FAQ

Welcome to the FAQ page. Please select a question below to find out some Answers

1. Can I add the KISS HUD later?

Yes. There are three connectors on either on the kidney or the triple connector. The HUD is added in the same way as a Jetsam display would be connected.

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2. Can I set my own Gradient Factors?

On the GF you were allowed to select from predetermined GF pairs. I selected the GF pairs available by asking divers who I respect what they are diving. However, now with the Pursuit, users are able to determine and enter their own Gradient Factors.

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3. Can I use my KISS displays with the Shearwater?

You can if you have the new style KISS displays. The new displays use a standard M12X1.5 cable gland, and the Shearwater uses the Jetsam kidney and triple connector. (Actually the kidney isn't quite the same as the Jetsam version. There is an extra machining step for holes.)

You can screw your existing display into the kidney or triple connector and plug the pins into the molex to share the sensor.

This is also the way you would connect the HUD to an existing Shearwater connection. If you have heat-shrink tubing, that would make this secure and neat. Otherwise, some electrical tape or a small zap stap will keep it secure.

4. Do you sell a screen protector?

All units are shipped with a screen protector already installed.

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5. How do I buy a Shearwater product?

A list of dealers can be found on our website.
Dealer List

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6. How do I calibrate the Shearwater at altitude?

To calibrate at altitude, adjust the O2 calibration percent to compensate. For example, at 10,000 ft. you would be at .7ATM. Multiply .7 by the default .98 O2 calibration percent. In this case, you would calibrate at 68.6% O2.

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7. How do I change the battery on my Shearwater GF?

NOTE: This is for the GF, not the Pursuit.

Unscrew and remove the lexan cover.

Unscrew the screw or screws holding the circuit board.

Carefully lift the circuit board just enough so that you can unplug the three connectors across the back of the board.

Unplug the three connectors from right to left. That is starting with the 2 pin connector.

Lift the board.

Replace the battery

Make sure the computer starts up properly. If it doesn’t, leave the battery out for 20 minutes, then put it in again.

Put the board back and plug in the connectors from left to right. Plug in the 2 pin last.

Carefully position the wires so that the board sits flat.

Screw in the board

Make sure the o-ring groove and the cover are clean.

Lightly lubricate the o-ring

Put the cover back on and screw it down. The screws don’t have to be very tight. The o-ring provides the seal. The o-ring should be compressed all around.

Inspect the o-ring seal around the cover to make sure you haven’t trapped any foreign material.

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8. How do I change the battery?

The Pursuit has a battery compartment in the side of the case.

Click on the images for a bigger picture.

With a large coin unscrew the battery cap.

Carefully pull out the battery holder. To prevent battery bounce and rattling, It's a fitted tightly, so you will need something like a dental pick or a paper clip to pull out the holder. Change the battery.

The wires come from the main compartment of the computer through to the battery compartment on one side of the battery compartment.

The bottom of the battery holder is flat.

The bottom needs to be aligned with the wires as they feed through the case. Carefully fold the wires along the bottom of the holder and insert back into the compartment. Care must be taken not to pinch and score the wires.

Inspect and, if necessary, apply a light coat of silicone to the O ring in the battery cap. Reinstall the battery cap taking care not to pinch or deform the O ring.

Finger tighten with a coin.

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9. How do I replace a crimp connector?

If you need to replace a crimp and you don't have the correct tool, you can still do it with the generic tool. A generic crimp tool should cost less than $20 and is available at most electronic stores. The crimp connector is a Molex 08-56-0110. In North America, Digi-Key will send them to you overnight for about $8 shipping. That's the gold ones which is what I use. They're about 65 cents each.

A good crimp is really two crimps. You need to crimp the stripped wire,
and you need to crimp the insulation.

First, strip the wire so the lengths match the connector.

Crimp the wire connection.

Then crimp the insulator.

That's all there is to it.

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10. How do I use a Molex connector?

The Shearwater works with two types of sensors - The Teledyne R22D and K1D.
The R22D below has a keyed connector. The molex connector will only go on
one way. As long as the wires are in the right slots in the Molex
connector, it should be easy to do.

The K1D below isn't keyed. The center pin is negative and the outer pin
is positive. It's important to get these right. The Shearwater only
looks at positive voltages, so if you connect it backwards, it won't work.
It won't hurt anything, it just won't work.

Shearwater products use wire that is white or white with a brown stripe for ground (negative). They will
have three white wires that are interchangeable and three colored wires for
positive.

Sensor 1 - Brown

Sensor 2 - Green or Blue

Sensor 3 - Grey

Note that if you are connecting a HUD and Shearwater GF, the white ground
wires are only interchangeable within the device. You can't use a white
wire from the HUD to pair with a colored wire from the Shearwater GF.

The pictures below show the proper insertion of the ground wire into the
molex connector. In the second picture, you can see the clip on the back
of the crimp connector pops up inside the connector to keep the pin in.

Here are pictures of the R22D and K1D properly connected.

11. How long is the cable on the KISS connector?

The cable is about 31 inches long. This is long enough for me and I'm tall. If you don't need a cable that long, it is easy to wrap it around something to adjust it to the length you want.

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12. How should I take care of my Fischer connector?

The Fischer connector is sealed only when it is engaged. Engage the connection, then tighten the knurled ring so that the connection can’t come undone under water.

If you have the two pieces disconnected, you must take care to keep the openings free of water. Water, and in particular salt water, is very bad for the inside of this connector.

The seal on the cable is provided by pressure from a compression fitting on an o-ring in the top of the connector. This o-ring only functions properly if the cap is on tight so that the o-ring is compressed into the space. This will not normally be a problem, but it the cap is loose, it needs to be tightened.

The above picture shows corrosion from water coming down the cable because the cap was loose.

If you unplug it often, you may want to put a tiny amount of silicone on the connector to prevent the internal o-ring from drying out.

There is lots more information on the Fischer Connector website.

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13. I'm having trouble with my log upload. What should I do?

There are a couple of different problems you could be having.

The first is that there could be an IrDA upload problem. You should see the byte counter on the PC count up to 131200 then drop the connection. If it stops at another number like 131199, then there was a byte dropped by the IrDA connection.

Reposition the Pursuit about a foot from the IrDA port and try again.

The second problem could be log corruption. We were forced to change from an EEPROM to a FLASH memory due to supply problems, and we had several software problems supporting both hardware types with the same software.

The solution is to make sure you have the latest Pursuit software downloaded and then to go into the System Setup menu and Clear Dive Log. That should clear up the problem permanently.

There are more troubleshooting instructions in the library.
IrDA

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14. What are the part numbers for the Fischer connector?

These are the part numbers I use to order Fischer parts:

DEE 103 A057-130 Receptacle

103.2273 Receptacle cap

SV 103 A057-132 Plug

E31 103.2/5.7 + B sealing kit for 5.2-5.7 mm wire
in the plug

103.2272 Plug cap

15. What is the depth rating?

Each of the computers is tested in a wet pot to about 11 ATA absolute before shipping. The depth sensor is rated to about 14 ATA absolute.

The computer can display depths up to 999 meters or 999 feet.

I don't know what the crush depth will be, but I plan to crush one at a friend's chamber in the future.

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16. What is the pin layout for the Fischer connector?

The pins on the Fischer connector are:

Ground

Sensor 1 positive

Sensor 2 positive

Sensor 3 positive

The VR3 connector has the single sensor on pin 3. That allows you to use your existing VR3 cable to plug into the Shearwater. Since most rebreather manufacturers have a VR3 cable attachment available, this makes it easy to connect your Shearwater.

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17. What type of battery does the Pursuit, GF, and HUD use?

They all use the same battery. It is a Saft LS 14500. They will work with any 3.6 V Lithium AA battery, but you will get the best results with the Saft LS 14500.

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18. When are you going to allow the user to set the last stop depth?

I've been asked several times about why you can't enter a different last stop depth. People have also thought they were being penalized when they do stop at 6m. I would like to clarify how the computer calculates that.

First, anytime someone asks for a new feature, I have to evaluate whether it makes the computer better for most divers. Most of our customers are doing decompression. But at the same time, from the logs I see, 2 hours would be a long dive for most of our customers. As far as I can tell, very few routinely go below 100 m.

Then I have to look at the cost. Of course there are costs of programming and testing, but I'm more concerned with the cost of creating unnecessary complexity. There is no avoiding it -- every time you add a feature, it makes the product more complex.

Two other things I look at are screen layout and button pushes. I have to try to optimize by having the most important information on the screen all of the time. And it has to be big enough for people to read it. The next most important should be accessed with the least possible number of button pushes. If possible, the screen should adapt to different situations. Right now I am trying to evaluate whether to remove the NDL field once you go into decompression. If I did remove it, what should be shown instead? The real-time GF vs 100/100? The OC TTS? The average PPO2? Or should I just leave it as NDL because the complexity would confuse people.

Then I look at whether is adds functionality. Can they do something with the feature that they couldn't do without the feature. The automatic backlight is an example of something that wins on both sides. It allowed us to remove a prompt and add functionality!

The settable last stop is the opposite. It adds another setting without adding the ability to do anything new.

Here is why I see it that way.

The computer doesn't penalize you for not doing your stop at 3. It's just that you off-gas slower at 6 than you do at 3. The computer assumes that you are going to go to 3 to finish your stops. But it continues to calculate using the depth you are at. That causes it to underestimate the TTS, usually only by two or three minutes on a two hour dive.

If I allowed you to set a 6 m stop, the time would be exactly the same. The only difference is that the prediction would be right. So if now you are at 6 and the computer says 10 minutes to clear, it might actually take 12. If there was a setting for 6, it would still hold you for 12 minutes, but it would correctly predict a 12 minute stop.

Feel free to stop at 7.5, 6, or 4.5. The computer doesn't care. It just calculates the off-gassing based on the super-saturation partial pressure. The computer doesn't think about depth. All of the calculations are in pressure. It just displays depths for your convenience.

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19. Why does a sensor ppo2 flash 0.0 after calibration?

I have had several emails from new users over the last few weeks concerning calibration.

The O2 sensors are rated by Teledyne as 10 mV in air +- 3 mV. So a working sensor should be between 7 and 13 mV in air.

Since the computer is expecting about 98% O2 in the loop allowing for water vapor and imperfect flushing, that means that the mV should be between 33 and 61 in O2 at one atmosphere.

It means that if the mV is not between 33 and 61 mV, then it is not possible that you have a good calibration. So the Shearwater will fail that sensor and just flash 0.00. (If a sensor is voted out after calibrating correctly, it still shows the PPO2, but it flashes.)
Once a sensor has failed calibration, it can't come back into the system until there is a successful calibration. So if you unplug the failed sensor and plug in a new one, it will still flash 0.00 until you calibrate. Basically, a sensor that has failed calibration cannot spontaneously become suitable for the voting logic to consider.

There are lots of reasons for this situation, but here are a few. Low mV can be a dead sensor. It is not even linear to .98. Or it can be a poor flush.

High mV are usually caused by leaving the O2 on. The KISS valve continues to inject, increasing the pressure and therefore the mV. It can also be from using a bad sensor. Even though it is unusual, some sensors fail high. There are also some sensors on the market that will fit in the Teledyne hole but are just not compatible. They tend to fail high.

The millivolt display function is very useful for troubleshooting sensor problems. At any time you can push both buttons at the same time, and the display will switch from PPO2 to millivolts.

There is one more issue we have come across. The K1D sensor allows the user to put the Molex connector on backwards. The KISS displays will just show a negative number. The Shearwater, and any other active electronics, won't work with the polarity reversed. It won't hurt anything, it just won't work.

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20. Why is the time to surface (TTS) or stop time wrong?

Although stops aren't always exactly to the minute, this is by design. If you clear to the next ceiling after 10 seconds, it lets you go. It also takes a finite amount of time to calculate the ceiling, so it's possible for a stop to take a few seconds extra while the algorithm is calculating.

The TTS prediction is usually within a minute. With 5 hours of deco, it's still within a few minutes.

First, a bit of an overview of how the computer does this stuff.

There are two things going on all the time.

First, the compartment loading function uses the actual PPO2 and the actual depth to calculate the changes in compartment gas loading.

Second, the TTS function predicts the length of time at the current stop and the total TTS. It does this by using the current PPO2 and the profile. It always assumes that you are going to ascend smoothly at 30 feet per minute to the current ceiling, and then stay at that ceiling until it clears. If you have more than one CC gas programmed, it assumes that you are going to switch to that gas at an appropriate depth.

Anything that you do on the dive that is off profile will change the TTS and the time at the current stop prediction.

Some things have very little effect. Small changes in PPO2 on the bottom have very little effect. Small changes in PPO2 on shallow stops make a big difference.

Being a few feet off the stop at deep stops makes little difference. Being 10 feet off the stop at shallow stops makes a big difference.

Here are a few things that could cause that sort of problem.

1) Programming a CC gas and then not switching to it.
The gas will flash in that case. For example, I got a call last week about a 1 minute stop that took 4 minutes. He had 99% programmed as a CC gas. So here's what the computer assumes. You have told it you are going to switch by programming the gas in CC. If you were using it as bail out, you would have programmed it as an OC gas. The computer assumes that you are going to switch to O2 in the next second.

But you don't switch, so the compartment loading routines continue to offgas with your actual PPO2. The next TTS calculation, again assumes that you are going to switch to O2 in the next second but you don't switch and on and on....

2) Following the profile of another computer.
For example, if the Pursuit is showing a 100 foot ceiling, and you start doing stops at 150, the Pursuit will add deco time. For the TTS to match, the profile has to match.

3) Not being at the stop.
If you have a 10 foot stop of 20 minutes and you stop at 20 feet, it will take significantly longer. This is similar to number 1. The computer assumes that in the next second you are going to ascend at 30 feet per minute to 10 feet and complete your deco there.

However that compartment loading function is always calculating with your actual depth. So the prediction is always wrong.

By the way, there's nothing wrong with doing that. I will often do my 10 foot stop at 15 feet. The computer won't penalize you. But the time at stop estimate will always be too short for the above reasons.

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The computer has two modes of operation, even when it isn't controlling the setpoint.

1) External PPO2

In this mode the computer monitors the all three sensors votes on their values, averages the sensors that are voted in, and uses this average to calculate decompression and CNS loading. When the computer is switched to this mode, the prompts regarding setpoint don't appear.

2) Setpoint PPO2

In this mode, the computer allows you to enter a low and high setpoint. You would typically enter these setpoints to be the same as you are using on your rebreather's setpoint controller. You can then easily switch between these setpoints when you switch your rebreather's setpoints.

In addition, you can configure the computer to automatically switch setpoints up and down at depths that you select. That allows the computer to accurately track your rebreather's setpoint without you ever having to touch the computer during a dive.

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22. Will you understate the value on the shipment, please?

The short answer is no. Here are a few of the reasons.

1) Shearwater Research Inc. is an international exporter. Since all of our production is exported, the Canadian government doesn't charge us sales tax on those exports. In addition, the government refunds all sales tax that we spend in the production of our export goods. The government doesn't like to write us these checks so we get audited, and our sales have to match our exports. If we can't show documents that prove our exports match our sales, we are going to have to pay.

2) It is illegal in Canada to falsify government forms.

3) We have to insure for the full value. Our customers would not be happy if the shipment were lost and they lost their money because the shipment was undervalued.

4) In this era of tighter border control, the last thing we want is increased scrutiny of our shipments because we have been caught doing something dodgy.

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FAQ

1. Can I add the KISS HUD later?

2. Can I set my own Gradient Factors?

3. Can I use my KISS displays with the Shearwater?

4. Do you sell a screen protector?

5. How do I buy a Shearwater product?

6. How do I calibrate the Shearwater at altitude?

7. How do I change the battery on my Shearwater GF?

8. How do I change the battery?

9. How do I replace a crimp connector?

10. How do I use a Molex connector?

11. How long is the cable on the KISS connector?

12. How should I take care of my Fischer connector?

13. I'm having trouble with my log upload. What should I do?

14. What are the part numbers for the Fischer connector?

15. What is the depth rating?

16. What is the pin layout for the Fischer connector?

17. What type of battery does the Pursuit, GF, and HUD use?

18. When are you going to allow the user to set the last stop depth?

19. Why does a sensor ppo2 flash 0.0 after calibration?

20. Why is the time to surface (TTS) or stop time wrong?

21. Why is there a setpoint in the menu when the computer doesn't control the setpoint?

22. Will you understate the value on the shipment, please?

Shearwater Predator OLED PROT-SA

$ 1145

$ 1145

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