PLB Battery Replacement - worth it?

willk · 14 February 2014, 21:03

I have a McMurdo Fastfind 210 that is approaching the end of it's five year battery life. (Where did the time go?

) Anyway - what are our thoughts on replacing PLB batteries?

Do the costs stack up?
Would you even KEEP a unit for 10 years?
Any cool deals out there?

PS: I love my PLB, we go EVERYWHERE together

Trailer Guy · 14 February 2014, 21:14

Apparently the five year life span is conservative. Are you able to change the battery yourself? Think they were about £75 on eBay. Make sure you get the gasket too, I guess? Or try these people: Sartech - Specialists in Search and Rescue Technology

willk · 14 February 2014, 21:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trailer Guy

Apparently the five year life span is conservative. Are you able to change the battery yourself?

So I believe - the paperwork suggests an expiry of 1/2015, even though that's at least eight months beyond my five year ownership. I'm VERY capable of changing the battery, it's the wondering if it all works afterwards that bothers me, maybe the IP rating I leave it with...

I'm undecided, £75 seems like a lot for a battery. Better sunk in a new unit? Can't decide!

Thanks for the link!

Trailer Guy · 14 February 2014, 21:44

your questions answered! lol...

Sartech - Specialists in Search and Rescue Technology_

willk · 14 February 2014, 22:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trailer Guy

your questions answered! lol...

Yeah, hearing you!

Pikey Dave · 14 February 2014, 22:38

Personally I'd give it a go, what could possibly go wrong?

SPR · 14 February 2014, 22:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Personally I'd give it a go, what could possibly go wrong?

Failed activation - MOB - of the west coast of Ireland with fading light in a force 7 !

jambo · 14 February 2014, 22:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPR

Failed activation - MOB - of the west coast of Ireland with fading light in a force 7 !

You paint such a lovely safe picture!!

Sent from my iPhone using Rib.net

SPR · 14 February 2014, 22:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by jambo

You paint such a lovely safe picture!!

Sent from my iPhone using Rib.net

Forgot the Sharks and you just dropped that bottle of Jura Superstition!

willk · 14 February 2014, 22:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPR

Forgot the Sharks and you just dropped that bottle of Jura Superstition!

Surely those two cancel each other out....

jambo · 14 February 2014, 23:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

Surely those two cancel each other out....

Watch it shortie. I'm really hurt now!!

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jambo · 14 February 2014, 23:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPR

Forgot the Sharks and you just dropped that bottle of Jura Superstition!

Sharks have good taste

Sent from my iPhone using Rib.net

ShinyShoe · 15 February 2014, 06:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

I'm undecided, £75 seems like a lot for a battery. Better sunk in a new unit? Can't decide!

Lets call it ~£100 if you are getting it done for you to provide some assurance it actually still works... (I'm assume you don't fancy the MustRib method of testing!)

So half the price of a new unit.

Question is what would the new unit do the old wouldn't?

Some of the new ones have 7 year life. Some may have faster GPS acquisition but I'd want to see a head to head test in the water with waves for any assurance.

In 5 years time your unit will be 10 years old. I'd expect the modern kit by then to be smaller, lighter, more robust, cheaper, easier to self test, integrated to AIS / DSC or in some other way generally better... ...if I was sat at McMurdo I'd be adding a waterproof Micro USB connector that would let me run some diagnostics via a USB connection to a PC, powered by the USB so that testing used no battery, but able to read the battery state. If I was part of COPAS I'd be suggesting a digital test message that could actually ping the sat and then show up on a web-server but as it would be flagged as test wouldn't result in all the bells and whistles being sounded in an MRCC... Perhaps there is a risk of talking over a live signal but it seems odd there is no good way to test without building a faraday cage and then piping a GPS signal into the cage which seems a bit false!

If you replace your battery (or get someone to) then in 5 years time you will probably want to replace the unit. But in theory you are £100 up to do it with

If you replace the unit you might get one thats slightly smaller, slightly lighter and has 66 GPS Channels instead of 50. But I'd guess if better kit is available in 5 years time you'll want to replace again...

Final option? Is there a market for short life units? Thinking in the Yachtie Race World or even the Round Britain PB World - if you have till Jan 2015 would someone take it for ?£100 (Can they be re-registered?) rather than spend £200+ on one if they only want it for one event. You then spend the £100 you were going to on service plus the sale value of the old unit and get a brand new bit of kit...

willk · 26 January 2015, 19:27

Right - for various reasons I held on to the PLB. It went for four hillwalks last week and had quite a busy year. No use for it so far, thankfully.

Has anyone here had occasion to renew the battery in one since my last post above?

gotchiguy · 26 January 2015, 22:04

I renewed the battery in our full size MaxG last season, was very easy to do and I certainly don't have any qualms about keeping it for another five years. At the end of the day if the test shows positive then why bother? We have a 220 as well, bought last season too, and it serves a different purpose to the MaxG due to it being smaller and lighter but having less performance.

Deekus · 26 January 2015, 22:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

I have a McMurdo Fastfind 210 that is approaching the end of it's five year battery life. (Where did the time go?

) Anyway - what are our thoughts on replacing PLB batteries?

Do the costs stack up?
Would you even KEEP a unit for 10 years?
Any cool deals out there?

PS: I love my PLB, we go EVERYWHERE together

The way I see it, you have 2 options.
1. Replace the battery
2. Replace the PLB

Let's face it you will never be without your PLB, I know I wouldn't be, marine or over land. So for me I would take the cheaper option and replace the battery on your perfectly capable 210. Why pay £200ish on an updated version for a few more bells and whistles?

willk · 21 February 2015, 17:55

The decision is to send it to CH Marine in Cork - the people I bought it from back in 2009. They'll replace the battery and other bits and test it (in a Faraday cage) and post it back. Cost is around €120 so I'm happy with that.

Just out of curiosity, I ran the test on the unit tonight and everything is still checking out 100% - Battery and GPS lock.

I'll report back on how the job pans out.

two stroke mick · 23 February 2015, 09:03

Wilk

Is there an expiry date on PLB? I cahnged the battery in mine last year as the date had juct expired

TSM

willk · 02 March 2015, 19:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by two stroke mick

Is there an expiry date on PLB? I cahnged the battery in mine last year as the date had juct expired

Hopefully on a morning when you had steadier hands, Mick!

willk · 02 March 2015, 19:44

So anyway, my McMurdo Fastfind 210 GPS returned today after only a few business days in Cork. €115 (£85) incl postage. I got a nice service report with all the tests and so forth. Full marks to John at CH Marine in Skibbereen. All good now until October 2021, I'll get back to yiz then about my next move