Sensus Ultra blues...

Anyone else recording their dives with a Sensus Ultra (or Pro) out there?

Mine is doing weird things...

A couple of years ago it acted up for the first time, it deleted all my dives and only kept the more recent (1), my buddy's Sensus worked fine in similar conditions. So I took it to DEMA with me so that ReefNet could take a look, Kris took a look and he said that it was likely that it had acted that way by shorting the contacts while it dives in my drysuit pocket (I keep my spare key and there are a couple of snap bolts in the same pocket).

I said, ok, kept diving it and it seemed to behave and all. Well, the latest attempt at downloading resulted in pretty much the same behaviour, only a couple of dives logged and I cannot get into the user file (where you set up your personal info) I did not set a password on that but it keeps asking for one....????

Any ideas? O ther than trashing the infernal thing (s/n U-04666) and buying a new one?

I hate to use the Suunto dive manager (PITA) but I think that is the only way I am going to get my "lost dives" back...my log book is in dire need of upadte (about 18 months behind...)

Any help would be appreciated, forget the incantations and exorcisms, I tried those to no avail... the holy water only sat there, no smoke or anything...

Dive safe,

Celia

PS I am going to try diving the thing with a "sock" over it to prevent the contacts from shorting and see if that works but not holding my breath here...

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Originally Posted by amphipod06

(about 18 months behind...)

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... and I gripe at myself for getting 18 DIVES behind!

If you want to try another reader, I can bring mine out to JB/Tally one weekend for you to try.

I can't really help more than that... I have a Sensus Ultra, but never use it. It seems like a neat idea, but I paper log after every dive and backup with dive reports on the computer, so never really had the motivation to carry the little thing around.

interested in selling it mat?

Celia,
I cannot be of great help, but have experienced some quirks as well. The sensus 'lost' a dive or two (or the dive did not happen). I have updated to the latest firmware and hope that did the trick.

I am pretty sure it was not 'shorting contacts' in my case as the sensu rides along in it's own little pocket.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LiteHedded

interested in selling it mat?

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I told Ben we could use it to drop in a few sinks to record data - figured it'd be a worthy donation to 'science'. Goin to Harvey's this weekend, will probably drop it there for awhile. This thread just reminded me to dust it off :)

yea that's not a bad idea

We stuck a water guage up out there awhile back... last time Ben was there, the water was below where we had stuck the guage into the ground...

...best intentions. ugh.

that place is weird...

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Originally Posted by MengTze

Celia,
I cannot be of great help, but have experienced some quirks as well. The sensus 'lost' a dive or two (or the dive did not happen). I have updated to the latest firmware and hope that did the trick.

I am pretty sure it was not 'shorting contacts' in my case as the sensu rides along in it's own little pocket.

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Well, I have tried to update the firmware but it keeps asking for the password I never set!!!

It's possessed, I tell you, evil thing...

OTH, Scott's is now behaving similarly, except his saves 8 dives instead of just the one or two.... and his s/n is nowhere as ominous...;-)

Any ideas on how to reset?

Dive safe,

Celia

Ok, so it appears that I am not so snesus-challenged after all, I was able to update the firmware and then to rewrite user data to it.

We'll see how it does now... I am going to do the little "scok" or pocket for it to avoid the "shorting" out of the contacts issue (although I am not totally convinced that it was the only issue)...

Wish me luck now.

Dive safe and thanks for all the comments (yes Mookie, you made me do more thinking and I finally figured a few things out ;-) ).

Celia

Celia,

I am not too familiar with the Sensus ultra but are you able to crack it open? Can you access the PCB or is it completely sealed? One option is to remove the battery (if not soldered down) but I would imagine the data is stored in non-volatile memory so this probably won't help.

If you are able to get to the PCB, you may be able to blow away the contents of the EEPROM/Flash chip but without knowing whether the main code is stored there too you could just end up with a dead sensor. Then again, doesn't sound like its doing you much good anyway ;-).

nick

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Originally Posted by ntheath

Celia,

I am not too familiar with the Sensus ultra but are you able to crack it open? Can you access the PCB or is it completely sealed? One option is to remove the battery (if not soldered down) but I would imagine the data is stored in non-volatile memory so this probably won't help.

If you are able to get to the PCB, you may be able to blow away the contents of the EEPROM/Flash chip but without knowing whether the main code is stored there too you could just end up with a dead sensor. Then again, doesn't sound like its doing you much good anyway ;-).

nick

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Nick,

Thanks for the tip.

Unfortunately it is sealed and opening it would likely render it into a fishing weight... :-)

I think it's all sorted out now, cross your fingers!!

Dive safe,

Celia

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Originally Posted by amphipod06

...I think it's all sorted out now, cross your fingers!!...

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I think I would download it every dive for awhile, just so you don't loose more than one dive if it still isn't working right.

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Originally Posted by FW

I think I would download it every dive for awhile, just so you don't loose more than one dive if it still isn't working right.

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Yes, but otherwise, every eighteen months seems often enough to update your logbook :smt081

Quote:

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Originally Posted by amphipod06

...(yes Mookie, you made me do more thinking and I finally figured a few things out ;-) ).

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They also call me the facilitator.....:smt079

Hope it works out Celia.

Forrest, Yes, indeed.

Shirley, absolutely!! I already do enough paperwork to keep Gerogia Pacific operating. But I will try it out before I let it go for another 18 mo's!!

Mookie, nah ah! facilitator? Not you!!

Let's hope its little "wetsuit" idea works... I do hate the Suunto dive manager...

Dive safe,

Celia

I had the same problem with one of mine. I talked to ReefNet, they had me give them some readings off it, send it back and they replaced it.

I also had a problem and had the same experience as zdiver. If I remember correctly after I told them I had carried it home from cave country in my coat pocket they asked me if my cellphone had been in the same pocket. Something about interference when the phone received a signal and activated...I think. You might want to ask them about that. Is it possible yours might have been exposed to some type of electrical interference? Bottom line is mine got stuck in a reset loop and was resetting multiple times per day. Everytime it reset it would wipe itself clean. The readings zdiver referred to indicate the last time the unit did a reset.
Gary

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Originally Posted by Garyd

I also had a problem and had the same experience as zdiver. If I remember correctly after I told them I had carried it home from cave country in my coat pocket they asked me if my cellphone had been in the same pocket. Something about interference when the phone received a signal and activated...I think. You might want to ask them about that. Is it possible yours might have been exposed to some type of electrical interference? Bottom line is mine got stuck in a reset loop and was resetting multiple times per day. Everytime it reset it would wipe itself clean. The readings zdiver referred to indicate the last time the unit did a reset.
Gary

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Yeah, I know what the readings are, mine has reset 18 times, has been nowhere near electronics other than the computer for attempted downloads.

Typically lives in my drysuit pocket. Kris said it was likely to have shorted the contacts out with keys, bolt snaps, etc.. in the pocket but it just kept happenning, and me not looking at it for 18 months did not help...

We'll see, if it keeps doing it it goes back to them, I suppose... what a PITA....

Thanks again. Dive safe,

Celia

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SuPrBuGmAn

I told Ben we could use it to drop in a few sinks to record data - figured it'd be a worthy donation to 'science'. Goin to Harvey's this weekend, will probably drop it there for awhile. This thread just reminded me to dust it off :)

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Matt,

Please post a report on Harvey's when you get back. I wanted to dive it in January, but it was on-doable then. I'm looking forward to getting in there.

Celia,

Any update on how the Sensus is working now? I have used the Suunto software myself, and as bad as you find that, my only other current option is Nitek for my Dive Rite computers. I have never been able to get the hang of the log sequencing though. I will be in the market for another computer soon but want to get something w/ s/w for my Mac in the short term...

Jeff

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Originally Posted by diveconjeff

Celia,

Any update on how the Sensus is working now? I have used the Suunto software myself, and as bad as you find that, my only other current option is Nitek for my Dive Rite computers. I have never been able to get the hang of the log sequencing though. I will be in the market for another computer soon but want to get something w/ s/w for my Mac in the short term...

Jeff

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Jeff,

I have done a few dives after I made the "little wetsuit" for it so it would not short out with my keys or whatever else was living in my pocket next to it. I will download it and take alook, cross your fingers everyone, I'll post this weekend when I do it.

Dive safe,

Celia

So, as promised, I did go diving yesterday and just a few minutes ago I peeked into the Sensus data log.

With a bit of trepidation I hooked everything up and performed the download.... lo and behold, all the data is there and it's working like it's supposed to.

All the dives from last year are gone (I had not downloaded those prior to all the self resets) but am very happy to say that the "little wetsuit" has done the trick and I have not lost any information after I started diving it with the cover earlier this year. The sensus continues to reside in my drysuit pocket and I have not changed anything else.

Woo hoo!!

Dive safe,

Celia

Thanks for the update. Looks like this may be my path going forward...

Have a nice holiday. I am staying home and avoiding crowds this weekend, but perhaps I'll put one to the test next weekend.

d(r)ive safe over the 4th

Jeff

I lost several years of dives on my Sensus.
I emailed the company and they said it probably shorted out.

Support? no....
Well, screw me.

Now my dive notes are my only surviving records.

I am truly sorry to hear about your loss.

But that does raise a question. Is dive data actually able to be downloaded to the computer's drive? Or does the s/w on the computer simply access the data on the Sensus?