[C320-list] Raymarine ST50 GPS

[Warren Updike]

A word of caution to owners of an (old) Raymarine ST50 GPS. Mine began to
take forever to start-up, taking up to 3-4 hours before registering
satellites. I figured there must be a battery to hold the last position in
memory when not otherwise powered. As Raymarine no longer services ST50s, I
take the thing apart. There is a battery on the circuit board. It's the
diameter of an AA battery and half the length. It is soldered and glued to
the board. I couldn't read the markings and decided to remove it. 
	If you should do this, clip the leads only at thin part of the wire.

I cut the lead at what appeared to be a connector at the positive end of the
battery only to find out this battery contains a gas under pressure. The gas
is a major skin irritant and can be dangerous. This battery is not sold to
retail customers because of this issue. There is a retail version with
nearly the same long-life constant voltage characteristics. So, if you have
this situation and want to replace the battery, be forewarned; and, feel
free to contact me off-list about the project.

Warren & Pattie Updike
1994 C320 #62 "Warr De Mar"