Thank you to L&B for Optima LED deaf-friendly audible!

[mdrejhon 8]

Hello,

I just wanted to post that I demoed L&B Optima at Deaf World Record 2005 and while I did not buy then, it was in my "things to buy eventually" list.

I finally bought one at Square 1 in Perris during my visit to the Big Way camp there. Some other deafies also bought the same thing subsequently too...

Square 1 did not have the LED attachment in stock, but I bought the base unit anyway, and I am having the LED accessory on order.

As of today, as far as I know, the Optima is the only deaf-friendly audible in the world that's currently being manufactured and sold... A flashing light can be put in goggles or helmet, and attached by a tiny cable to the audible sitting in the helmet... I don't really need an audible myself but since I did my first 49-way, an audible starts to become a more essential piece of backup safety equipment, especially if I am focussing on tracking away from a future 100-way and need to know I'm close to the hard deck with other kaikamaze missles.

I hope that L&B sends their Optima's as demos for the next Deaf World Record event (Tentatively 2010 at Empuriabravia I think?). I wouldn't mind a ProTrack II having an LED attachment port, since I would appreciate the ProTrack II features. I'll email them to send a link to this post, so they know too,

Thanks!
Mark Rejhon

[mx757 4]

Mads at L&B is great I bought a Optima but none dealers had the LED light cables I ordered one from (I forget who) but it was the Long LED light cable and I need short one I wrote email to Mads at L&B asking to order one from them he asked for my address and next thing I knew in mail from L&B was short LED cable from L&B

[goesky 0]

I love my Optima . The Led cable is about 18 inches along. Let me know any one has at least 10 inches long. Some like the long one and you can see the Optima with the helment on.

[TommyAndre 0]

I love my Optima with LED. Have LED in Factory Diver-helmet and camerahelmet.

Cannot jumps without LED and Optima. It is same to jumps without reserve canopy.

Tommy Andre, Norway

[skydiverek 63]

Does the LED light up during ALL alarms, or just during the first one. If during ALL, isn't it a bit distracting when you are fighting with the malufunctioning main...?

[mx757 4]

It changes speed.. off top my head I can't remember but first alert flashes slow beeps 2nd alert it flashes faster rate hard deck it goes sold red

[DSE 5]

Neptune is also LED capable, and the HypEye Pro D is attachable to the Optima. It has a flexible cable rather than a hard LED extension. It's roughly 4 times as bright as the Optima indicator. I use it with my camera gear and my Optima. I'm not deaf, but cannot hear my audible in many situations.

[mdrejhon 8]

  Quote

Does the LED light up during ALL alarms, or just during the first one. If during ALL, isn't it a bit distracting when you are fighting with the malufunctioning main...?

That's funny. Several have said LED is less distracting than audio, and audio catches their attention more. While other times it's vice-versa. Seems to vary by person. However, us deafies don't have such an option and some of us are more aware of visuals to compensate.

In my demos, I even missed the visual alerts when I was focussing very hard on other tasks such as pulling 1 second before the alert went off, or when I was watching a 20-way attempt funnel before I docked (I was alerted by other people starting their breakoff, before the LED alerted me). It also depends on where you place the LED. I was using the short-lead LED on a full face, so the LED was always deep in my peripheral vision, so that's partially the reason. Intense concentration contributes to a tunnel vision effect. So, apparently, one can adjust the placement of LED, as a compromise between distraction and non-noticeability.