Vigil PSB-01-2018 Firmware Update

[mxk 1]

https://www.vigil.aero/wp-content/uploads/PSB-01-2018.pdf

Mandatory for all II and 2+ units with affected firmware within the next two years or before the next jump above 27k ft.

[Deyan 36]

I still wonder why the folks at AAD, don't just admit that the whole 20 years maintenance free concept doesn't work, and introduce a mandatory maintenance schedule. They kinda did something similar with the decision to not ship batteries, so you have to send your unit back. We will probably never know...

"My belief is that once the doctor whacks you on the butt, all guarantees are off" Jerry Baumchen

[accumack 14]

Deyan

I still wonder why the folks at AAD, don't just admit that the whole 20 years maintenance free concept doesn't work, and introduce a mandatory maintenance schedule. They kinda did something similar with the decision to not ship batteries, so you have to send your unit back. We will probably never know...

?

[angryelf 0]

Deyan,

The update is for extreme high altitudes. It hasn't been an issue for 99.9% of the skydiving community who choose to use Vigil AAD's because most of us don't go up there. Furthermore, the SB is only mandatory if you plan on exceeding 27,000ft.

Using an SB post as a platform to ridicule a company's marketing strategy (and clearly without reading what the SB is for) doesn't make a lot of sense.

Brand war posts are ridiculous, particularly on a subject like AAD's. There are pro's and con's to ALL AAD's and choosing to use any of them adds complexity and variables to a skydive.

I for one appreciate when folks post SB's for equipment on dropzone. What is frustrating is when someone responds in line with witch hunt finger pointing at the manufacturer in question for identifying and addressing a problem.

Cheers,

-Harry

"Sometimes you eat the bar,
and well-sometimes the bar eats you..."

[Fling 0]

"For all users NOT making, or planning to make, a jump with an exit altitude above 27,000 ft MSL, or planning to make a flight above 27,000 ft MSL, compliance is still mandatory..."

It is a bit surprising that, although an uncommon use condition, it was not part of a testing regimen and is only being flagged now.

Regards,
Alan

[Deyan 36]

Harry,

I honestly don't care what their business model or strategy is. All I care is that now I will have to explain jumpers why their maintenance free unit will have to go back to the manufacturer for some maintenance. And despite the fact that AAD will cover the expenses on their end, people will still pay for shipping to them and whatever their rigger charge them for getting the Vigil out, filling the paperwork, and shipping and handling...See my point? Where is the brand war?

And this is from the service bulletin that I obviously didn't read:

"For all users NOT making, or planning to make, a jump with an exit altitude above 27,000 ft MSL, or planning to make a flight above 27,000 ft MSL, compliance is still mandatory..."

"My belief is that once the doctor whacks you on the butt, all guarantees are off" Jerry Baumchen

[koppel 4]

clearly English is not your first language

I like my canopy...


...it lets me down.

[IJskonijn 44]

Wave the PSB in their face. Any skydiver that thinks any part of their equipment is truly maintenance-free and without any possible fault is either an idiot or has just woken up from whatever rock they lived under.

And if you don't plan on exceeding 27.000ft, compliance is mandatory at any opportune moment between now and 31 May 2020. With Dutch 6-month repack cycles that's two or three repacks before that deadline passes.

[mathrick 2]

And if you read the SB with any level of comprehension, it's mandatory for the affected firmware versions. My Vigil II for example is at version 2.50 and thus does not need to be serviced before its battery is due for a replacement.

In other words, Deyan is complaining that the units specifically identified and affected by an unanticipated issue need maintenance in a very wide time window to fix that issue. Which is not news to anyone with any idea about how the world operates, because the "does not require mandatory maintenance" selling point for Vigil isn't that it will never, ever need any care whatsoever, but that it doesn't threaten to become not airworthy every four years unless you spend the time and money to send it to the factory, thus giving the jumper more flexibility in when, how, and how often to do it.

"Skydivers are highly emotional people. They get all excited about their magical black box full of mysterious life saving forces."

[shadeland 5]

I experienced a Vigil failure on a jump at 30,000 feet.

In May 2016 I did a 30,000 foot jump at Skydance. The night before I was sure to turn my AAD off, since I'd just turned it on when I arrived at Skydance for a last load or two. In the morning, I turned it on and did the hour of pre-breathing.

The jump went as planned. Despite it being -40 (same in F as it is in C) I was relatively warm, except for my fingers which were burning from the cold. I opted to pay for a packer and they packed it. When the packer handed me my rig, my AAD was off. I knew I turned it on. I tried to turn it on, and got Control Error 9. I sent it in, and they sent me a new unit. They promised to get back to me on what happened, but never did.

Thankfully, I didn't need it.

[angryelf 0]

Deyan,

I stand corrected on compliance being mandatory within the next two years. AAD's are computers we (choose) to add to our systems. That being said- YOU HAVE 24 MONTHS TO FIX THIS. Truthfully, it doesn't matter if you don't exceed really high altitudes. AAD wants you to fix it, so that the guy who buys your AAD 4 years from now isn't walking into a bad situation.
Computers have hardware requirements (cutters, wires, connectors are a few (of the MANY) failure points as are batteries) AND software requirements. Software has kinks and gremlins in it. Hardware and Software require maintenance to run optimally.
Any skydiver born after vacuum tubes should recognize this. Anyone who was told that "X AAD requires no maintenance for 20 years" and decided they could reliably jump their gear forever needs to take a step back and realize this isn't the case.
If your customers need education-that's an issue you can fix. If you told them they can run hardware/software in a pretty varied and demanding environment forever to be cheap, that's on you.

Would like to jump with you and not spar in faceless internet land,

-Harry

"Sometimes you eat the bar,
and well-sometimes the bar eats you..."

[Pat007 0]

Has anyone heard how long Vigil expects the update on a single unit to take?

My Dad used to ask me if someone jumped off a bridge would I do that too? No, but if they jumped out of an airplane, that's a different question...

[ChrisHoward 8]

Just had one turned around fast (2 days). Shipping will take longer than the update.

[ajay 1]

I run a Vigil and honestly I never felt great about the lack of mandatory service. I think it's healthy to get these components looked at periodically even if it's just to confirm that "yep, it's all good, keep jumping it". Will happily be sending mine off during the my next repack.

blank