Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought my Freedom7 on Amazon for about $500, in September 2013. I used it on a weekly--sometimes daily--basis for about 2 years until the battery gave out, three years or so ago. To replace the battery, I discovered at the time that the device required a proprietary battery, and that customers were supposed to send their device back to the company for servicing, because, according to the company's website, only *they* had the proprietary replacement battery, and only *they* could replace the custom o-ring seals, and only *they* had the special "torque wrench" needed to know how much to tighten bolts, etc. The cost for this exclusive servicing, at the time, was $350 !!! ...A punch in the gut, as one might imagine, which caused me to delay this unwelcome and dubious expenditure... for 3 years or so. Come January 2019, I have just discovered that the company is no longer servicing "1st gen" Freedom 7s ( GU1000A ) like mine, because, according to their website, they "don't stock the parts" for it ( including those $0.20 o-ring rubber seals, I presume ). End result: thanks to this planned obsolescence ploy, my costly Freedom 7 is now a paper weight. I fear this is the fate awaiting current buyers, when the company conveniently "obsoletes" their model in the not too distant future! Quoting their website: "The FREEDOM7 (model # GU1000A) and SCUBA7 (model # DU1000A) with the electronics housed in a clear case like the above images are our older models of the current FREEDOM7 and the SCUBA7 dive products. These older models were obsoleted over 5 years ago and unfortunately spare components are no longer available for them. As such, Ocean Guardian is unable to provide a repair service for these products. The FREEDOM7 (version C) and the SCUBA7 (version C) are the latest models for these products and feature a better battery performance and a battery life indicator." Buyers beware: Considering I bought mine in late 2013 ( Sept ), and that they claim in the quote above that they “obsoleted” it 5 years ago, this means that my Freedom7 was obsolete a mere 4 months after I bought it! Furthermore, as far as I can tell, there isn't a ton of difference between the previous and newer models, besides the color of the plastic ( clear for the old Freedom7s, blue for the new ones ! ). The form factor is identical, and I am fairly sure even the electronics are not so dissimilar, nor so complex, as to warrant "obsoleting" anything ( note: the device merely outputs an intermittent electrical pulse through its antenna, similar to an electrical cow fence – it’s not rocket science, and the circuit board is fairly plain ). ...Certainly not enough complexity and differences to stop stocking parts for previous models, including those mysterious red "o-rings" ( likely silicone ) and "proprietary” batteries ( 3 supremely generic Sanyo / Panasonic UF103450P, packed in series--3S1P--, total cost: $20 USD or less ). ...Pleaaaase!!! One more thing : since the company is putting previous owners out to pasture, the least they could do is provide electrical diagrams, parts lists, and assembly/disassembly instructions for customers able and willing to service their device themselves, considering they are given no recourse in the matter ( other than submitting to the company's preferred 'planned obsolescence' route ). ----------------------------------------------------------- UPDATE: I replaced the battery with a new one, but it turns out that the problem was not the battery. So, I inspected all 13 diodes (marked with a "D") and 15 transistors/mosfets (marked with a "Q") with a multimeter and noticed that five gave me suspicious readings while connected to the board (Q15, Q38, D9, D14 and D15, on my GU1000A). I desoldered and tested D9 and D14, which both turned out fine on their own, before resoldering them back in. I then desoldered Q38, a small P-Channel transistor near the NEC 501S--eprom?--chip, for further testing: Q38 turned out fine on its own, again. On a whim, I plugged the battery with only Q38 missing, and lo! The Sharkshield appears to be working as well as turning off fine--which it wasn't before (the red LED would stay on for a while, even after switching it off; and when turning it on, it used to cut off abruptly, with the blinking green light--meaning: 'standby for immersion'--turning to red after 15mn or so, along with a strident audio beep signaling an error). Go figure! I am thinking maybe the NEC chip was the problem--battery cycle counter? ...We'll never know without schematics! Important: there are two big 200V capacitors in parallel, delivering at least 125V / 2.5 Amps when charged. These caps could be deadly if you touch them, or the flat electrodes they are connected to in the front of the circuit board, while charged (note: the caps will hold a charge for a while, even after switching off the device). So beware! Hints: To open the case, you don't need a spanner screwdriver: a regular cheap table fork with 2 of the 4 tines broken off will do. Also, you will need some silicone grease (good brand: Trident), to reapply to the gasket, after cleaning it with IPA alcohol. If replacing the battery, I recommend soldering some 2-pin JST connectors, to make plugging and unplugging the battery easier.