Icom 7300 Repair (Clock Battery Upgrade)

[@K5APD]

I thought I did everything right, flux, hot tweezers, etc. but still lifted the battery with the ground trace😒 I did not try to scrape off some of the trace upstream. Instead I just soldered onto ground to the nearby trace around a screw. I have the coin holder soldered in place ready for the battery, supposed to be here tomorrow. I hope this will work. After all a ground is a ground- right. 🤔

[@ClassicClay104]

@K5APD yeah I don't see why it wouldn't work. You should be all good. It's looking like I may have to do this for the 7100 too.

[@K5APD]

@@ClassicClay104 Just put the battery in and checked it twice with no DC power for 15 minutes each time. Clock works great again! So anyone that takes that micro battery out and the ground trace comes with it, just solder the negative lead from the battery coin holder onto the large copper trace next to the nearest pcb screw. 😀

[@ClassicClay104]

@@K5APD excellent information. Thanks for sharing!

[@stevecharles8526]

Thank you for posting this. When I do this, I’m going to solder 2 battery holders in parallel. That way when I go to replace it (hopefully I’ll remember to do it before it dies) I can add the new battery alongside the old on and then remove the old one without losing battery power and memory stuff.

[@RichardGolding-m8g]

If you don't have any SMD de-soldering equipment, CHIPQUIK flux and low melting point solder makes it very easy to remove components without overheating and butchering the PCB.

[@fabiomuzzi7047]

I'd suggest to shorten the leads and fix the 2032 cell holder more or less closer to the original battery position. Having long leads and putting the replacement battery on the other side of the internal RF shield, just near the AT tuner / filter board is not a great idea, in my opinion. Too much RF around there when you transmit, it could end up interfering with the logic board. Also when you receive you end up with the problem in reverse, where stray RF from the logic board clock can get to the receiver.

[@ClassicClay104]

Thats, a great point, Fabio. I had not thought of that. I think I will go ahead and get that cell on the original side in the near future. Thank you very much for your point of view! 73, KO4MEX

[@eugenemodzelewski6471]

You should of tinned both sides of the battey ie; add some solder to the already soldered tabs. Sometimes the solder becomes oxidized and you need to add solder. Also looked like your iron wasn't hot enough ( have to be careful not too hot, 730 degrees F should be okay ). Adding some solder and using a de-solder sucker would also help. Any rate any time you work on circuit board can pose a problem. Glad it worked out in the end.

[@andersengawd9417]

so when working with boards like this you have to be super careful when desoldering stuff. also you need to keep your exposed wire to a bare minimum, there is a huge chance that the wire can move and short out inside, you need to have it 1/8" or shorter, basically all of the wire should be on the pad and the insulation should be down on top of it.

[@jamesk0ua]

agreed.

[@markwarren7116]

The problem you had when trying to unsolder the battery was that you were trying to pry off the batter before you let the solder get melted. This is common with alot of people getting into a hurry. Not saying you were. But if you would take your time and do one pad at a time and let it heat properly it would have came off with no problem. This is a very good way to replace your backup battery the system you used. I use double sided sticky take and mount it on the inside of the chassis. And NEVER mount it on top of another component like I have seen some people do in some videos. Hope its still working for you!

[@dougrea8260]

I like the video on the tech involved. I don't mean to discourage you from honing your skills, but honestly that looked like a rookie hack job. Some of these other guys have some good advice. Invest in a rework station, some kestor flux, a solder sucker, and some wicking braid. Coax shield will work for wicking braid in a pinch. 73

[@ClassicClay104]

I appreciate your words of advice. I was traveling for work at the time and didn't have a whole lot to work with. Definitely some better tools are on the horizon. 73.

[@dougrea8260]

@ClassicClay104 this, I can relate. Field expedience.

[@randomcrap763]

Great work but small tip on the soldering, the very first thing is to add some flux, as another person mentioned the old solder is oxidized and flux helps with that by eating through the oxidation, once you add flux, you want to ADD solder to the joint first, the reason in addition to the oxidation, is that modern electronics use lead free solder which has a higher melting point then leaded, (IE requires more heat to remove etc) by adding leaded solder to the joint first it mixes the leaded and lead free to create an alloy (I think it's called Roses alloy but don't quote me on that) that has a FAR lower melting temp then even the leaded making it much easier to remove. You can then GENTLY lift and alternately heat, or as someone mentioned use a solder sucker to remove the old battery. After that use wick to remove any leftover solder on the pads and tin the pads with fresh leaded solder. As for the actual iron work, get rid of the conical tip on your iron, for soldering wires together or doing through hole work they are ok, but for this it does not put enough heat where it's needed, reason being is that the tip is small and can only thermal transfer so much heat... Chisel tips are your friend here (Small chisel tip). The pad that ripped is on the ground side, if you were to remove all the solder mask and look underneath, you would see that the ground side is a lot of copper running all over the board, basically it acts like a big heat sink and needs a LOT more heat to melt the solder (All that copper absorbs the heat before the solder can melt) using a Chisel tip puts MORE heat right on the solder joint making it easier (Also your heat was too low :) ) Not nitpicking, just want to help :)

[@barneymerrill3188]

Add low melt solder before removing the battery that was installed with unleaded solder...👍 Other issue...you used the incorrect tip...not enough thermal mass...a chisel tip with a ball of solder on the tip would transfer heat to the work surface getting the unleaded solder hot enough to remove the battery with out damaging the board. 👍🤠

[@ths3900]

I never look at the radio clock any way. Good work on the replacement.

[@ClassicClay104]

Thank you sir! It helps keep my recorded files organized otherwise they all would say 1/1/2000. Working great now!

[@fredshead3956]

Morning all, an idea just came to me, I dont know if it would work or not, the battery on the IC 7300, if it goes flat, well as you know you dont have to turn it on to keep it charged up, just have 12v at the socket at the back, what about making up a 12v power pack out of say 8 x AA batteries and connect it across the power lead at the back, with a diode in the line so they dont get charged up when on...wonder if that would work, or would there be some drain on them all the time that would flatten them..might be easier than modifying the battery system..i wonder...F.

[@tomsherwood4650]

I inquired to Icom about the original battery and got nothing, and could not find that part number for sale anywhere so that is why I went with the button holder anyway.

[@bobviously]

Fantastic solution!

[@fredshead3956]

Hi there do you know if the vfo knob on the 7300 just pulls off?

[@ClassicClay104]

Honestly i am not sure. I havent tried removing it.

[@fredshead3956]

Hi there, apprently to get the vfo knob off, if you ever have to, you remove the rubber band from the knob and there is a small hole in the edge of the knob with an alan scew in the hole, very small, you just undo that and the knob comes off, it has a tensioner behind it so have to be a bit careful, as for changing the battery, your a braver man then me Ghunga Din...mine needed changing, i took one look at it and took it to a repair man who done it for me...from Fred g4vvq.

[@ClassicClay104]

@@fredshead3956 glad you were able to have it repaired! And thanks for the tip on removing the vfo! 73 KO4MEX

[@BradMorrisKA3YAN]

I’m sure others have said it, but more heat was needed on that soldering iron. Never ever ever pry an SMD component off a board. You will surely rip off the trace. I was cringing watching you pry up that battery. And as others have said, shorten the lead to the new battery and don’t use any electrical tape inside the chassis. You’ll create a goopy mess down the road. Use double sided foam tape instead.

[@DooDoo-el2ti]

How long does it hold a charge with the new battery? Disconnected from the PSU

[@ronkali5365]

Has Icom made any changes with the battery like not having it solder on the board ?

[@ClassicClay104]

@ronkali5365 Sadly, no they have not.

[@rockymountainhiker8119]

I'm considering doing the same mod. Do you think you could have used two soldering irons, one on each side of the battery, to melt both sides and have it slide off? (I understand that safety goggles should be worn when soldering on batteries.) Do you think there is room to get two soldering irons on the battery tabs without removing the front panel? I'm thinking of placing kapton tape on the circuit board around the battery so it won't touch anything when it slides off.

[@ClassicClay104]

I dont think you would have enough room to work without removing the front end. It do3s come off easily tho. The positive side of the battery came off with without a problem but the way the negative side is soldered it was difficult to get it hot enough to melt to come off. Once you get the radio apart and see what you are working with you will be able to dilecide if you want to try using two irons at once. If you you do, just dont let the battery get too hot too quickly. Good luck!

[@tomsherwood4650]

@@ClassicClay104 Since the battery is trash you can maybe use flush cutters to cut out/dissect the battery and leave the leads if that makes any of it easier for you.

[@jamesk0ua]

NO. This NOT how it is done. Use chipquick or a hot air rework station.

[@snuitje100]

Don't just use a soldering iron cause you will destroy the PCBoard. Use a good SMD rework hot air station, right flux, low melt solder and cover adjacent components with kapton tape to protect them. That's the only right way to go about.

[@rockymountainhiker8119]

Your response is helpful. I have no experience with SMD. I'll just leave it be. Thanks!@@snuitje100

[@GaryLordsWayMinistry]

Big fat knuckles are in the way should have set the camera above the radio to look straight down on the job. Soldering iron with a little bigger tip would have worked better. I think I would have made sure of the voltage of the old one before removing it. Figure out what is + and -? Should be able to bridge onto the spec of board that is left for the ground. I would have used some shrink wrap on the ends of the wire so they cannot short out to anything near by. and then slide the battery behind the face or shorten the wires and put the battery right behind the face or in the same space that your working in. I do not like going over the perdition where the case could clamp onto the wires and possible short out later on down the road. I think I would have checked it for voltages and connections before putting the cases back on the radio.

[@ClassicClay104]

@GaryLordsWayMinistry I've spent the last 8 months trying to get my big fat knuckles a little skinnier, but I haven't had any luck. I was traveling for work at the time and was very limited to what I had to work with and an overhead view was not an option unfortunately. I would have preferred that myself. My knuckles probably would have still been in the way tho. Can't please everyone.

[@paulgarcia1566]

My 7300 clock does this too. I’m going to leave well enough alone as I’m not good at soldering. It’s unbelievable that Icom put such a tiny battery inside a radio I intend to keep 10 years. Meanwhile my PC that I will keep 2 years has a battery that will last 10 years. Go figure.

[@Mikael5732]

You just said at the beginning of your video that the 2032 button cell was rechargeable, are you sure a 2032 is rechargeable?

[@gatislegzdins1669]

LIR 2032 are rechargeable

[@Mikael5732]

@@gatislegzdins1669 Thanks. I’ll check those out.👍🏻

[@rustycan69]

You might need more heat on the iron to get the solder to flow. Using Flux helps reduce future issues and after finish, clean area with Q-tip and denatured alcohol. Thanks for showing how you open up the cabinet for a 7300. One fine radio. 73

[@virtual812]

Tempted to have a go at this mod, but am concerned with the chemistry choice. The original cell is a Seiko ML414H with a nominal charge voltage between 2.8v and 3.1v and a capacity of 1mAh from 3.1v down to 2.0v Switching to Lithium Ion the concern is that the new cell will never ever be charged, it will run flat and then simply sit between flat as best (~3.1v) and over discharged at worst (

[@2e1paw]

My 9700 battery has died as well 😢that’s both now ……

[@cam-man7350]

I just use the ICOM time adjust app. Takes 20 secs to adjust

[@ClassicClay104]

@cam-man7350 tell me more about this? I've never heard of it. It really only takes that long when every time the radio was turned it was reset to 00:00 1/1/2000? Please advise. Thx! 🙂

[@robertpearl6037]

I just bought a new IC 7300 and the battery is not working properly. wow

[@alsanderson4917]

Major cringe moment. Work on your solder skills.

[@oldgiapetto]

Seriously, this micro-battery has to be the biggest STOOOOPID mistake that Icom ever put into production. What idiot thought that little tiny battery was a good idea?

[@ClassicClay104]

@oldgiapetto no kidding! Starting to have the same issue on the 7100 as well! Haven't had a problem with the larger replacement! Glad I did it

[@jerryshore8374]

X-Tronic 8010-XTS DUAL Antistatic Digital Soldering Iron Station Kit $79 e-bay

[@tomsherwood4650]

My battery died so I removed the battery and hooked up a cell holder for a 2032 inside. Since it was not a rechargeable battey I also disconnected a chip diode so no voltage is applied to the battery when the radio is turned on. Suppose that after a few years I might have to snap in another 2032 someday. But as it is just to hold a charge on a mos component, apparently, it ought to last as long as a BIOS battery in a computer.

[@ClassicClay104]

Strong work, sir! Well done.

[@Ed5on]

É muito facil fazer esta troca basta usar um ferro de solda de 40w e por um pingo de solda em cima da bateria que ela sai muito facil, voce detonou a placa devia enfiar o cabeção dentro da agua ..kkkkkk

[@Chris-tx9ou]

soder work ? please add the L when pronounced its SoLder :) from a uk viewer nice work on the 7300 give or take , 73's

[@ClassicClay104]

Haha i know i sound like cornbread when i talk! 🤣🤣🤣

[@wireworks616]

The battery you're using is not a rechargeable battery.

[@ClassicClay104]

Interesting... It says rechargable battery right on it!

[@wireworks616]

@@ClassicClay104 They're not. I sell tons of these Maxells in my store.

[@je1966]

@@wireworks616 Yes, is a rechargeable battery!

[@wireworks616]

I stand corrected. You guys are right.

[@KillDaRoy]

You forgot a diode. It will charge your battery!

[@michaelhamilton3778]

Do it yourself “oops” yeah I think I’m gonna pass on this mod.

[@ClassicClay104]

You do you, brother!

[@johnharrison5703]

The reason I don't buy second-hand radios or Icom

[@chopchop3464]

Golden screwdriver

[@peskybobcat]

Think I will just live with a dead battery

[@ClassicClay104]

@@peskybobcat lol. Enjoy!

[@peskybobcat]

@ I just hooked my 7300 up after being stored for more than a year and the clock battery charge back up just fine

[@ClassicClay104]

@peskybobcat that's fantastic! Unfortunately, mine was not so lucky.. Hope it lasts you many more years.

[@vkham9944]

Bad example how to fix Icom. 😧

[@handyparts]

Flux flux flux

[@robertkard3195]

Instead of a phillips screwdriver bit you should have used a JIS (Japanese Industry Standard) screwdriver to avoid damaging the screwheads. The whole video shows a lack of skills necessary to do a proper repair and avoid causing damage to the radio. This is a "How not to do it video."