Short version:
I fried my Genesis 2.1 using an aftermarket charger. I shipped the tube and warp core to Jon at Logic. He received it yesterday and it is repaired - for a reasonable price - and on its way back to me today.
Long version:
I got a Satiator 75V battery charger from Grin Technologies. I like it because it is "smart" and programmable. I have different profiles setup for charging the scooter while stored versus just before a dive.
The standard charger from Logic charges the Genesis at a max of 4 amps of current. I thought I would be clever and create a charging profile in the Satiator to charge the scooter at 5A, in case I was really in a hurry. I did that and tested it and found that 5A would trip the internal safeties and stop charging. But, feeding it 4.9A worked. Little did I know....
That was all when I had basically just gotten my Genesis. Once I was done messing around with that stuff, it was mostly just sitting, as I don't get to dive with a scooter all that often. I used the iPhone BMS app to check the battery charge level periodically and noticed that it seemed to be running down and need a top-up charge more often that I was expecting, but I didn't really have a base of experience to judge it, so I just put it on charge about once a month and didn't worry about it.
About a month ago, I went on a dive boat and took my Genesis. I again thought I was being smart and did not put the charging connector cover on when I loaded the scooter on the boat. I keep it clipped to the bolt snap on the tow cord, so I figured I would just put the cover on right before I splashed. The boat was small and seas were choppy. We got sprayed a lot on the way out. At one point on the ride out, for some reason I don't remember, I touched the charging pins. They were wet and my fingers were wet. I got a serious zap. I didn't know any better and just thought "well, don't do that again."
Of course, I forgot to install the charging cover before I splashed. But, as the crew was handing me the scooter down from the boat, I did remember. So, I put it on right there floating on the surface. The charging pins were exposed to seawater for maybe 30 seconds. As I put the cover on, I noticed that there were a lot of bubbles coming from the pins. Not bubbles from a leak. Bubbles like you see from electrolysis. Okay. Well, glad I remembered to put the cover on right at the start! The scooter worked fine all day. I removed the cover again after we were back at the dock and then rinsed the scooter really well at home before putting it back in the garage.
Cue a month later and I go to charge it before leaving last week on a trip. It wouldn't charge. One of the charging pins was actually burned down to so thin that it was no longer making contact inside the charger cable.
I shipped the tube with warp core to Jon and got the verdict yesterday.
Apparently, when I put it on the charger at 4.9A (for only 5 - 10 minutes), the isolation diode got hot enough to melt the solder around it, which flowed together and created a short. Jon removed the diode and said it still tested fine.
That short (apparently) caused the charging relays to be powered up all the time, which is why the scooter was discharging in storage so rapidly. And also why I got zapped by the pins when I touched them with my wet finger, and why there were so many bubbles coming from the pins when I put it in seawater with the cover off. There's not supposed to be high voltage to whatever pin I touched except when the charger is connected.
The repair was to replace the charging connector on the nose, unshort the shorted solder, replace the diode (just to be sure), an hour of labor, and shipping to get it back to me. The cost of my "cleverness" was very reasonable, and I cannot say enough good things about Jon getting it turned around in 1 day!
So, learn from my mistake, please. Use the charger that came with the Genesis. Or at least don't charge it at more than 4A, and make sure you are using a good quality charger (which, in my case, I am).
And be glad you have a Genesis (if you do). I cannot imagine getting a repair like this done by any other manufacturer in remotely this short a time period. And probably not nearly as cheaply, either. I shipped it from FL last Tuesday. 4 business days to get there. 1 day turnaround. You really can NOT ask for better than that!
I fried my Genesis 2.1 using an aftermarket charger. I shipped the tube and warp core to Jon at Logic. He received it yesterday and it is repaired - for a reasonable price - and on its way back to me today.
Long version:
I got a Satiator 75V battery charger from Grin Technologies. I like it because it is "smart" and programmable. I have different profiles setup for charging the scooter while stored versus just before a dive.
The standard charger from Logic charges the Genesis at a max of 4 amps of current. I thought I would be clever and create a charging profile in the Satiator to charge the scooter at 5A, in case I was really in a hurry. I did that and tested it and found that 5A would trip the internal safeties and stop charging. But, feeding it 4.9A worked. Little did I know....
That was all when I had basically just gotten my Genesis. Once I was done messing around with that stuff, it was mostly just sitting, as I don't get to dive with a scooter all that often. I used the iPhone BMS app to check the battery charge level periodically and noticed that it seemed to be running down and need a top-up charge more often that I was expecting, but I didn't really have a base of experience to judge it, so I just put it on charge about once a month and didn't worry about it.
About a month ago, I went on a dive boat and took my Genesis. I again thought I was being smart and did not put the charging connector cover on when I loaded the scooter on the boat. I keep it clipped to the bolt snap on the tow cord, so I figured I would just put the cover on right before I splashed. The boat was small and seas were choppy. We got sprayed a lot on the way out. At one point on the ride out, for some reason I don't remember, I touched the charging pins. They were wet and my fingers were wet. I got a serious zap. I didn't know any better and just thought "well, don't do that again."
Of course, I forgot to install the charging cover before I splashed. But, as the crew was handing me the scooter down from the boat, I did remember. So, I put it on right there floating on the surface. The charging pins were exposed to seawater for maybe 30 seconds. As I put the cover on, I noticed that there were a lot of bubbles coming from the pins. Not bubbles from a leak. Bubbles like you see from electrolysis. Okay. Well, glad I remembered to put the cover on right at the start! The scooter worked fine all day. I removed the cover again after we were back at the dock and then rinsed the scooter really well at home before putting it back in the garage.
Cue a month later and I go to charge it before leaving last week on a trip. It wouldn't charge. One of the charging pins was actually burned down to so thin that it was no longer making contact inside the charger cable.
I shipped the tube with warp core to Jon and got the verdict yesterday.
Apparently, when I put it on the charger at 4.9A (for only 5 - 10 minutes), the isolation diode got hot enough to melt the solder around it, which flowed together and created a short. Jon removed the diode and said it still tested fine.
That short (apparently) caused the charging relays to be powered up all the time, which is why the scooter was discharging in storage so rapidly. And also why I got zapped by the pins when I touched them with my wet finger, and why there were so many bubbles coming from the pins when I put it in seawater with the cover off. There's not supposed to be high voltage to whatever pin I touched except when the charger is connected.
The repair was to replace the charging connector on the nose, unshort the shorted solder, replace the diode (just to be sure), an hour of labor, and shipping to get it back to me. The cost of my "cleverness" was very reasonable, and I cannot say enough good things about Jon getting it turned around in 1 day!
So, learn from my mistake, please. Use the charger that came with the Genesis. Or at least don't charge it at more than 4A, and make sure you are using a good quality charger (which, in my case, I am).
And be glad you have a Genesis (if you do). I cannot imagine getting a repair like this done by any other manufacturer in remotely this short a time period. And probably not nearly as cheaply, either. I shipped it from FL last Tuesday. 4 business days to get there. 1 day turnaround. You really can NOT ask for better than that!
