Icon Net Ready charging anomoly - battery ready for change?

[Kharon]

Lately, when charging my Icon using the USB on my desktop, I've found that sometimes it would charge to a point and then when I look later the charge is lower what it was when I last looked. I've been reseting the contact points and plugging it back in the USB and it goes to full charge.

Last night I set it up to charge and it started at about 35%. I checked before bed and it was up to 55-60%. This morning it was at 18%. I moved it from the USB to charge from AC and it's behaving normally.

I'm wondering if the battery needs changing or maybe my computer goes into sleep mode and that messes things up. If it's the battery I'd like to get it changed soon. I'm nearly recovered from shoulder surgery and a broken wrist. When I can get back in the water I don't want a battery to hold me up.

 

[zoranb]

Hi Kharon,
This started happening to my icon lately and and it's really hard to charge it past 70%. If you look carefully you'll see that the small battery in the upper right of the screen sort of flickers. From my experience that means the battery is NOT charging. Why is the battery discharging so fast I don't know. Might have to do with the worn out battery itself. Hopefully it's not about the charging circuit in the icon. I can't be sure, but it might have something to do with the charging current. When the icon was made a 500 mA current was the standard on USB chargers (the original charger was 500 mA, like the USB2 standard), nowadays the standard current on a USB3 port is 900 mA, and some USB chargers go up to 2000 mA. Maybe the carging circuit in the icon doesn't like that much current going through it. Moreover, fast charging wears out the battery faster than regular charging by reducing battery life, meaning that over time, the battery will also drain faster.

I think I will replace the battery. Please remember to use the correct battery when changing it (see this thread).

Z

 

[Kharon]

Yeah. After some internet research I found recommendations that Li Ion batteries have a life (shelf or in use) of 2-3 years. I found another reference that says the Mares battery has a life of 500 cycles or 5 years - which ever is shorter.

My first dive on this Icon was nearly 5 years ago. So either way, it looks like I'm either due or past due. I ordered a replacement that is identical to the original: Mares Rechargeable Lithium Battery for Icon HD Computer

Since it's way past warranty I'm not too worried about changing the battery myself. I opened the case and as long as I'm careful with the connector it should be simple. Certainly more straightforward than servicing a reg.

Thanks for the insight on charging current. I was using a USB3 port. From now on I will only use the Mares AC charging wall wart that came with the Icon. Might be better for the battery.

One thing I noted. It looks like Mares is abandoning the Icon in favor of the Quad Air. I don't like the led on the transmitter - it's hokey. I think they were stupid to move the buttons to each corner from being in a row on the bottom. The big thing - I bought the Icon specifically for the ascent rate display and color. The Quad has got a crappy replacement for that. No where near as useful. Also, the display is not color. Thanks Mares - you suk!!!

Even though the Quad plus transmitter is what a bare Icon Net Ready would cost I can't see going to the quad. If I zap my Icon on the battery change looks like I'll be looking at old stock. There are still some Icon's available. That or switch brands altogether.

 

[Kharon]

OK - here's what I found out. First, general recommendations vary for all Li-ion batteries. Some say 2-3 years, some say 5 - being used or on the shelf. Symptoms - nothing erratic. Just taking longer to charge and losing charge faster.

Since the change is very gradual, it's kind of hard to notice. Big difference once you change the battery. Way faster charge and smaller, slower incremental loss of charge. Glad I did the battery replacement.

I've rethought my feelings about the Quad Air. I always set my Icon to Night Mode to make it more readable in bright light. The alarms stay in color as is the tank display, the rest is black and white (just like the Quad). But, the tank color icon isn't as useful as the numeric pressure and the tank icon takes up space and makes the numeric small. And, I have only ever seen the fast ascent alarm. I hope to never see any of the other alarms. The Quad has a numeric of ascent speed and an acceptable/good indication of too fast. Actually, I like the numeric of ascent speed number being large much better than the ascent graphic. Do I really need to have it red to realize that I'm going too fast? It's nice, but Nah!

After actually carefully reading the manual I really like the layout of the Quad information. Very sensible - and, guess what? It's the same as the Icon without the color. And, I found out the Icon transmitter works with the Quad. So if I drown the Icon I can get the Quad sans transmitter for a lot less and won't have the hokey led transmitter.

So, my sincere appologies to Mares. I jumped to conclusions and made assumptions. My bad!!! You definitely don't suk - you rock. The Quad is a big improvement. Readability in bright light - check. Much less expensive - check. User replaceable battery - check. If it floods there's no damage to the computer - check. Probably even more I didn't think of and it has all the best the Icon has. I want one.

If I didn't get a perfect seal on the battery compartment of my Icon and I fry it I will definitely buy a Quad. Hell, I might buy one anyway.

 

[Kharon]

The battery change was easy and there were no problems with leakage when I dove it twice tuesday. Today I found out what was causing the charging anomaly.

I only have one front 3.0 USB port on my desktop so I put a 4 way hub in it so I could connect multiple devices. Today the hub was servicing 3 devices - an external hard drive, the Icon, and the battery of an ActiveOn CX Gold camera. Apparently, even though using a hub doesn't affect speed, it definitely affects current. If the Icon is the only device being serviced it charges just fine. With multiple devices - not so much. From now on I'll just charge it through AC with the wall wart.

I printed the Quad Air manual and am going through it to see what I want to do. Mares USA told me that the Icon transmitter will pair with and work with the Quad Air (LeisurePro said no). I'm now chwecking with another source to break the tie. If I can use the Icon transmitter I might sell my Net-Ready Icon and buy a Quad. I love the Icon with the exception of the big colored tank. The psi numbers are way small and the tank color not really enough information. Too bad they didn't make the numbers large and just color them. Oh well - decisions, decisions ...

 

[DerekR]

Hi Kharon,
I think I will replace the battery. Please remember to use the correct battery when changing it (see this thread).
Z

ANY modern 18650 battery over 2100 mAh will work. The prior post that supposedly came from Mares was either complete BS, or they were starting to try to scare people into not buying replacement batteries. The charging circuit works just fine, it just takes a little longer to fully charge a larger capacity battery.

 

[Kharon]

Correction:

After more carefully reading the Quad Air manual (I printed it out) I suddenly realized that the QA is using the ancient octal display method instead of a graphic interface. That makes the menu system seriously clunky and hard to read.

I still think that the way the QA displays data is a bit better than the Icon (especially the psi data), BUT the menu and octal display is a non-starter. What were they thinking.

 

[Kharon]

ANY modern 18650 battery over 2100 mAh will work. The prior post that supposedly came from Mares was either complete BS, or they were starting to try to scare people into not buying replacement batteries. The charging circuit works just fine, it just takes a little longer to fully charge a larger capacity battery.

Maybe, but (having worked computers for 40+ years and done some major screwing around with hardware) I'll stay within spec. LeisurePro has an exact replacement battery with the connector ready to plug and play.

 

[DerekR]

The replacement battery from Mares IS a larger capacity battery. They no longer make the low mAh "spec" batteries. The "spec" is an 18650 battery, which now has a larger capacity.

 

[Naboodiver]

The replacement battery from Mares IS a larger capacity battery. They no longer make the low mAh "spec" batteries. The "spec" is an 18650 battery, which now has a larger capacity.

I just bought a replacement battery from Leisure Pro since Mares is no longer making the icon Hd ( call it an insurance policy move) . Derek R is correct the replacement battery I received is a 18650 battery 3100 mAh. Came in a Mares labeled bag.