Scubanomad
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Is it safe to buy the battery kit for the Suunto Mosquito online or go to the LDS?
Suunto replacement battery kit
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RonFrank
Contributor
It does not matter where you get the battery as long as its fresh (exp 2015 or so). The gasket maybe harder to find and you may end up paying $3 or more for this penny gasket. Yours may not need replacing, but its not a bad idea.
If you can find a watch repair shop that can sell you the battery, replace it, and leak check its generally reasonable to have them do the work. If they send it out its more expensive as you pay a middleman. Scuba shops leak test batteries and they may be cheaper vs. going to a jewelry shop that sends it out.
This is not hard to do yourself. Clean the battery cover well, replace the gasket as needed, and use silicone on the gasket. If you are going to replace it yourself it is not a bad idea to wear it in the shower for a week or have it professionally checked. If its leaking it will get condensation inside. At that point you need to air it out and figure out what is not sealed. If it goes a week without issue its likely OK.
If you can find a watch repair shop that can sell you the battery, replace it, and leak check its generally reasonable to have them do the work. If they send it out its more expensive as you pay a middleman. Scuba shops leak test batteries and they may be cheaper vs. going to a jewelry shop that sends it out.
This is not hard to do yourself. Clean the battery cover well, replace the gasket as needed, and use silicone on the gasket. If you are going to replace it yourself it is not a bad idea to wear it in the shower for a week or have it professionally checked. If its leaking it will get condensation inside. At that point you need to air it out and figure out what is not sealed. If it goes a week without issue its likely OK.
Bubbletrubble
Contributor
I have personal experience doing several battery changes on this particular Suunto dive computer. The Mosquito has been my go-to dive computer for the better part of a decade now.
Whether you purchase the official Suunto battery replacement kit online or pay for it at your LDS...it's the same item. Beware that some Ebay retailers sell an unofficial Suunto battery replacement kit for the D3/Mosquito which consists of only a battery, an o-ring, and some lube. The unofficial kit lacks the critical piece of a replacement plastic battery compartment cover (see later for a full explanation) and a gold-colored metal battery contact plate.
As RonFrank pointed out, the only part in the kit with a shelf-life is the battery. In my opinion, however, the real value of the official kit is the inclusion of the replacement plastic battery compartment cover. That's the one piece that has a high likelihood of being damaged during the battery replacement process.
Before undertaking DIY battery replacement, ask your LDS what level of service the shop is willing to provide. If you're lucky, for the price of just the official battery replacement kit ($15-$20), the shop will do the battery replacement for you and throw in a pressure test to ensure that the computer is waterproof after the procedure. The nice thing about this is that if the process leads to any computer flooding, the shop might be willing to work with you on getting a replacement computer. If you flood the computer doing DIY battery replacement, you're on your own.
Here are some tips that you might find helpful if you choose to undertake DIY battery replacement:
Hope this helps...
Whether you purchase the official Suunto battery replacement kit online or pay for it at your LDS...it's the same item. Beware that some Ebay retailers sell an unofficial Suunto battery replacement kit for the D3/Mosquito which consists of only a battery, an o-ring, and some lube. The unofficial kit lacks the critical piece of a replacement plastic battery compartment cover (see later for a full explanation) and a gold-colored metal battery contact plate.
As RonFrank pointed out, the only part in the kit with a shelf-life is the battery. In my opinion, however, the real value of the official kit is the inclusion of the replacement plastic battery compartment cover. That's the one piece that has a high likelihood of being damaged during the battery replacement process.
Before undertaking DIY battery replacement, ask your LDS what level of service the shop is willing to provide. If you're lucky, for the price of just the official battery replacement kit ($15-$20), the shop will do the battery replacement for you and throw in a pressure test to ensure that the computer is waterproof after the procedure. The nice thing about this is that if the process leads to any computer flooding, the shop might be willing to work with you on getting a replacement computer. If you flood the computer doing DIY battery replacement, you're on your own.
Here are some tips that you might find helpful if you choose to undertake DIY battery replacement:
- It is good practice to measure the voltage of the fresh replacement battery prior to installation. This prevents installation of a less-than-fully-charged battery and will facilitate troubleshooting should the computer malfunction after the installation.
- Expect that, even after rotating the battery case cover to the "open" position, the case cover will not come up easily. Releasing that plastic case cover may take some gentle prying with a sharp object. Whatever you do, do not mar the body of the dive computer. If a piece must be sacrificed, damage the plastic case cover since its replacement is included in the official battery replacement kit.
- If you are very careful when going through the prying process, you might be able to reuse the plastic battery compartment cover. I've been able to reuse one cover up to 3 times...but I'm a very careful, patient person. I have reused the gold-colored battery contact piece on multiple occasions with no issues. I have also reused the o-ring a couple of times without incident. YMMV. The safest route is probably just to use a new o-ring and new battery compartment cover from one of the official kits.
- With regard to ensuring that the battery compartment is waterproof after the procedure, the best thing to do is get the computer pressure tested. The next best thing, in my opinion, is to submerge the watch in a glass of water and look for early signs of water infiltration. If it looks to be waterproof after a few minutes, it makes sense to leave the computer in the glass for an extended period and at some point transfer it to a bucket of water where it will be subjected to slightly greater ambient pressure -- at every stage you should be checking for water infiltration. The rationale behind this is that it will be easier to salvage the computer with clean, fresh water infiltration vs. saltwater infiltration on your first real world dive. In addition, it also makes sense to closely monitor the computer for water infiltration on your first couple of real world dives.
Hope this helps...
OP
Scubanomad
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thanks, makes sense., just ordered the battery kit for the Suunto Mosquito online
My husband ordered a battery kit on eBay for my Suunto Cobra. It came within a few days with all parts necessary. He installed the battery and my computer works perfectly. Get to try it out in 7 days and counting! in Cozumel....yes!
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