GW Instek GDS-200 / 300 replacement battery 7.4V code FT8862103P

[Kiriakos GR]

My very own GDS-320 Oscilloscope this started demonstrating battery capacity damage.
Within three years time of ownership (3 years, 5 months,).. I did recharge it about 40 times.
Most of times I was use it as oscilloscope for intervals of 30 minutes top, and  few times as DMM for thermostat behavior data-log.
I do consider such using conditions as very lightweight ones, even so for another one time it seems that Lithium chemistry this is my silent enemy.

My first test shown that my GDS 320 battery this now lost about 35% of storage capacity, but I am going run more tests in this week.

Replacement battery should be FT8862103P, nowadays Google search will drive you at the home page of the Chinese manufacturer which takes pride of how safe they are the batteries which him produce.
UN38.3 for Lithium Ion Battery tests this is actually about crashing down the battery and this does not get in flames.
Unfortunately Lithium pouch batteries they have the tendency to dis-form but not always.

At home page of http://www.fujielectronics.com.cn/index.html there is not any downloadable datasheets, just a brief description and miniature pictures which I just enlarge for our visitors to see.

What seems problematic this is that specific brand does not use email or talks to strangers.   
Neither seems to have any distributors about retail sales, and in simple English an direct product order seems impossible if you do not speak Chinese.

   

[Kiriakos GR]

At my first message above, I was feeling as alerted so to find more proofs about this problem.
Today I did open up the scope so to find out the entire truth.

My findings are not positive, one of the two cells this is now slightly bulged.
But even so this is not that major as issue, than what it is the totally problematic concept behind the process of battery removal and replacement.

Specific battery this is attached directly over a metallic frame of thin metal that it is the back side of TFT screen.
Dual side sticky tape it does good job holding the battery unmovable, but this is also a high risk factor than even an expert, he could cause damage to other parts, when this battery it must be removed.

Practically because I have the awareness that tiny and long length pcb of battery charge controller, this is folded at the entire length of both cells, this makes impossible battery removal with out this getting damaged.   

1) Therefore the possibility of replacing just the battery cells and reusing the old battery controller, this has less than 5% chances of success.
Identical poor chances of success this is battery removal and TFT screen to stay undamaged.

2) Additionally there is no warranty that specific charging controller will stay unlocked when individual battery cell are removed from it (unsoldered).
 
3) I would predict than even if you had the chance to have a fresh assembled battery pack in your hands, original spare part this delivered to you by GW Instek, risks of damaging other parts this is extremely high.
Therefore you are tied with only option and this is GW Instek about them to handle this process.

What I am still unaware this is entire cost of parts and labor and shipping, so one GDS 200/300 scope this to gain a new battery replacement.

Assembled battery dimensions: 8 mm x 120 mm (wide) x 100 mm (length).   
Wires: Red, Yellow , white,  they carry +8.15V its one (scope turned off) and black this is negative.

Similar Li-polymer Cycle life: 500 Times (and 1 year warranty).

Charge voltage          8.4V
Nominal voltage         7.4V
Max. charge voltage   8.6V

According to battery production date of my GDS320, this is now 48 months old ( becomes four years old in about two months time).

[Haggy38]

Have you contacted GW Instek for possible solutions? And battery replacement cost? Terrible news to gds owners, fuses and battery replacement......what else?... it's an expensive scopemeter 


Gustavo

[Kiriakos GR]

I did contact authorized seller of GW Instek in Greece, they will let me know of replacement battery cost as soon they will receive relative information's from the source.

In the positive side of things, in our times (this decade) only GW Instek and HIOKI Japan, they providing spare parts for component level repair.
From the other hand, its one battery powered tool, it hides one surprise, which the customer will discover in a later time.

In the regard of spare parts availability, I have full trust at both GW Instek and HIOKI Japan, and to no one else.
 

 

[Kiriakos GR]

Today I did receive long waited news.
GW Instek sends a picture this illustrating battery spare part.

Yes the battery comes bonded over aluminum frame, this solution translates that you are not simply paying for battery cells.

There is also a note, that its customer he should mention serial code number, because there is two versions of this spare part.
Currently available it is this pictured below.

Never forget that for actual pricing estimate, you should contact national GW Instek authorized re-seller.

My very own price estimate this is 80 Euros (plus 5 EUR local shipping) or a total of 85 EUR delivered.

This solution it is for customers willing accepting the risk to fiddle with sensitive ribbon type cabling and to perform free of mistakes work.