Flooded UK D8R

[jobrooksuk]

Had a bit of a 'school girl' moment at the weekend in that I forgot to tighten my torch before I jumped in (2nd time in as many months)!
Anyway, having thoroughly rinced everything when I got back to the accommodation I surprised everyone when I announced it still worked......my delight was short lived though as pretty soon the battery started smoking and sparks could be seen (where you plug the charger in).

As a true Yorkshire person I am reluctant to fork out £92.50 for a replacement battery and I heard I could get some rechargable cells from a battery manufacturer and connect them together for a fraction of the price (£20 was the amount I was quoted).

Has anyone any experience of this - i.e. recommendations for distributer, cells etc.

Ideally I would want to be able to use the same charger.

[Foggy]

No but you can get a couple of adaptor plates from retailers, and then use ordinary D-cells (or rechargable ones).

I bought mine from Go-dive mail order.

Cheers, Paul

[MATTBIN]

Jo was it Seawater or Fresh?
Also in the torch head part there are some 'crystals' you will need to replace, they look like old fashioned lighter flints.

Matt

[jobrooksuk]

Sea water this time!

I have read the following so know that I can replace the rechargable battery on the 'cheap';
NiCad Cells for UK D8R Battery Pack - scubish.com - Scuba Diving Forum

I am just after feedback from someone who has successfully achieved it.

[Steven]

Originally Posted by jobrooksuk

Had a bit of a 'school girl' moment at the weekend in that I forgot to tighten my torch before I jumped in (2nd time in as many months)!
Anyway, having thoroughly rinced everything when I got back to the accommodation I surprised everyone when I announced it still worked......my delight was short lived though as pretty soon the battery started smoking and sparks could be seen (where you plug the charger in).

As a true Yorkshire person I am reluctant to fork out £92.50 for a replacement battery and I heard I could get some rechargable cells from a battery manufacturer and connect them together for a fraction of the price (£20 was the amount I was quoted).

Has anyone any experience of this - i.e. recommendations for distributer, cells etc.

Ideally I would want to be able to use the same charger.

glad its not only me!!!

I have done the same
dried it out used it the following day after which it died!!!
took the batteries apart
and resoldered them - the bit you are refering to costs about £2,50 from Maplins
a word of warning though - before you start measure the height of the made up battery and dont deviate that measurement - mine was 2mm bigger and this stops the switch from operating - consequently its in bits again.
If the earlier post regarding plates works let me know???
Oh something else the batteries have spot welded tags on them use these to solder to otherwise an extremly hot soldering iron is required.

good luck hope it works - let me know if it does and I'll have another go at mine

regards Steven

[Steven]

Originally Posted by jobrooksuk

Sea water this time!

I have read the following so know that I can replace the rechargable battery on the 'cheap';
NiCad Cells for UK D8R Battery Pack - scubish.com - Scuba Diving Forum

I am just after feedback from someone who has successfully achieved it.

Also pm Mark w he had a similar problem with his torch - he sent off the defunct cells for the usable parts to be used and it came back fully working with new cells - maybe he'll be able to remember who he sent it to...... last time I asked he was unsure cos it was written on the cells and the torch was last seen somewhere near the Percier!!!!!!! and may still be there

[Steven]

Lydle or however you spell it were celling the required rechargeable batteries (without tags) for £2 for 2 - its worth £8 to have a bash!!

[Captain Calamity]

For just a bit more than the cost of a replacement NiCad you can buy a set of Nimh batteries, plus a smart charger.

I have a C8, and bought eight Ansmann C cells with a smart charger for just over a hundred quid. The cells have twice the burn time of the stock rechargeable (4500 mAh vs 2600 mAh) and the batteries are not prone to such pronounced memory effect - no need to discharge the torch in a bucket before recharging.

When I put the cells in the charger it quickly anaylses them, refreshes them and then charges them within 2-3 hours (4 at a time, so 6 hours total) after a typical dive. If I do flood the torch I can replace the cells for forty quid or so.

The only added expense for me is that I don't have the rechargeable light plate, so I have had to order this plus the brighter bulb, but of course you already have this (and hopefully the battery plate that lets you use standard cells).

HTH,

CC

[mark w]

Hi Jo.
As Steve has so nicely pointed out I had a new battery pack made for my D4, Infact come to think about it I was diving with you on the Cadmus the day I flooded it !!
Mine was made by :
Strikalite Batteries UK - the battery specialists
I contacted the guy, sent him my old flooded battery pack and he made a new one up using the existing reuseable components, ie plug socket etc.
Cant remember how much it cost but was a lot cheaper than one from the manufacturer.
It was as good as the original, unfortunately though (as Steve has mentioned) my torch decided in march that it preffered a long term home on the Persier at Plymouth rather than remaining with the rest of my dive kit.

[jobrooksuk]

Thanks Mark!

I have sent an e-mail asking for an approximate quote, if it is favourable I will go with them, failing that, it looks like my dad is about to get a weekend 'project'.........well, isn't that what dads are for?