Uwatec Aladin Pro battery life

[Nomad]

I can see where that would be frustrating.

A few years ago I bought a car that, unknown to me, the fuel light didn't work. The next weekend me and some buddies took it on a roadtrip.

I kept driving it, waiting for the light to come on and tell me it was time to buy more gas, but it never lit up.

The car eventually stopped anyway. And I was MILES from the nearest gas station. That will always be a fond memory...

 

[HowardE]

Received an answer from Uwatec (Johnson) to my question as to why the battery went at 39%. The battery life is determined by a mathematical table rather than a direct measurement of the actual voltage. Wish I'd known that ahead of time! It was probably programmed by graduates of the New Math!

That's good to know... My SmartCom says 89% battery life, and I have 103 dives (about 90 hours) of use... Now I'll probably change my battery at like 50% now just to be safe... since it is free battery replacement for life.

 

[mahjong]

drbill was talking about a completely different family of Uwatec computers...the Pro, Sport, and Ultra/Nitrox...these don't use common watch batteries...and should be replaced by Uwatec--not user replaceable...the Prime uses a common watch battery and is user replaceable...my Prime came with a Renata battery...you might do a bit better with a Duracell...Mahjong

5 years??? 1000 dives??? My prime did'nt get through one full season! At least I can change the battery myself, but still think it was WAY too short for battery life. I hope the battery was defective in some way. Time will tell.

 

[mahjong]

exactly how the X-tek differs from the S-tek...I do have an S-tek harness, with a new Rec-tek wing and a very nice Trav-tek Wing (shoulder dump and corrugated hose and inflator are brand new, bladder and cover are in very good shape). Besides a 20# weight pocket system misadvertised as for the S-tek but in fact was for a Classic or Accent, the only other S-tek purchase I have made was a few months ago: a brand new wing advertised as a Trav-tek and which I assumed was a 29# wing with five retainer clips for the S-tek...in fact, the wing was a 17# Soniform with only two retainer clips, neither of which aligned with the Velcro strips on my S-tek harness...So, I'm wondering of this early model Trav-tek might have fit the X-tek harness??? In any case, I returned it, because it was advertised only as an S-tek wing--but this was a mighty cool wing (if you are interested, I can put you in touch with the Atlanta Dive Shop that put the up for auction on Ebay--I believe they might still have it, as I haven't seen it come up for auction again). I'm still trying to hunt down a new Trav-tek--29#, and also a set of smaller 20# (10# each side) weight pockets. What weight system do you use with yours? I have the large Scubapro weight pockets--I believe 32# system. Mahjong

Yep, Mahjong, have to wonder about the original mathematical table used to estimate battery life... especially since I was told by the sales person that it was pretty accurate.

By the way... quit outbidding me on SP X-Tek equipment on E-Bay (just teasing ya, you saved me a bit of money by doing so!).

 

[neonstingray]

If you're wondering how the Aladin's calculate their remaining battery, they do so based on how long the computer is in use, and then add an arbitrary additional factor for gradual loss while turned off.

Mine therefore went dead at 70% because I had it sitting without use much longer than they had factored into the little calculation. So say for example that they decide to setup the calculation assuming that for every 1 hour of use, the computer will sit turned off for 2 weeks. Then if you don't let your comp sit without use for more than 2 weeks for every 1 hour of use, you're battery indicator would be pretty accurate, because the slow loss while turned off would be properly accounted for. In my case, my battery went dead after 7 years but less than 25 dives, because the calculation never assumed I'd be letting it sit so long without using it. Which is why it said I still had 70% left.
Of couse I could be mistaken about this explaination, because I only read about it from someone else who had spoken to uwatec.

Also, the batteries in the older Aladin's aren't replaceable because the inside of the comp, including the batteries, is incased in a block of epoxy. This makes the thing leak proof to god know's how deep, but makes changing the battery...well...you can imagine that...

Austin

 

[mahjong]

Sounds like a sound explanation, Austin. Now I have to wonder when my brand new/never wet Aladin Air will crap out--it appears to have left the factory on 10/12/2000. It only has the half dozen or so factory test dives recorded in the log. % battery life remaining is 74%. I literally received it yesterday and was planning to take it out for two cold water dives (~40 degrees) on 12 March. Now I'll have to think about it. Mahjong

 

[neonstingray]

Well, bring along a backup depth gauge I guess? lol

btw, mine's an aladin air. I liked it alot until it went dead. I had bought 2 from leisurepro back when I was newly certified and not smart enough to know the problems one can run into with LP. So the computer was warrantied by them, but not uwatec/scubapro. When the batteries went dead on both comps (I have 2, since my brother dives with me), leisurepro had to reimburse me for the $240 scubapro charged to replace the batteries. I can't imagine they were too happy about that. They're probably kicking themselves for giving a lifetime warranty equivalent to scubapro without realizing they couldn't change the batteries in their own shop, and now have to lose $120 everytime the batteries need to get changed in one of those.

Austin

 

[drbill]

the only other S-tek purchase I have made was a few months ago: a brand new wing advertised as a Trav-tek and which I assumed was a 29# wing with five retainer clips for the S-tek...in fact, the wing was a 17# Soniform with only two retainer clips, neither of which aligned with the Velcro strips on my S-tek harness...So, I'm wondering of this early model Trav-tek might have fit the X-tek harness??? In any case, I returned it, because it was advertised only as an S-tek wing--but this was a mighty cool wing (if you are interested, I can put you in touch with the Atlanta Dive Shop that put the up for auction on Ebay--I believe they might still have it, as I haven't seen it come up for auction again.

I think this was the auction in Dec. we both won one of the wings on. I was surprised that it was the 17# Soniform too. Mine arrived with the nipple you screw the inflator on broken and the guy hasn't answered my last three PM's. Grrr. I'm about to give him a bad rating.