Xen bottom timer

[Biodiversity_Guy]

I picked one up and got a chance to dive it last Friday.

All I can say is: I am sold.

So easy to read underwater, just a quick glance over and I know the pertinent info. So much easier to read than my existing dive computers.

Liquivision responded to feedback and has made getting into the stopwatch function pretty straight forward.

The only challenge (besides the price) I see is that the manual implies one will be replacing batteries fairly frequently. That was concerning to me until I dove it. Now I see it as an inconvenience but worth the clarity underwater.

I am assuming it is mainly just me, but I often find my current dive computer's displays difficult to read as the font is so small (for my old eyes), plus needing to hit the button for backlighting. What a difference with the Xen. Large font, easy to read the entire dive.

Autodim is great and low brightness is plenty bright enough at depth.

I am looking forward to seeing what the Xeo will be like.

[LCF]

Yeah, you can gripe about the price of the X1 or the battery issues on the Xen, but once you've dived OLED, you just don't go back!

[diverden]

+1 on the OLED and large, bright display. Yeah, you can't really go back ;-)

[seainggreen]

My Xen is hands down the best gauge I've ever used. It's been a champ on tech dives as well with the stopwatch function. I have really loved how easy to read it is at depth in the darkness while not being too bright all at the same time.

So far I've logged 25 fairly long dives on it, no battery change yet. Be sure to use the proper settings to prolong battery life, that helps a lot!

Happy diving!

[spatman]

So what is the battery issue with the xen? it just goes through them quickly? Can rechargeable batteries be used?

[seainggreen]

So what is the battery issue with the xen? it just goes through them quickly? Can rechargeable batteries be used?

The Xen uses a replaceable battery. Some earlier units (namely the demo ones) ate up batteries pretty quick. Liquivision made numerous adjustments and the Xens are getting much better battery life, plus the user can adjust settings to prolong it even more. The Xen has a "low battery" warning when there's 2 hrs of burn time left. I don't know if a rechargeable version of the battery used in the gauge. Doug may know, but offhand, I do not know. You can find the batteries for it pretty easily though.

Happy diving!

[trevorrowe]

Liquivision's website has a page about the battery (http://liquivision.com/extras_batteries.php). Near the bottom of the page is a table of estimated battery life based on the features enabled. From worst case its around 9 hours. Best case is claimed around 70 hours. The replacement batteries can be purchased individually or in packs of 3. You can pick up the 3 pack for $20 at driverightinscuba.com.

That said I had a very *bad* experience with my original battery that came with my xen. I hadn't changed many of the settings, really only changed a few other the colors to non standard (you get better life on RGB but worse on mixed colors). Long story short I got 3 hours before the battery was useless, even in the barest of settings. I emailed liquivision and what I got back from them was "you unit needs newer firmware". Well shucks, I had the latest firmware already, shipped directly from liquivision only 2 weeks prior.

I personally felt it was really bad form from liquivision that they didn't just out-right offer to replace the battery they sent me (I ordered directly from the manufacturer, not from a 3rd party). Instead they said just to monitor the usage on the new battery and to let them know if that one went belly up (did I forget to mention this all happened after my 2nd dive on a 12 day vacation to hawaii where there were no spares to be had and I hadn't brought mine along because the battery was brand new)?

I'm starting to ramble now. I really love my xen. I'm a bit annoyed that the unit uses so much battery. If I can get 50 hours out of a battery I will be pleased, still a little sour about the lack of support from the manufacturer though on my first battery.

[kdupreez]

I also LOVE my Xen.. Admittedly, the first "beta" unit I had also sucked up batteries pretty quick, but the latest "production" hardware with latest firmware, I have about 12 hours and counting on the battery..

I also keep the colors at RGB primaries, use "medium" brightness and "normal" refresh rate and also make sure you have a 10-second logging interval as well as auto dim at like 90ft..

pretty neat piece of hardware and I see a ton of GUE divers with them..

The recent Solomon Islands trip where Jarrod Jablonski, Casey McKinlay, Liam Allen, Richard Lundgren, Kirill Egorov & JP Bresser, etc. dove the USS Atlanta in Guadalcanal (The Pacific theater during WWII where Japan and Allied Forces battled), I saw some Xen shots in there!!

[LCF]

Oh, my goodness, I think Marcoux just lost buoyancy control over that photo . . .

[kdupreez]

LOL Thats assuming Marcoux had bouyancy control to begin with..

We all know he can only hold a deco stop when he has a rubber chicken to help him..

.

[Sounder]

LOL Thats assuming Marcoux had bouyancy control to begin with..

We all know he can only hold a deco stop when he has a rubber chicken to help him...

Yeah, I can't hold a deco stop - at least, that's what I've heard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The chicken does help though.

[diverden]

[quote="Sounder"
The chicken does help though. [/quote]

I don't know if that chicken is really safe... Is it black?

[LCF]

No, but there ARE two of them, and one is bungied.

[Sounder]

No, but there ARE two of them, and one is bungied.

There are more now...

[seainggreen]

No, but there ARE two of them, and one is bungied.

There are more now...

This can only mean one thing: fowl play is most certainly about to occur.

Boooooooo.......

[spatman]

so for all you Xen owners:

what screen color combos do you find to work best for both readability at depth and battery life?

[Geek]

Get a nice screen protector, and battery upgrade kit/cover, mine turned out like this..

[Curt McNamee]

Get a nice screen protector, and battery upgrade kit/cover, mine turned out like this..

shearwater.jpg

Looks like you need to upgrade the firmware on that one to V37 and you can do that by going to the Shearwater website.

Enjoy your new, fancy bottom timer :-)

Great Choice !!!!

[Dashrynn]

Get a nice screen protector, and battery upgrade kit/cover, mine turned out like this..

shearwater.jpg

Looks like you need to upgrade the firmware on that one to V37 and you can do that by going to the Sihearwater website.

Enjoy your new, fancy bottom timer :-)

Great Choice !!!!

Gotta love that ppo2 display.

[kdupreez]

LOL - This is must be a new Liquivision design.. I havent seen the new "XEN Bottom timers" that look just like Shearwater dive computers yet

Or that must be the new $1,000 bolt on screen protectors delrin case covers that ships with its own "mod chip' and firmware

[vbcoachchris]

I thought it was his new laptop

Scott

[Dashrynn]

I thought it was his new laptop

Scott

Haha of it were a laptop I would say it was a Sony or alienware.