Under Performing SAFT Batteries
- Thread starter Shearwater
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Shearwater
Contributor
On a fresh battery, look for a minimum voltage of around 3.2v. If it registers all the way down to 3.0 or lower, then you may have problems.
Thank you for sharing the specs. I took out the green top on the defective battery and the metal underneath seems to be SS. So there is a possibility that some may interpret this as compliant with that part of the spec. We have not contacted SAFT about this issue. We do not know if green tops are counterfeit or not. We tested two green tops and one worked and the other one didn't. The one that worked said "Made in China". The one that didn't said "Made in France".
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Lynn caught me at BTS when the Petrel was in development. Her question to me was “what features would you add?” I had just come home from Grenada where my Predator has died on dive 2 and there wasn’t a Saft on that island anywhere.
My response was to build a board that could operate on 3volts. They did. I’m still using the batteries she handed me that day.
The picture in the document you linked appears to have a green top.
runsongas
Contributor
the button is much larger though.
I’ve got a set of AW LS14500’s to use with my Predators. Dude sources high quality cells directly from the manufacturers, add protection, and wraps them. Stuff like the efests, xtars, etc may or may not be legit cells, or they may be QC seconds. The big thing with the AA size 3.6v rechargeables is the overall length. Some are way too long for the battery tray in the Predators, even if all the other specs are fine.
Scared Silly
Contributor
FWIW, it is worth while to get a keep around a mfg battery that one is absolutely sure is OEM. It can them be used to compare with the next one as more often than not a counterfeit will have sub quality printing. Sometimes it can be as simple as a misspelling or a different type font to missing spaces to the feel of the printing.
Exceptional advice. I've dealt LiPo cells for years. Careful visual comparing will catch many fakes... Watch out for grade B cells too though. The one's that fail quality control are often resold as counterfeit.
Regards,
Cameron
fmerkel
Contributor
I don't see what the point of a protected rechargeable Li-on cell is for a Shearwater assuming you have a decent charger. The computer will tell you when it's too low/discharged, and a decent charger will prevent overcharge. Protection is for when you 'system' does not adequately deal with over charge and discharge.
The protection is a small circuit grafted onto the end or an unprotected/normal battery. It makes it longer. There is not inherent protection in Li-on cells.
The protection is a small circuit grafted onto the end or an unprotected/normal battery. It makes it longer. There is not inherent protection in Li-on cells.
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most of the non protected cells don't have a button top though so you may or may not get solid contact in the battery carrier. For $3.50 though I just get the protected ones and don't have to worry about it. The ones that I linked fit in both my Petrel and Predator and will verify in my Perdix when it gets here in a week.
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