Amron 2820A-02, User Manual, Page: 18 / 33

2820A-02 & 2820A-03 CHAMBER COMMUNICATOR USER MANUAL
2820A-02-UM REV 1.0
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5 OPERATION
Before operating the communicator, it should be securely mounted to the panel. The panel cutout
dimensions are shown in section 8.3.
5.1 CHARGING THE BATTERY
The Models 2820A-02 and 2820A-03 are supplied with a sealed lead acid back up battery. To
charge the battery, insert the AC power cord to the AC inlet located on the back of the
communicator. The internal battery charger is able to operate on AC input voltages from 90-
264 VAC with a frequency 47-440 Hz. without the user having to make any adjustments.
The internal battery charger is designed to charge the battery in float mode so the charger
can be left on indefinitely, without damage, to ensure the battery is fully charged and the unit
is ready to use. A fully discharged battery will take approximately 10 hours to reach full
charge (depending on the age of the battery and the surrounding temperature). To ensure
maximum service life, the battery should be fully charged at least once every six months.
The operating time for a fully charged battery is approximately 45 hours. The exact operating
time depends on the age of the battery and the ambient temperature. The sealed lead acid
battery used in the communicator has a service life of 300 full charge/discharge cycles or 3
years. The BATTERY CONDITION INDICATOR will start to blink when the battery has
approximately 3 hours operating time remaining. To maximize the service life, the battery
should be recharged as soon as possible after the indicator starts to blink. When the battery
reaches the full discharge state, the BATTERY CONDITION INDICATOR will turn off and the
communicator will shut down.
5.2 INITIAL POWER ON - BATTERY CONDITION CHECK
Turn all the volume controls to minimum and turn on the POWER SWITCH. The state of the
battery is shown on the BATTERY CONDITION INDICATOR as follows:
•
STEADY GREEN - the battery is good and has more than 30% remaining life.
•
BLINKING GREEN - the battery is low and has less than 30% remaining life.
•
OFF or NO LIGHT - the battery is depleted and needs to be changed/recharged before
use.
•
STEADY RED - light indicates the battery voltage is too low to operate the unit.
Communication should stop.
The BLINKING GREEN light provides a warning that the battery is low and should be
changed or recharged before starting the dive operation. When the indicator starts BLINKING
GREEN during dive operations, there is, depending on age of the battery and the ambient
temperature, approximately 24 hours of remaining battery life. This should be sufficient time
to safely complete dive operations. A battery that has not been used for a long period of time
will exhibit a higher voltage than the actual charge state. This is known as surface charge and
will quickly dissipate once the unit is turned on. It is recommended that the unit be left on for
5 minutes before relying on the BATTERY CONDITION INDICATOR.