SUUNTO Battery Replacement?

I have a Suunto "SPYDER" wrist computer which I purchased in Europe
(with world-wide warranty) a few years ago.

I recently noticed that the battery is dead (no display at all), and I
was wondering if I have to send it out for battery replacement, or can I
do it myself?

I thought I remembered reading that ONLY an authorized Suunto Dealer can
replace the battery and guarantee complete water-proofness etc...

I live in Southern CA, any ideas or info. would be
appreciated--including approximate cost.

TIA,
HB

try finding the store nearest you, and ask them

http://www.suunto.com/pls/suunto/suu...npage.frameset




"Harley Baldwin" <harleybaldwin@att.net> wrote in message
news:3F332AE5.8050001@att.net...
> I have a Suunto "SPYDER" wrist computer which I purchased in Europe
> (with world-wide warranty) a few years ago.
>
> I recently noticed that the battery is dead (no display at all), and I
> was wondering if I have to send it out for battery replacement, or can I
> do it myself?
>
> I thought I remembered reading that ONLY an authorized Suunto Dealer can
> replace the battery and guarantee complete water-proofness etc...
>
> I live in Southern CA, any ideas or info. would be
> appreciated--including approximate cost.
>
> TIA,
> HB
>


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The manual is online at:

http://www.suunto.com/pls/suunto/doc.../Spyder_UK.pdf

It says, "Water resistance of the unit must be checked after
replacement of the battery, mineral crystal or buttons. This check
requires special equipment and training."

In another part it also give the battery specs as, "One 3V lithium CR
2430 + O-Ring 38.50mm x 1.00mm 70 ShA."

The Mosquito manual has the same words about the water resistance
test. However, it also bills itself as "user replaceable" and gives
instructions for making the change which the Spyder manual does not.

I've changed the battery on my Mosquito and the "special equipment" I
used to check the water resistance was about 60fsw. The Mosquito was
pretty simple.

For the Spyder, I'd probably get it to an authorized dealer if I had
the time, but carry a spare battery for when I didn't. Flood
insurance might not be a bad idea....

-rje


> I have a Suunto "SPYDER" wrist computer which I purchased in Europe
> (with world-wide warranty) a few years ago.
>
> I recently noticed that the battery is dead (no display at all), and I
> was wondering if I have to send it out for battery replacement, or can I
> do it myself?
>
> I thought I remembered reading that ONLY an authorized Suunto Dealer can
> replace the battery and guarantee complete water-proofness etc...

aqua-lung used to service suunto electronics but no longer does. Too
bad too, they're in carlsbad, ca. The ***only*** place that now
services suunto in the entire USA is www.underseas.com. I met the
owner last year on a live-aboard, really nice. They also have
excellent service, they can turn your watch around in a few days.
Print out the service form they have on the website and mail it in w/
you watch. You'll get it back good as new shortly.

the form:
http://www.underseas.com/resource/service.pdf

where to mail it:
Underseas Scuba Center
611 North Addison
Villa Park, IL 60181

-lance smith


Harley Baldwin <harleybaldwin@att.net> wrote in message news:<3F332AE5.8050001@att.net>...
> I have a Suunto "SPYDER" wrist computer which I purchased in Europe
> (with world-wide warranty) a few years ago.
>
> I recently noticed that the battery is dead (no display at all), and I
> was wondering if I have to send it out for battery replacement, or can I
> do it myself?
>
> I thought I remembered reading that ONLY an authorized Suunto Dealer can
> replace the battery and guarantee complete water-proofness etc...
>
> I live in Southern CA, any ideas or info. would be
> appreciated--including approximate cost.
>
> TIA,
> HB

On 8 Aug 2003 23:10:55 -0700, outside@ziggyworks.com (lance smith)
wrote:

>aqua-lung used to service suunto electronics but no longer does. Too
>bad too, they're in carlsbad, ca. The ***only*** place that now
>services suunto in the entire USA is www.underseas.com. I met the
>owner last year on a live-aboard, really nice. They also have
>excellent service, they can turn your watch around in a few days.
>Print out the service form they have on the website and mail it in w/
>you watch. You'll get it back good as new shortly.
>
>the form:
>http://www.underseas.com/resource/service.pdf
>
>where to mail it:
>Underseas Scuba Center
>611 North Addison
>Villa Park, IL 60181
>
>-lance smith


$45 plus shipping both ways to replace a $3 battery and $0.50
O-ring.... or install a $10 kit if one buys the battery and O-ring
from the LDS?

I think I'll take my chances and do it myself.

Oh... but it's life support and $45 a year is cheap insurance.
Right.
It would be, but add to that other once-a-year costs.... VIP, $70 (5
tanks). Reg overhauls, $150 if I do it myself, $300 if I have the
shop do it. Scooter checkout, $350+shipping both ways.

No... I think I'll change my own batteries.

I really have a hard time believing that a small dive shop in Illinois
that doesn't even have a pool on-site is the only authorized repair
center for Suunto computers. What are they going to do if there's a
bad part on the PC board? That's a factory-level repair (most likely
unit trade out).
The items listed on the pdf sheet are simple items that any competent
tech can do.

Sorry, but I'm a bit skeptical.



--- Rich
http://richlockyer.tripod.com/

Rich Lockyer <rlockyer@linkline.DONTSPAMME.com> wrote:
>
>
> $45 plus shipping both ways to replace a $3 battery and $0.50
> O-ring.... or install a $10 kit if one buys the battery and O-ring
> from the LDS?
>
> I think I'll take my chances and do it myself.


There are good values and bad out there everywhere.

However, one thing that I will say on the general question of "User" vs
"Factory" dive computer battery replacements is that whenever I used to
send my ancient USD Monitor I in for a factory battery service, not only
did the battery get replaced, but the entire dive computer got a
check-over, and it got recalibrated.

One thing that concerns me about user-replacable battery based dive
computers is ... when was the last time you really were sure what its
calibration was?


IMO, $75 every 5 years for a calibration & battery wasn't a bad deal.


-hh

Rich Lockyer <rlockyer@linkline.DONTSPAMME.com> wrote:

> $45 plus shipping both ways to replace a $3 battery and $0.50
> O-ring.... or install a $10 kit if one buys the battery and O-ring
> from the LDS?

You are forgetting one important factor, that is the pressure test.
Most of the time, that test is the most expensive part of the
repair/replacement. That plus calibration. Your labor may be free, but
the technician's time doing the pressure test isn't.

> It would be, but add to that other once-a-year costs.... VIP, $70 (5
> tanks). Reg overhauls, $150 if I do it myself, $300 if I have the
> shop do it. Scooter checkout, $350+shipping both ways.

You must be buying a lot of parts or have a lot of regs to be doing
overhauls for $150.

What kind of DPV do you have?

--
Matt
matt@gol.com

On Sat, 09 Aug 2003 08:34:26 -0400, "H. Huntzinger"
<recscuba@huntzinger.com> wrote:

>However, one thing that I will say on the general question of "User" vs
>"Factory" dive computer battery replacements is that whenever I used to
>send my ancient USD Monitor I in for a factory battery service, not only
>did the battery get replaced, but the entire dive computer got a
>check-over, and it got recalibrated.
>
>One thing that concerns me about user-replacable battery based dive
>computers is ... when was the last time you really were sure what its
>calibration was?
>
>
>IMO, $75 every 5 years for a calibration & battery wasn't a bad deal.

FWIW, the Vyper is "user replaceable", and I seriously doubt that this
little shop is going to check calibration... and if it's off, they are
not going to have the ability to recalibrate the unit.

As far as the calibration of my unit, I dive with a buddy. I also
spend most of my time on sites that I am familiar with. If I'm seeing
a field of purple hydrocoral and my Vyper says that I'm at 60ft, I
know something is wrong. If I'm in a kelp forest and it says that I'm
at 100ft, I know something is wrong.
If my buddy's display matches mine, it's pretty unlikely that there's
a problem with either.



--- Rich
http://richlockyer.tripod.com/

On Sun, 10 Aug 2003 06:43:46 +0900, matt@gol.com (Matthew Endo) wrote:

>> $45 plus shipping both ways to replace a $3 battery and $0.50
>> O-ring.... or install a $10 kit if one buys the battery and O-ring
>> from the LDS?
>
>You are forgetting one important factor, that is the pressure test.
>Most of the time, that test is the most expensive part of the
>repair/replacement. That plus calibration. Your labor may be free, but
>the technician's time doing the pressure test isn't.

I can drop it in the pool for a few hours to make sure that it's
basically solid. If it's going to leak at 100ft, it'll leak at 10ft
given enough time.

>> It would be, but add to that other once-a-year costs.... VIP, $70 (5
>> tanks). Reg overhauls, $150 if I do it myself, $300 if I have the
>> shop do it. Scooter checkout, $350+shipping both ways.
>
>You must be buying a lot of parts or have a lot of regs to be doing
>overhauls for $150.

Apeks kits aren't cheap. Total of $61 for a 1st and two 2nds. If I
ignored the seats and diaphragms, I could just go with stock o-rings
for a couple of bucks.

>What kind of DPV do you have?

Mako. I have not yet had it for a year, but the LDS told me that was
the annual cost (dealing direct, not through them).



--- Rich
http://richlockyer.tripod.com/

Rich Lockyer <rlockyer@linkline.DONTSPAMME.com> wrote:

> I can drop it in the pool for a few hours to make sure that it's
> basically solid. If it's going to leak at 100ft, it'll leak at 10ft
> given enough time.

The point is that if the tech forgets to put the O-ring back and floods
it during the pressure test, he has to give you a new one. If you screw
up and flood it, you get an expensive paperweight.

--
Matt
matt@gol.com