I have been searching for a replacement electronic CH programmer that
does not depend on a battery for backup of the settings, planning
ahead for the time when I shall not be here.

I thought I had found what I need in the Drayton Invensys LP522
programmer. Their Product brochure states:

" Uniquely in the controls market, the Lifestyle range now has
automatic summer/winter time adjustment, making the bi-annual
summer/winter manual reset a thing of the past.
In addition, the LP range has a new, highly accurate, preset clock,
virtually eliminating the need for time adjustments through the
product’s life.

The new "memory saver" feature provides peace of mind for the
user, especially in the event of power interruptions or power cuts.
The time and programme memory are always saved..
LP users will never again need to search for their instructions to
remember how to re-set or re-programme the clock. "

Sounds ideal.

However, the Technical Details state that it has a lithium battery.
This probably has a life expectancy of 10 - 15 years maximum, so there
will come a time when it needs to be replaced, and whilst this can be
done ( http://west-penwith.org.uk/blog/archives/222 ) it looks a
tricky job for a non technical person.

Solid state non-volatile memory chips used in lots of domestic
appliances are cheap enough so I would hope that is how the settings
are stored, and it may be that the battery is there solely to maintain
the clock during power failure. The obvious solution here would be a
radio controlled clock (again very cheap nowadays) which would reset
itself on restoration of power.

Does anyone know of an alternative product that would meet my needs?
All the ones I have checked so far depend on a battery for backup.

The simplest solution I suppose is a programmer with an easily changed
battery and a scheduled annual replacement of battery, say along with
the smoke alarm battery change, but my existing programmer flattens
the battery in the event of a power cut lasting just a few hours, and
then it's back to re-entering all the settings.

On Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:05:32 +0100, Tom B wrote:

The obvious solution here would be a radio controlled clock ...

The Honeywell programmable thermostat (CM67?) has an option for an MSF
receiver. I suspect other makes also have the option or built in.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

On 15 Oct, 13:05, Tom B wrote:

The simplest solution I suppose is a programmer with an easily changed
battery and a scheduled annual replacement of battery, say along with
the smoke alarm battery change, but my existing programmer flattens
the battery in the event of a power cut lasting just a few hours, and
then it's back to re-entering all the settings.

How about a battery-powered programmer (i.e. no mains at all)? I'm
sure they run for a good few years but, just as important if I
understand your circumstances and requirements correctly, the battery
changing procedure is usually as easy as that of a TV remote control
(certainly my Honeywell CM907 is as easy as this - and as Dave
mentions an MSF module is available if considered essential).

Mathew

In message , Tom B
writes
I have been searching for a replacement electronic CH programmer that
does not depend on a battery for backup of the settings, planning
ahead for the time when I shall not be here.

I thought I had found what I need in the Drayton Invensys LP522
programmer. Their Product brochure states:

However, the Technical Details state that it has a lithium battery.
This probably has a life expectancy of 10 - 15 years maximum, so there
will come a time when it needs to be replaced, and whilst this can be
done ( http://west-penwith.org.uk/blog/archives/222 ) it looks a
tricky job for a non technical person.

Having done dozens, I'd say that breaking tangs etc are the biggest
danger, but hardly difficult - you need to be able to use a soldering
iron


Solid state non-volatile memory chips used in lots of domestic
appliances are cheap enough so I would hope that is how the settings
are stored, and it may be that the battery is there solely to maintain
the clock during power failure.

sorry, but no




--
geoff

On Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:05:32 +0100, Tom B
wrote:

However, the Technical Details state that it has a lithium battery.
This probably has a life expectancy of 10 - 15 years maximum, so there
will come a time when it needs to be replaced, and whilst this can be
done ( http://west-penwith.org.uk/blog/archives/222 ) it looks a
tricky job for a non technical person.

10-15 years on from now the heating system will be knackered and no
one will give a stuff about the controller, chances are the batteries
won't be available anyway.

but my existing programmer flattens
the battery in the event of a power cut lasting just a few hours, and
then it's back to re-entering all the settings.

The square shaped LCD Honeywell ones did that on a regular basis but
were fixable for about a fiver.

The Honeywell CM60/61/67 series (now defunct) used alkaline AA cells,
battery life is easily a couple of years.


--

On Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:38:42 +0100, Matt wrote:

The Honeywell CM60/61/67 series (now defunct) used alkaline AA cells,
battery life is easily a couple of years.

Superseded by the 907 etc with nicer display - also takes 2 * AA

--
John Stumbles

I used to think the brain was the most interesting part of the body
- until I realised what was telling me that

On Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:46:56 GMT, geoff wrote:


However, the Technical Details state that it has a lithium battery.
This probably has a life expectancy of 10 - 15 years maximum, so there
will come a time when it needs to be replaced, and whilst this can be
done ( http://west-penwith.org.uk/blog/archives/222 ) it looks a
tricky job for a non technical person.


Having done dozens, I'd say that breaking tangs etc are the biggest
danger, but hardly difficult - you need to be able to use a soldering
iron


Soldering is not a problem for me, but regrettably by the time it will
need doing I shall be dead.

On Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:38:42 +0100, Matt
wrote:


10-15 years on from now the heating system will be knackered and no
one will give a stuff about the controller, chances are the batteries
won't be available anyway.


What a sad reflection on today's throw away society. Are we all being
brainwashed in to thinking that a heating system is a consumable item?

On Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:54:41 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:


The obvious solution here would be a radio controlled clock ...

The Honeywell programmable thermostat (CM67?) has an option for an MSF
receiver. I suspect other makes also have the option or built in.

Thanks, I'd missed that. A PIC chip, an LCD display and an EEPROM
would do the job but a) I do not have the time (see my other reply)
and b) What would the Home Energy Efficiency 'expert' make of a
home made controller. - " It isn't on my list so I can't approve
it".

In message , Tom B
writes
On Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:46:56 GMT, geoff wrote:


However, the Technical Details state that it has a lithium battery.
This probably has a life expectancy of 10 - 15 years maximum, so there
will come a time when it needs to be replaced, and whilst this can be
done ( http://west-penwith.org.uk/blog/archives/222 ) it looks a
tricky job for a non technical person.


Having done dozens, I'd say that breaking tangs etc are the biggest
danger, but hardly difficult - you need to be able to use a soldering
iron


Soldering is not a problem for me, but regrettably by the time it will
need doing I shall be dead.

So it would no longer be your problem

Really, I think you should move on to more important things. If a
programmer dies in say 10 years, then let those who survive you just buy
another one. I'm sure there will be bigger problems and more important
issues to be tackled

don't clog your mind up with such unimportant crap

--
geoff

In message , Tom B
writes
On Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:38:42 +0100, Matt
wrote:


10-15 years on from now the heating system will be knackered and no
one will give a stuff about the controller, chances are the batteries
won't be available anyway.


What a sad reflection on today's throw away society. Are we all being
brainwashed in to thinking that a heating system is a consumable item?


Well, probably ( - if it wasn't for people like me) - we're turning
into a nation of hairdressers

maybe you should teach your brood how to go about solving and fixing
problems - your approach regarding something like a programmer doesn't
fill me with confidence

--
geoff

On 15 Oct, 13:05, Tom B wrote:
I have been searching for a replacement electronic CH programmer that
does not depend on a battery for backup of the settings, planning
ahead for the time when I shall not be here.

If you're not there, won't the people that are there be capable of
programming it? I note that you'll *really* not be around (presumably
something you know with some certainty), but wouldn't a simple set of
handwritten instructions for how to programme it be as sensible a
legacy as a new CH programmer?

Matt

On 17 Oct 2007 13:52:30 -0700, wrote:

On 15 Oct, 13:05, Tom B wrote:
I have been searching for a replacement electronic CH programmer that
does not depend on a battery for backup of the settings, planning
ahead for the time when I shall not be here.

If you're not there, won't the people that are there be capable of
programming it? I note that you'll *really* not be around (presumably
something you know with some certainty), but wouldn't a simple set of
handwritten instructions for how to programme it be as sensible a
legacy as a new CH programmer?

Matt


Perhaps I didn't make myself clear enough. My existing programmer is
a Towerchron which has given me good service for over twenty years but
is now definitely on the way out. e.g. one digit is stuck on due to a
fault within the (unnamed) driver chip. I've repaired it a few times
over the years, and yes, I do have a set of programming instructions
and my family do know how to do it. It is however a pain in the
backside and I was hoping for state of the art replacement. In 2007 it
shouldn't be necessary to reprogram the clock after a mains failure
and settings could be saved in a chip costing less than a battery.
My TV and PVR cope without resorting to a battery (and before the
pedants jump in, I know some still do).

On the more philosophical point, I'm sure most of you younger posters
are convinced you are going to live forever (as I used to be) but
sorry to enlighten you, it isn't so. I bet most of you haven't made a
Will either. I do have a terminal prognosis.

Thanks for the positive responses.

On Oct 18, 8:22 pm, Tom B tom. wrote:

Perhaps I didn't make myself clear enough. My existing programmer is
a Towerchron which has given me good service for over twenty years but
is now definitely on the way out. e.g. one digit is stuck on due to a
fault within the (unnamed) driver chip. I've repaired it a few times
over the years, and yes, I do have a set of programming instructions
and my family do know how to do it. It is however a pain in the
backside and I was hoping for state of the art replacement. In 2007 it
shouldn't be necessary to reprogram the clock after a mains failure
and settings could be saved in a chip costing less than a battery.
My TV and PVR cope without resorting to a battery (and before the
pedants jump in, I know some still do).

It's down to cost and requirement. But ****, talk about a futile
conversation.

Just go with a battery-powered model and be done with it - much more
likely to preserve settings (even the clock bar a few seconds at
worst) given the expected power disruption every few years.

On the more philosophical point, I'm sure most of you younger posters
are convinced you are going to live forever (as I used to be) but
sorry to enlighten you, it isn't so. I bet most of you haven't made a
Will either. I do have a terminal prognosis.

That's very sad to hear, sincerely.

Mathew