Getting started with electronic Divelog

[snekker]

Hello guys,

I am new to the forum, but would like to ask for some start-advice on what I need etc.

I have a Mac Pro (4-core 2012 model) OS X 10.8, a Macbook Air 2011 Core i7 for travel OS X 10.8 and an iPad2
and the iPhone4S.
For diving I now use the Suunto Cobra 2 with the mount-on compass. It is connected to my 1st stage by hose.
I just bought the USB cable for linking the Cobra with my computer, but have not installed any software yet.
The Cobra should remember my last dives from the Great Barrier Reef a while back. I just checked the batteries: OK.

My girlfriend and I are going to the Maldives for diving in october 2012. At that point I´d like to go completely electronic as
far as my Divelog goes. Up until now, I have been using a regular divelog-book for logging my dives, but there are not so many
(about 25ish dives), so I´d like to transfer them (manual edit) to an electronic divelog.

Now the question comes:
I would like to go completely electronic on my divelog, possibly using my iPad or Macbook Air when I am on a diving trip, then
uploading it to the "main" Mac Pro when I am home.
Do I need a software for syncing the data from the Cobra to the Mac and then import this data to an electronic divelog program or
can the divelog do that for me?
- This, I am sure, will depend on the divelog software used, which is my next question: What divelog software is the best for my use?
What software do I need?
Do I still need Windows in any way? (I got a windows-cd with software with the USB-cable, is that needed?)
- I also have Win7 available on my Macbook Air over Bootcamp, but I do not want to use it...

Suunto D6i:
I am thinking about maybe getting a Suunto D6i with sender to replace the Cobra. Any thoughts on that?

Best regards,
Henrik

[nick]

I would like to go completely electronic on my divelog, possibly using my iPad or Macbook Air when I am on a diving trip, then
uploading it to the "main" Mac Pro when I am home.
Do I need a software for syncing the data from the Cobra to the Mac and then import this data to an electronic divelog program or
can the divelog do that for me?

- This, I am sure, will depend on the divelog software used, which is my next question: What divelog software is the best for my use?
What software do I need?

This is the forum for MacDive. Of course it is the best one to use.

[snekker]

Yes, figured that out anyway.

To all the others that might wonder:
I have Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion installed on my Mac Pro.

I started with downloading the MacDive 2..1.5 (the free test version first). Installed it and opened to look around.

After that I wondered how I could download the stored dives from my dive-computer.
After some surfing about on the net I figured I needed the FTDI USB Serial driver package (dmg) file
(this is sort of the driver for the USB-Suunto interface cable for Mac), so I downloaded and installed that.

First, I connected the Suunto Cobra via the interface cable.

After that, you will need to select the input-port in MacDive. You´ll need to select "Preferences" -> Advanced.
Then do a scan of you USB connections, in my case it came up with "/dev/tty.usbserial-Pt072012". Select that
and close preferences.

You should now be ready to download your dive data from your dive-computer. I then clicked the gear-wheel dropdown-menu
in MacDive and selected "Download Dives". From there you should be able to download your dives.

I had some trouble with this in the beginning. Got some import trouble in the start as I got the following error-message:
"Failed to read header information (Error Code: -5)"
This basically means that there is no contact with the computer (you´ll get the same error-message if it is not even connected).
Check the cable connection to your dive-computer and make sure it is in transfer-mode (on my Suunto Cobra it should read
"TR - PC" in the Cobra display). I also had to change the model type in the Mac Dive program, I originally thought I had the Cobra 2,
but this would not work so I tried a few times before it worked with the "Cobra" setting.

All my dives appeared with the wrong dates, but that is probably because the Cobras clock and date was not properly set when I used
it last.
During the import, MacDive responded that I had exceeded the maximum number of dives it could handle in the test version. I played around
with the few dives that I had imported, then decided to buy the program. Did that over Paypal (up until this point I had paid nothing to try this out).
You´ll then get a new dmg file to install over the old one. Did that and imported the remaining dives from my Suunto.

MacDive is now working fine. There is some work needed to get all the dives edited and to take pictures of my gear and licences, but it seems to be a relatively good program to work with (so far). Though I would like the option to import pictures from Aperture/iPhoto...

Regards, Henrik

[honigferd]

I use MacDive in addition to my paper logbook which works quite well.

More of a general question: Are you sure it is a good idea to go digital only? I've not yet been to a place that accepted my offer of having a look at a clean digital logbook but insisted on the paper logbook instead.

[nick]

Weird. I've never been to a place that actually wanted to see my logbook at all.

[altaskier]

I know of only one place that wanted to see a paper log: Bonne Terre mines, to see where you are in their sequence of trails. With MacDive's ability to transfer dives to DiveLog on an iPhone, I have my dive log in my pocket if anyone wants to see it.

[tdtaylor]

I use MacDive on my laptop and Divelog on my iPhone- these two sync well and easily, and I download from a Suunto D4i which could not be easier. I have to admit I had issues with my Suunto Cobra, but since I use it for backup and it does not record the depth of information, I did not pursue it very far.

Every 50 dives I print out my log 2 per page, front and back, and often take the last 20 dives with me (5 pages folded). The iphone log has sufficed on a number of occasions, and the printed pages have probably been looked at twice. They usually lead to questions and comments of wow, cool software. Most boats/venues just want to see that your not a once a year vacation diver that they need to babysit

Remember, everyone know there is no diving police.