Background: The X1 technical dive computer is constructed of an aluminum casing with the internal components completely potted in a semi-rigid epoxy. This means there are no o-rings in the unit to fail - there is no air space to flood or compress... it'd be like trying to flood a rock. It's a solid mass - this is one of the many fantastic features of the X1. At DEMA people were thoroughly impressed as we tossed X1's into the air to allow them to slam into the floor. The potting process protects the internals from vibration damage which is why I can toss it up in the air and have it land on the trade show's thin carpet over concrete without causing any damage to the unit. Doing it at a dive site will likely scratch the aluminum casing, but if you'd like to see me do it, I'll be happy to toss my personal unit around the parking lot for anyone to witness.narcosis Junky wrote:I would jump on the X1 hands down if the battery wasn't an issue. But when the battery dies, there goes the $1800. It's a lot of money for a throw away dive computer. Now if the company gave a life time battery replacement like uwatech does for there computers, then I wouldn't have a problem. I love everything about the X1. specially the V-planner. But ](*,) the battery thing is an issue. Or a design were we can replace the battery our selfves like the VR3.
Battery Question Answer: The X1 is powered by a Lithium-polymer battery which is fully potted in the epoxy. It is manufacturer replaced. The X1 has a 3-year warranty on battery replacement, and the battery has a 10 year life. If the battery fails after the warranty, the cost is $400 for the replacement. For information, Liquvision isn't doing many battery replacements or other repairs. We asked our owners what warranty they wanted on their batteries and they let us know... then we put it in place. Our repair/replacement rate did not increase when we increased the warranty.
Comparison to the VR3 and VRx: The VR3 has a user-replaceable battery. At DEMA 2008, I attended the VR3 dealer school. One of their lead sales reps shared a tip with the dealers that they should sell extra batteries to their customers as a point of additional profit. He did mention to be sure that when you're selling the 3.6v batteries, that they remove the external covering on the battery so that it would fit in the VR3... he said that if they fail to remove the external covering, that the battery would have the tendancy to cause a "re-boot" of the computer underwater, during a dive.
Another point of additional profit for the dealer was the sale of the VR3 "Spares Kit" which, and I quote from the sales rep leading the dealer school, "...has everything in it the diver can, and will, break while they're using their VR3. It has extra buttons, case pieces, o-rings, etc." The "spares kit" was the first line-item in the "how to increase your profit" portion of the dealer school.
Liquivision does not make a "spares kit" for the X1 nor will the X1 re-boot on you without you purposefully "resetting it."
The next generation of the VR3 (called the VRx, introduced at DEMA) has a non-user-replaceable battery as well. This does not make either computer, the VRx or the X1, a disposable dive computer.
However, your statement about the "VR3 battery" isn't completely correct. 
Give it to me....I'll be happy to take it in for you!
