VEMCO – ASCENT–AR / AR2 Manual
28 July
2018
36
6.4
Batteries
The ASCENT-Acoustic Release is powered by:
AR
– a “D” size 3.6 Volt Lithium battery with a connector attached – the Tadiran TL-5930/F
AR2
– a “DD” size 3.6 Volt Lithium battery with a connector attached – Tadiran TL-5937/V
and a Tadiran TLM-1550 4 Volt AA Lithium battery. Specifications for all batteries are found in Appendices
9.3 and 9.4.
The
D/DD-cell
battery powers the functions related to transmitting, receiving, and storing data. Most of the
battery related information in this manual relates to the D/DD-cell battery.
The
AA battery
powers the release motor and contains enough power to allow more
than 100 releases, depending on the amount of resistance given the motor due to
biofouling. The AA battery should never need to be removed and should not be
disconnected at any time.
An important feature of these lithium batteries is their voltage discharge characteristics. These batteries
provide a consistent voltage for most of the life of the battery. This characteristic allows the release to
operate at the necessary voltage levels longer than a battery with a more gradual voltage fall-off.
The ASCENT-AR/AR2 is usually shipped with the batteries inside the unit but
not connected
– the
ASCENT-AR/AR2 is not shipped powered. The D/DD-cell battery life is consumed from the time the battery
is connected so always disconnect the battery when the release is not being used for an extended period of
time. This battery must be connected before the ASCENT-AR/AR2 can be initialized.
6.4.1
Battery Life
A new Lithium battery will last approximately 14 months (D-cell) /
60
months (DD-cell) in an ASCENT-AR (AR2). The AA Lithium battery
is dedicated to motor operation during the release process and can
perform more than 100 releases (number can vary based on amount of
biofouling on the Mooring Lug connection to the ASCENT-AR/AR2.
Larger amounts of the D/DD-cell’s battery life are consumed while the ASCENT-AR/AR2 is ready for
Bluetooth
communication or is communicating with the PC than during the normal operation. For this
reason, the ASCENT-AR/AR2 exits
Bluetooth
mode as soon as the
Receiver
tab in the VUE software is
closed (section 3.9). If the tab is left open for 30 minutes, the PC will automatically terminate the
Bluetooth
link and the release will enter the lower power consuming Logging mode. This auto-disconnect feature,
which conserves battery life, will only occur if “Automatically close inactive release connections” is enabled
in the
Devices
section (tab) of the
Options
window in VUE (see VUE manual for details).
If the study is not continuing (i.e. the last download of data for this study has occurred), then remove the
larger D/DD-cell battery and store it separately. The used battery may be marked with the amount of life
used for future reference or use. The smaller AA battery should not be disconnected or removed.
Approximate Battery Life
Consumption
D-cell: 14 months
DD-cell: 60 months
AA cell: 100+ releases
Lithium metal D/DD-cell batteries are classified as
Dangerous Goods
and must be
handled according to UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods
(UN3090 for batteries alone; UN3091 for batteries contained in equipment or packed
with it). See the MSDS from the battery company for more information.
Do not disconnect
the AA battery.
