[SolentDiver]

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Not sure which forum is best for this one, so posting here..
Apologies if it is a bit Tekky in detail, but obviously has to be...!

Had my Stinger over 2 years now, and always used to work 100% (mostly..!) when uploading to Dive Manager software on the PC...
For some reason now it hardly EVER works..!  

At first thought this was cos I have had to start using a USB to Serial convertor cable, and now running WinXP rather than older OS..

But have now tried this out on 2 laptops and 1 desktop, with a mix of Win2000 and WinXP  - all to no avail..!

'cleaned the contacts' as suggested - ad naseum..!  

Disconnected, shut down, restarted, reconnected, etc, etc...

The PC seems to see the USB to Serial convertor OK and reports it as COM4  -  but Suunto Divemanager cannot see it when testing using built in features, despite increase/decrease of Timeout, etc, etc..

Also, just to prove it is NOT just the USB to Serial convertor, I have tried it out on the original Serial port - as the desktop has one, but STILL doesn't work...!!??

So, would appreciate any hints or tips from others who have had any similar experience...??

BTW, the Stinger had a replacement battery earlier this year, so it is not that battery level is low...  

Tearing my hair out with the *$£&* thing, so any help would be much appreciated...!!


Solent

 

[Gimbo]

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<font color='#0000FF'>Get a sledgehammer and smash everything! I know all to well the feeling but with the Cobra. To cut a long story short I found the USB connecter to be the cause of the problem, use a serial port. My laptop doesn't have a serial port and hard no luck with the USB connector. I've tried XP, and 2000 with no problems. My problems were similar where the Dive manager never found the port.
I contacted Suunto asking if they have a connector with USB port and they don't, better still they are not planning to have one!
I know use the Dive manager on my desktop and use serial port with no problems but each time I download I wonder if all those problems would come back.

 

[SolentDiver]

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Thanks Chris... - Yes, just how I feel; take a sledgehammer to it...!  

Have gone back to serial port on the desktop (as, like you, my laptop doesn't have a serial port..!)
Here, at least the interface test works and it finds it on COM1, ....BUT... Still no data transfer...!  even jiggling the timeout value, doesn't seem to make any difference..

Annoying thing is, it used to work quite well originally..  just got worse, and now, Unusable even...    

 

[189]

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<font color='#0000FF'>Mine did exactly the same after more or less the same time period - doesn't work with laptop on XP or desktop with ME - both with USB connector. Tried the same things as you did and no joy - just kept 'timing out'.

Still no matter any more 'cos since the battery was changed by my local DS it flooded and is now F&*cked with a Capital F - luckily my missus bought me a Mosquito to replace it - God knows how much that cost her on the most expensive island in the world - Bermuda !!

Paul

 

[DanG]

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I had a similar thing happen to my vyper.
I connected it up wet - oops, it didnt like that (hint - don't download profiles after being in the pub).
It ceased to function totally so I opened it up and removed the battery, dried it thoroughly and put it all back together and it worked fine

Of coarse it could be that you have damaged the cable.

 

[KimH]

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<font color='#000080'>I had the same problems for ages and know exactly what you are going through.  Having checked and rechecked everything a million times just in case you missed something and then anxiously waiting for the transfer - I got so paranoid at one time I kept expecting Jeremy Beadle to show up.

However, I eventually resorted to cleaning the contacts again, not by the recommended method of pencil rubber that I normally used, tried that and it was useless.  Plan B was a good soaking and using an electric toothbrush (needless to say with an old  head!) - don't know if the plaque remover option is vital or not but it seemed to do the trick. Even using this it's still a nightmare of having to get the sequence exactly right for it to "catch", rarely works in under 5 attempts.  

Fortunately I only use this as a backup now so haven't bothered to download from it for ages.  I treated myself to a nice shiny SmartPro when they first came out, obviously attracted by the infrared download which is brilliant and works perfectly - shame about the recall though, although personally I have never had any problems with it and can't wait for the replacement.