Penguin
Too Short a Member
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2009
- Messages
- 1,613
- Location
- Satellite Beach, FL
- Aircraft
- Dominator, 582, 23' Dragon Wings, 60" Warp Drive
- Total Flight Time
- 250+ hours
The Red Lion time-based counter is popular for measuring rotor revolutions per minute (RRPM). A robust, easy to read instrument, it has only two shortcomings: the battery isn't replaceable and the unit is expensive (about $80).
But nothing is too challenging for the gyronaut, so here is my step-by-step method to replace the battery. (The factory claims the battery is good for 7 years but mine died at 4.5 years. Hostile environment and all that, I suppose.)
You'll know that the battery is dead only because you no longer have a display. Not even the zero. Nothing. So time to buckle down and get to it.
After removing the display head and the wires connecting it to magical stuff, remove the back cover which unveils the switches and the battery. Unfortunately, the battery is not designed to be removed and replaced. But that won't deter us, will it?
The unit is composed of two halves: a display section and the electronics section. Carefully separate these pieces so you can have access to the circuit board (the obverse of the switch side). There are some 4 plastic clips that hold it that can be manipulated with a small flat screwdriver. You will, of course, break at least one. No matter.
The stock battery is spot welded to two metal supports which provide continuity between the battery and the circuit board and also the mechanical structure to hold the battery.
Looking at the circuit board, identify where the battery supports are soldered in place. Carefully heat these joints, removing the solder with a solder sucker (small rubber bulb creates a vacuum to suck the liquid solder up) or a wick.
Now that you have the battery in your hand, you'll note a couple of things. First, it is not a common battery size but is a 2/3AA battery. As the name implies, it is 2/3 the length of a standard AA battery. (One of you WILL try cutting down a battery. Please post pictures.) This is not a Walmart or Radio Shack item. If you don't have a battery specialty store close, you can order it off the internet for less than $10.
Another thing is that you'll see that the supports are spot welded onto the battery. Carefully remove these with a pair of needle nose pliers and a razor knife. (Apply antibiotics and band-aids where you just cut yourself.) They'll come off cleanly and you'll reuse these with the new battery. BTW, you can't get a new battery with the support welded in place. At least I couldn't find anything like that.
I attached the supports to the new battery using a glue gun. (The bigger the glob, the better the job!) Remembering when you removed the old battery, there is a lot of space available for a big old goober of glue. Use a volt meter to insure you maintained good contact between each support and the battery.
Now solder the new battery's supports back into the circuit board, noting polarity. (Aloe is good for those burned fingertips, BTW)
At this point you can snap the display back in place. (You did mark it before disassembly so it would go back in the same orientation, didn't you? Nahh, me either.)
Once the display is back in place, you should see a nice zero on your display. If not, disassemble and check for power from the battery to the board. If there is power and no display, your board must be dead. Sorry.
Looking into the back (battery compartment) of our now functioning display, you can see that there are ample opportunities to smear more hot glue around to strengthen the assembly. Fortunately, the glue is relatively easy to remove with a razor knife should the need arise in the future. Double check the switch settings before you pour on the glue, BTW.
Now reinstall the unit. At this time you will discover that the wires connecting the instrument to the sensor are about an inch too short for you to reattach without the digital agility of a gynecologist. I'll provide a separate note on wire stretching techniques at some future time.
So you now have the satisfaction of a repair well done and saved yourself $70 to boot. Please send me $5 and we'll call it even. What? You cheap bastard!
But nothing is too challenging for the gyronaut, so here is my step-by-step method to replace the battery. (The factory claims the battery is good for 7 years but mine died at 4.5 years. Hostile environment and all that, I suppose.)
You'll know that the battery is dead only because you no longer have a display. Not even the zero. Nothing. So time to buckle down and get to it.
After removing the display head and the wires connecting it to magical stuff, remove the back cover which unveils the switches and the battery. Unfortunately, the battery is not designed to be removed and replaced. But that won't deter us, will it?
The unit is composed of two halves: a display section and the electronics section. Carefully separate these pieces so you can have access to the circuit board (the obverse of the switch side). There are some 4 plastic clips that hold it that can be manipulated with a small flat screwdriver. You will, of course, break at least one. No matter.
The stock battery is spot welded to two metal supports which provide continuity between the battery and the circuit board and also the mechanical structure to hold the battery.
Looking at the circuit board, identify where the battery supports are soldered in place. Carefully heat these joints, removing the solder with a solder sucker (small rubber bulb creates a vacuum to suck the liquid solder up) or a wick.
Now that you have the battery in your hand, you'll note a couple of things. First, it is not a common battery size but is a 2/3AA battery. As the name implies, it is 2/3 the length of a standard AA battery. (One of you WILL try cutting down a battery. Please post pictures.) This is not a Walmart or Radio Shack item. If you don't have a battery specialty store close, you can order it off the internet for less than $10.
Another thing is that you'll see that the supports are spot welded onto the battery. Carefully remove these with a pair of needle nose pliers and a razor knife. (Apply antibiotics and band-aids where you just cut yourself.) They'll come off cleanly and you'll reuse these with the new battery. BTW, you can't get a new battery with the support welded in place. At least I couldn't find anything like that.
I attached the supports to the new battery using a glue gun. (The bigger the glob, the better the job!) Remembering when you removed the old battery, there is a lot of space available for a big old goober of glue. Use a volt meter to insure you maintained good contact between each support and the battery.
Now solder the new battery's supports back into the circuit board, noting polarity. (Aloe is good for those burned fingertips, BTW)
At this point you can snap the display back in place. (You did mark it before disassembly so it would go back in the same orientation, didn't you? Nahh, me either.)
Once the display is back in place, you should see a nice zero on your display. If not, disassemble and check for power from the battery to the board. If there is power and no display, your board must be dead. Sorry.
Looking into the back (battery compartment) of our now functioning display, you can see that there are ample opportunities to smear more hot glue around to strengthen the assembly. Fortunately, the glue is relatively easy to remove with a razor knife should the need arise in the future. Double check the switch settings before you pour on the glue, BTW.
Now reinstall the unit. At this time you will discover that the wires connecting the instrument to the sensor are about an inch too short for you to reattach without the digital agility of a gynecologist. I'll provide a separate note on wire stretching techniques at some future time.
So you now have the satisfaction of a repair well done and saved yourself $70 to boot. Please send me $5 and we'll call it even. What? You cheap bastard!