ALADIN ALADIN AIR Z User manual

SWISS MADE BY UWATEC AG
THE SYSTEM
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®
OPERATING MANUAL

Operating Manual Aladin®Air
Safety considerations
B
WARNING
You must carefully read this entire manual before using your Aladin®Air.
The Aladin®Air is a sophisticated decompression tool to assist a trained and certified diver in making
decisions concerning dive planning and execution. As with any tool, the Aladin®Air may be misused
if the following safety and operational precautions are not strictly followed. If they are followed,
careful use of the Aladin®Air can increase your diving enjoyment and reduce your risk of decompres-
sion sickness. If they are not, you will be placing yourself at serious risk for decompression sickness.
While the Aladin®Air is a technically advanced tool based on a biophysical model of decompression
sickness, neither it nor any other diving computer (or table) can actually monitor the physiological
changes that occur in your body as you dive. In addition, each diver will vary in his or her susceptibility
to decompression sickness. Not only that, but each individual diver‘s own susceptibility may vary from
day to day. Combined with the fact that decompression modelling is an inexact science, and of
necessity must be based at least partly on certain unproven assumptions, it is incumbent upon you,
the individual diver, to dive responsibly and to carefully follow all standard safe diving practices as
well as the admonitions contained in this manual.
Diving has many inherent risks. Decompression sickness is among the most
serious of those risks. Even if you follow the instructions of this manual in a
careful fashion, it is still possible that you may be seriously injured or die
from decompression sickness or some other inherent risk of scuba diving.
Unless you are fully aware of these risks and are willing to personally accept
and assume responsibility for those risks, do not use the Aladin®Air!

Operating Manual Aladin®Air
psi
DIVE
max. depth deco info
depth dive time
tank data
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SETUP PROG
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max. depth deco info
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B
Aladin®Air – The Diving System
C
MemoMouse
External storage extension
for dive data (option)
Logbook software
DataTrak (option)
Dive computer
Aladin®Air with
mechanical compass
Dive computer
Aladin®Air with
digital compass

1
Operating Manual Aladin®Air
This operating manual makes use of the following icons to indicate especially important comments:
Remarks: Informations and tips which are important for optimal use of the functions of
your Aladin®Air.
The following symbols are used in the operating manual:
flashing display
acoustic alarm signal
Operating instruction for manual input
(Example: bridging contacts B and E)
WARNING
Important remarks concerning signal words and symbols
D
Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in
death or serious injury.
July 1996, Copyright by Uwatec Switzerland

3
Operating Manual Aladin®Air
Guidelines for the use of Aladin®Air:
The following guidelines for using Aladin®Air are derived from the latest medical research and the recom-
mendations of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences for diving with diving computers. Following
these guidelines will greatly increase your safety while diving, but cannot guarantee that decompression
sickness will not occur.
– In accordance with the recommended maximum diving limit of all instructional agencies, do not dive
deeper than 130 feet.
– Do not use the Aladin®Air for planned decompression diving. The decompression algorithm contained in
the Aladin®Air should be used only for emergency or unintended decompression.
– On all dives with the Aladin®Air, make a safety stop for three to five minutes within the ten to thirty feet
zone.
– Never use the Aladin®Air for repetitive, “square“ dives deeper than 60 feet. A square dive is a dive that is
performed for its duration at a uniform depth.
– Always make the deepest dive of the day first when repetitive dives are planned, and for each successive
dive make sure that the deepest portion of that dive is done at the beginning of the dive.
– The Aladin®Air is designed for dives made with compressed air only. Do not use the Aladin®Air for dives
made with nitrox or other mixed gases.
– If your diving cylinder is equipped with a reserve or “J“-type valve, make certain that the reserve function
is in an open (down) position. Failure to keep the reserve open will result in the improper calculation of the
dive data which depends on tank pressure.
E
Safety considerations

Operating Manual Aladin®Air
– All divers using dive computers to plan dives and indicate or determine decompression status must use
their own computer.
– If the Aladin®Air fails at any time during the dive, the dive must be terminated, and appropriate surfacing
procedures (including a slow ascent and a 3 to 5 minute safety stop) should be initiated immediately.
– On any given dive, all divers in a buddy group must follow the most conservative dive computer for that
particular dive.
– You should not dive for a period of twenty-four hours before activating the Aladin®Air to use it to plan or
control your diving.
– You MUST follow the ascent rates as indicated by the Aladin®Air, and should the computer fail for any
reason, you must ascend at a rate of no greater than 60 feet per minute.
– You MUST be familiar with all signs and symptoms of decompression sickness before using the Aladin®
Air! Seek IMMEDIATE treatment for decompression sickness should any of these signs or symptoms occur
after a dive! There is a direct correlation between the efficacy of treatment and the delay between the
onset of symptoms and the treatment for decompression sickness.
– Always observe the optical and acoustic alarm signals of the Aladin®Air. Avoid situations of increased risk
for decompression sickness which are marked with a warning sign in this operating manual.
– Never dive the Aladin®Air to the limit. Neither the Aladin®Air, nor any other diving computer or decom-
pression table should be pushed to its limit. Give yourself a margin of safety by always leaving at least a
few minutes in the “no-stop“ box before making your ascent.
– Avoid repeated ascents and descents (yo-yo diving) while using the Aladin®Air.
F
Safety considerations

I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
LIST OF CHAPTERS
I INTRODUCTION 1
II ALADIN®AIR – THE SYSTEM 9
III DIVING WITH ALADIN®AIR 29
IV DIVING AT REDUCED RISK WITH ALADIN®AIR 53
V LOGBOOK 63
VI DIVE PLANNER 69
VII MEMOMOUSE AND DATATRAK/DATATALK 77
VIII TROUBLE SHOOTING 81
IX APPENDIX, Maintenance, Technical Information, Warranty 85

I Introduction 1
I
I INTRODUCTION
1 Aladin®Air –Diving as never before ______________________________________ 2
2 Aladin®Air – Your Personal Companion ______________________________________ 3
3 The Calculation Model ZH-L8 ADT 3.1 Description _________________________ 5
3.2 Advantages ________________________ 7
4 Safety in Diving ______________________________________ 8

I Introduction
2
Aladin®Air uniquely combines in a single instrument
all the information necessary for save and com-
fortable diving.
The dive computer constantly registers the data of
the dive and of the individual comportment of the
diver. Aladin®Air controls the gas sat-
uration of your body including
air consumption, water
temperature and individual
performance and permanently
displays the prognosis of the re-
maining dive time. This allows you to make the
most of your dive time while diving more safely
than ever thanks to the new and revolution-
ary calculation model.
The integrated com-
pass complements the
equipment of the
Aladin®Air console.
The clear arrangement
of the data in the dis-
1 Aladin®Air –Diving as never before
plays, the compact, ergonomically optimized
design and the comfortable way of carrying
make the Aladin®Air an instrument with an ad-
ditional plus in easy handling and safety.
Please read this operating manual care-
fully and to the last page!
For the complementation of Aladin®Air you can
choose between the digital compass True Track or
a conventional mechanical device. You will find the
operation instructions for the compass in a separate
manual.

I Introduction 3
I
2 Aladin®Air –Your Personal Companion
remaining time allowed at the current depth
based upon tank pressure and air consumption.
Thus the remaining bottom time (RBT) displayed
on the Aladin®Air considers depth, tank pressure,
as well as air consumption to give the diver a
more accurate calculation of when the ascent
must be begun according to the calculated de-
compression program.
• The Aladin®Air uses both optical and acoustic
alarms. The acoustic alarm uses varied sound sig-
nals to assist in establishing the reason for the
alarm.
WARNING
If a tank with a reserve or “J“-Type valve is used,
the reserve must be in the open (down) position
in order to receive a correct air time calculation.
By considering your individual depth and time profile,
as well as workload and water temperature, the
Aladin®Air can be considered a personal diving con-
trol instrument. Relying on the latest results of medi-
cal and physiological research for its decompression
modeling, the Aladin®Air differs from earlier diving
computers in a number of significant ways:
• The ZH-L8 ADT decompression calculation model
considers eight body tissues as well as the diver‘s
workload and ambient temperature. This allows
for an even more precise calculation of a modeled
risk for decompression sickness which can lead to
greater diving safety.
• Aladin®Air is directly connected to the diving
equipment by means of a high-pressure hose and
therefore permanently receives the current com-
pressed air data. Tank pressure can be easily
checked at any time. By monitoring the reduction
in air pressure, the Aladin®Air calculates the div-
er‘s work load and provides a prediction of the

I Introduction
4
2 Aladin®Air –Your Personal Companion
The handy and elegant console with compass (choice
between the digital compass True Track or a conven-
tional mechanical compass) and the dive computer
Aladin®Air combines all information necessary for
safe and comfortable diving. Easy handling, clearly
arranged presentation of the data in the displays and
the comfortable arrangement of the instruments are
the crucial points of the Aladin®Air luxury.
• By using the Aladin®Air‘s logbook, a diver may
directly call up information from the last 19 dives.
When interfaced with a personal computer, 37
dives and 200 minutes of dive profile in intervals
of 20 seconds can be read out.
• The dive planner allows the advance planning of
no stop dives with readily determinable surface
intervals.
WARNING
Although the Aladin®Air can be used to plan de-
compression dives, such dives are beyond the
realm of recreational or sport diving and must not
be attempted by recreational or sport scuba
divers.
You must strictly observe all optical and acoustic
alarms and take appropriate action based upon
those alarms to avoid serious injury or death from
decompression sickness!
WARNING

I Introduction 5
I
3.1 Description
The Aladin®Air uses a new decompression calcula-
tion model known as the ZH-L8 ADT. This model uses
eight compartments or “tissue“ groups with nomi-
nal half time periods from 5 to 640 minutes. This
model differs considerably from other models by its
consideration of the following additional
physiological processes:
1. Blood perfusion to the body‘s organs
is not constant. Skin and muscle tis-
sues are especially subject to changes in
blood perfusion, depending on tempera-
ture and work load. Changes in blood
perfusion to these organs change their ni-
trogen saturation tolerance. The model used
by the Aladin®Air takes these effects into ac-
count and thus the “skin“ and “muscle“ com-
partments in the Aladin®Air show variable half-
time periods and saturation tolerances.
Decompression information is calculated accord-
ing to the diver‘s individual workload and de-
crease in skin temperature. The decrease in skin
temperature is based upon the water tempera-
ture and the dive time. By considering these
changes in saturation, the time that must be
spent at the surface prior to flying can
be considerably
lengthened, de-
pending upon
the depth,
time, and
tempera-
ture of a
dive, as well as
the diver‘s workload
during that dive.
3 Calculation Model ZH-L8 ADT

I Introduction
6
2. The decompression model used by the Aladin®
Air considers nitrogen in both its dissolved as well
as its gaseous phase (microbubbles). Formation of
microbubbles is considered to be a strong indica-
tor of a high risk of decompression sickness. The
Aladin®Air model calculates the formation of
microbubbels depending on various assumed in-
fluences in arterial and venous blood. In normal,
slow ascents, microbubbles form mainly in venous
blood. During fast ascents, microbubbles may
also form in arterial blood and in the body‘s tis-
sues as well. If a particular dive profile may result
in the creation of microbubbles according to the
Aladin®Air‘s model, decreased bottom time and/
or increased decompression times as well as in-
creased “no fly“ time will be indicated.
• Microbubbles can form if the diver makes too fast
an ascent, ignores required decompression stops,
or makes repeated ascents during a dive (yo-yo
diving). These microbubbles can form in arterial
3 Calculation Model ZH-L8 ADT
blood as well as in the body‘s tissues. If these
microbubbles partially impair circulation, the rate
of gas diffusion and saturation tolerance for those
tissues immediately surrounding this area of im-
paired circulation are changed. If required, both
decompression time and RBT will be adjusted in
such a way that already existing microbubbles will
stop growing. Increased decompression time will
also assist those local areas of impaired circulation
to desaturate with less risk of decompression sick-
ness.
• The calculation of microbubbles results in altered
ascent instructions. If microbubbles are assumed
to be present basedon the data used by the
Aladin®Air, the ascent rate to the surface is
reducted to 23 feet/minute. This will help prevent
the formation of microbubbles in the arterial cir-
culation and minimizes formation of microbub-
bles in the venous circulation after the dive.

I Introduction 7
I
3.2 Advantages
On the first dives following responsible diving proce-
dures, a diver using the Aladin®Air should never be
required to decompress, although a three to five
minute safety stop between ten and thirty feet is
recommended for every dive. If, however, unplanned
circumstances arise during the dive which increase
the risk of decompression, the Aladin®Air can, if
closely followed, reduce the risk of decompression
sickness by reducing remaining bottom time and/or
increasing decompression time. Some of the more
common risk situations are as follows:
• Repetitive dives, especially those deeper than 60
feet and those with short surface intervals.
• Repetitive dives using square dive profiles.
• Repetitive diving over the course of several suc-
cessive days.
• Diving in cold water.
• Diving with increased workloads.
• Yo-yo diving (repeated descents and ascents to
the surface during a given dive).
• Flying within 24 hours after diving.
If a diver experiences any of these risk factors while
diving, the Aladin®Air will decrease remaining bot-
tom time without requiring decompression, or will
add required decompression time in order to help
minimize the risk of decompression sickness.
If signs or symptoms of decompression sickness oc-
cur after diving with Aladin®Air, seek IMMEDIATE
treatment at the nearest recompression facility.
3 Calculation Model ZH-L8 ADT
Do not use the Aladin®Air for planned decom-
pression dives!
WARNING

I Introduction
8
With its new decompression model and calculation
of remaining air time at depth, the Aladin®Air is an
extremely versatile tool which can increase your div-
ing comfort and safety. As with any diving tool, how-
ever, ultimate responsibility for diving safety remains
with the individual diver. The same responsible diving
practices taught by all diving certification agencies
are still absolutely necessary in order to safely dive
with the Aladin®Air.
Certain mistakes which may be made by a diver, such
as ascending at an excessive rate, going too deep, or
staying too long at depth, may be overcome if the
diver carefully follows the Aladin®Air‘s corrected as-
cent instructions. Of course, the Aladin®Air can do
nothing to prevent the occurrence of lung overex-
pansion injuries or nitrogen narcosis, whose avoid-
ance lies solely with the individual diver.
The Aladin®Air is a highly sophisticated technical in-
strument which, if used and maintained properly, will
have high reliability. Despite that, no dive should be
4 Safety in Diving
made with an Aladin®Air without a thorough under-
standing of decompression theory and dive table use,
and every diver must have a set of decompression ta-
bles with him on every dive.
Should decompression sickness occur, whether the
Aladin®Air was used correctly or not, a detailed his-
tory of the previous dives may be used to allow a bet-
ter diagnosis and the most effective treatment for the
diver.
Do not use the Aladin®Air without a set of ac-
cepted diving tables with you as a back up de-
compression tool on every dive.
WARNING

II Aladin®Air – The System 9
II
II ALADIN®AIR – THE SYSTEM
1 Description _____________________________________ 10
2 Setting Up 2.1 Mounting the high-pressure hose ________ 12
2.2 Connecting the dive computer___________ 13
2.3 Disconnecting the dive computer ________ 14
3 Dive Computer 3.1 Switching on and off ___________________ 15
3.2 Operating ____________________________ 16
3.3 Operating scheme for surface functions ___ 17
3.4 Operating modes ______________________ 22

II Aladin®Air – The System
10
The Aladin®Air system consists of four units:
1 A high-pressure hose establishes the connection between the diving equip-
ment and the dive computer and thereby ensures the measuring of the tank
pressure. The hose is connected to the high pressure outlet of the regulator.
The dive computer can be detached by means of a bayonet catch especially
designed for this purpose and then used for the surface functions independ-
ently.
2 The dive computer displays all important dive data. The bipartite display
shows general dive- and decompression data in the upper part; data calcula-
ted on the basis of the measured tank pressure are displayed in the lower part.
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NO STOP
1 Description
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2

II Aladin®Air – The System 11
II
3 The dive computer is equipped with a memory which stores dive data. The data can be temporarily stored
in the storing extension MemoMouse and from there transferred to a MS-DOS personal computer.
4 The logbook software DataTrak manages the data of entered dives and offers a wide scope of graphical
and statistical functions.
By means of the control software DataTalk it is possible to alter basic settings of the dive computer (see
page 78).
MemoMouse and
DataTrak/DataTalk
are available on the
market as options.
1 Description
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3
4

II Aladin®Air – The System
12
2 Setting Up
HP
2.1 Mounting the high-pressure hose
The high-pressure hose ist mounted on the high-pressure outlet (HP-outlet) of the first stage of the regulator.
Mount the high-pressure hose on the HP-outlet. If
the threadings do not match, you can optain an
adaptor from your diving retailer.
Tighten the connection with a matching wrench.
Adaptor

II Aladin®Air – The System 13
II
2 Setting Up
2.2 Connecting the dive computer
Make sure that the tank valve is closed and the regulator is depressurised.
– Place the bayonet ring of the high-pressure hose on the connecting part of the
dive computer in such a manner that the guiding pins of the bayonet ring grip
into the guides provided.
– Turn the bayonet ring to the right until it reaches the stop and than let loose
the ring. Make sure that the bayonet ring leaps back a few millimeters.
– Open the tank valve and check the tightness of the connections.
The dive computer has switched on the display automatically during the build-up
of the pressure. Check if the tank pressure is indicated in the lower display. The
display switches off again after three minutes without operation or breathing
activity.
WARNING
Check the correctness of the connection by force-
fully pressing and pulling the hose. The bayonet ring
must have a range of spring of a few millimeters.
WARNING
Check tank pressure before every dive.