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ACR EPIRB - cost to send out for service ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Milacron
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Milacron

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In this case ACR Satellite 2, 406 model. apparently made in 1999 with replacement date of 3/2013. Came with boat. Seems to work via suggested LED tests, but battery must be getting long in the tooth by now.

Is battery user changeable if one is savy with electronics and soldering ?
 
You can change but there is more involved. Buy a new one and keep that one as spare. You going to add a roller furling too?
 
You have to be kidding trying to save a couple of $$$$ to change the battery yourself in a 16 year old piece of safety equipment when you and your crew's lives could be on the line. Get a NEW one.
 
Cricket said:
You have to be kidding trying to save a couple of $$$$ to change the battery yourself in a 16 year old piece of safety equipment when you and your crew's lives could be on the line. Get a NEW one.
Click to expand...

In all the boats I looked at for sale, most of which were 53 to 74 foot Hatteras, as far as I recall, the boat I bought is the only one that had one of these at all. So here I am at least paying some attention to the one that happened to come with the boat and get chastised for not buying something new that apparently most motor yacht owners in this size range don't buy in the first place.

Life is about probabilities and for our use of the vessel, the likelihood of ever needing an automatic EPIRB is pretty close to zero. But I figure, if not much investment, what the heck, even at near zero, might as well put in a fresh battery if not too much PITA.
 
thoward said:
You can change but there is more involved.
Click to expand...
It works perfectly according to the testing LED sequences (although the ultimate test would involve submersion in water). Are you implying that ACR rigged these devices to automatically go into an error mode if DIY battery replacement is attempted ?
 
Save your money, dock queens do not need epirbs.
 
Boats do sink at the dock too!
 
thoward said:
Save your money, dock queens do not need epirbs.
Click to expand...
That of course falls into the "Well....d'uh.." department. But we don't plan on dock status forever and there might be a few short offshore runs where there is the minuscule possibility one of these might be needed.

I guess the deal is when some of you have no clue as to the answers to the actual questions asked, you grab the low hanging fruit and simply make fun of, or fake offense, that someone would dare ask such questions. Or maybe you guys miss the good old days of Milacron forum fights....who knows...
 
I have an old Guest 121.5 MHz EPIRB that I keep in my office as a paperweight, and guess what? I tried it a week ago and it tests good. Battery replace by date is '09.

Do you really think that battery will last for 24 hrs in actual use?

ACR will change it and verify that it works properly. I also think they have service centers that will do it. Lifesaving equipment is not a good place to try to save a buck.

Also, make sure you register it. Otherwise when you actually test those batteries SAR will be calling the previous owner.


On second thought,... forget about registering it. The odds of your needing it are about zero. Bon Voyage.
 
From the manual:

Always refer battery replacement and any other beacon service to a factory authorized Service Center. Find a Center near you at http://www.acrartex.com. Battery replacement includes servicing the beacon by replacing all o-rings, testing the water seal and the electrical properties and doing a full functional test on the unit.

NOTE: There are no user serviceable items inside the beacon. Do not open the beacon except to disable (in case of faulty or accidental activation). Otherwise, always have the beacon serviced.
 
rsmith said:
Boats do sink at the dock too!
Click to expand...


But will they know how to deploy the epirb when it does?



Maybe the AC expert can help. He did so well on the compressor project.

I love to see DIY turn into DIT.
 
I had an older EPIRB on board when we purchased also. Although the cost of refurb was significantly less than the cost of new, I was uneasy about trusting this thing, the ONE time I might need it, to someone who may have been having a fight with his girlfriend the day he rebuilt mine.
I opted for new.
Took the old one apart just to see what was inside, realized it probably was not the best DIY project in the world, and tossed it all in the trash (battery went for recycling).
 
Found myself in the same situation as z28jimi. I too opted for the new unit but did not take the old one apart. The cost was incremental for a new unit in the grand scheme of things. Glad I did, as there have been so many advancements in the technologies of batteries, boards, processes, etc. in the five year life of the epirb. Kept the old one as a secondary backup. Safety in the middle of the ocean is paramount.
 
Plan B2 said:
From the manual:

Always refer battery replacement and any other beacon service to a factory authorized Service Center. Find a Center near you at http://www.acrartex.com. Battery replacement includes servicing the beacon by replacing all o-rings, testing the water seal and the electrical properties and doing a full functional test on the unit.

NOTE: There are no user serviceable items inside the beacon. Do not open the beacon except to disable (in case of faulty or accidental activation). Otherwise, always have the beacon serviced.?]
I've read the manual and basically agree with that recommendation. But I'm not the average user, both in electronics experience and need for the odevice...Ive fixed many items that were not user serviceable but if I felt the need was urgent I'd buy a new one. But since it's highly unlikely i would ever need one of these I figure a new DIY battery is better than leaving it as is. At least it is the current 406 frequency model.
Click to expand...
 
keep asking the question. Someone will give you the answer you want eventually.
 
Boatsb said:
keep asking the question. Someone will give you the answer you want eventually.
Click to expand...
Apparently not....so i researched the cost on my own earliier today and it appears to be $260.
 
Open it up and take pics. I want to see what's inside.
 
Recently went thru the same situation. Dump the old and get a new one. I opened the old ARC after receiving the new one and found it had been damaged the last time it was serviced. Very likely it would not have worked if needed. The new one has a 10 year battery and it will get dumped when it needs service. By then you will probably wear it like a watch. Also bought a PLB to use on the Hat, dinghy, and CC.
 
Milacron said:
That of course falls into the "Well....d'uh.." department. But we don't plan on dock status forever and there might be a few short offshore runs where there is the minuscule possibility one of these might be needed.

Boat US Foundation provides rental EPIRBS for $65/week and $35 for shipping. This might be a viable alternative to bring the cost of a reliable unit in line with your expected limited usage. Their web site has details. Good luck.
Click to expand...
 
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