, Scubastore.com, buy, offers, dive

Almost at USD500...

 

[kevtron]

Compare D4 and D4i

Biggest differences I see there are:
Display: Dot Matrix v Matrix (I don't even know what that means)
Different stop watch - D4i 'in time / dive mode' (?)
D4i samples for dive profile more in the first 10 seconds
different software

 

[trux]

> Display: Dot Matrix v Matrix (I don't even know what that means)

The display is identical - it is partly a dot-matrix LCD display in the center (allowing to display any characters, digits, symbols or graphs), and discreet LCD display for displaying predefined digits and symbols at the top and bottom of the screen. In the comparative chart, there are two different options just by mistake (it is the case at some other options too).

> Different stop watch - D4i 'in time / dive mode' (?)

It means you can use the stop-watch even underwater, which was not the case with the D4

> D4i samples for dive profile more in the first 10 seconds

I did not see this, but D4i samples 3 times per second, in contrary to D4 which samples once per second. Hence the profiles will be more accurate and allowing better stroke analysis.


> different software

The software is an external application, and I guess that it will support also older models

 

[Firefox73]

Ok, so I went and brought a new D4i. Haven't used it in anger yet so can't review it yet othr than the stap fits my wrist fine.

When it first arrived, the watch was in 'Standby' mode. Pressing a button reactivates it. This I thought would be an excellent feature to save the battery expiring prematurely when not in use. However, since awakening it, I can not see anyway of returning the watch back to standby. I've done a little Googling but not unearthered anything.

I will try contacting Suunto but thought I'd check here first and hopefully someone will have the answer which can be shared with the rest of the forum.

 

[Simos]

I haven't seen a d4 in my life but assuming there is no 'sleep' option in any of the menus, maybe try pressing together 2 buttons and keeping them pressed for a while. If there are more than two buttons, you might need to try different button combinations. Just a wild guess...

 

[Firefox73]

Nope, no luck with that method. Next stop Suunto and I'll report back if there is any particular combo button push or hidden menu, when I hear back from them.

 

[Firefox73]

I phoned Suunto today and they said that it's a mode that they ship the watches in. Apparently there is no way whatsoever to get it back into standby mode to save the battery.

I think that this is either an oversight or a sneeky way of creating a further revenue stream as the battery will need replacing quicker. I left this is as a customer feedback for future consideration.

I do appreciate that the staff said that it should last 2 years in 'time' mode only but I'm not a regular freediver and when I do it is usually off a bouy where I know the depth. The watch is for the off chances when snorkelling and going to depths with no line to assist in depth recogniton. So to find that on the rare opportunities that I will rely on it to use it as part of the safety equipment, that the battery is showing a low energy battery replacement symbol, is not ideal when it hasn't been used at any other time in the last 18 months or so.

In case there is a workaround, if anyone knows anything, please update here.

 

[Simos]

I am sure there must be a way maybe google things like 'suunto sleep mode' and find instructions on how to put other suunto models to sleep
eg

Core | Suunto

 

[Fondueset]

The F10 also ships in a sleep mode that can be reactivated only by the manufacturor. This is to ensure shelf life. I would not expect it as a user level feature.

 

[Firefox73]

......This is to ensure shelf life. I would not expect it as a user level feature.

That is more or less what Suunto are saying. However, I'd not be surprised if there was a way for the user to replicate this, albeit by having to either press buttons in a certain combination or by using the USB wire and entering the operating system. Way beyond my knowledge but would be really useful to know, in order to preserve battery life.

 

[sanso]

...
I do appreciate that the staff said that it should last 2 years in 'time' mode only but I'm not a regular freediver and when I do it is usually off a bouy where I know the depth. The watch is for the off chances when snorkelling and going to depths with no line to assist in depth recogniton. So to find that on the rare opportunities that I will rely on it to use it as part of the safety equipment, ...
In case there is a workaround, if anyone knows anything, please update here.

my 2¢:

I've been using a D4 professionally, year-round for three years now, mainly teaching freediving, but also on scuba.

I have only changed the battery twice in that time, the last time a month ago. (The first time it turned out that the change wouldn't even have been necessary - my mistake) So I get a battery life time of well beyond 18months in constant use in dive mode. The computer has logged several thousand dives by now... Considering that dive mode is much more power consuming than time mode, that really isn't so bad.

You will be able to save some battery time by setting the dive mode to 'off', so the dive mode will not be automatically activated. For the 'rare opportunities' you can then switch it back to "free" mode and it will be with you again.

The trouble I have had with wrist straps by far outweighed any non-issue with batteries, really. But Suunto have reacted well to their buggy wrist straps and you are likely to find that any Suunto dealer will replace a broken strap within warranty time at no charge and after 12 months at very little charge. - Also, Suunto report that they have changed the production process of their D4(i) straps, so the current generation of straps should™ be more reliable than the old ones. - I am testing one now, as is my partner, so we will know more in about a year.

HTH

 

[Jouskari]

I got to play around with a D4i in Kalamata just a few days ago. I myself have the normal D4 and what I found out in 5 minutes of comparing it is that:

the D4i has 3 different separately adjustable depth notifys with different pitch...
1 Depth alarm (same as in D4)
1 Surface alarm (same as in D4)
1 Dive time alarm now adjustable in smaller increments than 1 minute (15 sec if I remember correctly).

 

[island_sands]

On the subject of Suunto... i love my D4, so much, I bought th T6d for my triathlon training (new hobby)

i have to say that i have never experienced so much difficulty with a computer, and the software for downloading is crap, it blocks all your usb ports and have asked Suunto for help, and their answer was unhelpful.

My rant for the day!

 

[zilviss]

hi maybe somebody have same problem as i? i have problem with my D4i, when i connect it with pc (using DM4 program) this program do not find my watch, and then i just connect it, my time is stops, if for example 10 minutes connected with pc, my time is 10 minutes behind? maybe wrong cable?