Jay
Need to dive more!
Some of the other SB members and I have been delving into how our Teric’s batteries perform, what affects them and to what degree.
The TLDR version is that diving with the Teric in default setup, using AI, will give you 6 days of diving, 4 dives/day, 45mins each, before hitting Critical (Red) before it needs a charge (and it's probably prudent and best for the Teric battery's longevity to charge it on day 5).
Our delving is still on-going and completing accurate testing takes time and a bit of patience, but if anyone does want to join in please PM me.
Initial Expected Performance
30 hours in Dive Mode with AI enabled using default settings(*1)
50 hours in Watch Mode using default settings(*2)
(*1) Default settings are; Medium screen brightness, White font, Log (Sample) Rate of 10 seconds.
(*2) Watch Mode in (full) Digital Display + (*1).
Other Performance Info
After launch there were some error checking procedures necessary (in all modes) which reduced the above numbers by approx 10%.
Therefore, 30 hours or 3.3%/hr becomes 27hrs or 3.70%/hr (Dive Mode), and 50 hours or 2%/hr becomes 45hrs or 2.2%/hr(Watch Mode).
It is possible (likely I guess) that future FW updates might be more battery intensive as new features are introduced.
When the Compass is displayed on the outer-ring, or in the Info Screen, it will affect battery consumption between 25-50%. 25% is for High screen brightness (low refresh rate), 50% is for Low screen brightness (high refresh rate).
AI consumes approx 10% of the battery. Finding Comms in the first 90 seconds (at full power) consumes over 25%(/hr) of battery. After 90 seconds, it uses >50% approx ~15%(/hr). [Edit - adding;] Finding Comms / No-communication; flashes yellow for the 30-90 seconds, then flashes red after 90 seconds.
Watch Mode Testing (measured over several days):
The purpose of Watch Mode testing was to ‘calibrate’ our Terics to each other’s, and as an easier way to verify they’re up to spec.
Screen colour choices play a role:
(All on, Default Settings) %/hr
Red 1.7%
Cyan 2.0%
White 2.3%
Cyan (Max Brightness) 2.2%
Cyan (Max, Orbit - medium detailed view) 2.6%
The Analog watch face hasn’t yet been tested.
Dive Mode Testing (measured over several days of diving):
Cyan, Medium Brightness, Big screen display, 10sec Sample Rate. 3.1%/hr
I assume the screen brightness relative differences will be the same as per Watch Mode above, but this has not been tested.
The Log (Sample) Rate has not been tested. If it does has an effect, it’s expected to be less than the AI effect.
Moving from Big Screen to Standard screen has not been tested. I assume there's not much of an effect.
Using the above data, taking an 'extreme' case; if you always have the compass continuously displayed, low screen brightness (high refresh), using AI, do 4 * 45min dives/day, and use it as a watch for 8 hours/day (medium brightness), you'll consume just under almost exactly 1/3 of a full battery, meaning you're probably charging it every second day or sacrificing some watch time at the end of day 3. If you don't use it as a watch, but keep the compass displayed at all times, then you'll just squeeze in 4 days of diving. Again, probably charging it on day #3 for prudence and battery longevity
When doing calcs, some allowance needs to be made going from Dive Mode to Dive Time (boat etc wait time, surface wait etc. I've been using ~15% of Dive Time as my approximate adjustment.
General battery info (mostly from FAQ: Teric - Shearwater Research or SW).
Entering Watch Mode or turning the screen off when in Dive Mode (with AI activated), stops AI. (There’s no need to turn AI on/off to save power unless you’re in Dive Mode).
The typical battery life is 5 years.
It costs CAD$100 + shipping to replace it. 5 Biz day expected turnaround exc shipping time.
Extreme temperatures, such as being in a hot car, in freezing conditions, or repeatedly fully discharging the battery will adversely affect it’s life. The latter point is countered by built-in protections, but not letting the battery get into Critical for too long and/or recharging it when Low (yellow) seems prudent for longevity.
The battery’s performance is guaranteed to Specs for 2 years.
The battery% only displays even numbers. I assume this is to stop it jumping around too much. Occasionally after a battery %drop, you might see it pop back up again for a 3-5 minutes before dropping again.
The battery on a unit can perform differently at different times. Whilst the work and numbers above might seem accurate, they were done across multiple days of testing and we did find the occasional mild anomaly intra-day.
[Edit - to add:] The battery will last 3 months in Standby (20/ Teric Specs p.86) (its sleep mode - there is no off switch), therefore it 'decays' 1.1%/day naturally. Therefore, SW recommend to fully charge the Teric when stored, and that would imply to top up the battery prior to the end of the third month so it doesn't go into Critical, then 'Dead'. p82 says to top up the battery every 6months. Perhaps the 3 months is precautionary, and it might be 3-6months depending on how old the battery is.
[Edit - to add:] re Quick Charging. From another post SW answered about battery longevity: "It is ok to always quick charge whenever you have a capable power source." Even with Quick Charge off, a few hours to charge is quick in my book.
When my Teric’s battery is up for replacement, at that time newer and higher capacity batteries will be available and CAD$100 will be a cheap way to re-boost its performance.
I was curious what other rechargeable watch style dive computers with AI and colour screens claim their battery performance is:
•Suunto D5 6-12 hours of diving, or 6 days in time mode. (Memory in Pixel (MIP))
•Ratio iDive Color ~20 hours of diving, 1-2 months of watch mode. (LCD with IPS)
and that’s it?
•(non AI) Garmin Descent MK1. Dive Mode "up to” 40 hours, 12 days in smart watch mode. (Transreflective Memory in Pixel (MIP)).
That other battery data seems to demonstrate how power hungry the Teric’s AMOLED screen is.
I’m a bit surprised at the D5’s dive battery performance; I didn't think they would let it be ~half of their competitors (best case).
When looking up the D5’s battery info I came across this …. …”Warranty is not enforceable if the product or accessory …4/ has been exposed to chemicals including but not limited to sunscreen and mosquito repellants.” What on earth is that all about!? The lawyers gone bonkers? -… it seems it’s on their other computers' manuals too. Someone must have applied too much to one of their devices.
Our Teric battery delving is still on-going and completing accurate testing takes time and a bit of patience, but if anyone does want to join in please PM me.
Happy Diving!
The TLDR version is that diving with the Teric in default setup, using AI, will give you 6 days of diving, 4 dives/day, 45mins each, before hitting Critical (Red) before it needs a charge (and it's probably prudent and best for the Teric battery's longevity to charge it on day 5).
Our delving is still on-going and completing accurate testing takes time and a bit of patience, but if anyone does want to join in please PM me.
Initial Expected Performance
30 hours in Dive Mode with AI enabled using default settings(*1)
50 hours in Watch Mode using default settings(*2)
(*1) Default settings are; Medium screen brightness, White font, Log (Sample) Rate of 10 seconds.
(*2) Watch Mode in (full) Digital Display + (*1).
Other Performance Info
After launch there were some error checking procedures necessary (in all modes) which reduced the above numbers by approx 10%.
Therefore, 30 hours or 3.3%/hr becomes 27hrs or 3.70%/hr (Dive Mode), and 50 hours or 2%/hr becomes 45hrs or 2.2%/hr(Watch Mode).
It is possible (likely I guess) that future FW updates might be more battery intensive as new features are introduced.
When the Compass is displayed on the outer-ring, or in the Info Screen, it will affect battery consumption between 25-50%. 25% is for High screen brightness (low refresh rate), 50% is for Low screen brightness (high refresh rate).
AI consumes approx 10% of the battery. Finding Comms in the first 90 seconds (at full power) consumes over 25%(/hr) of battery. After 90 seconds, it uses >50% approx ~15%(/hr). [Edit - adding;] Finding Comms / No-communication; flashes yellow for the 30-90 seconds, then flashes red after 90 seconds.
Watch Mode Testing (measured over several days):
The purpose of Watch Mode testing was to ‘calibrate’ our Terics to each other’s, and as an easier way to verify they’re up to spec.
Screen colour choices play a role:
(All on, Default Settings) %/hr
Red 1.7%
Cyan 2.0%
White 2.3%
Cyan (Max Brightness) 2.2%
Cyan (Max, Orbit - medium detailed view) 2.6%
The Analog watch face hasn’t yet been tested.
Dive Mode Testing (measured over several days of diving):
Cyan, Medium Brightness, Big screen display, 10sec Sample Rate. 3.1%/hr
I assume the screen brightness relative differences will be the same as per Watch Mode above, but this has not been tested.
The Log (Sample) Rate has not been tested. If it does has an effect, it’s expected to be less than the AI effect.
Moving from Big Screen to Standard screen has not been tested. I assume there's not much of an effect.
Using the above data, taking an 'extreme' case; if you always have the compass continuously displayed, low screen brightness (high refresh), using AI, do 4 * 45min dives/day, and use it as a watch for 8 hours/day (medium brightness), you'll consume just under almost exactly 1/3 of a full battery, meaning you're probably charging it every second day or sacrificing some watch time at the end of day 3. If you don't use it as a watch, but keep the compass displayed at all times, then you'll just squeeze in 4 days of diving. Again, probably charging it on day #3 for prudence and battery longevity
When doing calcs, some allowance needs to be made going from Dive Mode to Dive Time (boat etc wait time, surface wait etc. I've been using ~15% of Dive Time as my approximate adjustment.
General battery info (mostly from FAQ: Teric - Shearwater Research or SW).
Entering Watch Mode or turning the screen off when in Dive Mode (with AI activated), stops AI. (There’s no need to turn AI on/off to save power unless you’re in Dive Mode).
The typical battery life is 5 years.
It costs CAD$100 + shipping to replace it. 5 Biz day expected turnaround exc shipping time.
Extreme temperatures, such as being in a hot car, in freezing conditions, or repeatedly fully discharging the battery will adversely affect it’s life. The latter point is countered by built-in protections, but not letting the battery get into Critical for too long and/or recharging it when Low (yellow) seems prudent for longevity.
The battery’s performance is guaranteed to Specs for 2 years.
The battery% only displays even numbers. I assume this is to stop it jumping around too much. Occasionally after a battery %drop, you might see it pop back up again for a 3-5 minutes before dropping again.
The battery on a unit can perform differently at different times. Whilst the work and numbers above might seem accurate, they were done across multiple days of testing and we did find the occasional mild anomaly intra-day.
[Edit - to add:] The battery will last 3 months in Standby (20/ Teric Specs p.86) (its sleep mode - there is no off switch), therefore it 'decays' 1.1%/day naturally. Therefore, SW recommend to fully charge the Teric when stored, and that would imply to top up the battery prior to the end of the third month so it doesn't go into Critical, then 'Dead'. p82 says to top up the battery every 6months. Perhaps the 3 months is precautionary, and it might be 3-6months depending on how old the battery is.
[Edit - to add:] re Quick Charging. From another post SW answered about battery longevity: "It is ok to always quick charge whenever you have a capable power source." Even with Quick Charge off, a few hours to charge is quick in my book.
When my Teric’s battery is up for replacement, at that time newer and higher capacity batteries will be available and CAD$100 will be a cheap way to re-boost its performance.
I was curious what other rechargeable watch style dive computers with AI and colour screens claim their battery performance is:
•Suunto D5 6-12 hours of diving, or 6 days in time mode. (Memory in Pixel (MIP))
•Ratio iDive Color ~20 hours of diving, 1-2 months of watch mode. (LCD with IPS)
and that’s it?
•(non AI) Garmin Descent MK1. Dive Mode "up to” 40 hours, 12 days in smart watch mode. (Transreflective Memory in Pixel (MIP)).
That other battery data seems to demonstrate how power hungry the Teric’s AMOLED screen is.
I’m a bit surprised at the D5’s dive battery performance; I didn't think they would let it be ~half of their competitors (best case).
When looking up the D5’s battery info I came across this …. …”Warranty is not enforceable if the product or accessory …4/ has been exposed to chemicals including but not limited to sunscreen and mosquito repellants.” What on earth is that all about!? The lawyers gone bonkers? -… it seems it’s on their other computers' manuals too. Someone must have applied too much to one of their devices.
Our Teric battery delving is still on-going and completing accurate testing takes time and a bit of patience, but if anyone does want to join in please PM me.
Happy Diving!
