Whats wrong with my solar Casio?

S

sak_collector

Joined
Jan 25, 2005
Messages
437
I have one of the Casio Waveceptor, solar watches. Just yesterday I pushed the light button, it flickered out and the little arrow started flashing that it was low and needed charging. The battery meter shows full, but the watch shut off all functions that it would if it were almost dead. Starting this morning, I made sure it stayed in direct sunlight all day. This evening I picked it up, pushed the light button and had the same problem.

I have had it about a year and a half. I know the battery can go bad, but this quick? Would I have been better off to just get the 10-year battery model? Is my solar version acting as expected?
 
GarageBoy said:
Mine went bad already. 1.5 yrs
flash discharge
Click to expand...

About the same time frame as mine. Bummer.

I bought it specifically so I would not have to change batteries quite so often, I was hoping for 4 or 5 years at least.

What did you replace yours with? Something in the same class? Any opinions on the 10 year battery models, or Timex Ironman?
 
I read about people having similar problems over at the Casio/G-Shock forums, so you guys aren't alone. Nobody had an answer for "why", just that it "does" happen, seems to me too frequently. That's why I stuck with the battery G-Shocks, they last a long time and don't give me any problems.
 
sak_collector said:
What did you replace yours with? Something in the same class? Any opinions on the 10 year battery models, or Timex Ironman?
Click to expand...

I know you weren't asking me, but I'd like to throw in a suggestion anyway...

Check out the Citizen Eco-Drive watches. My wife and I have both been wearing them for a number of years without any problems and I have not heard any stories of battery failures.

--Bob Q
 
I had this happen to mine a few weeks past. But it has since gone back to full normal function. I did noticed that I activated the light button at the same time the watch was in the "receiving" signal mode, which is at about 2:00 am EST. The light just flashed a bit stronger than normal. And was non functional after that. All other functions were okay. Actually, on a daily basis I was able to get one weak lightup. That was it. I am curious if while receiving the signal(s) from Fort Collins causes this temporary blackout.

N.
 
Is anyone having a problem with Casios that are just solar and not the wave ceptor? Maybe it has something to do with recieving the signal. Could it possibly require more energy depending on your location? Dont mean to sound dumb just throwing out some ideas.



John
 
Thanks folks. I guess mine is not unique. It was not during any recieving phase, it just happened. I mainly got it to be maintenence free at least for a while.

I think I will just go back to the 'original' style g-shock, I had one of those for years and years.

The suggestion on the Eco-Drive is good, and they look nice. I mainly want a watch that is dependable and doesnt matter if it gets banged up. I have a TAG I use for nice occasions, its about 11 or 12 years old and has been thorugh a couple of battery changes. Still works like a charm and looks good.
 
bquinlan said:
I know you weren't asking me, but I'd like to throw in a suggestion anyway...

Check out the Citizen Eco-Drive watches. My wife and I have both been wearing them for a number of years without any problems and I have not heard any stories of battery failures.

--Bob Q
Click to expand...

Bob,
Has Citizen sent you a check for endorsement fees yet? ;)

P.S. I have a nighthawk and it's great! I don't know what I ever did without a slide rule on my wrist :) It's <5 sec. fast per month and no batteries.
 
Hi,

I bought a Casio some time back. I decided to charge it at night close by my bedside lamp. By the time I reached the end long of the warrantee's small print, the last caution was about Heat!. I had already cooked it.

Heat + solar = cooked

Tim
 
Got over 2 years on my solar GShock. Wore it every single day. Brake fluid, brake cleaner, gas, diesel fuel, just about any chemical you can get on you around a car. Roofing and various other construction and it just keeps going and going.
 
I am biased because I work for the Company. Timex has the most efficient chips in the industry and use the least power. The key with any of them is not to use the light much, it uses a lot of power
 
It's a shame timex doesn't make something that even comes close in durability in my experience. I did have one that got drop in the driveway and was considered a loss when I was about 12. Was walking outside one day when it had snowed and dug it out of ice. Was still working :thumbup: :eek:
 
Digital watches on plain Lithium cells last years - the Solars will crap out after time since their storage batteries do not last forever.

Although the idea of never having to replace a battery may seem on paper to be appealing - and I've been tempted myself -
the problem is that the "accumulator" of the solar generated electricity is actually a "rechargable battery" - which unfortunately does not last forever and will eventually need replacement.

I'm not sure of the technology used for the storage/rechargable battery -
but we all know NiCd's are terrible - heaven forbid it's one of those.

Lithium rechargables are supposed to be good - but really meant for high drain applications - I had 2 Li rechargable batteries for my Canon digicam - and after 3 years of cycling usage they both gave up the ghost.....

NiMH seems like a good technology - but again for high drain and I'm not sure how they react on slow trickle drain/charge - but even they only claim 500-1000 cycles of charge/discharge - at 1 cycle/day that's only 1+ to less than 3 years - OK maybe it's not 1 cycle/day - 1 cycle/2days average?
still = less than 3-5.5 years - that's still not "forever".

Personally I would prefer a regular lithium powered watch.

On Casio G-Shock Tough-Solars the storage battery is a Casio type CTL1616
(I suspect this is just Casio's own designation for the lithium CR1616 - which is normally used as a backup battery.) -

Seems like if the watch does not get enough bright light - it keeps using the back-up battery - and the watch dies or malfunctions after a few years - much less than one would expect - as these threads seem to indicate -

G-shock Tough solar problem

Casio Atomic Solar watch - opinions?

Anybody played with these Casio watches?

--
Vincent
http://UnknownVT2005.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net/
 
Thanks Vincent for the info and the links.

I replaced my watch the other night. I got a plain old battery powered G-Shock, it is the original design, kind of square, not all that bulky compared to the newer designs.
 
sak_collector said:
I got a plain old battery powered G-Shock, it is the original design, kind of square, not all that bulky compared to the newer designs.
Click to expand...

Could it be the classic Casio G-Shock DW5600?

This is one of the current variations

dw5600eg9v4ih.jpg


The original with screw-down back version was called the "Speed" (as in the movie) watch -
and has become somewhat of a collectible

The DW5600 is a Casio G-Shock that I knew I had (somewhere
icon11.gif
) -

GShockDW5600_2.jpg
CasioDW5600bck.jpg

This model DW5600 (with gold tone metal buttons and hardware) has got to be well over 10 years old - still on its original battery -
the watch did reset itself when I pushed the light button - but I was able to reset the time back in March/2005 when I took the photo - it was still "ticking" fine (I just checked, and it is still going....).

--
Vincent
http://UnknownVT2005.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net/
 
Yep, thats the one I got, but mine does not have the gold letters, just white.

I remember having one way back, just after they came out when the light was just a white light mounted to the side of the display. It lasted many years, I just replaced it at one time for something else and put the old one up, I sure wish I knew what I did with it.
 
I started having this problem with my MTG900 as well. First I tried putting it in the sun in a window for several days. Didn't help. Then I decided to let the battery drain a little in a dark drawer (turned off Save mode and activated all the alarms and stopwatch). It's gotten a lot better now! If I turn on the backlight twenty straight times, it still goes into Recover mode, but it's a lot better than before. I'm going to leave it like this until the battery meter is in the Middle, and then recharge it in the sun.

We'll see what happens. Why not give my technique a try?

I haven't given up on Atomic Solar yet. I just got myself the new MTG950 as well (black steel, inverted display). It's very nice. :)

I also have a Citizen Eco-Drive (Worldtimer Titanium). It's a very nice watch that I've had for 6 years. I wear it when I need something nicer, but it's not something I like to wear everyday. It's just not bulletproof like the G-Shocks.
 
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