I am having some confusion understanding a few things concerning the 920 and 922 battery replacement. I have done a search and read the info here and on the web, but I have some questions still:

1) It was mentioned the way to tell the year of your unit is to look at the 7th digit of the serial number. Is this correct?
2) How do you determine if the battery has died or dying. i.e. What to check for before purchasing?
3) Is the only instructions for doing the battery replacement Alan Judd's pages?
DSR-920 Battery Replacement Instructions (http://www.pacificsites.com/~alanjudd/920.htm)
DSR-922 Battery Replacement Instructions (http://www.pacificsites.com/~alanjudd/922.htm)

4) It appears the VCII module also has it's own battery and that is also in jepordy of going dead? Is there a way to check this one also?
VCII replacement the easy way (http://www.pacificsites.com/~alanjudd/VCII.htm)

5) I have seen reference to this battery (TL-5955/P) --> Digi-Key - 439-1008-ND (Manufacturer - TL-5955/P) (http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=439-1008-ND)
However, it appears the original battery can be found here --> Lithium Battery Sanyo CR14250SE, with Solder Tabs 1/2AA-Size 3 Volts $9.95 free Shipping! (http://store.batteryspecialists.com/cr14250setabs.html). Why is this battery not the one Alan uses? In the DSR-920 page, he makes this comment to another battery number --> "TL-5995P. The same battery will work well in a VCII or DSR-922". (Note the number is 5995 vs. 5955)

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Any time you are buying a 920 or 922 receiver, ASK if the battery had been changed. I see folks asking that question if the 4DTV receivers are listed in Ebay. There is a way to see if the battery is still good by looking at the ID number on the 4DTV and on one of the dignostic screens. (Do a search in this forum for that info.) If the IDs don't match, then the receiver is dead and useless.
When I had my battery replaced in my 920, I had two battery holders installed, so that when the battery is getting weak, I can pop the new battery into the spare holder and remove the old battery. I won't have to worry about killing the receiver. I got my battery and the battery holders from Radio Shack. Then I had my friend who know how to solder to do the battery change for me.
Give me a coupla days to give you info on what battery and holders I bought.
VC 2 board? Don't bother with that. Nothing as far as channels are using VC 2 boards. I keep my board in my 920 to help cut down dust problems. The channels you want are the DC II channels. Go to Skyvision site to get the lists of 4DTV channels.
There are guys in this forum who owns 4DTV receivers who will help you too.

I am using a AA 3.6 volt Lithium battery and two AA battery holders in my 920.

I found this from one of the members of this site:
"I used a 3.6 volt lithium battery from Radio Shack rated at a hefty 2.1 ah! The stock # is 230-0037 and it runs $11.00 and some change. It's a AA size and I just used two AA battery holders, one for the new battery and one for the replacement when it's time."
Like I mentioned, I had my 920 done this way and I am satisfied!

thanks for all the info. I am still baffle why the original is 3.0 v and the replacement being suggested everywhere is 3.6 v. or did I make a mistake?

Maybe you're confusing the 3.6 volt batteries the receivers use with the 3 volt batteries the computers use (if my memory serves me right)?

What I meant is, that this battery is 3.0 V:
Lithium Battery Sanyo CR14250SE, with Solder Tabs 1/2AA-Size 3 Volts $9.95 free Shipping! (http://store.batteryspecialists.com/cr14250setabs.html)

Which is what is in this photo from Alan's page:
http://www.pacificsites.com/~alanjudd/922b_files/image001.jpg
http://www.pacificsites.com/~alanjudd/922b_files/image003.jpg

I ended up ordering this

Digi-Key - 2461K-ND (Manufacturer - 2461) (http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?FullDetail&name=2461K-ND#usewithparents) - QTY: 2
http://media.digikey.com/photos/Keystone%20Elect%20Photos/2461.jpg


and this:

Digi-Key - 439-1010-ND (Manufacturer - TL-2100/S) (http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=439-1010-ND) - QTY: 1
http://media.digikey.com/photos/Tadiran%20Batteries%20Photos/TL-2100%5ES.jpg

That looks like the same battery that's in my 920.

Tradewinds, that is the setup I used. My friend hot glued one AA holder to the motherboard, put the 3.6 volt battery into it, quickly cut out the old battery and soldered the spare AA holder wires to its old terminals and hot glued that holder next to the other holder, on the chassis.
The old battery still have 3.6 volts! Not bad, but now I have a peace of mind about all this.

Look like that 3 volt battery would affect the performance of the motherboard. I wonder why Allan used the 3 volt battery instead of the 3.6 volt?

I believed he used the 3.6 V, but what appears to be the original is a 3.0 V (the Sanyo)

Tradewinds, that is the setup I used. My friend hot glued one AA holder to the motherboard, put the 3.6 volt battery into it, quickly cut out the old battery and soldered the spare AA holder wires to its old terminals and hot glued that holder next to the other holder, on the chassis.
The old battery still have 3.6 volts! Not bad, but now I have a peace of mind about all this.

What's the need for the spare holder besides electric shock? I was under the impression if the receiver is left plugged into the wall. Then the battery can be replaced without losing it's I.D..

I am not sure if it holds the ID when the power is plugged in. Even if it does, that would mean if your battery is completely dead, then you have to perform this surgery while plug into a AC outlet which is extremely dangerous. What the spare holder does, is allow you to plug in a new battery into the spare and flip the dead one out of the other holder.

I wasn't referring to changing the "original" battery while plugged in. But, more towards how mine is set up in the pic of post #9. I have a holder but no spare.

Well, I assume what your plan is that you will keep it plugged in and then swap out the battery. If that is confirmed to work, then I agree, we don't need a spare holder and we can swap things out carefully while the system is "hot".

Done the Hot Swap on two 920's. Worked out fine ... needed a drink afterwords.

so, you kept it plugged in, took the battery out (i.e. no battery at all in the unit) and then put in another battery?

yup. had the units on and set to the system status page and watched that the Id # did not change

I have the impression that you have precious seconds to have that battery replaced or the 4DTV will be a doorstop.
I would prefer having the receiver unplugged while changing the battery for the first time (especially while soldering). I think I would change the battery while the receiver is unplugged for now on. Better safe than sorry...

On a VC2 there was a electrolytic capacitor that stayed charged when the battery was disconnected for a bit. On the 4DTV this may or may not be true. From what I understand, the battery is only used when the unit has no power. So in short a hot swap would work. Although it would be safer to use the battery parallel method if soldiering. If for some reason you got a splash of solider on the board or shorted something while hot it could mean curtains for the 4DTV.

I bought a receiver off of ebay about 2 years go. I was told that the battery had been replaced. I'm doubting that claim right now as I sit here with a model 920 with a scrambled unit ID. I should have changed the battery anyways...

What some one needs to make is a unit ID archiver like there was for VC-2. Then you could change the battery and reload the unit ID. I'll bet ATS has something along those lines.

if you could reload an id, why would you reload your own. You would load some other id into it . I think that is called cloning, and was a big problem that digicypher was supposed to address. I bet ATS does not have one.

I am new to this, I have had a 922 for a wile, I am on my second one, anyway, so if the battery goes dead then does that mean your unit is toast?
Also about how long does a battery last?
Thanks
Terry

so if the battery goes dead then does that mean your unit is toast?
Also about how long does a battery last?
If the Battery goes Dead AND you unplug, or loose power, the unit will lose it's Unit ID and is Toast.
It seems that most batteries die around 10 years, +/- a couple years.

You cannot reprogram them,. They have a fuse that is blown after programming.

I would have to say that ATS likely doesn't have a programmer, rather they have a stock of replacement boards from Motorola, which Motorola themselves change out the crypto chip and program with the keys/UA for that board, or a new one.

Well, just my luck. About to replace my battery and went to Alan's site for one last look and it seems to be down:

http://www.pacificsites.com/~alanjudd/922.htm


UPDATE: The site came back up and I soldered the battery holder. Tomorrow I'll attempt to cut out the old battery, although it still seems good with 3.1 V (for a 3 V battery).

I found this from one of the members of this site:
"I used a 3.6 volt lithium battery from Radio Shack rated at a hefty 2.1 ah! The stock # is 230-0037 and it runs $11.00 and some change.

Do you know how long ago this post was??? :confused:

I went to "The Shack" and they say the #230-0037 is obsolete! :eek:

They could not find anything but I found #23-940 on the rack and the only difference is that it is rated 3.6V and 2200mAh. Would the 2200mAh matter?This battery cost me $16.99 which is a little more. The website has a Saft LS14500C 2700mAh which is catalog #55025148 and is only $9.99. (Plus shipping!) :D

The $16.99 battery is a TADIRAN brand and the chart on the back says that it replaces the R6; TL-2100/S; TL-5104/S which I think supercedes the battery listed in the post. ;)

I went to "The Shack" and they say the #230-0037 is obsolete! :eek:

They could not find anything but I found #23-940 on the rack and the only difference is that it is rated 3.6V and 2200mAh. Would the 2200mAh matter?

I asked my brother, the "Iceberg" of electronics in our family, and he says the "mAh" (milli amp hours) has to do with how long the memory will retain info. The one online from Radio Shack rated 2700 mAh will work too. So the higher the number will work and better. :D

I asked my brother, the "Iceberg" of electronics in our family, and he says the "mAh" (milli amp hours) has to do with how long the memory will retain info. The one online from Radio Shack rated 2700 mAh will work too. So the higher the number will work and better. :D

Higher mAh numbers mean higher capacity, it will last longer. Won't hurt anything.