Cheapest GME400 EPIRB battery replacement?

[FullCircle]

Need tyo have the battery changed this year, and I know the battery prcies have fallen a bit in the last couple of years.
Anyone recommend the cheapest in the UK?

GME MT400 Manual system.....

 

[testmonkey]

cheapest option is to open the unit, look at what's written on the battery, type it to google and then order a matching battery from dealextreme dot com and solder it in. Video instructions e.g. here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o5IPbO0l70

 

[GAJ]

Changing tha battery may not be a problem but testing the unit to see if is still works properly may be.
I have used sartec.co.uk ( I ahve no connection with them) and paid the asking price because to quote their website:

'The only way to be sure that an EPIRB will work in an emergency is to activate it - but the satellite system is very sensitive, and false alerts must be avoided! We test all EPIRBs in a radio screened box using the Faraday Cage principle to prevent any significant radiation of the distress signal. Depending on the beacon type, the EPIRB may be activated by using the manual "ON" setting, or by floating in a container of water to activate the seawater contacts.

A "sniffer" antenna inside the box connects to an external test receiver to decode the transmitted signal.

Of course, placing the EPIRB inside a screened box ensures that no GPS signals penetrate, so in order to enable GPS equipped EPIRBs to be tested, we fit our screened box with a GPS repeating system. The signal from an externally mounted GPS antenna is amplified and fed into the box so that the EPIRB can acquire and transmit its position to the external receiver.'

I'm all for saving brass but you pays your money and takes your choice.

 

[testmonkey]

:

'The only way to be sure that an EPIRB will work in an emergency is to activate it

that statement is not accurate. Pressing the "test" button will send a radio signal. If you have a suitable radio and download this software http://www.coaa.co.uk/epirbplotter.htm you can catch the radio signal to determine whether the unit transmits correctly.

If you don't have a suitable radio just subscribe to this service http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2009/08/this-epirb-test-service-offers-peace-of-mind/ which allows you to receive confirmation via the satellite and earth station route on whether pressing the test button yielded desired action from the unit.

 

[GAJ]

Spiffing reply, I will look at the software and change my own battery next time. Many thanks Testmonkey.