Review on Nuvair O2 Quickstick Oxygen Analyzer by Rob Parsons

First some context. After my Palm O2 showed 10-20% drift after 2-3 years of technical diving, it was obvious it was time to buy a new oxygen analyzer. At around $100 plus or minus, the Palm is very cheap, but you can't replace the sensor, which means you have to throw the thing away, and as an environmentalist, I hate breaking things that are 99% still good . Palm, this is just disgusting in 2021! I was thinking of a Divesoft analyzer that would protect me on ALL future dives that I, my children or my children's children's children might do in the future. But it costs over $1,000 and given the helium cost curve, who knows if anyone in our gang will need it. after years of seeing (and touching) all these plastic and "organic" forms. The product is solid, in fact it is slightly larger and heavier than I remembered and how it looked in the photos. (I'm not the type to compare all the specs of all the products - if I was, I'd know beforehand if it was my fault. But since I usually drive to dive sites, weight isn't an issue for me. Mention it (Notice that someone who wants the lightest possible analyzer for air travel better DO their homework and probably still get the eco-friendly yet lighter Palm O2.) Good thing about Nuvair's size: No matter, no matter how thick your gloves can be , you always have a good grip. It's easy to use, you turn on the unit with a sturdy handle that's easy to use even with thick gloves because not only is it durable, it's also the largest handle I've ever seen on an oxygen analyzer. Then you keep turning the calibration knob so that all possible device operations are concentrated on one control, which is both convenient and cool. What is important to me and the main thing in this review is that it works exactly as advertised. . Over the past 3 weeks of almost daily use I have had no issues with readings, all within 1% of the other analyzers we have used on our dives (Analox and Palm O2) at EAN up to 50%. I will be testing it on trimix analyzers and over 50% O2 in the coming weeks. (Note: Contrary to other commenters, I don't think a reading difference of 1% or more on a nitrox dive, for which this analyzer is commonly used, would make much of a difference: if your gas was 51%, then your PPO2 at 50 m 1.581, which is safe within accepted limits. For most divers, the biggest problem will not be a hypothetical 1-2% difference in readings, but their usual - and very real - imperfection of 5-10% in your buoyancy control, as a certified gas blending specialist I can say that theoretically your readings could be much more affected by how long your tanks were blended and what method of blending gases was used at your dive center before you started analyzing them.) So far 5* out of 5. But all roses have thorns and this analyzer is no exception. I personally have the following two comments. I would like to emphasize that they do not refer to the actual use or performance of the product, which as described above is good. First, since the analyzer is turned on by a mechanical switch, by definition the device cannot turn off automatically. (I'm assuming that's not possible - I left it on and 30 minutes later the display was still on.) I don't know how much power a day or two of turning on could use, maybe nothing? Or maybe something WHY? I quickly got into the habit of turning it off immediately after a measurement, but if you give your analyzer to other people unfamiliar with it, they might forget to turn it off, and then you have one more little thing to think about and take care. My second comment concerns the round (tubular) design. On the one hand I like it, it's very cool and that's one of the reasons I bought it. But he loves to do what whistles love: he rolls. There is a lanyard that can keep the analyzer from walking away on some flat and (!) stable surfaces (e.g. on a table in your house or in a garage) but is useless on a boat or anywhere else. with a slight incline - a embankment that sways as you pick up your gear, someone kicks it, etc. Some sort of square shape, triangle (ok, I know this hasn't worked very well for Neil Young in the past.) or better Profile "mesh" (flat on both sides), that would also look great, but in this respect it is more practical. Or - a simpler solution that does not require replacing an existing product: a square or flat box. Well, spoiler: the round thing comes neatly packaged in a perfectly tubular box of soft plastic with a thread running down the middle, and unlike the lanyard on the analyzer, there's nothing to stop the round perfection from finding the next vanishing point from the bondage of gravity. Unfortunately, this can also mean a NOB situation ("NUVAIR OVER BOARD!") on a ship. So that would be my two cents substantive comments. The latter isn't a problem, just my personal preference: given a choice, I could buy mustard yellow or sky blue instead, and I know my girlfriend would definitely want a red chilli to match her. OK What the heck. At the moment, as far as I know, there is only green, bright, like a freshly mown lawn.