The Soundlink is a pressure altitude audible altimeter that uses alarm tones and voice announcements to aid altitude awareness. Connect to it over Bluetooth from an Insight, Stratos or the Deep and Steep app to change settings and view data.

Standard Dropzone Operation

The Soundlink is always on. It calibrates itself to the current air pressure and, as the pressure changes with air temperature or passing weather systems, automatically tracks the ground level pressure.

When the Soundlink detects ascent in an aircraft it locks the field elevation and begins to track your altitude above ground level (AGL). All of this happens automatically, with no input from you.

Manual Altitude Zeroing (Forced Restart)

A forced restart resets the altitude and the field elevation immediately. You need a small pointed object, such as a paperclip.

1. Insert the pointed object into the small hole in the top right of the case.
2. Press the small button inside the hole. The Soundlink restarts.
3. Listen for the restart sequence: the Soundlink says “Soundlink”, then announces the battery level. The altitude and field elevation are now reset.

Button, LED and Menu

The Soundlink has one button and one LED, which together give access to a short spoken menu. Most settings are changed from a connected Insight, Stratos or the Deep and Steep app; see Soundlink Alarms and Announcements and Soundlink Settings.

Using the menu

1. Press the button 5 times within 3 seconds. The LED flashes blue each time a press is recognized.
2. Wait for the beep. The menu is now unlocked, and the Soundlink announces the first menu item.
3. Tap the button to move to the next menu item.
4. Press and hold the button for 1 second to select the current menu item.

The menu locks again automatically after 2 minutes.

Menu options

Use the two preset options to switch between your saved alarm presets 1 to 4. The presets themselves are set up from a connected device; see Soundlink Alarms and Announcements.

What the LED and sounds mean

Battery and Charging

Battery Life: From a full charge, the Soundlink can stand by for up to 12 months. Battery life while skydiving depends on the features in use, such as Bluetooth and how often voice announcements and alarms play.

Charge Time: The battery charges through the USB-C port. From 0%, a full charge takes approximately 1.5 hours.

USB Power Delivery (PD): The Soundlink supports USB Power Delivery (PD) chargers.

Care

Your Soundlink takes care of you on your skydives, so take care of it. Treat it like you would a smartphone or smart watch.

• Avoid hard impacts, such as drops onto concrete.
• Store it in the case it came in, or in your helmet, rather than loose in a gear bag with other hard objects.
• Keep dirt, sand, water and other foreign objects out of the speaker holes.

A few simple precautions and your Soundlink should give you years of worry free use.

Storage

If you are storing the Soundlink for longer than a month, these conditions best preserve the overall battery capacity:

• Store at a battery charge between 40% and 60%
• Store at temperatures between 0°C and 35°C (32°F to 95°F)

Specifications

Model: SOUNDLINK

General

Speaker

Power

Environmental

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Connect to a New Device

A new device must be paired with a passkey before it can connect. You only do this once per device.

1. Unlock the menu (press the button 5 times within 3 seconds; see the Soundlink Audible Altimeter Overview) and select the second option, Pairing Mode. The Soundlink says “Ready to Connect” and the blue LED pulses every 4 to 6 seconds to show that Bluetooth is on.
2. On an Insight or Stratos, open the Connect screen (see Wireless Connectivity and Saved Devices), or open the Deep and Steep app on your phone. Search for devices named “Soundlink” and connect to yours.
3. The Soundlink speaks a 6 digit passkey. Enter it on the connecting device to pair the two.

Connect to a Saved (Paired) Device

Once a device is paired, the Soundlink saves it for future use. The next time you want to connect and change settings, use the first menu option, Wireless Connect. No passkey is needed.

1. Unlock the menu and select the first option, Wireless Connect. The Soundlink says “Ready to Connect” and the blue LED pulses every 4 to 6 seconds. It repeats “Ready to Connect” every 60 seconds until a device connects.
2. Open the Connect screen on the Insight or Stratos, or open the Deep and Steep app. Find the saved Soundlink and connect. Because the Soundlink is already paired, no passkey is required.

Disconnect and Turn Off Bluetooth

To disconnect from the Soundlink and turn Bluetooth off to save power:

1. Unlock the menu and select whichever option is currently on: Wireless Connect or Pairing Mode.
2. The Soundlink says “Wireless Connect Off” or “Pairing Mode Off”, and the blue LED stops pulsing.

Bluetooth is now off, and the Soundlink accepts no connections until you turn it on again from the menu.

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Audio Settings

Units, Time, Date and LZ Offset

These settings are synced to the Soundlink over the Bluetooth connection. What is synced depends on what the Soundlink is connected to.

Insight or Stratos: The sync happens when the Bluetooth connection is established. You can also force it from the Settings menu on the Insight or Stratos.

App: The app has its own controls to select the altitude units, and to configure an LZ offset and save it to the Soundlink.

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Altitude Alarms

Alarms are distinct tone patterns played at the altitudes you choose, with separate sets for freefall and canopy flight. Each set of alarm altitudes is saved as a preset, and the Soundlink stores up to 4 presets.

Freefall alarms: Choose up to 4 alarm altitudes for freefall.

Canopy alarms: Choose up to 4 alarm altitudes for canopy flight. After the “final” canopy alarm plays, all alarms and announcements are switched off so you can concentrate on landing your parachute.

Presets: Alarm altitudes are saved in presets numbered 1 to 4, so you can switch quickly between your most common jump profiles. Change the preset from the Soundlink’s 1-button menu or from a connected device.

Announcements

The Soundlink can give voice feedback, called an announcement, during freefall, canopy flight or both. Altitude and vertical speed announcements work on the Soundlink by itself. The other announcement types use GPS data from a connected Insight or Stratos.

Only one announcement type can be active at a time. If you want altitude information as well as another announcement, set alarms for your key altitudes and choose the other information as the announcement type.

Standalone announcements

Available on the Soundlink alone, using its internal pressure sensor:

• Altitude
• Vertical speed

Connected announcements

These use GPS data, so they play only while the Soundlink has an active connection to an Insight or Stratos. The units are the same as the settings on the connected altimeter.

• Groundspeed
• Ground track
• LZ distance
• LZ glide
• Current glide
• Direction to LZ

Announce mode and frequency

Announce Mode: Choose freefall and canopy announcements, freefall only, or canopy only.

Announce Frequency: Every announcement type except altitude can be set to one of 5 rates, from slow to fast. The rates differ between freefall and canopy.

With altitude selected as the announcement type, the Soundlink speaks the altitude every 1,000 feet (or 500 meters) in freefall. Under canopy, from 1,500 feet down, it speaks the altitude every 100 feet.

When a canopy alarm is configured as “Final”, the Soundlink stops speaking any other information after that alarm plays. This is designed to reduce distraction while landing.

CP Open Info

With CP Open Info turned on, the Soundlink announces the glide ratio you need to reach the LZ. The announcement plays once, after canopy opening is detected. It uses GPS data, so it needs an active connection to an Insight or Stratos during the skydive.

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To check your firmware version, connect the Soundlink to the Deep and Steep app, which shows the firmware version currently installed. See Soundlink Wireless Connect (Bluetooth) for how to connect.

Updating the Firmware

Firmware update mode is entered with a double press of the reset button, the small button inside the hole in the top right of the case.

1. Ensure your Soundlink is not connected to the computer. Unplug your Soundlink before entering firmware update mode.
2. Insert the pointed object into the small hole in the top right of the case.
3. Double press the reset button: press the small button inside the hole twice in quick succession. The Soundlink enters firmware update mode.
4. Connect your Soundlink to the computer using the USB-C cable.
5. Open your computer’s file manager and look for a new connected device.
6. Copy the firmware file to this USB drive. The firmware file is the .UF2 file you downloaded from the checklist above.
7. After the file copy completes, your Soundlink will restart itself. Listen for the restart sequence: the Soundlink says “Soundlink”, then announces the battery level.

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This No Liability Statement and Limitation of Liability (the “Statement”) is issued by Deep and Steep LLC (“Deep and Steep,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) and applies to all skydiving and air sports products manufactured, sold, or distributed by Deep and Steep, including all altimeters, sensors, mobile applications, firmware, and accompanying documentation (collectively, “the Products”). Skydiving and all air sports are inherently dangerous activities that can result in serious injury or death, independent of any equipment used. PLEASE READ THIS STATEMENT CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THE PRODUCTS.

1. Nature of the Products; Not a Life-Saving Device. The Products are informational instruments only. They are designed to provide altitude, speed, and related data using a barometric pressure sensor, satellite (GNSS) positioning, and/or other electronic sensors, for the User’s reference during ground preparation, freefall, and canopy flight. THE PRODUCTS ARE NOT LIFE-SAVING EQUIPMENT AND ARE NOT DESIGNED, MANUFACTURED, TESTED, OR CERTIFIED TO THE STANDARDS APPLICABLE TO LIFE-SAVING EQUIPMENT SUCH AS RESERVE PARACHUTES, AUTOMATIC ACTIVATION DEVICES (AADs), OR OTHER TSO-CERTIFIED SAFETY EQUIPMENT. The Products are not a substitute for, and must never be relied upon in place of, such life-saving equipment, proper training, or the User’s own judgment.

2. Acknowledgment of Inherent Risks. Users acknowledge that skydiving and all air sports are high-risk activities involving inherent and unavoidable dangers, known and unknown, including but not limited to: equipment failure or malfunction (including failure of the Products); parachute malfunction; aircraft malfunction; adverse or rapidly changing weather conditions; the unpredictability of freefall and canopy flight; collision with other jumpers, aircraft, obstacles, or terrain; and human error, whether the User’s own or that of any other person involved in the jump.

3. Known Sources of Inaccuracy or Failure in the Products. Users acknowledge and agree that, like all electronic instruments, the Products are subject to inaccuracy, delay, or complete failure. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, such inaccuracy or failure may result from, or be affected by, the following:

• Barometric sensor limitations — changes in local or regional barometric pressure during a jump; extreme ambient temperature; failure to zero or calibrate the device before use; a difference between takeoff-location and landing-location elevation; reduced accuracy or non-function outside the device’s rated operating altitude range.
• GNSS/satellite positioning limitations — signal loss, degradation, or delay caused by the aircraft fuselage prior to exit, cloud cover, canopy fabric, terrain, multipath interference, or satellite geometry; delay in acquiring or reacquiring a position fix.
• Environmental and mechanical factors — water intrusion beyond the Product’s rated depth or duration; impact, shock, or vibration damage; extreme heat or cold affecting sensor or battery performance; normal wear, aging, or degradation of components over time.
• Electronic and software factors — battery depletion, failure, or incorrect installation; firmware defects or bugs; errors introduced by firmware or software updates; sensor drift; manufacturing defects.
• User and usage factors — incorrect mounting position (chest-mounted devices are more susceptible to erroneous readings during tumbling or in the burble/wake of the User’s body than wrist-mounted devices); failure to verify correct operation before each jump; misreading or misunderstanding displayed information, including unit of measurement (feet versus meters); any modification, unauthorized repair, or use of the Products inconsistent with the applicable user manual.
• Undetectable malfunction — a malfunction, error, or miscalibration of the Products may not be apparent to the User during freefall, under canopy, or at any other time before or during use.

This list is illustrative and not exhaustive. Deep and Steep does not represent or warrant that this list identifies every way in which the Products could be or become inaccurate or fail.

4. No Reliance on the Products for Safety-Critical Decisions. The Products must never be the User’s sole or primary basis for any safety-critical decision, including but not limited to the decision of when to initiate deployment of a main or reserve parachute. Users must, at all times, maintain independent visual altitude awareness and use one or more independent backup methods of determining altitude, which may include a second altimeter, an audible altimeter, and/or an Automatic Activation Device. Deep and Steep does not guarantee, and expressly disclaims, the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or suitability of the Products for any safety-critical purpose.

5. Not a Substitute for Training or Certification. The Products, and any documentation accompanying them, are not a substitute for proper skydiving or other activity specific training, licensing, or certification from qualified instructors and organizations. The Products are intended for use only by persons who are licensed jumpers or students actively enrolled in an approved training program under qualified supervision. It is each User’s sole responsibility to obtain and maintain appropriate training and to exercise independent judgment during every jump.

6. Assumption of Risk. By using the Products, the User voluntarily and knowingly assumes all risks associated with skydiving and other air sports, whether arising from the activity itself or from the use of the Products, and whether such risks are known or unknown, foreseen or unforeseen. The User agrees that any decision made before, during, or after a jump must be based on the User’s own comprehensive assessment of all relevant factors, and not on the Products alone.

7. Disclaimer of Warranties. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE PRODUCTS ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. DEEP AND STEEP DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE PRODUCTS WILL BE ACCURATE, UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR FREE OF DEFECTS, OR THAT ANY DATA THEY DISPLAY WILL BE CORRECT.

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10. Governing Law and Venue. This Statement is governed by, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. Any dispute arising out of or relating to this Statement or the Products shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state and federal courts located in Florida, and the User consents to personal jurisdiction in those courts.

11. Severability. If any provision of this Statement is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect, and the invalid or unenforceable provision shall be deemed modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

12. Entire Statement. This Statement, together with any applicable product warranty and user manual, constitutes the entire agreement between the User and Deep and Steep with respect to the subject matter herein, and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous understandings, whether written or oral.

13. Acknowledgment and Acceptance. BY PURCHASING, ACTIVATING, OR USING THE PRODUCTS, THE USER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THEY HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD THIS STATEMENT IN ITS ENTIRETY, THAT THE PRODUCTS ARE INFORMATIONAL DEVICES ONLY AND NOT LIFE-SAVING EQUIPMENT, AND THAT THE USER AGREES TO BE BOUND BY ITS TERMS. IF THE USER DOES NOT AGREE TO THESE TERMS, THE USER MUST NOT USE THE PRODUCTS AND SHOULD RETURN THEM, UNUSED, TO THE POINT OF PURCHASE.

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• Insight FCC, IC, CE Regulatory
• EU Declaration of Conformity – Insight

Stratos Regulatory Statements

• Stratos FCC, IC, CE Regulatory
• EU Declaration of Conformity – Stratos

Soundlink Regulatory Statements

• Soundlink FCC, IC, CE Regulatory
• EU Declaration of Conformity – Soundlink

Orbit Regulatory Statements

• Orbit FCC, IC, CE Regulatory
• EU Declaration of Conformity – Orbit

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