Where have you been? What have you seen?
By RussStein
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1833939
I appreciate at these times this post might be viewed a tad optimistic !
I'm hoping to get back over the Briny later this year
My McMurdo 220 PLB batteries still seem to be kicking out juice but the battery expiry date on the unit is indicated at March 2020.
Looking online I cant find a replacement service at much under £130 - & they are only £200 new
Am I missing something here or do people simply buy a new unit each time ?
Thanks in advance
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1833960
RussStein wrote:I appreciate at these times this post might be viewed a tad optimistic !
I'm hoping to get back over the Briny later this year
My McMurdo 220 PLB batteries still seem to be kicking out juice but the battery expiry date on the unit is indicated at March 2020.
Looking online I cant find a replacement service at much under £130 - & they are only £200 new
Am I missing something here or do people simply buy a new unit each time ?
Thanks in advance



Just buy a battery and swap it yourself?
By SimonM
#1834008
In 2016 I took my Mcmurdo Fastfind 210 to a chandlers in Gt Yarmouth.
They replaced the battery and carried out a full activation test and provided me with a certificate with the new battery replacement date along with the results of the test. I think it was about £87. Most places wanted about £90 for the battery alone.

Discussed here...

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=99217

Edited link as per requested
Last edited by SimonM on Wed Mar 17, 2021 10:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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By Rob L
#1834051
SimonM wrote:....Discussed here...


But with too much yellow text to understand! (and I won't quote your post for that very reason!)

Please: an edit would be appreciated!
By Red
#1834078
johnm wrote:

Just buy a battery and swap it yourself?



OK, from who?
User avatar
By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1834110
They're for different units. The expensive one is for:

Fastfind 406
Fastfind Plus
Fastfind Max
Fastfind Max G
Fastfind Max G(B)

This unit's got a detachable battery pack.

Came across this for the 210/220:

https://beaconbatteryreplacement.com/product/mcmurdo-fastfind-battery/

Though with shipping and import charges, you might as well go for the originals! Though I guess these will still work out about half the price.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333785718838
By SteveX
#1837417
Just a year 'out of date'? I did nothing, mine is 3 years beyond it's date and Im happy. Might change it next year. It still shows full when tested and even if it transmitted for half the time in UK waters eg. 12 hours, even 6, I am personally happy that I would be located in that timescale.
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1837422
Especially as the PLBs with GPS will tweet your position which will be picked up by satellites. However if you're bobbing around in the Channel, you may have moved by the time the boat gets there.

Though maybe if you're bobbing around for more than 6 hours, being picked up would be academic.
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1842543
False economy not to change batteries when indicated >

We usually take our group lifejackets and raft into SEMS at the appointed interval: They usually ask if I want the water activated lights that are replaced whole . They usually have loadsa battery life left:

First time I gladly accepted many years ago and said my young grandson loved activating them in the bath:

The nice man reached under the counter and fished out a box full: Here take some for his mates: I took a dozen or so: He was very popular at school that week. :wink:
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