What is inside an Ocean Signal rescueME PLB1?

Plum

Plum

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According to Ocean Signal, their rescueME PLB1 personal locator beacon battery has a 7 year life. After having owned mine for 7 1/2 years I decided to buy a new one. Now after nearly 2 years later decided to open up my first PLB out of curiosity (note the difference between the battery expiry date on the outside versus the expiry date on the battery itself).
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Interesting post...I have an epirb that says replace battery in 2011...still flashes correctly when tested...

That replacement battery looks like 3 Duracell 3v camera batteries soldered and shrink-wrapped...

But for 21 quid I'll be putting a new one into my plb in two years...
 
pandos said:
Interesting post...I have an epirb that says replace battery in 2011...still flashes correctly when tested...

That replacement battery looks like 3 Duracell 3v camera batteries soldered and shrink-wrapped...

But for 21 quid I'll be putting a new one into my plb in two years...
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That looks to me like only 2 cells not 3. Just by the bumps. However 2 cells would give Ithink around 7.4 volts While 3 cells might give 11.8 volts. So more likely 2 cells. The battery you refer to is a CR123 long life lithiuim non rechargeable. Oftem used in package for EPIRB. ol'will
 
William_H said:
That looks to me like only 2 cells not 3. Just by the bumps. However 2 cells would give Ithink around 7.4 volts While 3 cells might give 11.8 volts. So more likely 2 cells. The battery you refer to is a CR123 long life lithiuim non rechargeable. Oftem used in package for EPIRB. ol'will
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If you read the French you will see that they say it's a pack of 3 CR123a cells making up 9v. Looks like two side-by-side and one across the top..

10x CR123A Duracell Lithium - 3V
 
pandos said:
Interesting post...I have an epirb that says replace battery in 2011...still flashes correctly when tested...

That replacement battery looks like 3 Duracell 3v camera batteries soldered and shrink-wrapped...

But for 21 quid I'll be putting a new one into my plb in two years...
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OK, but does "flashes correctly when tested" mean the unit works properly? I'll respectfully suggest you really don't know, and you've done the right thing by spending the massive sum of £21.
 
penberth3 said:
OK, but does "flashes correctly when tested" mean the unit works properly? I'll respectfully suggest you really don't know, and you've done the right thing by spending the massive sum of £21.
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I fully agree that flashing correctly does not prove that it will last the required amount of time if it is needed.

If you read my post you'll note that I have not bought a new battery for the epirb, I did say that the plb will get a new battery when its time is up...and maybe the epirb will get the same treatment...
 
penberth3 said:
OK, but does "flashes correctly when tested" mean the unit works properly? I'll respectfully suggest you really don't know, and you've done the right thing by spending the massive sum of £21.
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Practical Sailor tested a non rechargeable PLB battery and determined that there is a lot of juice left. The key message from that test is quoted below. I agree that forking out for a new battery every 5 years is better, than relying on DIY or extra battery life.


A Look at PLB Battery Life - Practical Sailor

“One point to remember is that the battery has to be capable of meeting specification at the end of five years, plus a safety factor, and that this is built into the COSPAS-SARSAT and RTCM test regimes,” explained ACR’s Mikele D’Arcangelo. “Had those allowances also been made, the battery life still would have been way over the required 24 hours.”
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Businesses exist to make profit.

I have tested batteries that are past their ‘best before date’ and even sent them off to labs.

Conclusions were that the batteries were perfectly fine.

Just never buy a Duracell !
 
Re Duracells. Many years ago (aprox 43y) I was involved with aviation safety in Papua New Guinea. At the time all aircraft carried an ELT on 121.5 mhz. They had a G switch and were strongly mounted in the rear of the aircraft. One pranged in the jungle on the side of a hill. Bodies were recoivered but just too hard to get at the ELT. 2 weeks later it was still transmitting. (6 duracell D sized batteries Narco ELT10) Of course lithium are far better and current system is vastly superior. ol'will
 
Plum said:
There are a few new batteries for the PLB1 now on eBay from a UK seller
Pardon our interruption...
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Although I had already bought a new Ocean Signal PLB1 when the old one's battery had got to its expiry date after 7 years, I decided to fit a new battery to the old one and test it. Bought for £38 from the eBay seller, see link above, who I messaged asking when the batteries would be back in stock. He quickly added more stock so I could buy. Fitting the new battery is straightforward, following the PDF instructions from the seller. The new battery came with an expiry date label of 2033 (8 years!) although the battery expiry date on the battery itself shows 2035.
 

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Plum said:
Although I had already bought a new Ocean Signal PLB1 when the old one's battery had got to its expiry date after 7 years, I decided to fit a new battery to the old one and test it. Bought for £38 from the eBay seller, see link above, who I messaged asking when the batteries would be back in stock. He quickly added more stock so I could buy. Fitting the new battery is straightforward, following the PDF instructions from the seller. The new battery came with an expiry date label of 2033 (8 years!) although the battery expiry date on the battery itself shows 2035.
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I've now completed the "Beacon Test" and the "GPS Transmit Test", after getting a more detailed procedure from Ocean Signal, on my old PLB1 to confirm it works with the new battery. So for £38 it is now good for at least another 7 years.
 
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