PLB battery replacement

McMurdo FastFind Max G Battery Replacement

Has anyone had the batter replaced in their McMurdo FastFind Max G yet?

If so, how much did it cost you?

Thanks
Colm

www.sparesmarine.co.uk

I had my FastFind 210 done for £87.94 inc VAT + return shipping. It was a next day service (I sent it on Monday, they received Tuesday, I got it back Wednesday)

But, looking at their website, it appears the Max G is ‘DIY-able’:-

http://www.sparesmarine.co.uk/webshop/epirbs-plbs/fastfind-plb/mcmurdo-fastfind-plb-spares/mcmurdo-85-763-020a-fastfind-replacement-battery-kit-20-degree/

Replacement Standard -20 Degree Battery Pack Kit including screw, rubber O-rings and fitting instructions for you, the end-user to safely perform the task yourself.

Thanks Steve.

I was quoted with a charge of about €100 over the phone for replacing our battery. When it was done, I was billed €217 denying any knowledge of the original quote. The charge was €160 for the battery and remainder for the replacement (and presumably postage cost of returning it).

So I was just trying to get an idea if the original quote was a genuine error, for someone taking the P. The link you give show a charge of £110stg so about €130 for the battery. Looks like it might have been a bit of both to me.

Thanks!

There is a limited number of lithium battery shapes out there, and if you open up an ELT you can see an easy way to re-make the battery pack.

The problem is that, according to some, a DIY replacement is not legal because you cannot generate a release form e.g. EASA-1

For for a handheld unit, it can’t matter. But you need to do it very carefully, due to the fire potential.

I have just sent mine

to Sartech as usual and they came back with £260 for a battery pack. Apparently McMurdo are trying to get everybody to bin these PLBs and buy new ones…

So it is coming back to me. I have nothing to lose so I will open it up and see what batteries it uses and report

The above Sparesmarine link says £169 which is not much better.

I have just got it back from Sartech (which was going to replace the battery).

The battery pack is sealed; no way to get into it

The terminals, which evidently connect directly to the battery pack, still measure 12.6V. So I am not going to cut it open. Anything above 12V is described as OK in the MM.

I think opening it would damage it, so it would be a one-off procedure, where the case would be broken, batteries replaced, and the case re-sealed with epoxy.

Sparesmarine are selling the above pack for £170 and it takes about 5 mins to DIY change it. Just one screw.

I am facing again the periodic problem of replacing the costly battery pack for my McMurdo Fastfind plus.
I opened an old pack that I bought in 2011 and replaced in 2015.
With my big surprise I found inside seven common Energizer Lithium AA cells 1.5V L91 format . You can find it everywhere on the web.
But my biggest surprise was to read the expiry date on the cell: 03-2023 which is still to come.
I investigated on the specs of these cells and I found that the shelf life declared is 20 years!!
Now taking into account that these celles are never used or activated (unless of the periodic test to see if they are alive) I wonder why the McMurdo manufacturer specifies to replaced it every five years.
Nuccio

[ image fixed – can just be drag/dropped in – see Posting Tips ]

Are there not two terminals on the battery pack (which is removable) on which you can measure the voltage?

That is better than chucking the battery pack away.

Peter wrote:

Peter09-Dec-21 20:1509
Are there not two terminals on the battery pack (which is removable) on which you can measure the voltage?

That is better than chucking the battery pack away.

Not sure to understand your point Peter.
Of course there are two terminals but I obeyed to the battery expiry date reported on the pack and replaced it as per manufacturer indications. I have done three time during the last 15 years.
Now my intent was to see what is inside and try to replace the inside batteries by myself and avoid the considerable expence of about 200€.
I did that opening an old pack that I did not throw away six years ago.
It is now that I discovered that the cells inside are still within the cell exipiry date (2023) but I replaced the pack in 2015, just only 5 years from the installation.

Today I have a battery pack installed whose expiry date is 2022. It is very likely that the cells inside will exipire in 2030 or later.
That’s to say that this time I will not replace the battery pack as per manufacturer indications and I will wait for other 10 years at least.