Perdix AI AA Battery

[hazmat]

correct, it's smart but it's not that smart

Damn I feel duped.

 

[HKGuns]

My Safts finally arrived. I'm impressed that the Perdix seems to be able to automatically detect the battery type. I didn't expect that. Am I correct that even though the battery meter can't show the gradual decline, if you go to the battery info in the settings, it will show the real-time voltage of the battery?

Mine arrived as well and I too was surprised it recognized them as Saft batteries.

 

[gopbroek]

I had my Perdix repaired last week due to a manufacture error 4 years ago and their customer service was outstanding and never a question of warranty expiration. Their customer service is the best I have ever seen.

The gentleman running Divetronics called me and asked which brand of batteries I used and if they were Duracell's. I told him no typically I use 'Amazon basic' batteries but had no idea who makes them for Amazon. Turns out my Perdix battery compartment contacts were tarnished (I had 4 1/2 years and around 450 dives on the computer). The tarnished contacts were a sign of battery leakage. I found out that just about every Alkaline battery made has leakage issues and Duracell's being pretty bad on this issue. This was not an issue in my case as they were swapping my computers internals to a new computer body, but:

Shearwater has repaired 600 computers in the last year at a charge of $400 each due to battery leakage.

Shearwater now recommends either Energizer Ultimate Lithium or Saft batteries due to battery leakage problems. Then it got even more interesting on the issue of Saft batteries. He recommended only buying them from Battery Junction or other vendors who get them directly from Saft, do not trust internet sales on Saft batteries. Turns out that worldwide many medical device and equipment manufactures require Saft only batteries and due to medical safety policies and concerns they are on a strict time change schedule regardless of the state of charge. This creates an opportunity for less than scrupulous technicians and maintenance contractors to supply the gray market internet sellers with batteries of unknown capacity and condition. If you think you are getting a good deal on a Saft LA14500 over the internet, your probably not.
Another issue he brought up was that as long as there is a charge on the battery a Shearwater computer never turns off, the display may be off but the computer is running. He recommends pulling the battery if the computer is not going to be used for a few weeks and on power up clear the tissues and reset the time.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Shearwater now recommends either Energizer Ultimate Lithium or Saft batteries due to battery leakage problems. Then it got even more interesting on the issue of Saft batteries. He recommended only buying them from Battery Junction or other vendors who get them directly from Saft, do not trust internet sales on Saft batteries. Turns out that worldwide many medical device and equipment manufactures require Saft only batteries and due to medical safety policies and concerns they are on a strict time change schedule regardless of the state of charge. This creates an opportunity for less than scrupulous technicians and maintenance contractors to supply the gray market internet sellers with batteries of unknown capacity and condition. If you think you are getting a good deal on a Saft LA14500 over the internet, your probably not.

These issues have been well known for years. I switched to using nothing but energizer ultimate lithiums years ago in my two Petrel (when I owned them) & my Perdix AI has never seen anything else. If anyone still insists on using alkaline batteries in theirs, they do so at your own risk.

The issue with getting TRUE, reputable saft batteries is also nothing new. The minimal benefit of legit SAFT batteries isn’t worth the cost IMO.

Thank you for bringing these two issues to light … again.

 

[Marie13]

I only use the Energizer Ultimate. They work well in the cold water I dive and I can easily find them at any local store.

 

[tmassey]

I use Eneloop rechargeable LSD NiMH batteries. They last something like 10-15 dives of recreational or light-technical length. You won’t do a liveaboard vacation without swapping/charging, but an extra AA ain’t exactly heavy or bulky. And no danger of leaking short of physical damage.

The only ‘issue’ is that NiMH have a near-flat discharge curve until it falls off a cliff, so battery meters don’t give you much warning. But even then you’re pretty fine: I’ve done as many as four recreational dives after it hit yellow and never hit red (or shut down ). For technical dives, I charge them every few days and I never see yellow.

(I’ve probably already written this on this thread: I’m not searching 10 pages to find out…. I’m just surprised how many people put up with trying to find non-fraudulent versions of very expensive batteries or risk leaking in a $1000 piece of technology.)

 

[Lorenzoid]

I have always used Duracell in mine, but made sure to replace the battery long before the voltage got low. It has been my understanding that alkaline batteries don't leak until the voltage gets low, but maybe that's not so clear-cut? I recently had to have Shearwater replace a battery cap on a Petrel due to corrosion. (GREAT customer service yada yada--they even threw in some Shearwater swag with an apology for taking so long to get it shipped out to me.) I dislike rechargeables because it means yet another charger to bring on a trip, and with lithium, the safety concerns with charging unattended.

 

[Stoo]

Great info. I've always used lithium batteries in my Petral and Perdix computers and never had any issues. I don't pull the batteries in quiet times, but maybe I'll start!

 

[Whitrzac]

I have always used Duracell in mine, but made sure to replace the battery long before the voltage got low. It has been my understanding that alkaline batteries don't leak until the voltage gets low, but maybe that's not so clear-cut? I recently had to have Shearwater replace a battery cap on a Petrel due to corrosion. (GREAT customer service yada yada--they even threw in some Shearwater swag with an apology for taking so long to get it shipped out to me.) I dislike rechargeables because it means yet another charger to bring on a trip, and with lithium, the safety concerns with charging unattended.

You dont charge the energizer lithiums...

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I have always used Duracell in mine, but made sure to replace the battery long before the voltage got low. It has been my understanding that alkaline batteries don't leak until the voltage gets low, but maybe that's not so clear-cut? I recently had to have Shearwater replace a battery cap on a Petrel due to corrosion. (GREAT customer service yada yada--they even threw in some Shearwater swag with an apology for taking so long to get it shipped out to me.) I dislike rechargeables because it means yet another charger to bring on a trip, and with lithium, the safety concerns with charging unattended.

It's obviously your computer but putting an alkaline battery in a $1,000 dive computer when they are known to leak and result in a $400 repair just seems penny wise but pound foolish. The energizer ultimate lithium batteries are NOT rechargeable lithium batteries. They are single use lithium AAs sold pretty much everyplace you can buy an alkaline AA. They cost a few dollars more but last longer and do not leak like alkaline batteries.