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Memory battery in Garmin GPS III
KellyJoe
0 Points
I've had the Garmin GPS III for about 7 years. It no longer works because the memory battery failed. These batteries have a life of up to ten years.
I called Garmin to ask how I should send it in to have the battery replaced, and they were very rude in answering, in an arrogant attitude, saying that the GPS III was obsolete, and they no longer serviced it.
I don't know about you guys, but when I pay $350.00 for something and it needs a new battery that costs about $2.50, I'm not going to throw it away.
I opened the case and it was obvious that the 'coin' battery that I saw, which had metal tabs spot welded onto it and the tabs were soldered onto the circuit board. I was unable to see the numbers that identified the battery so I clipped it out of the circuit, leaving a length of each tab on the board for location purposes.
I was an engineering technician for many years, and I'm completely at home doing this kind of work, but I goofed. I didn't note on paper which way the battery was oriented. It took a month to find the CR 1220 battery with tabs, and in that time, I have forgotten which way the battery was oriented. Does anyone out there have that information? Does anybody out there have a Garmin GPS III that they can open and tell me which way it is oriented?
Thanks.
I called Garmin to ask how I should send it in to have the battery replaced, and they were very rude in answering, in an arrogant attitude, saying that the GPS III was obsolete, and they no longer serviced it.
I don't know about you guys, but when I pay $350.00 for something and it needs a new battery that costs about $2.50, I'm not going to throw it away.
I opened the case and it was obvious that the 'coin' battery that I saw, which had metal tabs spot welded onto it and the tabs were soldered onto the circuit board. I was unable to see the numbers that identified the battery so I clipped it out of the circuit, leaving a length of each tab on the board for location purposes.
I was an engineering technician for many years, and I'm completely at home doing this kind of work, but I goofed. I didn't note on paper which way the battery was oriented. It took a month to find the CR 1220 battery with tabs, and in that time, I have forgotten which way the battery was oriented. Does anyone out there have that information? Does anybody out there have a Garmin GPS III that they can open and tell me which way it is oriented?
Thanks.
Comments
If that doesn't get you there, we can exchange email addresses, and I can send you a picture, unless there is a way to post pictures on here.
I can get a battery, made for the job for less than $3.00, And since there was a delay in shipping, could increase the order to two and send one to you.
Joe
I can help you on the battery, it took me nearly three days to find in, lots of searching, and phone calls.
The place I did find, does NOT stock them, but will special order them. The part number on their catalog page is not the number they go by, which makes dealing with them anxiety raising.
I'm still waiting for my first order, which of course they had to special order.
I'm reluctant to give the info until I'm sure I get the right thing. The cells with tabs are less than $3.00
The type was 12.5mm 3v 7.0mAh price: $4.45 but not in stock.
Did you try to charge your unit via a power adapter for a few days which should give a good current to the internal battery?
You have done your homework. I have a GPSIII, NOT PLUS, and it used a NON-rechargeable 1220, which does have a rating of 30 or 35 Mah. If I (or anyone) were to put a non rechargeable lithium cell into a unit that has a charging circut, it most likely would burn.
The 7Mah rating is probably quite adequate if the system recharges the memory battery on a somewhat regular basis.
More on this subject later
The type was 12.5mm 3v 7.0mAh price: $4.45 but not in stock."
Dave,
I have a GPS III Plus. I'm certain that I have to replace the internal battery but I'm trying to make sure that your replacement worked and how you or anyone else have done it.
My email is afhead@gmail.com.
I also need photos on how to change the battery on my GPS III Plus. Your pics would be very helpful.
My email address is afhead@gmail.com
I've been sick as a dog, a bad case of bronchitis on top of emphysema, and I'm 75. My wife has been pretty sick too, and we've been out of it for a week. When I get caught up, I'll be in touch, and maybe I can figure out if this Forum has facilities for posting pictures. If not, I'll send them to you, and to anyone else that wants them.
I have both a GPSIII and a GPSIII PLUS to install new batteries into, so we should be able to cover both, biggest diference is the type of battery, one is rechargeable, the other is not.
did anyone get the right battery and get thier unit working.
what is the model number of the replacement battery used.
any info would be greatly appreciated.
i saw a post somewhere else about jumpering from the AA battery leads to the solder points for the on board battery, but this didn't work at all
please advise
It looks to me like the physical dimensions of the battery are almost immaterial as long as it isn't too much bigger than the original. There is lots of room. We just need to get the voltage and current rating right.
I'm all ears!
Do we remove every screw on the back? Are there any screws under the rubber "Garmin" labelled non-skid panel?
If you could email any info, I'd appreciate it. barryseybert(at)usa.net
Thank you
I live in Belfast and I'm a complete novice.
Regards,
Graeme
graeme-taggart(at)ntlworld.com
The GPS3 I have uses a Panasonic VL1220 ~3V battery. This is a rechargeable Lithium battery. It CANNOT be replaced with a CR1220 type primary battery.
The POSITIVE terminal connects to the square pad (toward antenna).
The internal charging circuits will soon cause a CR1220 to leak! It is also very likely that the internal circuits are set for the 1220 size (~500uA), so a larger rechargeable cell may never fully charge.
I was able to remove the entire battery using solder wick and a small solder sucker. It helps to actually add some new 80/20 electronic solder before attempting the removal. Try these steps using a SMALL iron:
1) Disconnect both PCB connectors. (one for battery case, one for LCD display. For the LCD, you must release the flat cable locks with a small tool)
2) add a small amount of solder to the pads on the back of the board.
3) Using solder wick, remove as much as possible from the back pads. Take no more than 5-10 sec of heating! The round pad is ground and is more difficult to clear due to internal PCB planes.
4) From the front, quickly heat the positive joint of the battery and work its leg out of the hole. Then repeat on the negative leg. The POS hole is likely open now. The NEG is likely still filled.
5) Add some fresh solder to the filled hole. Using a solder sucker on one side, heat pad from other side. Suck hole clear.
6) replace with VL1220 type minding proper polarity. (Get one from Mouser.com, DigiKey.com or the like)
Post your results!
:)
PS My GPS 3 is vintage 1998 (early model) Other PCBs may use other battery technologies)
The GPS now holds its memory! But I see a long term issue with using the CR1220. The GPS likely uses the Panasonic recommended method of charging the VL1220. At 3V the charging current is <500uA and the charge voltage is 3.4V. As long as the CR1220 is in good condition the charging circuit will likely not cause a problem. But as the battery ages and nears EOL its voltage will drop. The charging circuit can then supply a LOT more current to try to recover to 3-3.4V. This WILL eventually cause the CR1220 to fail by leaking and possibly overheating. It will also cause a drain on teh external supply and batteries. Its best to order a new VL1220 if that is what your unit uses.
One final caution. Take extreme care regarding that coax wire from the circuit board to the antenna terminal. If you flex the joint, you may easily crack the soldered braid shield (either end) and create an antenna open circuit. Trust me, it is very tricky to repair!
See link for battery specs & charging info:
http://industrial.panasonic.com/www-data/pdf/AAA4000/AAA4000PE16.pdf
Also, can you remove the circuit board without damaging the LCD and its connections? I would like to unsolder the battery and then solder wires in for a new cell. This way, if the battery starts to fail again, it will be an easy fix.
Garmin lost a customer because they don't stand behind their products or their customers. I hope it was worth it. We just bought 2 GPS navigation units -- one for our new car and one for hunting. I would have bought Garmin if they had treated me decent.
Also, I have a 25 year old Pioneer laserdisc and Pioneer serviced it a few months back. My 1967 Ford still is serviced by Ford. My Montgomery Ward microwave oven is still serviced by Sharp who made it. The point being is that most expensive appliances are covered after they are no longer being sold.
I mean, changing a battery isn't like replacing the i386 surface mount CPU.
I had a 1967 Ford too... but that was in 1967.
Good luck with the other manufacturers who you've given your business to as punishment for Garmin. My experience, and that of many others, has been very positive with them. I hope you didn't buy from Navigon.. (http://forums.gpsreview.net/discussion/12835/x/p1/)
But, why is a battery change is a massive effort for them? That is a bad design/engineering/product management call. That reminds me of the same mentality as the battery in the Apple products requiring a factory change. Garmin isn't the only vendor out there. I have not had these kinds of issues with Magellin GPS products so I'll probably go back to them for my GPS needs in the future.
I'll change the stupid battery and configure it for easy replacement next time. I just need to know if it is the rechargable cell or not and if there is anything to be concerned with pulling the board (LCD contacts, rocker switch alignment, etc.). I'll get out my isotip solder station, solder sucker and change it out.
Thanks to kjo for his excellent guidance on the connectors!!!
My GPS III Plus is now very happy with its new battery. Everything downloaded and uploaded fine and I even upgraded the software in the process. Topo maps uploaded as did my waypoints and routes.
Thanks too for this forum!
Bob
I looked at the new versions of what I have and read their operations and they are really just the same thing in a different package. Why would I spend $500 for that? a $6 battery made a lot more sense and then I have almost $500 to spend on more fishing gear, a fish finder and a new fly rod!
But regardless, to answer your question, modern GPS chipsets are much, much, much better at acquiring and holding onto a signal than something of your vintage. I have been through many different units over the years, and the older technology chipsets in my StreetPilot 2620, Legend C and Meridian Gold all had pretty substantial issues under any amount of tree cover or around large buildings.
Nothing is perfect, but the newer chipsets rarely have these issues. I almost never lose satellite lock driving around these days, but driving on the same tree-covered country roads with the 2620 I would frequently lose it.
The new chipsets are also faster at processing the data which means the unit is more responsive as you move and you can zoom/pan the map faster. Touchscreens also make this much, much easier. Entering street names or coordinates with a cursor button really frustrates me.
Depends on where/how you use your unit. If this isn't an issue for you then fine... no need to upgrade. But I try to use my units as a replacement for paper maps. That means I want a high quality color screen with lots of pixels, and fast response so I can drag/zoom the map around to "explore". I would not be happy with a 4 year old unit, let alone a 10 year old one.
Again, this is just my personal preference. But I also drive a 2009 car instead of one made in 1967 (which was the year I graduated from high school) :D
My requirements are pretty basic really. lightweight, portable, absolutely quiet, MOB feature, route tracking, waypoints, topo maps. Beyond that, I don't need anything else.
When I treked over the continental divide via a long forgotten mining area, I located an old steam engine from 1892 used for cutting logs. I made a waypoint so I could go back later and study it. I've mapped game trails and other aspects of the Colorado mountains with this GPS III + for years.
Maybe I'm wrong to not want a new unit. So be it. The new ones may be better in cities and traffic but I don't need one for that. They have more bells and whistles that I don't need and that are definitely not worth hundreds of dollars to me. Looking at the capabilities of the newer units, there was nothing they have that the one I have doesn't have except for maybe more sensitivity and
As for servicing an expensive appliance, well this was a first. My 15 year old LaserDisc player was just serviced by Pioneer. My old 1980 2m HT was serviced by Kenwood and its almost 30 years old. I have excellent results with all kinds of vendors servicing old stuff -- even Sharp serviced an old Montgomery Ward microwave oven they built. Ford still services the 1967 Fairlane. So, I was surprised that Garmin wouldn't perform a simple battery exchange. I mean, thanks to this forum, I did it in about 20 minutes and I had never seen the inside before. Obviously, not a difficult task and one they could have made money on.
Anyway, I'm up. I'm happy now.
Personally I would say in this case it is important to replace the battery with the same type as it is recharged when power is connected. Using a NiCad or non-rechargeable cell is not an option for safety, leakage, possible thermal transfer, as the charging requirements are pretty narrow for the type of battery fitted.
Actually this is a pretty odd battery one of the few using vanadium as denoted by the V(l) +V2O5 -LiAl manufactured is smallish batches so may be harder to find the exact vertically orientated replacement so.. I expect you could mod the horizontal mounting version to suit. It is unlikely to be of any benefit to try and fit a higher capacity 3 volt lithium battery as the room in side the unit is limited. Repositioning it may cause rf type problems degrading operating parameters.
nicholette
kjo has excellent instructions earlier in this thread.
Another consideration is that to place a soldering iron on a button cell without solding tags fitted, is to risk your sight as someone will one day heat it to the extent that it explodes in their face. If you must do it then PLEASE wear a safety visor if your are pretty or goggles if not and a bit of a risk taker by nature. I will not go into the dangers of inhaling the vented gasses. This is why the soldering tags are auto HF spot welded where there is no heat build up to degrade the cell or risk explosion of the cell by heat casuing gas overpressure.
Thank you for your comment tho bye bye nicholette
I have also been working on "the bench" since the 60s and am very comfortable around VLSI and surface mount technology. I managed a VLSI test lab for years. I've also been to NASA soldering school and understand the do's and don'ts about soldering. I have an thermstatically controlled iso-tip solder station and silver solder for micro work.
I epoxied a cell holder to the inside of the case and the cell pops into the holder. The 8 inch wires run to the circuit board now. If the cell ever dies again, it will be a LOT easier to change next time.
Your advice is very welcome as others are probably reading these forums too. Batteries are as weird as semiconductors when it comes to heat and I used heat sinks for the wires to the new cell clip (new design - quick change the next time!) but not for removal of the bad one. Goggles or safety glasses are a good idea IF you can see through them. I leave it to the reader to determine if they can do this themselves or not. I have 40 years as an electrical engineer. Others may not.
The GPS gets used quite a bit every year so it doesn't sit idle very long. If it did fail, I could get down -- it would just take longer :) I have been all over those mountains for years long before GPS and survived. The GPS is a "convenience" and not a "life saving device" for me. I have all my stuff copied to the computer too as I move things between DeLorme Topo maps and the GPS frequently -- depending on which mountain range I'll be on and the time of year.
A lot depends on people use their GPS. These are wonderful and have a variety of uses -- in an aircraft, on a boat, hiking and outdoor sports (my use), driving, etc.
I just had a problem with trashing a $400 GPS over a $6 battery. I still use my HP-35 calculator with home-made NiCad batteries in it. I don't throw a car away when it needs a new battery. I don't throw a flashlight away when it needs one. I didn't throw the MP3 player away when its battery died but, for some reason, I'm expected to throw a $400 GPS away when its battery dies. That is a sign of a wasteful society. No wonder our landfils and India's slums are full of all our toxic waste.
Thanks again for your advice. Adding something new is always a good thing!
As I said above, if something works for you then by all means keep it forever. OTOH, I think there is a tiny flaw in on aspect of your logic. A 10 year old GPS is no longer a "$400 GPS". And furthermore, if you have advanced electronics skills - as you obviously do - you have to place some value on your time. And I don't think it's completely fair to compare a GPS (which is a computer) to other kinds of more basic electro-mechanical appliances.
But you seem to enjoy tinkering with this stuff, so God Bless... you're like my Dad in that respect. I have taken a different philosophy and embrace our displosable society because I couldn't change it no matter how much I wanted. I would rather work, make money, and buy stuff - it's good for the economy! :lol:
I am not making excuses for bad design or poor tech support. But back then your only other option for a GPS would have been a Magellan product I think. Based on what I've read, you would be even less happy with their support.
Glad you've got your units working and I hope they will provide you with another 10 years of service.
Thanks
Before starting any repair project it is always a good idea to take pics of the item BEFORE disassembly - Insurance!
Required –Patients, tiny fingers, good eyesight clean work area, box for screws, sticky tape. New Battery VL1220/1VC or VL1220/1HF (mark positive side BEFORE removal). Small posidrive screwdriver (or tiny jewellers flat if none). Solder wick additional flux (helpful). Eye protection (recommended – using any hardened steel tools can produce high velocity fragments able to puncture your eye so are they worth $2 safety specs?). Mask (recommended for any vapour producing process)
The battery Panasonic VL1220/1VC http://industrial.panasonic.com/www-data/pdf2/AAA4000/AAA4000DE146.pdf. For mounting Vertically these are only batch made and none were available locally so I brought the Horizontal mount version VL1220/1HF http://industrial.panasonic.com/www-data/pdf2/AAA4000/AAA4000DE145.pdf
Then flattened the tags adding wires to make it locate the existing circuit board holes and fitted it vertically.
Note that the both the above are identical except for the tag orientation both are 7 mah. While it would make sense to have gone for a slightly higher capacity consideration has to be given to the fixed charging current, also the physical space available to fit as higher capacity = bigger physical size. I did the exercise and found that the only suitable battery just would not fit in the space.
Link to Panasonic - http://industrial.panasonic.com/www-cgi/jvcr13pz.cgi?E+BA+3+AAA4008+VL1220+7+WW
Caution one - Too much heat can separate the circuit copper tracks static can zap chips. So to minimise the heat sinking of the old battery while removing it I cut the tags from that battery while in situ. Very little heat is then required to remove the just the remaining old battery tags.
Observe Panasonic Safety notice http://industrial.panasonic.com/www-data/pdf/AAA4000/AAA4000PE15.pdf
Caution two - If the tags break from the battery case and not from the tags then the spot weld will leave two pin holes exposing a route to the toxins inside the battery so stick tape over them and dispose of at your local recycling plant.. I used a craft knife (also safety specs) blade to slowly do this
Caution three - Touch something grounded to discharge any body static before touching the circuit board – static electricity zaps chips and this is basically a 286 computer.
Caution four – Look at the ribbon cable link to the LCD display. Note how it is fixed as it will probably part company from the board at some point and you will have to slide it back in place.
Mark the Positive side before removing old battery. (in the Garmin positive is at the antenna side of the board. To double check this use a Multimeter to confirm circuit continuity between and ground plane (checked by reference to any electrolic capacitor negative mark) and to each of the battery pads. One will read zero resistance between it and earth so this is the negative side.
After remove tags next remove excess solder so as to expose two tag holes.
Dry fit battery tags or wires into holes and temporary tape in place to that it is held in place when you turn it over to solder it.
Quickly run solder round tags and pads make sure they are nice and shiny as these are ‘feed thro’ holes so are linked to the other side of the board too.
Before reassembly check you have the LCD ribbon cable attached, make sure you have no solder overspill or droplets.
Reassemble do not over tighten remember there is a rubber gasket to squeeze it does not need to bulge out the gap.
Ok if it worked switch on and it will spring to life. If not open up and recheck polarity and check the LCD ribbon cable! Any other problem then check the internal cables which connect the antenna and aux power to the board as you may have broken them during fiddling. All being well if it looks like rain pop in a plastic bag (yes I know it is waterproof I just like mine nice and clean too) after switching on and leave outside in clear sky view for about 20 minutes for the GPS to acquire the almanac data and locate it self which mine did and is back to being like ‘out of the box’, good for another 5 years at least.
Now why would I do that? - well when I brought this it was a lotttttt of money! You have to pay for quality and reliability. Secondly it is well engineered with a shower proof case and is 'crushproof' accepting a variety of power sources (batteries and aux). I also purchased the maps for it which you can load so was not going to just bin it for Garmins latest model or pay a big re-battery fee either. The final score was Me one, Garmin Shareholders zero. Happiness rating +10. On reflection I said well engineered. Now if I had desiged it I would have put a battery clip inside and a dab of silicon sealant to ensure vibration proof working. That would have made it a 2 minute job!
Nicholette.
Thanks, Norm
Always check that polarity!!
Thanks for any help, Norm
Thanks, Norm
thanks :)