DK Firearms

Romeo Zero poor battery life

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  • F350-6

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    I got a Romeo Zero from Academy the last part of August to put on my P365XL. I went ahead and picked up (2) Energizer CR 1632 batteries at the same time to be on the safe side. Supposedly these batteries will last up to 10 years in the Romeo Zero. I put the Energizer in the sight on install just to be safe. After around 1,000 rounds over 3 weeks and it not losing it's zero, I started to carry it.

    11/7 I noticed in the evening I had to really shake the pistol to get the dot to come on. on 11/8, I had to rack the slide and let it slam home for it to come on. So I changed the battery. Works like it's supposed to now. Removing and replacing the optic only lowered the elevation slightly from my zero.

    But the real problem is my up to 10 years with a brand new battery, not the factory battery, lasted barely over 2 months. If you lay it down at night, the light does cycle off and has the shake awake feature, but I guess walking around with it all day kills the battery almost 10 years early.
     

    Glenn B

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    Had to search the net for Romeo Zero & CR1632 battery. Found the SIG Romeo Zero Micro Open Reflex Sight manual and then discovered what you were posting about because before that search, I had no to very little idea as to what was a Romeo Zero. As you said, it does say in the manual you can get 10 years of runtime from one of those batteries; so, maybe there is something wrong with the electronics in the sight or maybe the battery was a bad one. If it's the sight, it probably is not the LED but the circuits or electronics that run the LED; that is - as I understand - why LED light bulbs often go out long before the LED dies, the circuitry gets fried or is faulty. Having to shake it to get it to works makes me think that even more so. If it happens two or three times, I suggest contacting the manufacturer of the sight. Good luck.
     

    Dougw1515

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    Had to search the net for Romeo Zero & CR1632 battery. Found the SIG Romeo Zero Micro Open Reflex Sight manual and then discovered what you were posting about because before that search, I had no to very little idea as to what was a Romeo Zero. As you said, it does say in the manual you can get 10 years of runtime from one of those batteries; so, maybe there is something wrong with the electronics in the sight or maybe the battery was a bad one. If it's the sight, it probably is not the LED but the circuits or electronics that run the LED; that is - as I understand - why LED light bulbs often go out long before the LED dies, the circuitry gets fried or is faulty. Having to shake it to get it to works makes me think that even more so. If it happens two or three times, I suggest contacting the manufacturer of the sight. Good luck.
    Shake awake is a "feature" not a fault.
     

    toddnjoyce

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    I got a Romeo Zero from Academy the last part of August to put on my P365XL. I went ahead and picked up (2) Energizer CR 1632 batteries at the same time to be on the safe side. Supposedly these batteries will last up to 10 years in the Romeo Zero. I put the Energizer in the sight on install just to be safe. After around 1,000 rounds over 3 weeks and it not losing it's zero, I started to carry it.

    11/7 I noticed in the evening I had to really shake the pistol to get the dot to come on. on 11/8, I had to rack the slide and let it slam home for it to come on. So I changed the battery. Works like it's supposed to now. Removing and replacing the optic only lowered the elevation slightly from my zero.

    But the real problem is my up to 10 years with a brand new battery, not the factory battery, lasted barely over 2 months. If you lay it down at night, the light does cycle off and has the shake awake feature, but I guess walking around with it all day kills the battery almost 10 years early.

    I haven’t had a similar problem with my R0. Do you have the ability to check if it’s awake while in the holster?
     

    dartsinsa

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    Original battery on mine lasted about 3 weeks, most of that time in the safe (and I am not sure it turned off). New battery is on 3rd week now. I was writing it off as a bad battery sent with the R0, however I also see no change in intensity when I push the button......which does not bother me much but does not seem right.
    I have not had a chance to see if changing the battery changed POI.
     

    dartsinsa

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    Could be the above, my point is I don't trust that the batteries shipped with a device are always good, many times they are cheap versions or who knows how long they have been sitting around in a detrimental environment. If it happens again, then you have other problems.
    I think the "shake awake" feature will probably keep it on all he time when carrying, but the battery should last a good long while anyway as these little laser diodes are measured in milliwatts.
    I always check and clean contacts when changing batteries.

    And to prove myself wrong.....I have an Aimpoint PRO still using it's shipped battery.....and been about 4 years.....
    Oh well, just my two cents.
     

    Dougw1515

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    Could be the above, my point is I don't trust that the batteries shipped with a device are always good, many times they are cheap versions or who knows how long they have been sitting around in a detrimental environment. If it happens again, then you have other problems.
    I think the "shake awake" feature will probably keep it on all he time when carrying, but the battery should last a good long while anyway as these little laser diodes are measured in milliwatts.
    I always check and clean contacts when changing batteries.

    And to prove myself wrong.....I have an Aimpoint PRO still using it's shipped battery.....and been about 4 years.....
    Oh well, just my two cents.
    Does it have the "Shake Awake" feature.

    On the other hand... If battery replacement once a month were a requirement you'd think this would be discussed on multiple gun sites. Anybody done a search to see if other folks are talking about poor battery life with the Romeo Zero?
     

    Glenn B

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    Shake awake is a "feature" not a fault.
    Yes it is a feature but I doubt that requires the forecful amount of shaking slamming of the slide as apparently was done by the OP to operate it normally. I guess I should have said violently shaking it shoud not be required and that's why I thought something seemed amiss.
     

    G O B

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    Where did you buy the batteries? Unless they sell a LOT of batteries, they may be several years old.
     

    F350-6

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    I haven’t had a similar problem with my R0. Do you have the ability to check if it’s awake while in the holster?

    Not without looking like a fool. But just in general handling, it seems to illuminate with the slightest of movement, and I'm typically doing more than the slightest of movement while carrying. It's always off every morning and lights up as soon as it's moved. Well, until recently that is.

    Clean the contact surfaces.

    I did a quick clean, but will use denatured alchohol for a better cleaning if this battery goes quickly too.

    Could be the above, my point is I don't trust that the batteries shipped with a device are always good, ...

    Me neither. That's why I bought a new battery when I got the sight and stuck that one in instead.

    Where did you buy the batteries? Unless they sell a LOT of batteries, they may be several years old.

    Academy. But if it's supposed to last up to 10 years while working, even a few year old battery should have lasted longer than this I would think.

    I looked at my R0 paperwork; the battery cover has a fairly specific torque value at 9 or 10 inch pounds.

    I used my German torque wrench. gud-n-tite. I guess I can take the screws back out, put some loktite back on and use a torque wrench. I've got an in-lb wrench. I'm not sure I have an adapter to get down to that small of an allen wrench.

    You really think slightly overtorquing the optic will result in a battery failure about 9 1/2 years too early?
     

    toddnjoyce

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    ...You really think slightly overtorquing the optic will result in a battery failure about 9 1/2 years too early?

    10 year battery life is marketing and probably has some really small print associated with the conditions necessary to achieve that.

    There’s a theory the battery cap being too tight can lead to parasitic drain.

    Having had a variety of battery powered optics, to include MRDOs with (and w/o) shake/wake function, we were changing batteries monthly whether needed or not. I know that’s easy to do when somebody else is paying for them, but I would reasonably expect six-months to a year of battery life based on my experience with Trijicon and Leupold going back at least seven years now.

    If the current battery doesn’t last until the end of the year, I’d call Sig.
     

    F350-6

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    2/25 and it's dead again. Worked this morning. This evening when unholstering I could see a slight red tint at the edge, but no dot.

    I'll email Sig, but currently not impressed and will be taking it off in the morning.
     

    TreyG-20

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    This is a concern for me as I and seriously looking into a p356xl with the R0…


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    The Romeo Zero was extremely unimpressive to me, but not battery life related. It suck that you have to remove it just to replace the battery.. I also hate that sig designed the 365xl where you have to remove the rear sight to put the Romeo on. The Romeo 0 has a built in rear sight just for that. It also feels like a cheap toy and is hard to manipulate the intensity. Then there was the issue with the gun itself. Mine was extremely ammo picky. Most seem to like the 365xl. Sig has burned me to many times though including a dead Romeo 5. I'll never buy one of their products again.
     
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