Popovitch 0 #1 June 24, 2009 Hello to all. This information bulletin has been send to all our dealers worldwilde and is posted here to be read by the most possible users. Information about the "Airbone" status and Manual on Vigil II. First, we would like to emphasize importance of reading and understanding the Vigil User’s Manual before using the Vigill II AAD It is important to keep in mind that each AAD brand has its own specific features or methods of operation. The VIGIL II User’s Manual (latest version: VII.0.2) has been updated recently to add information related to the “AIRBORNE” or “ACTIVE” status of the Vigil II. This has been added to clarify some of the functional parameters of this life saving device. For instance, the Vigil II has a safety feature that will keep the unit active when it detects that the unit is Airborne. This is to prevent the Vigil from switching off after 14 hours if the unit is still Airborne. There are many documented cases of early generation AAD’s that have switched off after 14 hours even if the jumper was still in an aircraft or in freefall. The feature programmed into all Vigil II’s will prevent this and keep the unit on in half hour increments until the unit is back at its switch on altitude (this means in a zone of ±150ft or ±46m) or the reference pressure or the “Ground Zero”. We have summarized the information linked to this subject, as it is mentioned in our User’s Manual: Page 4: Your Vigil must be exclusively switched ON at the take-off zone (reference altitude or ground zero). If you want to change of drop zone, please switch off your Vigil before traveling and switch it back on at the new drop zone before take-off. Page 8: If the Vigil is airborne due to a difference in pressure equivalent to more than ±150ft (±46m) compared to the “ground zero” reference (pressure), it is highly recommended to switch off your Vigil after your last jump of the day. Be aware that your Vigil will not switch off as long as its “ground zero” reference altitude is not measured again (at ±150ft or ±46m) by the Vigil. Page 15: Important note: Please be aware that the original “GROUND ZERO” reference as well as the altitude correction will remain in the Vigil’s memory and will be applied to all following jumps, as long as your Vigil has not been switched off. Your Vigil must be recalibrated when you have landed at the other drop zone. By switching your Vigil off and back on again, the Vigil recalibrates itself and remember that the set “Alt Cor” will only be cancelled if reconfigured in the setup menu. Page 18: After switch on, the Vigil stays on for a period of 14 hours and will then switch off automatically if at “ground zero” reference. Once off, it will keep all settings in its memory for next jumps. Page 19: The Vigil is now ready for use and is in a stand-by status. The unit recalibrates itself every 32 sec. During take-off, the Vigil will go to an active status (8 measurements per sec.) when reaching 150 feet (+46m or 46m) above or under the “GROUND ZERO” reference in a time of maximum 32 sec. Vigil’s active status <>will be confirmed by five short flashes of the green LED and when the Activation Altitude is reached, the red LED will flash three times. Check the unit carefully for any implemented mode or altitude correction in ft or m before each jump. Page 20: See “Flight restriction for the pilot – Airborne” drawing. This is the only restriction for your Vigil. Inside this zone, the Vigil is in stand-by status, measuring every 32 seconds with recalibration and outside in active status <>, with a fixed <> reference, measuring 8 times per second. Vigil will work correctly even when used in a pressurized cabin, as long as the pressure differs at least ±5hPa compared to the atmospheric air pressure at takeoff. Page 21: As long as your Vigil is not measuring the switch on pressure or its “ground zero” reference (at ±150ft or ±46m) it will stay airborne and will not switch off even after 14 hours. This as long as the “ground zero” reference pressure (at ±150ft or ±46m) is not measured. Therefore, you need to switch off your Vigil before any move to another location and switch on your Vigil at the new drop zone to implement the new “ground zero” reference. Be aware that the implemented altitude correction will not affect the original “ground zero” reference altitude. It will just adapt the opening altitude in function of the set altitude correction parameters. After such a jump, you need to switch your Vigil off and back on again to implement the new “ground zero” reference altitude and to cancel the previous altitude correction. Page 22: You must switch the Vigil ON only once you arrive at the drop zone to get the correct “GROUND ZERO” REFERENCE. Adjust your altitude correction accordingly if needed. The Vigil will shut down automatically 14 hours after its start-up if at “ground zero” reference (at ±150ft or ±46m). Remember: you can always download the latest version of our User’s Manual on our website (www.vigil.aero). We thank you for your continued support and stay of course at your full disposal for any further information you could require ([email protected]). Blue skies, VIGIL TEAM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
councilman24 36 #2 June 24, 2009 I appreciate your efforts to educate your customers. I don't have any customers that use a Vigil and don't have one myself. But in response to some of the recent events I read the latest manual two days ago and have some comments. These apply to the ENGLISH manual. While I recognize that Vigil is a world wide product and A.A.D. is a European company the English manual was obviously written by someone who's first language was not English. There are several places where the language itself is confusing. There was at least one place where I never was able to decifer what was ment. Some of your terms are confusing. Ground zero reference is okay (although it has a very different meaning to most Americans, think 9/11) but it's still unclear to me if this changes with barometric pressure during the day or not. Again, I think some of this is a translation/language issue. And it's unclear when you talk about altitude correction if that is airport/ landing area compensation or the correction during the day. Below is an example of a confusing sentence. "The feature programmed into all Vigil II’s will prevent this and keep the unit on in half hour increments until the unit is back at its switch on altitude (this means in a zone of ±150ft or ±46m) or the reference pressure or the “Ground Zero”. Are 'switch on altitude' , 'reference pressure', and '"Ground Zero" three different names for the same thing? Or three different conditions under which the Vigil II will turn off? If they are three names for the same thing I would suggest that ONE name for ONE condition would be less confusing. And it is still unclear how barometric pressure changes at ground level during the day are handled. I haven't reread the manual but I don't remember seeing half hour increment anywhere else. Do I need to know this and do I care? I'm not sure from reading it if I do. What I think it means is that after 14 hours it checks every half hour to see if it can turn itself off. If that's what it means it's an example of too much information. I'm a scientist and used to reading and using manuals for technical equipment. This is one of the poorer manuals I've seen. There is a good attempt to educate and provide the information needed. But confusing terms, things said almost too many times and the translation issues make it difficult to read and absorb. No need to answer the questions above. They are rhetorical for now. I've often thought that I should start business translating "translated" manuals into American.I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tdog 0 #3 June 24, 2009 In this thread: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3560015;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread I posted info on two incidents this summer where a Vigil fired in a group skydive because it was turned on at a different DZ a few days prior, and in one case, over a month prior... Imagine this. You jump at your home DZ. You leave at the end of the day and throw your rig in your car, maybe frustrated that a storm blew in before your last jump..... You travel with family members and friends to a different DZ. It has been weeks or months since you jump. You are used to a Cypres that turns off after 14 hours. The Vigil does not if it thinks it is airborne, which can happen if you drive home from the DZ with the Vigil on, and your home is a different altitude... You get to the vacation DZ and your friends, teammates, or family help you unload all the gear from your car. You might share gear as you borrowed rigs to make this vacation happen. Likewise, you may have multiple rigs you are sharing as friends or teammates, or maybe your gear is down so you borrow a friends. You see the Vigil is on, so you assume your teammates got the group's gear ready that morning... Or maybe you think, "I guess I turned it on already"... Seem far fetched? Well, somehow this scenario played out twice in a month.... I got a phone call from a friend who described to me what it is like to watch someone in your formation have a reserve deploy in your face. So I am now beating this message home to the point of annoyance. I used to think myself, "Vigil, Cypres, all the same". The Vigil is drastically different in that you MUST turn it off at the end of the day to be safe. If you did not turn it on yourself, reboot to be safe. You don't know how long the unit has been on, or which DZ it is calibrated for. Cypres II confirmed in an email to me that theirs will turn off in all situations after the set number of hours. So their units have the risk of turning off before the sunset load if you turned it on very early in the morning, even while in the aircraft, but don't have the risk of staying on for many weeks calibrated to the wrong DZ. Hence - you must understand this difference as both units need human interaction to be safe in regards to intentional or unintentional shutdown/non-shutdown. P.S. I own a Vigil and I started the above referenced thread when I discovered this the hard way.... And I am an AFF instructor and Rigger too, and I read the manual. Its a small difference I had to call both unit manufacture's to understand exactly what their software would do... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
muz 1 #4 June 24, 2009 It would be quite easy to fix the issue with a firmware update. Instead of turning off if 14 hours have elapsed AND i'm back to ground zero, it should be turn off if 14 hours have elapsed AND (i'm back to ground zero OR I see no height change since my last check [or 2 or 3 checks]). This way, when you get home, it'll turn off after an hour or two. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
