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| FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS How do I set the time and depth limits? How do I set the time and depth limits? (Disclaimer) Users set the time and depth they want to have the vest activate by using the wrist unit. Divers can change these settings on the surface and as often as they like. For example, a freediver who knows his longest dives should not exceed 2 minutes might set his time setting to 2 minutes and 10 seconds. At 2 minutes a warning buzzer begins and at 2 minutes 10 seconds, the vest deploys. Similarly, if the freediver never wants to be deeper than 80 feet, he would set his wrist unit to 80 feet. Should his dive exceed 80 feet, the vest will inflate after a 5-second pre-inflation buzzer sounds. You may quickly change the parameters by choosing one of your favorite, user programmed, presets. What does the wrist unit show me during my freedive? (Disclaimer) It will show the progress of the dive—elapsed time and current depth. Your maximum time and depth settings are also visible. The time counts up as the dive progresses. If your dive extends to within 10 seconds of your maximum time setting, the display will start counting down from 10 to 0 at which time the vest will inflate. What does the wrist unit show me at the surface? (Disclaimer) It will indicate that the freediver has successfully disarmed the vest. It will also show you your maximum time and depth settings as well as the water temperature. Your surface interval will start counting up from the time you surface and disarm the vest for 10 minutes when the time display switches to the time-of-day. You can also toggle surface-interval time and time-of-day. Through the menu, the user may see a graphical representation of his last 4,900 dives and a summary of times at various depths during the last 24-hour period. You may annotate a special dive by use of the 3 buttons. Besides surface times and progress values, what else does the wrist display show? (Disclaimer) A menu allows you to change your time and depth maximums. You can view a graphic representation of your last 5 dives with maximum duration and depth. You can set the date and time as well as the temperature scale (C or F) and the depth scale (m or ft). The wrist unit will display failure messages and codes when a component is malfunctioning. It will flash a message when the diver attempts to dive without turning on the back-mounted inflation unit. What is in the back-mounted inflation unit? (Disclaimer) The inflation unit contains the compressed air cylinder, two redundant inflation valves, depth and pressure sensors, light emitting diodes, a leak detector, over-pressure valves and the CPU unit, which controls vest firing, monitors the "health" of many critical components, and logs dives and critical events such as vest firing. Several views of the back-mounted inflation unit How do I fill the air cylinder? (Disclaimer) You fill the air cylinder through a high-pressure filling port on the side of the unit. While dive shops should be able to fill these units, most divers will probably fill it from a 3,000 psi scuba tank. An adapter screws on to the tank and into the inflation unit. The diver SLOWLY opens the filling valve and proceeds until the 3,000 psi indicator pops out, or when the tanks equalize. Can I over-fill the air cylinder? (Disclaimer) The inflation unit is equipped with an over-pressure valve that will rupture a disk after which all air in the unit and air cylinder is released. The unit will have to be serviced to replace the over-pressure valve as it is inoperable. What happens if I under-fill the air cylinder? (Disclaimer) The electronics and high-pressure sensors (2 sets) constantly poll the amount of compressed air available for inflation. If the fill is less than 3,000 psi, the maximum inflation depth of 120 feet may not be achieved. The electronics will calculate the amount of air possible and compare this to the user's setting. In there is not enough pressure to supply adequate inflation, the back unit will communicate to the wrist unit which warns the user that his maximum depth is not possible. If there is sufficient air in the cylinder, the diver may set the maximum depth accordingly. If the user chooses to ignore the warning, the vest will deploy as soon as the diver dives below 6 feet. What happens if I reach the surface in time and I forget to disarm the vest? (Disclaimer) The freediver's recovery vest is programmed to assume that after a dive, when you reach the surface, you are in an unconscious condition. Therefore, after every dive, you must disarm the vest by swiping your wrist unit by a sensor on you upper chest.The back unit has an optional buzzer, which will buzz or tone when the vest is deactivated and a light on the chest pad will illuminate and signal when a swipe is required and after one is received. Silent hunters might want to disable the buzzer. In any event, the wrist unit and the chest pad will flash when the unit is disarmed. Initially, we expect that some users will forget to "swipe the vest" and find the vest inflating. We also expect that some divers will surface in a semi-conscious condition and fail to disarm the vest. What about Surface Blackout? Say I make it to the surface, disarm the vest and then blackout? (Disclaimer) The vest is programmed to provide a 10-second period after reaching the surface, which is locked out to a swipe indication. After the first 10 seconds, the diver has 5 seconds in which to swipe the magnetic wrist band against the receivers on the chest pad before automatic inflation occurs. Research of several documented Surface Blackout instances show that the diver has started to sink at 4 seconds after reaching the surface and that divers blackout as long as 30-seconds after reaching the surface.. If the user descends below 10 feet within the first 10 seconds after reaching the surface, the vest will deploy. After the first swipe is detected, another 20-second timer starts, which will require a final swipe to acknowledge that the diver is conscious. After the first successful swipe, there will be an alternative two-button override feature on the wrist unit allowing a conscious diver to descent after the first 10-second protected period. Can I inflate the vest voluntarily? (Disclaimer) Yes, you can command the vest to inflate. Underwater, you must use a 3-button sequence on the wrist unit and aim it toward the chest pad to transmit the message to the back unit. Also on the surface, you may orally inflate the vest through a tube hidden under the left lapel. When I make a change in my settings, will the wrist unit transmit my changes to my buddy divers? (Disclaimer) No, the wrist unit and the back inflation unit are programmed to only "talk" to each other by use of a unique and complex mating code. One diver cannot operate another's vest. What batteries does the Freediver's Recovery Vest require? Can I change them myself? (Disclaimer) Yes, there are two areas that require batteries. The inflation unit uses built-in Lithium-Ion batteries that may be charged through a port in the cap. The wrist unit will employ a user-changeable "123" battery obtainable at any drug store.. Will it be easy to upgrade the electronic programming? (Disclaimer) Yes, with a USB dongle, which plugs into the USB port of your computer and an Internet connection. Once the user logs into the update page, download is automatic. The Freediver's Recovery Vest can be re-programmed without the need to disassemble any mechanical part. Can I download my dive history? (Disclaimer) Yes, the inflation unit will retain up to 4,900 freedives. It will provide data points for the elapsed time every second as well as the depth. Users will be able to view a graphical representation of each dive. The computer will also log other important events such as vest deactivation and inflation and special annotations that the user will input through the wrist unit. Perhaps memorializing a special dive for later study or sharing. Will I be able to take my vest on an airplane? (Disclaimer) Yes, Federal regulations specify that the air cylinder will have to be empty and removed from the inflation unit and transported in the baggage compartment. The in-tank valve may be easily removed for transport and storage In your mission statement you say, "aircraft-like redundancy (duplicate systems)", what does that mean? (Disclaimer) We feel that in any electrical/mechanical system, there is the chance for malfunction and/or failure. While this might be an uncommon occurrence, we felt that we should duplicate some of the core systems. Therefore, we supply the unit with dual battery packs, dual actuating valves and dual high and low pressure sensors. The theory is if one actuator valve fails, the unit sends a failure message and the other valve still operates. In the case of the sensors, if one fails to agree with the other, the system reports a failure message. If one set of batteries fails, hopefully the other battery pack will still function. Obviously, there is a limit to such duplication so we have limited it to what we consider to be critical components. What are some of the standard warnings for this product? (Disclaimer)
How much does the vest weigh on land? In the water? (Disclaimer) The vest weighs just short of 9 pounds in the air. In the water it is neutral.
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Copyright 2006 Oceanic Safety Systems LLC |
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