Replacing battery in Mares Icon HD

[Mercury]

Hi to everyone,
First of all I would like to say that I have little experience with forums so my apologies if this post is in the wrong place or it has been answered before. The reason for me being here is because I am planning to buy a dive computer. It’s the Mares Icon HD plus transmitter I ended up, because for its simplicity, ergonomics, ease to read and its price. The thing is that although it has a rechargeable battery, which I am not sure if I like it, I will have to change it someday. The manufacturer says that it has to be done by an authorized dealer. What I would like to know is if the whole computer has to be taken apart in order to change the battery, just like the Uwatec Aladin series computers, or it is as difficult as changing a watch battery. I am good with tools but up to a certain point. So if anyone of you guys have any idea about this matter it will be appreciated because I couldn’t find anything on the internet. I thank you all in advance.

 

[Kharon]

The battery compartment is simple to access. Replacing the battery isn't. I believe the battery is soldered to insure permanent complete contact. It needs to be done by a service tech. Also, I couldn't find a source for the battery. Since the Icon battery will take about 500 recharging cycles (with multiple dives on each charge) before needing to be replaced I don't see this as a problem. Unless you are doing something like 1500+ dives a year it will be a long time between battery changes.

I've been using one since 2012 and now have the new Icon HD 4.0 (thanks to Mares and their superior customer service). I really love it. The 4.0 firmware displays are fantastic. One thing that is especially perfect for me is "night mode". My eyes are shot for seeing up close. I can read the night mode perfectly (without magnification) and the alarms, warnings, and safety stop still show up in brilliant color. I can't say enough good about this computer.

 

[Mercury]

Thanks for your reply. It was really helpful. I've seen it myself and I really liked it. Of course I am not going to do that many dives but I had some bad experience with an old Aladin I had and you know how it goes. Then again it will take some years before I have a battery change. I hope the battery won't deteriorate over time no matter if you use it or not.

 

[Kharon]

I was on Bonaire for 2 weeks of diving Nov 2013 and lost the charging connector during the first week sometime. The charge lasted till my last day of diving. I rented a computer for the last 2 days in case it crapped out but didn't need it. Note that this was the non-air integrated Icon HD.

My understanding is that the Icon HD 4.0 (which I now have) uses the battery even when not diving to periodically check the environment. My experience is that it's not a whole lot different in battery depletion. I think one thing that does deplete the battery more rapidly is leaving the unit next to a pressurized tank with the transmitter close enough to bind & connect.

I havent experienced deterioration of the battery over the winters that I don't travel to dive. I don't venture under the ice up here so thos winters it just sits in it's case and waits.

 

[LKJ]

I was looking at this because I'm thinking about buying a used Icon HD and I'm not sure of the battery condition. I see that Leisure Pro has replacement batteries and they use a small JST PH2.0 pcb connector (pull off/push on), much like a cordless phone. It appears to be a 18650 battery and these are cheaper on eBay and AliExpress, with wires & connector and some claim to have higher capacity.

 

[DIVEWATCHDOCTOR]

LeisurePro sells it and it's presently on sale.

 

[Ronnie simpson]

I changed the battery on my icon hd net ready computer and have done over 40 dives up to 40m deep no problem, and I have only one hand I used a battery with higher capacity , it just takes a bit longer to charge but does last a lot longer. I will be upgrading to a scubapro Galileo G2 this summer

 

[lugnut]

I just dropped my Icon HD off at a shop for a once over. It won’t pair with either of my transmitters, and the last time this occurred it was due to the battery in the Computer starting to go. I’ve got about 500 or so dives on my icon since I bought it in 2012. I’ve enjoyed it without issue about 95% of the time. I’ve had it lose connection during a dive only twice, both of which were due to the battery being towards the end of its life.

the Bluetooth transmitter is mares only though, so if you are coming from One of the pelagic companies, you’ll need to buy Mares transmitter as well (the transmitter uses a standard CR123 battery that is user replaceable). I needed to replace the transmitter battery every 4-6 months. Wasn’t a big deal.

I just purchased the Aqualung i770 as a replacement for my Icon

 

[Marivan377]

I personally have changed the battery myself in the icon HD’s and the transmitter. It’s a small plug in wire from the battery that is a small pain but easy other than that. Just take your time and it’s a piece of cake.

 

[lugnut]

Yeah looks like an easy $45 swap. I figured there would be an oring kit or something to go along with it. Now if i could somehow find a way to order a new comfort wrist pad!