remove the battery from the epirb, Very simple normally 4 screws, then remove and disconnect the battery,
its then safe to throw out the epirb in the trash.
Where to take old ones these days? I have a couple to get rid of.....
remove the battery from the epirb, Very simple normally 4 screws, then remove and disconnect the battery,
its then safe to throw out the epirb in the trash.
If you can remove the battery so easily, why not just replace it yourself?
Not sure about the legality of doing that. I think you have to reregister the epirb and that is where you come unstuck. As i went through this exercise a couple of years ago I know that it is actually dearer to replace the battery with GME products. You have to send it to them at your own cost, the replacement and testing costs exceeded the cost of a new unit plus add postage, forget it. Cheaper to replace. They have you by the balls, a legal scam.
Dig it's probably due to labour its easier to assemble 100 epirbs on a conveyor than to pay someone to sit down and break one open to replace a battery usually Aussie shops charge by the hour and trades charge $110 per hour so i would think the epirb manuf would charge similar, how long it takes to replace a battery im not sure but u have the expense of the battery than the testing of the unit and fix any other problems while the epirb is open it all adds up but somethings in life are sentimental to people maybe a epirb has saved someones life so the option of a repair is available
for me i would just buy a new one i wonder what the chances of one malfunctioning that is 10+ years old, risky situation i your 30km's offshore and boat snaps in half and sinks
i read someone mention the location for the extra few bucks i reckon that would be a really good choice i recall watching that west pac heli rescue show i would hate to be stuck out at sea the helicopter comes to find us does a grid search finds 4 of us and there running low on fuel and can only take 2-3 people before a refuel i would be s... bricks if i were left out at sea alone i have actually seen it on these shows they will leave u there in priority of fuel for the chopper and return whenever possible so the less mucking around the better get the more expensive epirb that locates u within meters not km's
As advised by GME, the procedure was a bit more than just a battery change. Operation was tested for a 24 hour period in a purpose built (signal proof) facility to ensure the transmitter didn't drift off frequency and current consumption remained within spec so that minimum transmit times would be maintained and then the new battery and lower case (expiry dates etc were stamped into the plastic) . The last one I had done many years ago came back with a different UIN anyway so was simply a replacement at a reduced price. The last time mine ran out I took the opportunity to replace it with a GPS Epirb.
GME battery replacement FYI.
https://www.chsmith.com.au/news/gme-...-16-47-18.html
By the time I included freight charges I bought a new one from peterbo (think thats was his avatar) delivered cheaper.
Yep, doesn't make much financial sense to have the batteries replaced in an existing one.
When epirbs were like $550 Aussies wanted that option of replacing the batteries because o the cost to buy a new one back than but today they have dramatically come down in price, 10 years ago i never really looked at them knew what they were and seen the price but i was never a offshore person, these days a lot of my fishing is offshore so i paid more attention to the epirbs of today they are that cheap almost anyone can afford one