XR1 keeps flooding, Mares Puck any better?

[divezonescuba]

After changing the battery on my Aeris XR1, it keeps flooding. If you look at the design, its no wonder it doesn't seal reliably. What's the point of having a user replaceable battery if there's a high degree of probability its going to leak when you change it yourself.

I'd like to get a Mares Puck, but I am leary of having the same problem. There's a ton of warnings in the manual about changing the battery. The battery changing process looks similar to the XRs in that you close the cover by turning it 1/8th around.

Has anyone successfully changed out the Mares Puck battery themselves without having the computer flood?

Hows the battery life also?

 

[WVDiver]

I have two XR 1's an XR 2 and an old Atmos I. I change the batteries and I am always worried about flooding. Having said that I have been careful or lucky enough that I have not flooded one yet. Do you just change your battery using the old o-ring or do you get the replacement kit?

 

[divezonescuba]

I used new orings from official aeris battery packs.

 

[WVDiver]

I need to start doing that also. I am pushing my luck just running to Wal-Mart and grabbing a battery.

 

[gcbryan]

I agree 100% regarding the poor battery compartment design. It's not that they aren't sealing because you aren't putting them back together correctly. It's that it's impossible to get the clear cap off without putting a scratch on the sealing surface as you try to get the cap off.

The Oceanic computers seal the same way and Suunto computers are almost the same. I bought a Tusa IQ-700 because of the battery compartment (among other reasons). You use a quarter to turn a flat screwed cap and drop the battery in. The o-ring falls into a groove and can't go anywhere else. You can do this on a boat or in the parking lot it you need to. Try that with the XR1!

I bought the Tusa after flooding two computers within two days of each other after changing the batteries. One was the XR1 and the other was an Oceanic Veo 200.

Both were replaced. I sold the XR1, kept the Oceanic Veo 200 and bought the Tusa IQ-700 to be sure I'd have a working computer after changing a battery.

That method of changing a battery is just ridiculous. In the manual regarding changing the battery it says when you get to the clear cap just turn the computer over and the cap will fall off. It warns not to use tools to get it off or you may scratch the battery compartment sealing area.

That might work if your computer has never been in the water but if you actually use your computer diving that cap becomes sealed by pressure with no way to release the pressure other than by pulling/prying/playing around with the cap. It's just stupid.

 

[Caribsailor]

After changing the battery on my Aeris XR1, it keeps flooding. If you look at the design, its no wonder it doesn't seal reliably. What's the point of having a user replaceable battery if there's a high degree of probability its going to leak when you change it yourself.

I'd like to get a Mares Puck, but I am leary of having the same problem. There's a ton of warnings in the manual about changing the battery. The battery changing process looks similar to the XRs in that you close the cover by turning it 1/8th around.

Has anyone successfully changed out the Mares Puck battery themselves without having the computer flood?

Hows the battery life also?

I have a Puck I purchased 3 years ago. Has worked flawlessly until three weeks ago, and on a dive it died. Well it didn't activate at depth. I changed the battery and it died a week later, I changed that battery and it died again,a week later. Both bought from the same shop. I bought a third battery from a camera shop, and I am showing low battery after 5 days.
I'm not sure if it is my remote location and battery supply, or if it is the computer. I placed the puck in my hearing aid dehydrator for week, just in case it may have had moisture before the third battery change.

Just my results.

Cheers

 

[RonFrank]

I have had god luck changing the battery in my Aeris computers. I try them out by taking showers with them. If you see moister inside start over. If your worried about flooding them have a shop change the battery.

 

[hubbles]

You can also use a small suction cup to remove the clear cover on an Aeris Computer (or any computer with a smooth backed battery door) to remove any risk of damaging the sealing surface with a tool.

 

[divezonescuba]

I see that this thread has be resurrected. I did end up buying a Mares puck and was quite pleased with it. The battery door is much more robust. I ended up selling it after a few months to a student as we didn't carry Mares in the shop.

The student reported poor battery life. Not all CR2450s are created equal. I bought several off name brands that did not last long for them. However, the Sonys and Energizers appear to work fine.

 

[johnboywalton]

That and the prongs on Aeris computers like the XR1 are flimsy.

One big difference between the Puck and the XR1 is that the latter requires that damn key. The former is a conventional coin-turned locking cap.

As another poster mentioned, the batteries for these things come in varying degrees of quality. I've had the best luck so far with batteries made by Panasonic. Those go on for months. Energizers die after a couple of weeks, if they last even that long.