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Apeks PULSE User Manual

Nitrox dive computer
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PULSE
Nitrox Dive Computer
User's Guide

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Summary of Contents for Apeks PULSE

  • Page 1 PULSE Nitrox Dive Computer User's Guide...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Contents FOR YOUR SAFETY..........5 INTRODUCTION ............ 8 SECTION 1 - Using the Pulse on the Surface .... 9 The Push Buttons ................. 10 Mode Indicators................11 Time Display Mode (pre-dive)............. 12 Backlight ................16 Low Battery Indicator ...............16 Time Display Mode (post-dive) ........... 17 Wait-to-fly Guidelines ..............
  • Page 3 Logbook Page 3 ................40 Profile Mode ................. 42 Transfer Data Mode..............44 Change Units of Measure ............46 SECTION 2- Diving With The Pulse ......47 Pre-Dive Checklist................. 48 Automatic Activation ..............49 Testing the water contact ............49 No-decompression Dive Mode............. 50 Primary Display ...............50...
  • Page 4 Alternate Display 2..............54 Safety Stop................55 Decompression Dive Mode ............56 Summary of Warnings and Alarms ..........58 FO2 Warning ................58 Fast Ascent Warning ..............58 PO2 Warning................59 Decompression Stop Violation Warning........59 Oxygen Bar Graph Warning............60 Out-of-Range Warning .............60 Gage Mode..................62 Primary display ...............62 CARE &...

  • Page 5: For Your Safety

    Whenever you see a warning or a caution, read it carefully, as it may protect you from serious injury or damage to the product. Read the manual in its entirety before attempting to use the Pulse computer. WARNING: Decompression sickness (aka, “the bends”) is an inherent risk of SCUBA diving.
  • Page 6 experts and backed by years of research and thousands of dives. How- ever, these algorithms cannot account for factors like dehydration, fa- tigue, obesity, or poor physical conditioning. Therefore, always leave a comfortable safety margin in respect to no-decompression time and ascent speed.
  • Page 7 Pulse Owner's Manual WARNING: Using the Pulse will not prevent decompres- sion sickness, but using it sensibly reduces this risk. You must accept that there is no device or procedure that will totally prevent the possibility of a decompression accident.

  • Page 8: Introduction

    Contained within this manual are illustrations to aid you in understanding the computer. Section 1 instructs you on how to navigate through the Pulse’s surface modes. Section 2 describes all the underwater displays and functions while diving with the Pulse. Lastly, Section 3 covers care & mainte- nance.

  • Page 9: Section 1 - Using The Pulse On The Surface

    Pulse Owner's Manual SECTION 1 Using the Pulse on the Surface...

  • Page 10: The Push Buttons

    The Push Buttons The Pulse has four buttons that allow you to access modes, change settings and switch displays. Next to each button is a label (MODE, LOCK, SELECT and SET, see Figure 1). These labels are primarily related to the various set modes, such as Time Set Mode and Dive Set Mode.

  • Page 11: Mode Indicators

    Pulse Owner's Manual Mode Indicators At the bottom of the LCD are six mode indicators: D.S (dive set- tings), PLAN (plan mode), AL (alarm settings), D.T (dual time set- ting) LOG (logbook), and PROF (profile). Details on accessing and entering these modes are explained later in the manual.

  • Page 12: Time Display Mode (Pre-Dive)

    Time Display Mode (pre-dive) Figure 3. Time Display Mode...
  • Page 13 Pulse Owner's Manual The Pulse’s default mode is the Time Display Mode (figure 3). The computer always returns to the time display after making a dive or ex- iting from one of the other modes, such as Plan Mode or Log Mode.
  • Page 14 Hourly alarm icon: If the Pulse is set to sound an alarm every hour, the bell icon will be displayed Nitrox indicator: If FO for mix 1 has been set to 22% or higher, the Nitrox indicator will be displayed. See page 23 for more info on nitrox settings.
  • Page 15 Pulse Owner's Manual Sector Altitude Range Sea Level to 2624 ft (800 m) 2624 ft (800 m) to 5248 ft (1600 m) 5248 ft (1600 m) to 7872 ft (2400 m) 7872 ft (2400 m) to 19680 ft (6000 m)

  • Page 16: Backlight

    Low Battery Indicator When the battery power is too low for the computer to function properly, the Pulse displays a battery icon (see figure 4). When the battery icon is blinking, you can place the computer into Transfer Mode to download your dive profiles to a PC, but it will not enter dive mode.

  • Page 17: Time Display Mode (Post-Dive)

    Pulse Owner's Manual Time Display Mode (post-dive) After making a dive, the Time Display Mode shows additional infor- mation (figure 5): Nitrogen Bar Graph. The Nitrogen bar graph is a series of nine segments that graphically represent your body’s residual nitrogen.
  • Page 18 To view desaturation time and surface interval time, press SELECT (see figure 6). Desaturation Time: Desatu- ration time is the amount of time it takes to release all the residual nitrogen left in your body from previous dives. Any dive made while there is still desaturation time remaining is consid- ered a repetitive dive.

  • Page 19: Wait-To-Fly Guidelines

    Pulse Owner's Manual Wait-to-fly Guidelines The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) suggests that divers using standard air tanks and exhibiting no symptoms of decompression sickness wait 24 hours after the last dive to fly in an aircraft with a cabin pressure of 8000 feet (2438 m) or less. The two...

  • Page 20: Setting The Time, Date & 12/24 Hour Format

    Setting the Time, Date & 12/24 Hour Format Figure 7. Tine, date, 12/24 hour setting...
  • Page 21 Pulse Owner's Manual To set the time and date, press LOCK. Dual Time starts to flash. Press SET to swap the Dual Time with the Time of Day; Press SELECT to accept the setting and move to the next field.
  • Page 22 Dive Settings Mode Dive Settings Mode allows you set all the parameters related to the operation of the computer during a dive. Figure 8. Dive Settings...
  • Page 23 If set to GAGE, the Pulse will become a basic depth gauge and timer. For more information on these modes, review Sec- tion 2, Diving with the Pulse.
  • Page 24 Press SET to change the setting; press SELECT to accept the set- ting and move to the next field. To exit the mode, Press LOCK. IMPORTANT NOTE: If either mix is set to 22% or higher, the Pulse will default the FO...
  • Page 25 If Mix 1 defaults to 99%, the no-decompression and decompression calculations will be calculated as though you were diving with normal air (79% nitrogen). Therefore, the Pulse calculates a worst-case scenario (99% Oxygen, 79% Nitrogen). At worst, the computer will be more conservative on subsequent dives.

  • Page 26: Plan Mode/Plan Simulator

    Plan Mode/Plan Simulator Plan Mode allows you to review the no-decompression time limits at various depths for the next dive. *Only available between repetitive dives Figure 9. Plan Mode...
  • Page 27 Pulse Owner's Manual To enter Plan Mode, press the MODE button twice so the mode indicator is above PLAN. Once in Plan Mode, the computer will display the following information (figure 9): Plan Depth. The computer will display the plan depths in 3m/10 ft., increments starting at 9m/30 ft.

  • Page 28: Plan Simulator

    To scroll through the time/depth combinations, press SELECT to go deeper or press SET to go shallower. Note that there is a short delay between the appearance of the next depth and the display of the NDL time. To exit Plan Mode, Press MODE. To switch to Plan Simulator, press LOCK.
  • Page 29 Pulse Owner's Manual Press SET to change depths. For each depth the Pulse will dis- play the no decompression lime and PO To exit back to Plan Mode, press LOCK. Figure 10. Plan Simulator...

  • Page 30: Setting Alarms

    Setting Alarms The Pulse has an alarm clock and an hourly alarm . The alarm clock goes off at a time that you set; the hourly alarm goes off at the top of every hour. Turning Alarms on and off Press the MODE button three times so the mode indicator is above AL.

  • Page 31: Alarm Clock Setting

    Pulse Owner's Manual Alarm Clock Setting To change the alarm setting, press LOCK. The hours start to flash. Press SET to change. Press SELECT to accept the setting and move to minutes. To exit, press LOCK Figure 12. Setting alarm clock...

  • Page 32: Setting Dual Time

    Setting Dual Time Figure 13. Setting Dual Time...
  • Page 33 Pulse Owner's Manual Dual Time shows the time in a different time zone, a handy feature when travelling. If Dual Time matches current time, it will not be displayed. Press the MODE button four times so the mode indicator is over D.T.

  • Page 34: Logbook Mode

    Logbook Mode The Pulse logs any dive that is at least 1.5m/5 ft., and has a dive time of at least three minutes. The Pulse's memory capacity is 30-hours or 60 logged dives if the sampling rate is set to 30 seconds. If the sam- pling rate is set to 15 seconds, the logbook capacity is cut in half to 15 hours or 30 logged dives.

  • Page 35: Logbook

    Pulse Owner's Manual Press the MODE button five times so the mode indicator is over LOG. Page 1 of the most recent dive is displayed. Press SET to go to page 2 Press SET again to page 3 or press SELECT to go back to page 1 If on page 3, press SET to go to the first page of the next dive.
  • Page 36 Figure 14. Logbook Page 1...
  • Page 37 Pulse Owner's Manual Date: The date the dive started. Dive number: The number of the dive made that day. Start time: The time of day that the dive started. End time: The time of day that the dive ended. NITROX indicator: If the FO was set to 22% or higher, the com- puter records that it was a nitrox dive.

  • Page 38: Logbook

    Recorded violations (not shown) Decompression: If a decompression dive was made, the DE- COSTOP label will be displayed; if the decompression stop was violated, the DECOSTOP label will flash. Fast ascent: If the ascent rate was violated, the SLOW label will flash.
  • Page 39 Pulse Owner's Manual Figure 15. Logbook Page 2...

  • Page 40: Logbook

    Logbook Page 3 (see figure 16) Maximum depth: The deepest depth reached during the dive Safety factor setting: The safety factor setting when dive was made Mix 1: The FO2 setting for Mix 1 when dive was made. Mix 2: The FO2 setting for Mix 2 when dive was made.
  • Page 41 Pulse Owner's Manual Figure 16. Logbook Page 2...

  • Page 42: Profile Mode

    Profile Mode In addition to the basic logbook data, the Pulse also records the dive depth every 15 or 30 seconds (see Dive Mode Settings on page 22). The Profile Mode plays back the profile so you can manually plot the dive profile.
  • Page 43 Pulse Owner's Manual Figure 17. Profile Mode...

  • Page 44: Transfer Data Mode

    Profile number: This is the sequential number of the dive in memory. Dive time: This is the minute display during the dive. If the profile recording was set to 30 seconds, you will see two depth readings for each minute; if set to 15 seconds, you will see four depth readings per minute.
  • Page 45 Pulse Owner's Manual To exit this mode and return to Profile Mode, press LOCK. WARNING: The Pulse cannot enter Dive Mode while in Transfer Data Mode. You must exit Transfer Data Mode before attempting to dive. Otherwise, the computer will not perform any nitrogen or oxygen calculations, which may lead to serious injury or death.

  • Page 46: Change Units Of Measure

    Change Units of Measure The Pulse allows you to change the units of measure from Imperial (feet, °F) to Metric (meters, °C), or vice versa. Press MODE twice so the mode indicator is over PLAN. Press and hold LOCK for 5 to 6 seconds. An audible alarm will sound and the depth display will switch to the new metric or imperial setting.

  • Page 47: Section 2- Diving With The Pulse

    Pulse Owner's Manual Section 2 DIVING WITH THE PULSE WARNING: Never use the Pulse unless it has been with you since the first dive. Using a “clean” computer (no residual nitrogen) after you have already made a dive(s) may result in the computer allowing you more no-decom- pression time than you really have.

  • Page 48: Pre-Dive Checklist

    Make sure the time and date is set correctly. Remember, the Pulse records the time and date of each dive into memory. Check the Altitude sector and make sure it matches the altitude of the dive site.

  • Page 49: Automatic Activation

    Pulse Owner's Manual Automatic Activation On the right side of the Pulse, between the SELECT and SET buttons, is a water contact (see figure 19). When the water contact is submerged in water, the computer automatically enters Dive Mode. Testing the water contact You can test this feature by wetting your finger and touching the water contact.

  • Page 50: No-Decompression Dive Mode

    No-decompression Dive Mode The Pulse has a primary dive display and two alternate displays that you can access with a press of a button (see figure 20). To switch displays, press MODE or SELECT. To activate the backlight, press SET.
  • Page 51 Pulse Owner's Manual *Depress for two seconds Figure 20. Dive Mode - Primary Display...

  • Page 52: Alternate Display 1

    MIX indicator: Which mix is currently being used. Nitrox symbol: Only displayed if FO is set to 22% or higher. Does not appear if set to Air. Nitrogen Bar Graph: Graphically shows your body absorbing and eliminating Nitrogen. The bar graph has nine rectangu- lar segments.
  • Page 53 Pulse Owner's Manual Temperature: The actual water temperature at that time. Since the temperature sensor is inside the computer, it may take a few minutes before you get an accurate reading. Figure 21. Dive Mode - Alternate Display 1...

  • Page 54: Alternate Display 2

    Alternate Display 2 Pressing the MODE button shows the second alternate display (figure Time of day : The FO setting of the mix currently in use. Figure 21. Dive Mode - Alternate Display 1...

  • Page 55: Safety Stop

    Pulse Owner's Manual Safety Stop Whenever you make a dive deeper than 10m/33ft., the ascend above 6m/20 ft., the Pulse will display a three minute safety stop countdown (figure 22). Safety stop time: Safety stop time is shown in min: sec.

  • Page 56: Decompression Dive Mode

    The computer will automatically switch from No-Decompression Dive Mode to Decom- pression Dive Mode. In Decompression Dive Mode, the Pulse displays the following information (figure 23): Decompression indicator: This denotes that the computer is in...
  • Page 57 Pulse Owner's Manual Figure 23. Decompression Dive Mode...

  • Page 58: Summary Of Warnings And Alarms

    Oxygen percentage. Fast Ascent Warning The Pulse uses a variable ascent rate. The fastest allowable rate of ascent is dependent upon the depth. The table below shows the three depth ranges and the fastest ascent allowed in each range:...

  • Page 59: Po2 Warning

    Pulse Owner's Manual If you exceed the fastest allowable ascent rate, the Pulse flashes the SLOW symbol, sounds an audible alarm, and flashes the current depth. The warning will remain in effect until you slow your ascent or go shallower than 5 feet (1.5m).

  • Page 60: Oxygen Bar Graph Warning

    48 hours, five minutes after surfacing. Oxygen Bar Graph Warning When the next to last segment appears, the Pulse sounds an audible alarm for 3 seconds and flashes the bar graph for 10 seconds. When the last segment appears, the audible alarm will sound for three seconds, but the entire bar graph will flash until you ascend to a shal- lower depth and the bar graph reduces to seven segments.
  • Page 61 Pulse Owner's Manual Maximum depth limit of 100m/328 ft. Dive time limit of 599 minutes. Deepest decompression stop of 27m/90 ft. Decompression stop time of 99 minutes Total ascent time of 999 minutes In the extremely unlikely event that you exceed one of the limits listed above, the computer will sound an alarm for ten seconds, re- place the center display with dashes, and flash the entire display.

  • Page 62: Gage Mode

    Gage Mode If the Pulse is set to Gage Mode (see Dive Settings on page 22), the computer as a basic depth gauge and dive timer. It does not calculate no-decompression, decompression, or oxygen information. If you make a dive while in Gage Mode, you must wait 48 hours until you can use Dive Mode.
  • Page 63 Pulse Owner's Manual Figure 24. Gage Mode...

  • Page 64: Care & Maintenance

    CARE & MAINTENANCE The Pulse is a tough and durable instrument, but it still needs to be protected from excessive shock, extreme heat, chemical attack, and tampering. CAUTION: Do not store the Pulse near chemicals, such as gasoline. Do not use silicone sprays or any other type of propellants near the Pulse.

  • Page 65: Care During The Dive

    Pulse Owner's Manual Care during the dive Because the Pulse is worn on the wrist, you must be careful when reaching into rocky holes and crevices to avoid scratching the computer. You may want to consider purchasing a third-party watch protector.

  • Page 66: Changing The Battery

    Changing the Battery IMPORTANT NOTE: The Pulse will not lose its logbook memory when the battery is replaced; however, it is recommended that you record all your logbook information and upload the data to your PC (if you have the optional PC interface kit) before chang- ing the battery.
  • Page 67 Pulse Owner's Manual...
  • Page 68 PULSE User's Guide, Copyright 2003 Apeks Marine Equipment, Ltd. Neptune Way, Blackburn, Lancashire, England Tel. +44 (0) 1254 69220 Fax: +44 (0) 1254 692211 E-mail: info@apeks.co.uk Website: www.apeks.co.uk...

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