Tracker battery replacement: Difference between revisions
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The batteries inside a tracker can be replaced. Bad news: It's a weird 3.85v battery, and there's no space inside the tracker to actually use a larger one so you're still basically stuck with a fresh replacement rather than upgrade. | The batteries inside a (2.0) tracker can be replaced. Bad news: It's a weird 3.85v battery, and there's no space inside the tracker to actually use a larger one so you're still basically stuck with a fresh replacement rather than upgrade. | ||
good news: these batteries are available and aren't expensive. | good news: these batteries are available and aren't expensive. | ||
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What to look out for: chinky batteries aren't worth the $10 you save, they are often worse than the worn-out battery you're replacing. Get batteries from a reliable retailer; they should have blue/green/black cables, not red/white/black. | What to look out for: chinky batteries aren't worth the $10 you save, they are often worse than the worn-out battery you're replacing. Get batteries from a reliable retailer; they should have blue/green/black cables, not red/white/black. | ||
Note on sourcing: It's very hard to find non chinky batteries now. Their quality varies hugely. Buy a battery from somewhere you can get a refund from in case the battery is terrible. | |||
Note: 3.0 trackers actually use the same battery, but I don't have one to open so the screw layout/count might be different. | |||
Tools needed: Screwdriver with a TORX T5 bit. (0.5mm bit). And a sharp knife. And some tweezers. | Tools needed: Screwdriver with a TORX T5 bit. (0.5mm bit). And a sharp knife. And some tweezers. | ||
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[[File:Top cover popoff.jpg|500px|frameless|none]] | [[File:Top cover popoff.jpg|500px|frameless|none]] | ||
3. There is ANOTHER SCREW holding on the circuitry core, unscrew that, then peel open the arms a bit and wiggle the core out. | 3. There is ANOTHER SCREW holding on the circuitry core, unscrew that, then peel open the arms a bit and wiggle the core out. It's easiest to wiggle the LED prong out last because there's a little extra tab on that bit.CAREFUL with the DIODES! They stick out a bit and get caught by the casing. | ||
[[File:One screw.jpg|500px|frameless|none]][[File:Peel open.jpg|500px|frameless|none]] | [[File:One screw.jpg|500px|frameless|none]][[File:Peel open.jpg|500px|frameless|none]] | ||
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[[File:Unscrewandunplug.jpg|500px|frameless|none]] | [[File:Unscrewandunplug.jpg|500px|frameless|none]] | ||
6. you can unfold the ribbon cable sections to get access to the battery. There's a little plastic guard, remove that. Then GENTLY lever out the battery. It's glued in; DO NOT PIERCE THE BATTERY. | |||
[[File:Guard battery 1.jpg|500px|frameless|none]][[File:Lever battery 2.jpg|500px|frameless|none]] | |||
[[File:Battery out.jpg|500px|frameless|none]] | |||
7. Put the new battery in and basically do the stuff above but in reverse order: | |||
* Refold the circuitry back together; screw in then plug in the battery. | |||
* Screw the loose charging port bit into the base of the tracker (remember the bit of tape!). Pay attention to rotation; the core is not rotationally symmetric. (one prong has an LED, this led prong should go in the same section as the microusb port) | |||
* Put the circuitry core back in the base; put the LED prong in first and slide the rest down into the base. Expand the legs by pulling the base legs apart to slip the case over the diodes; be careful not to knock one off! They're not super fragile but don't risk it. | |||
* Remember the one screw that attaches the core to the base. | |||
* Put the top cover on. It is also not rotationally symmetric; it should just snap on though, no order needed. | |||
* Screw the three base screws back in. Don't tighten too hard; you can over torque and pull the metal threading bit out of the housing. It's fixable but it's more work. | |||
* done! |
Latest revision as of 15:05, 23 May 2024
The batteries inside a (2.0) tracker can be replaced. Bad news: It's a weird 3.85v battery, and there's no space inside the tracker to actually use a larger one so you're still basically stuck with a fresh replacement rather than upgrade.
good news: these batteries are available and aren't expensive.
Model: B2PYV100
What to look out for: chinky batteries aren't worth the $10 you save, they are often worse than the worn-out battery you're replacing. Get batteries from a reliable retailer; they should have blue/green/black cables, not red/white/black.
Note on sourcing: It's very hard to find non chinky batteries now. Their quality varies hugely. Buy a battery from somewhere you can get a refund from in case the battery is terrible.
Note: 3.0 trackers actually use the same battery, but I don't have one to open so the screw layout/count might be different.
Tools needed: Screwdriver with a TORX T5 bit. (0.5mm bit). And a sharp knife. And some tweezers.
1. Find the screws in the back. There are THREE. See the image: the cutouts are where the two main ones are and the third is under the flap here.
2. Pop off the top cover
![](/w/images/thumb/d/d3/Top_cover_popoff.jpg/500px-Top_cover_popoff.jpg)
3. There is ANOTHER SCREW holding on the circuitry core, unscrew that, then peel open the arms a bit and wiggle the core out. It's easiest to wiggle the LED prong out last because there's a little extra tab on that bit.CAREFUL with the DIODES! They stick out a bit and get caught by the casing.
![](/w/images/thumb/1/1e/One_screw.jpg/500px-One_screw.jpg)
![](/w/images/thumb/0/05/Peel_open.jpg/500px-Peel_open.jpg)
4. There is a ribbon cable attaching the main core to the base. It's easier to unscrew the little port area attached to the base than fuck with ribbon cables. There's 4 screws, one is covered with a bit of tape, make sure to keep hold of that tape and recover when rebuilding.
![](/w/images/thumb/3/35/Ribbon_cable.jpg/500px-Ribbon_cable.jpg)
5. Flip the core over and unscrew the 3 screws holding the circuitry on, and unplug the battery. The plug goes in from the top rather than sliding in. (This is an easier alternative to unplugging the ribbon cables; I did that once and it SUCKS ASS getting them back in).
![](/w/images/thumb/1/19/Unscrewandunplug.jpg/500px-Unscrewandunplug.jpg)
6. you can unfold the ribbon cable sections to get access to the battery. There's a little plastic guard, remove that. Then GENTLY lever out the battery. It's glued in; DO NOT PIERCE THE BATTERY.
![](/w/images/thumb/1/11/Guard_battery_1.jpg/500px-Guard_battery_1.jpg)
![](/w/images/thumb/9/9c/Lever_battery_2.jpg/500px-Lever_battery_2.jpg)
![](/w/images/thumb/8/8e/Battery_out.jpg/500px-Battery_out.jpg)
7. Put the new battery in and basically do the stuff above but in reverse order:
- Refold the circuitry back together; screw in then plug in the battery.
- Screw the loose charging port bit into the base of the tracker (remember the bit of tape!). Pay attention to rotation; the core is not rotationally symmetric. (one prong has an LED, this led prong should go in the same section as the microusb port)
- Put the circuitry core back in the base; put the LED prong in first and slide the rest down into the base. Expand the legs by pulling the base legs apart to slip the case over the diodes; be careful not to knock one off! They're not super fragile but don't risk it.
- Remember the one screw that attaches the core to the base.
- Put the top cover on. It is also not rotationally symmetric; it should just snap on though, no order needed.
- Screw the three base screws back in. Don't tighten too hard; you can over torque and pull the metal threading bit out of the housing. It's fixable but it's more work.
- done!