D3 battery change.... anyone????

[Murat]

Donna,

Did you changed it in "Dive-in" shop at the coast line of larnaca?

 

[Donna]

Hi Murat, hope you're well?

No, I did it at home......just bought the battery from a wtach shop.

Paul took his to Dive-In and was charged a tidy sum for them to change the battery - that said, they did pressure test the watch to make sure it wasn't leaky!

Donna

 

[Murat]

when next time you see him, can you ask how much was the battery change and pressure test? If it was something like 50-60 euro i preffer to replace the battery myself since its not the time for mine to service yet.

 

[ADR]

I find the whole presure testing thing a little bit funny as most pressure test pots are water pots (ie the pressure test is with water) the bit I find funny is that I'm yet to find a watch shop that takes any responsibility for the test. So if it floods in the pot they hand back your watch to you and say "it failed" and you walk away with a flooded watch. :duh Given that I figure I may well just dive with it and have it flood on me(hasnt happened yet) as at least I'm using it.It seems to me that it's a bit like testing matches....that one works, that one works.....that one works....now I'll put them all back in the box for when I need them

Maybe there are shops that take responsibility for the test and then warranty the seal until next change but I'm yet to find one. There are pots that test with air as well but I've always been met with ..."oh a dive watch, we test those with water to be sure" :duh

 

[Murat]

thats really funny rofl

 

[hcknudsen]

Well change of battery never goes out of date, looking for an oppinion, just changed my battery, cleaned the seal(o-ring and casing)greased it up with some silicon grease and closed it up, made a little compression canister from a jar, bike rubbertubevalve, water and pump, I´m not sure of the strength of the glassjar but read 4,2m on the display......question: any point in refineing my pressure jar, or would the 4,2m be evidence enough of the seal? I spearfish to 15m and a bit, maybe some day 20m

HC

 

[Haydn]

OK guys. The D3 is simple to change the battery and regrease the seal with silicon (not vaseline). Its obviouis if the seal is stretched or you if have damaged the casing. So its worth the risk. Rather than pay in UK £25 for a jeweller (me for instance) to do it in house. Or £25 plus postage both ways, if I send it to Suunto or elsewhere to be done. As for the water proofing test in a wet chamber. The watch is placed into a chamber half filled with water. The watch is above the water line. You then pressurise the container equal to the depth the watch can submerge to. If the watch has a leak, you have effectively pumpt pressurised air into the watch. You then immerse the watch into the water and release the pressure. If you have pumped air into the watch, the watch will release that air into the water as you release the pressure. This is shown by a contstant stream of bubbles escaping the watch. You then lift the watch out of the water before the watch has vented the all the air. If the watch shows no air escaping, that means you were unable to piump air into it, therefore water would also be unable to penetrate it. That means a good test. Obviously if the watch is failing the test and venting air bubbles, no water can penetrate until all the air has escaped first.

If you immerse the watch in water and than pressurise the cannister, and if the watch is not water proof, you have effectively pumped water into your watch.

My expertise is a retail jeweller and I have professionally water tested 100s of all sorts of watches.

 

[hcknudsen]

he he, nice answer, clever stuff, thanks for the feedback and the description for us "dummies"

hc

 

[osusim]

The test procedure for regular watches provided by watch shops doesn't applicable to dive computers. You can press dive computer under water only or you will broke computer's depth sensors.

 

[jwd]

Morning all.

Just had a look at the Suunto catalogue and the list of features for both the D3 and the Mosquito includes "User replaceable battery".

I wonder how much of the "void warranty" comments are just scaremongering by the wholesalers.

When I worked at a diveshop we used to change the batteries in Solution, Favor, Companion computers with no trouble. All you need is to know what not to do (ie damage the oring or pinch it in the cap. and make sure you're careful and properly grease the oring and you're fine.

It's the same thing you do everytime you seal a camera housing before a dive.
Can you imagine having to send your camera and housing back to Ikelite to have it professionally closed before each dive?

James

 

[azapa]

for those of you near a "Radio Shack" they sell a nice toothpaste sized tube of silicone grease perfect for freshing up those dry o rings.

cheers

 

[azapa]

update: the above grease, I probably used too much, caked up badly and formed a gum that made taking off the back very hard. Use a thinner lube, the scuba shop bought version is probably better.