Quote: (Originally Posted by
PnL)
Is there any evidence to suggest that the solenoid would not fire in "parachute" mode when you need it? I've never had a solenoid on my rig so I'm curious to what the failure rate of eCCR's are such that this is a real concern during a dive, especially if you are doing your predives and the solenoid is firing properly.
The main benefit that I see is that I can fly pure eCCR when the dive calls for it and to remove the depth restriction posed by the CMF orifice. With the rEvo controller this is a very simple change.
I've had a solenoid freeze up...in fact, the whole computer froze up. My point is that electronics are what they are, and they can fail, so why depend on them as a backup if you arent absolutely sure that its going to work (hearing it fire regularly). Another analagous situation, like a continuously blinking HUD I mentioned earlier in the thread, would eb a recent discussion in the homebuilders forum where folks wnated to ensure that the digital readout for a cell went to 2 decimal places. If you see the last digit flick around a bit, that's a good thing, since you know the electronics are responsive, and that the cells aren't flaky.
Again, I do like the idea of being able to quickly convert my unit between modes (e/m CCR) depending on the mission requirements.
With regard to the incident referenced by mik. A solenoid may have eliminated the incident altogether, yes. However there were a number of issues leading to the problem which IMO could have been avoided by having more control and taking more responsibility over the dive. More fail-safe (in theory) equipment is no substitute for proper training and planning. Note that regardless of the rig I'm diving...I'm using 100% O2 to 20feet for a number of reasons...one of those things I was never taught in a class but came to light after gaining a better appreciation of what exactly is going on with a CCR.
I could be wrong, but I'm still of the less is more philosophy. I want even more control over my rig, so less gizmos...Guess I'm not a candidate for the Cis Mk6!
