|
|
Post by SeikoPsycho on Feb 6, 2015 3:49:42 GMT -8
My Daughter's home for a visit and knowing of my obsession brought two of her friends DOA watches with her for me to take a look at. One is a Citizen Eco Drive Skyhawk Blue Angles and the other is a Eco Drive perpetual calender calibre 8700. I took a look at the Perpetual Calender and it has a Panasonic MT920 kinetic battery in it. After doing a little research this appears to be a battery with tabs. So, my question would be: What's the replacement procedure on these? Is it just a straight forward replacement or is there a special procedure I need to follow? What about the Skyhawk? Any help would be appreciated because I'd rather be spending time with my daughter then researching watch repair..........  |
|
|
|
Post by 69ChevelleSS on Feb 6, 2015 6:04:11 GMT -8
My Daughter's home for a visit and knowing of my obsession brought two of her friends DOA watches with her for me to take a look at. One is a Citizen Eco Drive Skyhawk Blue Angles and the other is a Eco Drive perpetual calender calibre 8700. I took a look at the Perpetual Calender and it has a Panasonic MT920 kinetic battery in it. After doing a little research this appears to be a battery with tabs. So, my question would be: What's the replacement procedure on these? Is it just a straight forward replacement or is there a special procedure I need to follow? What about the Skyhawk? Any help would be appreciated because I'd rather be spending time with my daughter then researching watch repair.......... Not sure about Citizen but my Seiko solar dive chrono died and all it took to get it running again was a new capacitor which I got from a web site called Battery Bob. Highly recommended. Great service and quite a large selection. I don't think that it's technically a battery. A capacitor stores the energy that it gets fed by the watch absorbing sun light. |
|
|
|
Post by SeikoPsycho on Feb 6, 2015 6:49:00 GMT -8
My Daughter's home for a visit and knowing of my obsession brought two of her friends DOA watches with her for me to take a look at. One is a Citizen Eco Drive Skyhawk Blue Angles and the other is a Eco Drive perpetual calender calibre 8700. I took a look at the Perpetual Calender and it has a Panasonic MT920 kinetic battery in it. After doing a little research this appears to be a battery with tabs. So, my question would be: What's the replacement procedure on these? Is it just a straight forward replacement or is there a special procedure I need to follow? What about the Skyhawk? Any help would be appreciated because I'd rather be spending time with my daughter then researching watch repair.......... Not sure about Citizen but my Seiko solar dive chrono died and all it took to get it running again was a new capacitor which I got from a web site called Battery Bob. Highly recommended. Great service and quite a large selection. I don't think that it's technically a battery. A capacitor stores the energy that it gets fed by the watch absorbing sun light. Thanks Bob, Yes, technically it is a capacitor. Most sales sites refer to it as a battery. I'm charging the two watches under light while I'm at work today to see if they will charge. If not then I'm assuming I'll have to install new capacitors. The MT920's come with several different contact tips from what I've researched. |
|
normdiaz
Is a Permanent Fixture
Posts: 6,643 
|
Post by normdiaz on Feb 6, 2015 7:25:33 GMT -8
From a Citizen website (for what it's worth):
Q: What should I do if I had the energy cell replaced after my watch stopped, but it still doesn’t run?
A:
An occasional repair request received by our Repair Department is due to Eco-Drive watches that have had ordinary silver oxide batteries substituted for the original Eco-Drive energy cell. In some instances, the movements have been damaged as the special cells which feature soldered contacts have been pried out of the movement causing physical damage. In almost every case, all that was needed was a full recharge of the watch.
A warning label, placed on the inside caseback of each Eco-Drive model, states, “do not put other than the energy cell designated” and the part number for the rechargeable energy cell, 295-XX, appears prominently on the movement cover.
Additionally, the correct energy cell may feature a spotwelded gold colored connecting strap which is necessary to make contact with the circuit of the watch. There is no such connector on a silver oxide substitute so no connection can be made to the circuit, consequently the watch will not run. In some watches, the original energy cell has been pried out, damaging the circuit and displacing parts, which may result in the need to replace the entire movement.
As replacement of the original energy cell is not the result of a manufacturing defect, correction is not covered by the warranty. We recommend that you send your timepiece to your nearest Authorized Service Center for review and estimation for the cost of correcting this issue.
And another source makes it sound like the capacitor replacement is not a DIY project:
www.ehow.com/how_11415845_change-capacitor-ecodrive-watch.html
|
|
|
|
Post by SeikoPsycho on Feb 6, 2015 9:56:10 GMT -8
Thanks for the info Norm! After several hours under a light one is up and running. One down, one to go, Keeping my fingers crossed!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2015 10:20:01 GMT -8
Not sure about Citizen but my Seiko solar dive chrono died and all it took to get it running again was a new capacitor which I got from a web site called Battery Bob. Highly recommended. Great service and quite a large selection. I don't think that it's technically a battery. A capacitor stores the energy that it gets fed by the watch absorbing sun light. Thanks Bob, Yes, technically it is a capacitor. Most sales sites refer to it as a battery. I'm charging the two watches under light while I'm at work today to see if they will charge. If not then I'm assuming I'll have to install new capacitors. The MT920's come with several different contact tips from what I've researched. We need to clarify a couple of things here. Firstly the capacitors and batteries do have different construction. Capacitors typically have much smaller storage capacities than do batteries. The early cells in kinetic watches were capacitors or more correctly 'super capacitors'. When Seiko ran into manufacturing and QC problems with capacitors, they switched to actual Litium Ion rechargeable batteries which are definitely not capacitors of any kind. The original capacitors in Seiko watches were marked GC920. The later Litium Ion batteries are marked TC920. As far as I am aware, Citizen never used capacitors, only rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries. Depending on the watch, the batteries may or may not have tabs on them. All the ones I've seen in Seikos have the tabs. I haven't been inside an Eco-Drive so can't comment. When I convert kinetics to regular bunny batteries, I simply remove the tab from the old cell and install it with the new battery. No need to weld, solder or attach the tab in any manner. The battery strap and insulator hold the tab firmly in place. |
|
|
|
Post by SeikoPsycho on Feb 6, 2015 18:00:13 GMT -8
Thanks Bob, Yes, technically it is a capacitor. Most sales sites refer to it as a battery. I'm charging the two watches under light while I'm at work today to see if they will charge. If not then I'm assuming I'll have to install new capacitors. The MT920's come with several different contact tips from what I've researched. We need to clarify a couple of things here. Firstly the capacitors and batteries do have different construction. Capacitors typically have much smaller storage capacities than do batteries. The early cells in kinetic watches were capacitors or more correctly 'super capacitors'. When Seiko ran into manufacturing and QC problems with capacitors, they switched to actual Litium Ion rechargeable batteries which are definitely not capacitors of any kind. The original capacitors in Seiko watches were marked GC920. The later Litium Ion batteries are marked TC920. As far as I am aware, Citizen never used capacitors, only rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries. Depending on the watch, the batteries may or may not have tabs on them. All the ones I've seen in Seikos have the tabs. I haven't been inside an Eco-Drive so can't comment. When I convert kinetics to regular bunny batteries, I simply remove the tab from the old cell and install it with the new battery. No need to weld, solder or attach the tab in any manner. The battery strap and insulator hold the tab firmly in place. Thanks for the info! After a day under a light one is working but the Skyhawk is still motionless........ |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2015 18:03:34 GMT -8
We need to clarify a couple of things here. Firstly the capacitors and batteries do have different construction. Capacitors typically have much smaller storage capacities than do batteries. The early cells in kinetic watches were capacitors or more correctly 'super capacitors'. When Seiko ran into manufacturing and QC problems with capacitors, they switched to actual Litium Ion rechargeable batteries which are definitely not capacitors of any kind. The original capacitors in Seiko watches were marked GC920. The later Litium Ion batteries are marked TC920. As far as I am aware, Citizen never used capacitors, only rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries. Depending on the watch, the batteries may or may not have tabs on them. All the ones I've seen in Seikos have the tabs. I haven't been inside an Eco-Drive so can't comment. When I convert kinetics to regular bunny batteries, I simply remove the tab from the old cell and install it with the new battery. No need to weld, solder or attach the tab in any manner. The battery strap and insulator hold the tab firmly in place. Thanks for the info! After a day under a light one is working but the Skyhawk is still motionless........ Leave them under the light...sometimes these batteries can take a couple of days to recharge. Also; after charging for a good period; pull the crown out for about 30 seconds then push it back in(this is the reset on some models). |
|
cobrajet25
Needs a Life!
"Underweared curmudgeon!"
Posts: 3,357
|
Post by cobrajet25 on Feb 6, 2015 23:40:20 GMT -8
Thanks for the info! After a day under a light one is working but the Skyhawk is still motionless........ Leave them under the light...sometimes these batteries can take a couple of days to recharge. Also; after charging for a good period; pull the crown out for about 30 seconds then push it back in(this is the reset on some models).  This! While Seiko had some pretty serious capacitor problems, I believe it is much less of an issue with Citizens. If the capa-ttery is completely dead, it can take what seems like quite a while in strong light before these things start going again. I have a Citizen cal 2100 chrono that gets pretty dozy if it is allowed to run all the way down. |
|
|
|
Post by yorkiesknob on Feb 7, 2015 4:15:58 GMT -8
I agree with the last 2 posts. Owning several Eco-drives, if I completely drain them it then takes rather a long time to get them back up to full charge. Also when charged if the second hand is still jumping every 2 seconds pull out the crown and all will be back to normal. My oldest one is close to 15yrs old now and still comes to life every time I awaken it from its hibernation .
|
|
|
|
Post by SeikoPsycho on Feb 7, 2015 4:59:15 GMT -8
Thanks Guys! Looks like there may still be hope for the Skyhawk. Back under the light it goes!
|
|
cobrajet25
Needs a Life!
"Underweared curmudgeon!"
Posts: 3,357
|
Post by cobrajet25 on Feb 7, 2015 5:19:39 GMT -8
Thanks Guys! Looks like there may still be hope for the Skyhawk. Back under the light it goes! I know it isn't the time of year for it, but a few hours out on the dashboard of your car in some direct sunlight would really speed things up. Or maybe the windowsill in your house that gets the most light. That is how I wake my EcoDrive up. Putting these under lamps works, but it is pretty slow. |
|
|
|
Post by SeikoPsycho on Feb 7, 2015 6:34:46 GMT -8
Thanks Aaron!
Pretty cloudy here in the NE. I've got it face to face with a bright LED for the day. we'll see how it does.
|
|
|
|
Post by dringer on Feb 7, 2015 18:58:42 GMT -8
If you haven't got the Skyhawk reset yet, and it uses a C650 movement, you might try c06.coacdn.com/calibers/C650/index.html. The Eco Drives employ a bunch of different reset procedures, depending on the caliber. I have 2, one uses the 30 sec out/in reset, the other requires a unicorn and a magic wand - or the manual. Dan |
|
cobrajet25
Needs a Life!
"Underweared curmudgeon!"
Posts: 3,357
|
Post by cobrajet25 on Feb 8, 2015 1:54:48 GMT -8
Thanks Aaron! Pretty cloudy here in the NE. I've got it face to face with a bright LED for the day. we'll see how it does. LEDs ain't gonna work, brother. I'd bet a buck that is your problem. These need real light... Sunlight or incandescent. |
|
|
|
Post by SeikoPsycho on Feb 8, 2015 3:40:11 GMT -8
Thanks Aaron! Pretty cloudy here in the NE. I've got it face to face with a bright LED for the day. we'll see how it does. LEDs ain't gonna work, brother. I'd bet a buck that is your problem. These need real light... Sunlight or incandescent. Humm, didn't know led's wouldn't work. Thanks for the info! According to the Citizen web site, and from my experence with watch 1, florescent lights also work. Sun light through a window also takes twice as long as outdoor on a cloudy day. |
|
cobrajet25
Needs a Life!
"Underweared curmudgeon!"
Posts: 3,357
|
Post by cobrajet25 on Feb 8, 2015 5:16:45 GMT -8
LEDs ain't gonna work, brother. I'd bet a buck that is your problem. These need real light... Sunlight or incandescent. Humm, didn't know led's wouldn't work. Thanks for the info! According to the Citizen web site, and from my experence with watch 1, florescent lights also work. Sun light through a window also takes twice as long as outdoor on a cloudy day. These things are light hogs. LEDs may work, but they'd likely take forever. Even sitting out for eight hours on a cloudy day would work better. IIRC, in the manual there is a continuum of light sources that work, with 'cloudy day' being near the top? |
|
|
|
Post by SpinDoctor on Feb 8, 2015 6:50:41 GMT -8
I had read that Citizen uses some sort of titanium rechargeable cell. Working through google to get the details I learned the actual name is lithium titanate and is the same chemistry used in the batteries of the electric powered cars. The advantage of this particular chemistry is rapid recharge rate. I thought this was something special that citizen was using, but the wiki article actually referenced the use of these batteries in the seiko kinetic. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium%E2%80%93titanate_batteryI don't know how much this helps the OP, but I'll leave the information here as some of you are more engineering inclined than I am and this can be my deposit to the internet collective knowledge for today. |
|
longbike
Is a Permanent Fixture
Aqualand Addict
Posts: 6,405
|
Post by longbike on Feb 8, 2015 9:25:04 GMT -8
Aloha I have .... (9) Echo Dive Divers here and putting them under regular house lights is insufficient. Citizens recommends putting them in direct open ..... " Sun Light " to be sufficiently charged. House lights, Lamps, and these others, are (Artificial Lights ), and will not give out what it needs to be fully charged.
The best way is to put them in the window and let ....... " THE SUN " , charge it. Gamma rays is what these watch's are hungry for and that is the full charge way for them.
The Battery Tabs on the .... " Echo Drive " batteries sit into the movement to operate the watch. They contact to the circuit board to function the movement.
I had them at first, left it under a lamp all night, slow charging took place. Left it in the window it went to full charge in a fast period of time.
They have to be feed by the ...." SUN " , that's it. Constantly used outside to be exposed to the sun. They work the same way ...... " Solar Panels " do and only that is sufficient. They have to be always be exposed to the Sun light constantly. It has a .... " Reflective Mini Solar Panel " built right in it. Aloha Louis |
|
This! While Seiko had some pretty serious capacitor problems, I believe it is much less of an issue with Citizens. If the capa-ttery is completely dead, it can take what seems like quite a while in strong light before these things start going again.
