viper 5901, is mine used?

hello all.  new to the forum.  i ordered my 5901 from amazon because they stand behind what they sell... even if purchased from their 3rd parties.  anyway, i got mine today from amazon via store called "wholesale distributors" and things SEEM to be new.  the only thing bothering me i suppose is just the remote. 

it does indeed still have the protective "tape" covering the lcd screen.  but it's all scratched to hell.  this happens sometimes.  but the remote was powered on, which i assume is normal.  but when i check pictures on the internet, many show the brand new remote turned off with no lcd display active.  did everyone else have theirs come powered on or off?

another issue with the remote is the viewing angle of the lcd.  this happens with new products sometimes as well.  but when viewing the remote at a 90 degree, perpendicular angle to the display, it's quite dim, even after a full charge.  i have to tilt it away from me by about 20-30 degrees from perpendicular for it to look dark as it's supposed to.  does anyone else have this issue as well? 

any help would be appreciated.  i'm slated to attempt to install this myself next weekend.  i'm doing all my research this coming week and if i got a bum or used unit, then i'm calling amazon tomorrow.  please help.  thank you all!

yeah, i'm thinking specifically the 5901 remote, or properly called the "7752v" is a lithium rechargable and according to the manual, it's not servicable which i assume also means not replaceable.  either way, yeah, i can dig they are turned on.  but if they sit on shelves for like a year, then the remote will be completely depleted and the lithium ion battery memory may become useless.  so it surprises me they may ship it turned on like that. 

granted, the scratches ARE on the protective cover and i have a feeling once i pull that plastic off the lcd screen, that there won't be scratches beneath.  still, with all the scratches on the remote protective film like that, it makes me wonder how it got so darn scratched.  sure i'm anal, but this just lead me to believe i may have a refurbed unit or what not.  and that would tick me off.  and i would force amazon to take care of me, if the other seller under them did not.

alas, i'll await a few more responses before i jump the gun and call this thing used.  and again, ANYONE with the viper 5901, do you have a problem with viewing the lcd display at an exact, perpendicular angle to the screen?  i had a hypertech programmer for my camaro that was brand new this way and it really ticked me off, but i was too lazy to replace it for another one.  this time i will not be so reluctant.

thanks 12 volters.

Well remove the coating...then make your choice...! As far as the battery , lithium ion are allegedly memory-free...heres a little post on them...Heck maybe the guy dropped the remote out of the box ....lets say the shipping guy was checking contents before shipping and it fell and slid on the floor...? I dunno...

Aging is a concern with most lithium-ion batteries and many manufacturers remain silent about this issue. Some capacity deterioration is noticeable after one year, whether the battery is in use or not. The battery frequently fails after two or three years. It should be noted that other chemistries also have age-related degenerative effects. This is especially true for nickel-metal-hydride if exposed to high ambient temperatures. At the same time, lithium-ion packs are known to have served for five years in some applications.

Manufacturers are constantly improving lithium-ion. New and enhanced chemical combinations are introduced every six months or so. With such rapid progress, it is difficult to assess how well the revised battery will age.

Storage in a cool place slows the aging process of lithium-ion (and other chemistries). Manufacturers recommend storage temperatures of 15°C (59°F). In addition, the battery should be partially charged during storage. The manufacturer recommends a 40% charge.

The most economical lithium-ion battery in terms of cost-to-energy ratio is the cylindrical 18650 (18 is the diameter and 650 the length in mm). This cell is used for mobile computing and other applications that do not demand ultra-thin geometry. If a slim pack is required, the prismatic lithium-ion cell is the best choice. These cells come at a higher cost in terms of stored energy.

Advantages

• High energy density - potential for yet higher capacities.
  
• Does not need prolonged priming when new. One regular charge is all that's needed.
  
• Relatively low self-discharge - self-discharge is less than half that of nickel-based batteries.
  
• Low Maintenance - no periodic discharge is needed; there is no memory.
• Specialty cells can provide very high current to applications such as power tools.

Limitations

• Requires protection circuit to maintain voltage and current within safe limits.
  
• Subject to aging, even if not in use - storage in a cool place at 40% charge reduces the aging effect.
  
• Transportation restrictions - shipment of larger quantities may be subject to regulatory control. This restriction does not apply to personal carry-on batteries. (See last section)
  
• Expensive to manufacture - about 40 percent higher in cost than nickel-cadmium.
  
• Not fully mature - metals and chemicals are changing on a continuing basis.

howie ll wrote:

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There's a simple answer to this. If tomy can confirm that every remote seen has come bubble wrapped and yours wasn't, then it might be refurbished.

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well, i did peel back the protective cover a little bit and it looked shiny and scratch-free as could be.  i left the film on there until my remote case comes in.   then i'll let that thing keep it scratch-free.  actually, before i place the remote into the case, i'm gonna cut to size one of my extra pda screen protectors and apply it to the lcd. 

i'd guess brand new.

now, how's 'bout anyone having an issue such as my number two.  no, not talking about my bowel movement, but the issue of my lcd screen being dim at a perpendicular angle.  i'm not so quick to call DEI as i don't intend to have a warrantee as i'm installing it myself.  that voids any warranty through them.  but if there is an issue with the display on my particular remote, i'm hittin' up the seller of the alarm.

the 5901 remotes do NOT come bubble wrapped like the old 5900 remotes did... they come in the cardboard presentation package with the owners manual.....

did you have to program the remotes when you got the unit?  if not, they were likely programmed by the dealer and it may have received a few scratches on the scratch film during this process....

i know that i have one of my guys go through all the new units we get (cases and cases at a time) and program the remotes on the bench and then box them all back up again.. that way i dont have to deal with when i am doing the install... they can be real finnicky and time consuming to program sometimes (especially the 1-way remotes)

i am content with the fact this is in-fact a new unit.  scratches, dunno...but it happens.  it's only on the protective plastic anyway.

as for the other question i had about the faint lcd at a perpendicular angle, i went to youtube and it seems all 5901 two-way remotes are this way.  so that is good to know i guess.

i have yet to install the 5901.  ...slated for this weekend.  i have a bud in another state offering me help, but i'm also hoping i can come on here and get advice as well and take some of the burden off of him.  i've been spending all week studying up on this.  i've done my own stereo installs forever and i'm quite mechanically and electronically inclined, but something about alarms always scares we newbies.