Altimaster Neptune Discontinued

My first one went bad in in 2 weeks. when i changed the battery. I told altimaster and thay sent a new one right out and it just stopped working. This thing is dangerous. i think it will lead to someones death if given the time. i know that if i get a hold of lara kjeldsen the office manager she would just send me a new one but my life is more important to me then the 200+ $ i spent so i am jut going to put my neptune in the trash ware it belongs

john carlson

I have two Neptunes and a Protrack, I wear the protrack and one neptune in my helmet as audibles and my other Neptune as a visual alti. I love the digital readout when using it as a visual, I've used neptunes on all 3 of the night jumps I have done without any problems, and it's so easy to read that the person across from me in one night 3 way was reading my alti "beacause it was so much easier" than reading her own analog alti. The canopy alarms are awsome, I dont need them, but I like them. The menu system on the neptune is MUCH easier to use than the protrack, anybody can figure this thing out. Just make sure that you have the latest firmware installed on it and READ THE MANUAL if you are going to do things like night jumps for the proper settings!

I got my 1st Neptune mid 2004. It froze up once. It only required the batteries be removed/reinstalled.

Then some bitch slammed her helmet on the LCD and broke it. I sent it in, and got a new screen for about $80. It took at least a few weeks, but was still cheaper than replacing it, or buying something else. I also opted for the rubber protective sleeve after the incident.

Overall, I was more upset that this stuck up bitch broke it and I was stuck with the bill. She's got money and I live paycheck to paycheck. She jumps at a bigger DZ now where they kiss her ass a little more now so I guess I'm better off.

I bought one and compared it to a friend of mine who recommended it. I didn't like the inconsistency with the comparison unit on the same jump (I compared it to another Neptune on about 4 jumps). I wanted it to replace my wrist altimeter, and the altitude readout functions seemed OK. My primary interest was in FF speeds / fall rate... it wasn't consistent. We ended up with different speeds of freefall on the same jump. The differences were at times as much as 10 mph at the same altitude, and we were both in the same formation. The overall average speeds were comperable, but only after I used the unit for a few jumps (as if it had to "set itself" by being used. The unit came with two batteries, and in two days, both batteries were showing half charge. Total FF time wasn't consistent with my Pro-Track in my helmet, which may be explained by it's being in my helmet vs. on my wrist. On one jump it was within a second of my Pro-Track; on another there was an 8 second disparity.

Pleasantly surprised when I found how easy it was to set!

Second jump on day after arrival noticed that the screen was already damaged?

Buyers beware! If you just want an audible do not waste money on a Neptune or ProTrack. Just get a ProDytter. 1/2 the price and fewer functions = less farting about.

REVIEW UPDATE...after the below issues and two software updates later, Neptune is now working without fail, EXCEPT for the difficulty in hearing over wind noise still. With the protec helmet, Neptune installed inside next to ear, audible cannot be heard with high speed/wind. Although Protrac can. Neptune says they are worried about hearing loss liability...and what, Protrac isn't? Two Neptunes have gone haywire, pressure sensor, thought it was jumping, apparently. Neptune's only 2 months old, but they expect me to ship it back at my cost, if it peturbs me, its probably not fair, compared to other customer service policy. ps.Not sure if L&B charges shipping 'cause never had any problems with IT!

If it worked, this would be a great toy. This thing has so many software bugs that I can't believe. Battery leaks fast; it turns on when local pressure changes in your closet, and will go into aircraft mode; beep volume will drop before battery dies completely (dangerous!!!). In short, it is a piece of junk.

I got a Neptune as a birthday gift from my best friend and if I would have had a choice to pick between Altimaster's Neptune and Pro-Track I will definitely would have chosen Pro-Track. It is true what people say about the Neptune, that most of the times you can't hear the audible. What are you suppose to do with an audible altimeter that is not hearable. I will tell you what? Not rely on it. That is why I honestly suggest that if you are trying to decide between a Neptune and a Pro-Track, don’t doubt going for the Pro-Track.

I love my Neptune. I just put it on and forget it. It turns itself on in the plane, changes to Freefall mode when you leave the plane, and turns itself off after a few minutes on the ground. Big numbers are easy to read in freefall. Canopy mode (comes on automatically at opening) shows feet above take-off point not in hundreds, but in feet! This is great for canopy pilots who want consistant start altitudes on their turns.

I have been trying to edit my earlier review of the Neptune and Paralog software, but am having some difficulty. The software writer and I had a misunderstanding early in a correspondence regarding a problem I had with the program, and I wrote a review that was harsh on him and the software before I understood that he had misunderstood what I was trying to convey to him, probably due to my not being clear enough. We have since figured out the misunderstanding and he (Klaus) was willing and able to help me fix the problem. I would recommend this altimeter and the Paralog program to anyone who wants to log their jumps with a computer.

I was one of the first ones to purchase the Neptune. I’ve been though all the updates including the beta versions. Version 2.1.1 and above are flawless. I’m now running 2.1.2 and it’s right on regardless the jump type: WS, CRW, or a 1 sec H&P.

I love the simplicity of use, all the features, and the looks too. Mine original unit was one of the first ones and suffered some minor cracks on the screw bushings. It got replaced for free and the newer one does not have the cracking problem. This problem only affected some older units.

I had some logging problems with earlier software versions but the newest one is again problem-free. If you hear “stories” about logging problems I bet they are referring to units that use/ed older software.

I also have the paralog program. Downloading jumps is very easy. It’s done via an infra-red port. Same deal for the updates available at alti-2 website. The program itself is really cool giving you stats, graphs, and you can be as descriptive as you can on the info you put on each jump.

The Neptune on top of being waterproof is very sturdy. I once tried to land my WS without unzipping the legs and I landed right on top of it; not a single scratch on the unit, just some grass stain on the band.

The Neptune uses a single Li battery that can be easily found anywhere.

I tried to use it once as audible and it is much louder than my Pro-Dytter. The volume can also be adjusted.

I’m very happy with my Neptune and I recommend it to anybody both as visual and audible altimeter.

I've put about 40 jumps on my Neptune as an audible, and I can't get over what a great product it is. It’s very easy to set and review what altitude it will beep at. The beeps are easy to hear, and easy to distinguish between them.
The menu system is easy to use, if someone who hasn't used a Neptune before wants to review the data from a jump, all I tell them is top button for up, middle button to select, and bottom button for down, and so far nobody has had a problem. Everything is easy to find, and very well organized.
I love the data logging, it seems to be very accurate and consistent, and has yet to bugger up on me, and has a nice setup for reviewing on the Neptune. The Para Log software is very easy to use, looks nice, and I would say it’s a good value. And it’s nice to get a complete overview of your jumps. Wish I had a job so I could buy my own copy.

It’s not with out its flaws though. I had some problems updating the software, but that's where the Alti-2 customer service takes over even if it is just (my/your) human error. They really have gone the extra mile (thanks Lara!) and seem to put a lot of work in making their product the best available.
The plastic does kind of feel cheap, almost like if you push the buttons too hard you'll break it. But in reality it seems very well build. Despite the abuse my Neptune has taken, its still as good as the day I bought it.

There is too much to say about the Neptune and I can't give it the justice it deserves.

The Neptune is an awesome product. It has lots of cool bells and whistles that rock. It gives you average speeds at a number of altitudes instead of just the top and bottom half. It tells you rate of climb on the way to altitude, temperature, has all kinds of audible warnings and keeps track of exit alititude, time in freefall and opening altitude.
It can be used as a wristmount or an audible. It's currently cheaper than the Pro-Track as well. I'm pretty happy with mine.

The first neptune I had broke, after about 25 jumps. Alti-2 had a great turn around time, and sent me a new onw as well as a t-shirt. They also included some lense protectors that are a great way to save the face of the display. All in all, great customer service, and a good product.

This altimeter is a wonderful product with a wealth of features. It has Ground, Aircraft, Freefall and Canopy modes and it switches automatically between the different modes. It is a freefall computer and an audible altimeter as well. However you can only use it as an audible or visual altimeter. The freefall computer/logbook features are nice. The software to download the data is in development but updates to the firmware are available and a cool feature IMO. The log book logs exit altitude, canopy deployment altitude, vertical speed at 12K, 9K, 6K and 3K feet and freefall time.

The downside is that the buttons can stop working after a while. My altimeter is fine but one of the guys that jumps at my DZ has an older neptune and I could'nt update the firmware on it because to enter bootlogger mode you need to press and hold both scroll buttons for 10 secs or more.