Have acquired a spare set of Widex Moment 440’s rechargable. Battery life still decent but would like to be prepared to replace the batteries if they go below a full day’s service.
Has anyone attempted to self replace the batteries? I think I can tell where the battery door is? Does it just take a pin to pop it open? What batteries are used to replace the originals?
Is there a battery door or pins to take the shell off? If careful, there’s no harm taking the shell off and seeing how accessible the battery may be. Don’t misplace the pins and be gentle not to crack the shell. Also some pins may be longer than others so keep track of where each pin came from. The battery may be soldered in and/or encased in epoxy.
I don’t know if it is a battery door or not, here is a pic of what I am looking at. I might be able to handle a bit of solder or epoxy, its opening the case that has me “befuddled”.
Battery door will be under where your pinching the aid in that pic. What I think you’re calling the battery door is a rocker button, I’d say. Maybe a cover for the mics. But the battery is probably down in the fat part of the body and I’d expect the door, if there is one on the “bottom.”
WH
1 Like
ahhh…I think you are right on the important part Whitehat. The pic I originally displayed isn’t a rocker arm…it doesn’t move and the Widex only describes one control a button that you see on the first pic I just shared. However there is a small door on the other side of the aid that looks more accessible then the cover on the other side…if that is a battery door, the battery is small in diameter or is shaped in some elongated form. But that door looks like it would pop right open.
1 Like
On my aids that little grey thing is a window that has model/serial info and the color chip to indicate left or right. (Most aids can be changed left to right and vice versa. You change the chip and reprogram the aids.)
Id say you need to pop the covers off. I don’t think there’s a door. If they epoxy +/- solder down the battery, you’re not just flipping it out to change it, so a door doesn’t make sense. And you may be facing either case inside. Epoxying everything helps with waterproofness.
WH
1 Like
My surmise is that a Widex Moment rechareable battery will have a couple of silicon chips embedded inside the battery. The purpose of these chips is to act as a Battery Management System to prevent overcharging of the lithium cell(s) inside the battery (thus avoiding explosions) and to shut down the battery once the charge of the cell drops to a low level (this prevents damage to the cell).
I got this information by taking apart a Widex Com-Dex whose rechargeable battery had died. I think it is reasonable to assume the Widex Moment rechargeable battery is of similar construction.
1 Like
Just pull the housing apart and see, post some screenshots, they’ll be soldered, but would be good to see what batteries are being used to track down replacement, if you check out another post on doing the Phonak models it’s gonna be hardly worth the hassle.
1 Like
If this is the case the replacement batteries may be hard to obtain, did you pursue finding a replacement for the aids you took apart?
I will post pics when I break it apart. And yes after reading that post you referred to, it sounds like a challenge…I do like a challenge… I need to confirm how to split that case without damaging the case. The backup hearing aids are still functional.
1 Like
I’ve never held or handled those aids. But I’d look for small spot on the sides about the size of the end of a thin paperclip. Sometimes the way to take them apart is by removing the pins. Be careful not to lose the pins, or track of which size (length) pin went in which holes.
WH
I’ve replaced rechargeable batteries on Starkey and have opened up Phonak and ReSound HAs.
In all cases the battery was enclosed in a watertight holder consisting of plastic, silicone and/or glue. The battery has tiny wires soldered directly to it, leading to the main PCB.
You will likely be able to find replacement batteries on AliExpress for less than $10.
You will need a precision soldering iron (I use C210 tips) and likely at least a 10x magnification microscope or magnifying glass.
I was able to get Starkeys running again, but I didn’t attempt to restore the same level of waterproofness that was there before.
1 Like