RonMicjan

couple points:

yes, the copis has one handset and one battery pack. However, the batterys are lasting around 3 months turned on 24/7 and you will get plenty of warning prior to the batteries failing, first the backlights go out, then you get several more days, then the low battery indicator comes on, and another few days...so if you manage to have the batterys die during a dive, you are irretrivably stupid and get what you deserve : )

ISC is also working on a single cell holder for those dive computer 4th cell plug in's, Delta P is also working on one. ISC's will tap into a second ADV port installed in the inhale counterlung, Delta P's will fit at the top of the head, between the head and inhale hose.

ISC does not recommend parallel wiring the existing 3 cells to an offboard dive computer. this does not add redundancy, just the ability of the dive computer to pull down the copis display, should it fail, or the cable flood. this is a bad idea, whether with a shearwater or any other system.

the copis HUD, when it is finished, will be a redundant system, but still running off the same 3 cells, similar to the apecs two board, two power supply redundancy. the isolation will come from the op amps, preventing a handset flood from pulling the hud down and vice versa. It will have its own battery pack.

If one is dilligent in keeping the units SP at or slightly above the dive computers SP, the need for real time deco is non existant. The only reason to tie the loop into the computer (with the additional failure points, extra sensor, cable, connector,) is for the redundancy. both my explorer, and my VR3 had the fischer connector corrode and stop sending data. this required me to reprogram the computer underwater to ignore the input, so why bother? fisher connectors suck, end of story.

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