Mares icon HD, firmware 4.0

[tstafford]

Right "if I buy your computer from us" does nothing for me. Mares is chaining me to some LDS to change the battery and that sucks considering Predators, Lynx, and several others allow me to change the battery all by myself. That's my point. Had I known that I would have chosen some other brand.

I am curious why you bought the Icon over the others? Mares chains you to nothing. It was your choice to buy the Icon over the others. I would not buy nothing that I didn't research completely first. You can freely download the Icon manual from Mares. It plainly states:
"ICON HD uses a rechargeable battery,so it may be necessary to replace it after
approximately 500 charging cycles. The battery
should only be replaced in a center authorized
by Mares. Mares declines all responsibility for
any damage caused by replacing the battery."
Did you buy the Icon because the price was better or because it was a better computer? Just wandering.

 

[carlito35]

I am curious why you bought the Icon over the others? Mares chains you to nothing. It was your choice to buy the Icon over the others. I would not buy nothing that I didn't research completely first. You can freely download the Icon manual from Mares. It plainly states:
"ICON HD uses a rechargeable battery,so it may be necessary to replace it after
approximately 500 charging cycles. The battery
should only be replaced in a center authorized
by Mares. Mares declines all responsibility for
any damage caused by replacing the battery."
Did you buy the Icon because the price was better or because it was a better computer? Just wandering.

The Icon was my first dive computer thinking about footnotes to the operation and function (replaceable battery for example) just were not in my thinking. Some problems I have had are not well documented at all (for example when you dive often in salt water it is very hard to get the charging dock to connect--I've resorted to bringing vinegar and a toothbrush with me and even then its a task to get the charge connected). When working there is nothing like the Icon in terms of the interface and screen. Nothing. Yes I have the Predator does not compare. Have tried the Lynx screen not nearly as nice. The intermittent transmitter problem (it works sometimes but not always) is an issue I jsut started having with my now third Icon my second transmitter worked perfectly all the time and my first Icon did not have air integration.

You assertion that "Mares chains you to nothing" is just a tautology; of course they don't that is why I am changing to another computer. And letting other prospective buyers know the deep and very troubling issues with this brilliant (when working) dive computer. And when I bought my icons the price was not in any way better than the others in fact more expensive. It's a great computer when working if you can stand its idiosyncrasies. And it is at the end of its model life I presume at 5 years old...

 

[Kharon]

Some problems I have had are not well documented at all (for example when you dive often in salt water it is very hard to get the charging dock to connect--I've resorted to bringing vinegar and a toothbrush with me and even then its a task to get the charge connected).

I've not found that salt water diving (I rinse thouroughly at the end of every day) makes charging more difficult. I will say that it's sometimes difficult to get the charging dock into the exact right position. It takes a bit of practice and attention to detail. I'm willing to be careful attaching the charging dock because, as you said (and mine always works) there is nothing else like it - particularly with the 4.0 (and now 4.1) firmware.

As far as battery replacement - 500 charge cycles is quite long. If I could find a battery source I would change it myself - the warrenty is 2 years and the Icon will be out of warrenty anyway by then.

 

[carlito35]

I've not found that salt water diving (I rinse thouroughly at the end of every day) makes charging more difficult. I will say that it's sometimes difficult to get the charging dock into the exact right position. It takes a bit of practice and attention to detail. I'm willing to be careful attaching the charging dock because, as you said (and mine always works) there is nothing else like it - particularly with the 4.0 (and now 4.1) firmware.

It does require the right touch which I learned three years ago with my first non AI version they all are the same since. Perhaps you rinse better than I we boat dive in the Caribbean and often cannot rinse with fresh water for a couple hours after a dive. That being said the Mares Icon is the only device I have that is affected by this and every single one of my Icons has great difficulty charging. My LDS and Mares dive dealer has had several of the same issues in fact she packs a toothbrush and vinegar water for this problem. It sucks.

 

[Lionfish51]

I changed my batteries myself, no biggie, you use a tweezers or needle nose to unplug and plug in battery in wrist unit. I love my Icon, but they should have made battery in transmitter like Aries , unscrew from top. Its a pain that you have to remove from, first stage every time, so you have to carry tools with you if battery goes DOA while diving, I put die electric grease on back to protect from salt water, look sideways when you align pins its easier

 

[carlito35]

I changed my batteries myself, no biggie, you use a tweezers or needle nose to unplug and plug in battery in wrist unit. I love my Icon, but they should have made battery in transmitter like Aries , unscrew from top. Its a pain that you have to remove from, first stage every time, so you have to carry tools with you if battery goes DOA while diving, I put die electric grease on back to protect from salt water, look sideways when you align pins its easier

Can you explain the die grease and how you apply it and how much? I do carry extra batteries and a tool to remove the transmitter from the first stage I don't find that to be that big of a deal. Yes the icon battery is easily removed but where do you source the battery?

 

[Kharon]

+1 on where to get the battery for the Icon itself (not transmitter).

 

[griffon]

I changed my batteries myself, no biggie, you use a tweezers or needle nose to unplug and plug in battery in wrist unit. I love my Icon, but they should have made battery in transmitter like Aries , unscrew from top. Its a pain that you have to remove from, first stage every time, so you have to carry tools with you if battery goes DOA while diving, I put die electric grease on back to protect from salt water, look sideways when you align pins its easier

My understanding is the battery is soldered into the icon and is not praticaly changeable for most people... I would be interested in hearing if that is not the case, and where you sourced a replacement battery.

It sounds like you are talking about the transmitter only here?

I want rechargeable, long life (say 10 dives) AND user replaceable . As my every growing check list goes goes on and on for the perfect for me dive computer. Lynx taught me I hate bump controls and like buttons, and always want to only do one easy thing to get compass up.

500 recharge cycles does not seem that great to me, compared to even a several years old cel phone.. a zero should be added to that, and I can't find anything on the charge performance degradation rate related to those cycles.

 

[griffon]

Ran across this on eBay suggesting it's doable http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=231424748379


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[Kharon]

Griffon, thanks. I don't expect to hit the 500 recharge cycles - but if I do I appreciate the option of making an immediate change rather than sending it off to never-never-land.