Battery life

[Dylona]

How often do you change your batteries?

I am showing 3 squares with 5.5V

On the basis the manual says;
6v new battery, shows 3 squares
5.3v worn battery shows 2 squares
5.2v Super lowbattery shows 1 square
4.8v is empty battery

Im guessing im a few hours away from 2 squares and will change, does anyone have any other magical way of pre-empting a change?

Mk3 solenoid, vision handset (backlight always on), CR123 Batteries

[jturner]

How often do you change your batteries?

I am showing 3 squares with 5.5V

On the basis the manual says;
6v new battery, shows 3 squares
5.3v worn battery shows 2 squares
5.2v Super lowbattery shows 1 square
4.8v is empty battery

Im guessing im a few hours away from 2 squares and will change, does anyone have any other magical way of pre-empting a change?

Mk3 solenoid, vision handset (backlight always on), CR123 Batteries

FWIW, I change them based on how long they've been used and what the next dives are about. If they're a one-off and shallow, I might not worry about it as, worst-case, one will run low and I'll have to swap onto the backup batteries. It'll be mildly annoying but nothing more. If that next dive was part of a series and deeper, I'd change them and use the new ones to get a feel for how they are behaving. The battery indicator is IME the diving equivalent of a politician - all promise but utterly untrustworthy - especially in cold water. As far as I'm concerned if it is anything less than 3 squares, it's being swapped out and if I'm in doubt and need the unit to be 100%, it'll be swapped out. It's cheap batteries ATEOTD and there's more exciting and expensive things to worry about (like O2 cells!).

[Vanny]

When I had mono handset and cr123 I’d change out before 5.4v on start up - otherwise I’d get the low batt alarm.

[Dylona]

So 5.5 last night, but 5.4 this morning

dropped to 2 squares mid dive today (70min dive time)

Then dropped to 1 square mid dive on second dive (50 min dive time)

Need to be swapping the batteries at 5.5 I think!