ohioscubadiver
Registered
Just turned on my Versa pro and the low battery indicator is flashing, but it shows full after about 5 min. I will call the LDS tomorrow morning, but I a curious as to why the battery shows full after 5 min.
Versa Pro Battery indicator.
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CAPT HOOK
Contributor
Had that happen with mine about 2 months ago; changed the battery (about $6 at Radio Shack) and has worked normally since.
visibilityunlimited
Contributor
Hi,
Battery drain seems forefront on a lot of the boards when it comes to dive computers. Some use Alkaline and others use Lithium but I guess it is important to know a little bit more about batteries in general to begin to understand how they affect the products in which we use them.
According to the Veo 180 manual on page 74 the battery for the computer is a 3 (volt dc current) Vdc, type CR2450 Lithium battery, which has a shelf life of 5 years (which to me means in a package and not in a computer). It is a high capacity button style battery that is commonly used in clocks, remote controls for car alarms, back up batteries and in calculators. Lithium, lithium- iodide and lead-iodide batteries are also used in cameras because of their ability to supply power surges, which reduces the interval time between pictures.
The lithium battery is user replaceable but it is recommended in the manual that it be replaced annually. The battery's life expectancy is best expressed in a, dives per day format, which is what Oceanic does. The life expectancy, if you made a single one, hour dive per day, would be 100 dive hours. If three dives a day were made with each of the dives being an hour long the life expectancy would be 300 diver hours. This does sound a bit odd because it means it will last longer the more you use it.
In Dive computers, the battery is always going to be running whether there is any display showing on the computer or not. This is because it always has something to do such as keeping track of the date and time or updating the time to fly and the desaturation calculations. I could be wrong and am not offended if someone corrects me (it's a great way to learn), but I think the biggest drain on the battery is when you turn your computer on because of the diagnostic procedures it needs to go through.
Putting this in perspective with the life expectancy information so making a one hour dive once a day for 100 consecutive days would drain the battery the fastest. On the 3 one hour dives per day statement, the computer would still last 100 days if the dives were done consecutively. The difference between these two scenarios is the number of times the computer would have to go through the diagnostic phase during start-up. Three dives a day would keep the computer calculating for the duration of those three dives and probably only require having it go through the diagnostics on the first dive.
Another thing to note on page 75 of the Veo 180 manual is that the ideals temperature wise for the battery are between 32 degrees and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 0 to 60 degrees Celsius. At extreme lower temperatures the computers screen can become slugglish. This, according to the manual, does not affect the accuracy. If it is stored or transported in extremely low temperatures (near freezing), It is best to warm the computer and battery using body heat before getting in the water. This couldl be one reason for the computer to register low then full after 5 minutes.
Another reason could be that the battery is, indeed low, and is taking a longer time to get enough jump start power to begin the diagnostics.
These are merely a hypothesis and I, again, invite anyone to correct me if I am wrong.
Battery drain seems forefront on a lot of the boards when it comes to dive computers. Some use Alkaline and others use Lithium but I guess it is important to know a little bit more about batteries in general to begin to understand how they affect the products in which we use them.
According to the Veo 180 manual on page 74 the battery for the computer is a 3 (volt dc current) Vdc, type CR2450 Lithium battery, which has a shelf life of 5 years (which to me means in a package and not in a computer). It is a high capacity button style battery that is commonly used in clocks, remote controls for car alarms, back up batteries and in calculators. Lithium, lithium- iodide and lead-iodide batteries are also used in cameras because of their ability to supply power surges, which reduces the interval time between pictures.
The lithium battery is user replaceable but it is recommended in the manual that it be replaced annually. The battery's life expectancy is best expressed in a, dives per day format, which is what Oceanic does. The life expectancy, if you made a single one, hour dive per day, would be 100 dive hours. If three dives a day were made with each of the dives being an hour long the life expectancy would be 300 diver hours. This does sound a bit odd because it means it will last longer the more you use it.
In Dive computers, the battery is always going to be running whether there is any display showing on the computer or not. This is because it always has something to do such as keeping track of the date and time or updating the time to fly and the desaturation calculations. I could be wrong and am not offended if someone corrects me (it's a great way to learn), but I think the biggest drain on the battery is when you turn your computer on because of the diagnostic procedures it needs to go through.
Putting this in perspective with the life expectancy information so making a one hour dive once a day for 100 consecutive days would drain the battery the fastest. On the 3 one hour dives per day statement, the computer would still last 100 days if the dives were done consecutively. The difference between these two scenarios is the number of times the computer would have to go through the diagnostic phase during start-up. Three dives a day would keep the computer calculating for the duration of those three dives and probably only require having it go through the diagnostics on the first dive.
Another thing to note on page 75 of the Veo 180 manual is that the ideals temperature wise for the battery are between 32 degrees and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 0 to 60 degrees Celsius. At extreme lower temperatures the computers screen can become slugglish. This, according to the manual, does not affect the accuracy. If it is stored or transported in extremely low temperatures (near freezing), It is best to warm the computer and battery using body heat before getting in the water. This couldl be one reason for the computer to register low then full after 5 minutes.
Another reason could be that the battery is, indeed low, and is taking a longer time to get enough jump start power to begin the diagnostics.
These are merely a hypothesis and I, again, invite anyone to correct me if I am wrong.
OP
ohioscubadiver
Registered
Capt Hook and Visibilityunlimited - thanks for the responses.
I had the LDS replace the battery and that has taken care of the problem. Oceanic’s response was that the battery is under a high load during startup and the battery being about 1 1/2 years old was weak.
I was just surprised that the battery has always indicated full, then about 1 month later indicate that it needs replace. I was also surprised that it would indicate full after 5 min.
Again thanks for the responses
Now off to warmer weather and warm waters.
I had the LDS replace the battery and that has taken care of the problem. Oceanic’s response was that the battery is under a high load during startup and the battery being about 1 1/2 years old was weak.
I was just surprised that the battery has always indicated full, then about 1 month later indicate that it needs replace. I was also surprised that it would indicate full after 5 min.
Again thanks for the responses
Now off to warmer weather and warm waters.
visibilityunlimited
Contributor
You are most welcome. Iam stuck here in the cold with snow looming. Enjoy.
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