Aladin Pro Anatomy

[Hondroid]

Well I finally figured out how to disassemble the Aladin Pro (grey rectangular case type model)

Using a plastic slotted screw driver, pry tabs on both sides of the case which will release the back (bottom) case from the display. Once the case is open you will find a square black rubber gasket that is pressed into the front half the unit. Using a finger nail or small srewdriver carefully pry up the rubber gasket from the housing. Be carefull NOT to nick or cut the rubber gasket.

Once the gasket releases from the housing you will release the mineral oil that surrounds the electronics. Very messy! Once the oil is drained (or saved) you have full access to the main board which, of course, holds the battery. The main board must be removed from the housing. Just behind the battery you will find a plastic tab which holds the board to the front half of the case. You need to release that tab to remove the board.

The battery appears to be spot welded to the main tabs which connect to the PC board. The spot welds are easy enough to break. With the appropreate solder gun, solder the new battery in place. Make sure to CLEAN THE BATTERY CONTACTS FIRST TO ASSURE PROPER SOLDER TRANSFER.

I'm 90% sure that the oil is plain PURE mineral oil. When I pay a trip to the local dive shop to inquire I'll report back with my findings. Any other oil with additives WILL detereorate the rubber gasket and anything else in the eletronics that may be affected by treated oil. Maybe someone here on the board can verify the type of oil used.

Anyway this is why a dive shop charges $150 (canadian dollars) to replace a battery unless they have an exchange program with Uwatec.

I think after I'll trade it in for a more 'user friendly' battery replacement computer.

Happy Diving!

 

[portehu]

Hello Hondroid

How was the result of this job? Did you find the type of oil? And about the recalibration, what were the necessary settings?

I have an Aladin Pro Nitrox and don't want to send it from Brazil to other country just to change the battery...

Thx

 

[Nepix]

removed

 

[AbyssalPlains]

Dear diver McGyver,

I am wondering if you have ever considered why that product was factory sealed, glued, and full of oil. Did you know that paying a professional (the factory) to service you computer includes more than just a battery change. These products we use to support our lives underwater deserve a little more attention than just some jerk-off paper-clipping in a battery and refilling the computer with vegetable oil. The professionals will actually use their calibration equipment to test the integrity of the electronics as well as calibrate the equipment. Question: After you have stuck your knife, fork, and spoon in to your Aladin Pro and refilled it with Wesson oil; how will you know on your next dive that when it says you are at 100ft, you are at 100ft not 105ft?? The engineers who design equipment, I would venture to say, might know more than the people who buy it. Get a clue, let the pros do the work when your life is at stake McGyver!

No need to flame someone for having a good mechanical understanding. I'm by no means saying people should service their own stuff, but what I am saying is this: The two times I had diving gear repaired, it came back wrong and I had to take it back and exactly spell out what needed to be done. Ever noticed that the Scuba industry is desperate to make the rest of us believe how sensitive their equipment is and how you're dead if you even think about putting your hands on something? Why are they so desperate to talk their stuff up in this way? Because dive equipment basically has not changed since it was invented and compared to other mechanical equipment it's pretty much on the caveman side of the spectrum. If you don't feel comfortable servicing your gear, that is perfectly fine but it is not appropriate to scold other people for refusing to put their lives into the hands of some person they don't even know. Yes, that technician who services your stuff may be "factory-trained" and knows how to grease an o-ring Subapro-style as opposed to greasing it Sherwood-style, but if that person has three customers breathing down his neck, the phone ringing off the hook and doing a tank inspection while he is supposed to service your regulator, why do you consider that safe??????

 

[Hondroid]

It wasn't worth the hassle. I got as far as opening the unit. The battery terminals are spot welded to the battery. I have an electronics background but couldn't be bothered.

So I took the opened unit to my local dive shop and the owner of the shop said, "no prob I'll send it in they will still fix it". Got it back $100 Canadian and no headache for me.

It was the same unit I got back. He said they mail back to manufacturer and they replace the insides.

All in all to much of a hassle so I have a second unit, Apeks Quantum.

 

[Gary D.]

I have an early model that has a lot and I mean a lot of dives on it. When it got down to 10% I took it to the shop so they could send it back for a battery change. They said use it a while longer then bring it in. It was over six months and a couple of hundred dives later when it hit 5%. I wanted to see how far it would go so I kept relying on my other computer as the power level got a bit lower. It finally died at 4% and I guess it didn’t like the cold under the ice. Another one I’m around a lot died slightly below the 10% level.

What the original Uwatec people, not SP people, told me in warm water 10% is normally just fine but under cold conditions change it a little earlier.

I got mine when the Aladen Pro Air first came out and have had two $80.00 battery changes. But the battery change also includes a factory inspection and calibration. So I still think that spending $160.00 over roughly 15 or so years isn’t bad. That works out to only around $10.00 a year for batteries and having it maintained. My back up costs more in just batteries than the Aladen with batteries and service.

Some of the models have user friendly battery change kits that are very reasonable. Once you get the kit the next time go to one of the battery stores that specialize in just batteries. They will get you the right battery and solder the tabs on for you for just a few bucks, much less than from SP. They are the most trouble free unit I have ever had.

Gary D.

 

[elbicho]

what type of battery does the Aladin Pro (the one with the four contacts, one up and three down) use? Part number? size? etc.

 

[drbill]

Why, if you hit 5% yours did a lot better than mine! It died on an extended deco dive at 37% battery life remaining. Many we've seen around here have done the same with even more "battery life" remaining. I wasn't too pleased with having to send it in to Scubapro to simply have a battery changed. Very happy that my ScubaPro Tec 2G doesn't require that.

 

[elbicho]

I have changed the battery in my Aladin Pro and now the computer shows a constant
'ERR'. How do I reset it?

(the one with the single contact on the top and the three contacts on the bottom, and is oil filled)