I'm a bit OCD. Not on everything, only certain things...batteries for my detector being one of them.
The battery gauge/indicator on my Safari is, well, appropriately enough, shaped like a battery. Inside, there are 3 bars. When I'm down to one bar, I have a tendency to chuck the batts and pop new ones in. So...
Am I being paranoid? Am I making Duracell & Energizer even richer, for no good reason?
While I don't do it all the time, it's enough where I have to question the habit. Do you think a detector can operate less efficiently with one bar, or is it all mental?
Joe
Actually , that's a couple of bad habits you have there , Joe.
Your car runs regardless of what the gas gauge says until it's completely empty so in essence what you're doing every time you see one bar , is the same as pulling into the gas station and draining the remaining fuel you have onto the street before you fill up. The other bad habit is continuing to use those antique alkaline batteries instead of springing for a 16 pack of eneloop LSD rechargeable NiMh batteries and a charger. They will pay for themselves in a few months of detecting and last almost as long as your Duracells after every charge. I can see the hesitation in dropping the load for the RNB ($135) but 40 bucks for 1000's of charges and fresh batteries is chump change with the AAs.
Even if you run the detector until it quits the voltage regulator keeps the power to the engine consistent until it becomes insufficient to exceed a minimum threshold so the batteries you throw away then even have a little life in them---they might run a clock for months or an LED flashlight for who knows how long.
If you change batteries with the rechargables at one bar it just takes less time to recharge them.
Kick the habit , Joe....you'll feel better for it!!
(11-05-2015 04:53 PM)Dusty Wrote: [ -> ]Actually , that's a couple of bad habits you have there , Joe.
Your car runs regardless of what the gas gauge says until it's completely empty so in essence what you're doing every time you see one bar , is the same as pulling into the gas station and draining the remaining fuel you have onto the street before you fill up. The other bad habit is continuing to use those antique alkaline batteries instead of springing for a 16 pack of eneloop LSD rechargeable NiMh batteries and a charger. They will pay for themselves in a few months of detecting and last almost as long as your Duracells after every charge. I can see the hesitation in dropping the load for the RNB ($135) but 40 bucks for 1000's of charges and fresh batteries is chump change with the AAs.
Even if you run the detector until it quits the voltage regulator keeps the power to the engine consistent until it becomes insufficient to exceed a minimum threshold so the batteries you throw away then even have a little life in them---they might run a clock for months or an LED flashlight for who knows how long.
If you change batteries with the rechargables at one bar it just takes less time to recharge them.
Kick the habit , Joe....you'll feel better for it!!
I suspect you're right, Dusty. Guess it's more in my head, than fact. I do occasionally let the batteries run completely down, but more often than not, I'll take'm out after I've used the last bar for a little while. Bad habit. For some strange reason, I don't have this issue when it comes to my car. Let me relay the story, when, roughly 2 years ago, I was driving around with my gas gauge on maybe a half bar for a couple of days...purely out of laziness. Went detecting with some buddies, and the first site we hit was a bust, so drive about 6 or 7 miles to a second location, all following one another, and we stopped to survey the site. Got back in my car, started to pull away, and the car died. Talk about embarrassing! We had to push it in a parking spot, go get a gas can, yadda, yadda, yadda. Needless to say, that was a BAD day, lol. Just glad I didn't stall out on the highway!!! I was known as "Joey Gas" after that, though, it should've been "Joey NO Gas"
Think I'm going to go for that RNB, Dusty
Joe
Only a fraction of the battery power actually goes into operating the unit. That's why when my batteries are down to 10% the unit shuts off to save the settings. In your case there are bars, but on the SE Pro it's fluid. Or one solid bar that slowly disappears. I've had the thing down to a miniscule amount of black showing and still gone for another 20 minutes. So you're making the battery companies rich for sure. I use the Eneloop Pro batteries. They're not cheap but I've paid for the two sets I have many times over by now. Even with me being out as often as I am, I don't change out battery packs for about 7 to 9 days. This way, if I remember, I can charge 4 and leave them on trickle for 3 days, swap them to the pack and charge the other 4 for 3 days and load the pack and put it in the truck. And I usually carry around the fresh pack for about 2 or 3 days before I need it. I've used Energizer and Duracell alkalines in the packs prior to using the Eneloop and they only lasted about 3 or 4 days. Rechargeables are the way to go!
And!!! A new rechargeable Lithium AA has come out. I don't know if it justifies the cost, but I'm waiting for some reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SXV9...eline_asin
Ed/ODF
Smart man Ed!
If you look at the expanded/enlarged image on the link you provided it says at the top 1.5v with a Chinese symbol and then 3.7 v!!! WTFs up with that? Lots of those 3.7s avialable and they are nearly identical in size to the AA but they obviously ain't.
I would definitely approach using those with caution. At the rate the battery industry is evolving I think we will see something tried and true in the AA size within 6 months
The most rechargeable batteries are 1.2v rather than 1.5. However, they do make 1.5v rechargeable batteries. I use the 1.2v in my classic ID with no problems. Because the machine requires a lot less than 12v. (8 x 1.5v) So it starts out at 9.6v. I'm doing a mod on my 6000 di pro, converting it over to AA rechargeable batteries rather than 4 C batteries. (1.5 x 4 = 6v) I have order a 5 AA battery holder, and will solder the quick connection to unit. This extra battery will give me the 6v from the begining. (1.2 x 5 = 6v) I think rechargeable batteries are the way to go.
Update: I see these are 1.5v then states 3.7v (weird) not sure why. Sorry I use my phone to post sometimes, and with this little screen. I can't see crap. Sucks getting old. Lol
HH!
There are 3.7 volt batteries in AA size.
You might also just look at using a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery pack.
They come in all sizes.
A good standard pack will be rated 3000mah. (12.6v)
You can find these as flatter packs and squarish packs.
I buy these and do a quick mod to remove the switch and LED so just the two battery wires remain. Charge cord can be rewired to those leads.
http://www.dx.com/p/3000mah-rechargeable...12v-144110
Since these come out of China, shipping times are 20-30 days on average.
If you want more capacity use the 4500mah
http://www.dx.com/p/ysd-12450-12v-4500ma...98&u=80405
You can also find similar packs on ebay, maybe a different size.
(11-05-2015 09:49 PM)Ohio Dirt Fisher Wrote: [ -> ]Only a fraction of the battery power actually goes into operating the unit. That's why when my batteries are down to 10% the unit shuts off to save the settings. In your case there are bars, but on the SE Pro it's fluid. Or one solid bar that slowly disappears. I've had the thing down to a miniscule amount of black showing and still gone for another 20 minutes. So you're making the battery companies rich for sure. I use the Eneloop Pro batteries. They're not cheap but I've paid for the two sets I have many times over by now. Even with me being out as often as I am, I don't change out battery packs for about 7 to 9 days. This way, if I remember, I can charge 4 and leave them on trickle for 3 days, swap them to the pack and charge the other 4 for 3 days and load the pack and put it in the truck. And I usually carry around the fresh pack for about 2 or 3 days before I need it. I've used Energizer and Duracell alkalines in the packs prior to using the Eneloop and they only lasted about 3 or 4 days. Rechargeables are the way to go!
And!!! A new rechargeable Lithium AA has come out. I don't know if it justifies the cost, but I'm waiting for some reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SXV9...eline_asin
Ed/ODF
Ed, I'm probably gonna take a dive on the RNB pack, but the eneloop's sound decent. I got soured on rechargables awhile back, as I bought a brand called "Pearstone" before. Great reviews, nice price, the works...but they were duds that couldn't hold a charge. Maybe I had a bad batch? I don't know.
But I'm still riding on fumes in my car, lol.
Joe
The RNB really is great. I've been using one in my etrac for a couple years now and it is as impressive now as when it was new. They charge very fast as well. You can run it dead and charge it over a long lunch break and be good for another 10 days of detecting. The biggest problem is that you get so complacent you become lazy about charging . I ran mine dead the other day because I put off charging it when it hit one bar and detected for three days before it finally croaked.
My Exp II gives a warning that you have a few minutes of battery time remaining.
Joe, does your detector sound off when batteries are about to go down?