Newly bought Aladin Square possibly with DOA battery

[frada]

I bought my Aladin Square and its "SHARC" USB interface from an authorized ScubaPro's internet dealer but until now I was unable to switch it on for the first time; as specified in the short printed manual attached to the DC, it is shipped in an hibernation status to preserve the battery until the first use and it addresses to the complete user manual to find the procedure to switch the DC on for the very first time. However, nonetheless I have carefully read the entire manual, it seems that there is not any note about this procedure.

The DC switches on only when I connect it to my PC by means of the SHARC interface and stays on only until the USB connector is plugged to the PC; as soon as I disconnect the interface from the DC or the USB cable from the PC, it switches off again. This makes me suspicious that the DC's battery or the DC itself is DOA.

What can I do now? Is there any procedure to check the battery status without opening the DC? Should I return the product to the seller to have the battery or the entire product replaced by a new one? Alternatively can I go to the nearest local ScubaPro's dealer and have the battery replaced in warranty?

Any ScubaPro's official answer will be appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[JulesSCUBAPRO]

The quickest resolution is to go to an authorized dealer and have the battery replaced. Please have the dealer call Technical services if there are any questions.

 

[frada]

Thank you Jules; the internet seller agreed to recall the DC and to substitute it with a new one. I asked the seller to test the new product before the shipment.
Regards.

 

[frada]

Hi Jules,

I just received my new Aladin Square in replacement of the first one but, nonetheless this one now switches on, the initial battery check reports "Low"!

According to the user's guide this means that the DC is not usable in diving for safety reasons.

As an electric engineer I perfectly know that all batteries are prone to a self-dicharge phenomena even when not in use but, in my opinion, ScubaPro should instruct its authorized delears on how to check their products prior to ship them.

What should I do now? Request another substitution waiting another week with the risk to receive another Aladin with a battery already fully drained?

Many of the local ScubaPro's authorized resellers are now closed for season's holidays, and this means that I should wait 2 or more weeks for the simple battery substitution.

I'm sorry but I'm thinking to request an RMA with full refund to the seller.

 

[oly5050user]

Curious on which authorized internet dealer this is ..based in USA or overseas,Spain ?

 

[frada]

Curious on which authorized internet dealer this is ..based in USA or overseas,Spain ?

Hi oly5050user,


the internet dealer is italian (I am italian too and I live in italy...) and ships the ScubaPro's products from Italy; he is really a ScubaPro authorized dealer (I checked on the ScubaPro website).

They accepted to replace the first DOA Aladin with a new one at their expenses but, as it seems, they have not checked the new one (as I asked expicitly at the RMA request) prior to ship it.

Just now I had an answer from the nearest local ScubaPro dealer: he is not able to replace the Aladin battery in its laboratory because this is not a regular procedure; I should ship the DC at my expenses to the ScubaPro italian headquarter! But if they taken 7 days to answer to my first email, how many days they will require to replace my DC's battery or the DC itself?

I'm afraid but I will request a new RMA to the internet dealer with a full refund; I will choose another model.

It seems that until now the Aladin Square has had a brief but unhappy history; in 2014 an entire production batch has been recalled for sealing problems and there are many reports for the short battery life (now there are two more...); hope this is only an unhappy coincidence...


EDIT: another local ScubaPro seller just anwered to my assistance request: he will replace the Aladin battery at no cost to give me the possibility to use the DC until an official check in the ScubaPro's laboratories.