rustyrivet

My Feedback: (6)

Replace your own JR TX Lithium battery?

Anybody changed that back-up battery in the 8103 transmitter themselves? I feel like having to spend time, shipping costs, and service charges just to change out a battery is a nuisance. (While being out a radio too)I'm also not too crazy about having a perfect working radio out of my sight that can be dropped, or handled rough.
I don't require help when changing the batteries in anything else. Neither do I need help changing a light bulb or going to the bathroom. Is this really necessary?

Mac_Man_UK

Has the Lithium already expired or are you doing this as a precautionary measure ?

rustyrivet

My Feedback: (6)

It's not dead yet. I'm thinking and planning ahead so I can control the situation, instead of it controling me. But how is this a deciding factor on changing the battery out?




XB-70: I read your post below;

There's a LOT of things that piss me off with JR! Frankly, it's the reputation of their great receivers that have kept me going with them. Never mind their arogant refusal to wire their stuff in the polarities like everybody else. More so, it is the fact that I don't like the that they have such a tight hold on their distributors, and there stuff can't easilly be found for much less then retail. If you notice, no dealers can dare advertise prices below the suggested price.
I'm tired of paying Specialty Store pricing, when the rest of the world has already gone Walmart, Home Depot, and Tower. They think if they do this I'll have no choice but to pay premium?....That's what they think.... I already only exclusively buy Futaba and Hi Tec Servos because I refuse to pay JR prices. Who's prices would you rather pay? Tower or Quantum/Horizon?


I'm starting to wonder if electronics have gotten so easy to mass produce reliably, that the top end Futaba receivers would be just as good now as JR. Those new Futaba systems advertised at TOWER are tempting. When you figure out the price it would cost you to buy the Futaba servos and the receiver alone, that comes in their package deals, it's practicaly like Tower is throwing in the computer transmitter, switch and receiver battery at no extra charge! Then to top it off, they often give you another $20- $40 off the final price when you submit the coupon.

Ask me why I have mixed emotions about owning JR these days.

XB-70

This topic really makes me angry. I have a Jr 652 that I have not used for 3 years and I think its battery is going to need replacing. I think its crap that these nice radios have to be serviced like this. If some one knows of a way to change it by ones self please share, because as far as I'm concerned Jr will not get another penny out of me. I'm going back to FUTABA!

Mac_Man_UK

If you are quick enough in removing the old and soldering in the new, then it wont lose its settings. If you take too long, then the voltage dies off and the internal calibration settings are gone. Once this happens, you have an uncalibrated transmitter on your hands.

From experience, althought the battery life is nominally 5 years ( ish ) I have replaced lithiums that still have sufficient voltage after 10 years.

What is the actual lithium voltage at the moment ??

ZAGNUT

My Feedback: (1)

how about paralleling in the needed 3 volts from a power supply(or whatever) BEFORE removing the old battery? then you could take all the time you want during the operation...


dave

rustyrivet

My Feedback: (6)

Mac, Zagnut,

OK, enough of my anti JR rant, and back to the topic:

I have not opened up the radio to explore. I felt there is no need to start jacking with it unless I have a consensus here amongst folks that it is a common enough practice that's often done. I am quite familiar with soldering and have no qualms about doing it, if the guys here on RCUNIVERSE advise so. However, I don't want to be the first to be exploring new unchartered territory. As well, if I hear from anybody "Don't do it, this can happen or that can go wrong. Send it in to be $erviced", then I'll heed the warning. At this point I don't know what kind of battery is in there, and if it is easy to obtain.

Zagnut, that does make sence about connecting the new battey first before connecting the old one. I wonder if anybody else can advise?

XB-70

Does any one have any input? What kind of battery do these things take, I imagine some thing like a camera lithium battery.

GRANT ED

I have replace memory batteries in GPS recievers using the parallel method. Hook up a power supply across the old batt. Make sure you set the voltage correctly (probably around 3V). Remove the old battery. Measure the new battery voltage and set the power supply to slightly below. This will stop the power supply trying to charge the new battery. Fit the new battery and remove the supply.

rustyrivet

My Feedback: (6)

Hmmmm.....nobody has input about actually having done this with their JR 8103?


_____________________________

He who dies with the most toys.....is never the less still dead.
May he discover the Lord's grace.

Mac_Man_UK

The Lithium cell is a CR2032 but with JR tagging. To date, I havent come across an equivalent here in the UK but as i buy them in from JR in Japan, I don't need to seek elsewhere.

It is very easy to replace and as I said, if you are quick enough, the system will not lose its settings.

rustyrivet

My Feedback: (6)

Mac Man,

I just found the CR 2032 battery listed on Batteries America's web sight. It is available with tabs, and costs a nominal $2.50
I think I'll open the panel on the radio to see if the battery is easy to get at and something that looks simple enough for me to tackle. Another thing that concerns me is mistakingly identifying the battery and putting the wrong battery in there. I'd sure hate to put the wrong battery in there, and either blow the circuitry, or underpower it and lose the calibration.

I guess as Grant Ed posted; I can use my volt meter while the battery is still alive and try to get a reading and know for sure what it is. Or perhaps Batteries America can confirm this to me on the phone.
I don't know where Grant Ed gets the "power source" he refers to. Perhaps he is in the business and has all these neat electronic gadgets. Without having gadgetry, I would think I should be able to connect the new battery to the system before disconnecting the old battery, and avoid any potential problems. (as Zagnut suggests)

First thing I guess I should do is open the Radio and have a look. Hopefully a JR 8103 transmitter opens as clean and simple as my old 4 channel Futaba's. I'd hate to loosen the screws, pull the transmitter backing and have little springs popping up my nose, and odd little parts falling out from dark crevices.
As of yet, nobody has made such warnings.

Mac_Man_UK

The only awkward thing about doing the battery change is that when you replace the procesor pcb you have to align 8 springs up to slot the switches into.

What i do to make things easier is.....

remove the sticks by unscrewing the hex headed screws on the front panel, lift the sticks up and out, remove the pcb retaining screw, lift the pcb up desolder the battery, fit new battery, align springs carefully and place the pcb back into position. I then use long tweezers to ensure that all 8 springs have fitted to the pushbutton shafts correctly, screw the retaining screw back in place then carefully replace the stick assemblies and refit the screws.

Easy !!