Batteries

[Ricki7]

What kind of batteries gives you the most life, I tend to shut off my detector if I'm digging for a few minutes , does that help save battery life. Or do you use more powering off and on.
I Iknow you are suppose to change batteries at one bar. Will the detector lose some effectiveness at each bar level ? I thought I noticed a sharper tone with fresh batteries. Some places in the brush are hard to work . Does wearing headphones really save battery life ? Why?

 

[FrankG]

I can't answer most of your questions.

For my AT Pro small coil ... I can only say ...
I never shut my detector off while hunting.
I use headphones 99% of the time.
I have used only Duracell AA and I am very pleased with their price/performance. (bulk buys from BJ's)
I have even run those batteries at 1 bar for up to 1/2+ hour and can't say I see any difference in detector performance.
I've never tried waiting for it to die (don't know if there is actually a Low Batt warning).
I hunt probably 3 hrs a day 4-5 days a week and I batteries last me about 5-6 weeks.

I've only had the AT Pro for about 3.5 months and I just installed the 3rd set of batteries this week which I think is quite reasonable in cost performance.
You could always use rechargeables if you feel they are cheaper. I personally opt' for convenience.

Also, About a week ago I had to replace the original 9v battery in the Pro Pointer (which has a very nice Lo-Batt warning sequence).

For my hunting frequency, the cost of batteries for a season is insignificant considering the cost of the detector and all the accessories.
I am just very happy that the AT Pro does not require proprietary batteries like some other brands.

 

[SoCalBeachScanner]

What kind of batteries gives you the most life, I tend to shut off my detector if I'm digging for a few minutes , does that help save battery life. Or do you use more powering off and on.
I Iknow you are suppose to change batteries at one bar. Will the detector lose some effectiveness at each bar level ? I thought I noticed a sharper tone with fresh batteries. Some places in the brush are hard to work . Does wearing headphones really save battery life ? Why?

I have found running the AT Pro with a full charge will scan deeper, the tones will be louder and more pronounced, and you will be able to hear the deep whispers louder and clearer.

I always change my batteries when the meter drops one bar from full charge weather I'm using rechargeable's or fresh alkaline batteries.

If I worried about battery life, I would have missed out on a lot of deep jewelry and silver coins. I would recommend getting two sets of rechargeable batteries and changed them out when your one bar down from full charge.

 

[upnorth]

I have an old group of eight 2000mAh Duracell rechargeables that I used to work in my old ACE 250. I popped them into my ATP once and it fired right up, but I don't normally use them in the ATP. Normally I will use whatever (on sale, deal) Duracell (mainly) or Ever Ready alkalines that I come across. I buy them in the big 24 or whatever packs. This year I came across a 30 pack of alkalines at Wallmart for $10.00. These were too cheap to pass up so I tried them out. These powder blue colored cheapies actually worked really well, I would say comparable to my regular Copper Duracells, believe it or not. That one ten dollar 30 pack lasted me a very long time this year and if the quality stands when I buy another pack, they will be the best alkaline battery deal that I have ever come across. I know that some folk have had bad experiences with these cheap Wallmart alkalines. But the batteries that I got were very competitive in performance and dirt cheap.

 

[dgruff]

Well I got down to one bar last time out...Duracell Coppertops, and probably used it an hour more. I really couldn't tell any noticeable difference inn the performance. I was still finding clad coins and one wheatie. I was just being lazy about it, because I knew I was about done hunting.

 

[mudpuppy]

I have been running 'whatevers' all brands...I bet I've gone through 80 of them in the past two years, maybe more, heres what I experienced...I run 40 disc, Iron off, Pro zero mode, anywhere from full sens to 3 clicks down, and I NEVER once have used the PP button, blue headphones...so I believe I am getting max hrs on account of my usage/settings...a guy can easily go through 2 or more sets of batteries in a week of peak season hunting...

I get @15hrs of total hunting time off a set...when they drop down the first bar, the second is not far behind, and any further down that that, the tones and strength of operation SEEMS to be compromised. I've tried really hard to pay attention to this subject, and not just go on feelings.....One gold ring or chain can make or break a season, and I do not have confidence in the rig if it gets below half power for sure... ..

Theres a lot of life left in those batteries however, so I take them out and pop them right into my F70, which has a reputation of getting 40hrs per set, and it loves them, so I get another @15+hrs on them in my 70. The 70 runs them all the way down to zero without missing a penny...I do not want to miss the find of a lifetime on account I'm trying for battery life with the Pro, I hunt primarily GOLD jewelry with the Pro, and inland coins/jewelry with the 70...

Goldstrike just did a great post on the Minelab Quattro forum about Eneloop rechargeables...I'm gonna go that route...I have so many half deads that came out of the Pro, it will take my 70 a year or more to consume them all...so I'll run the rechargeables in the Pro until I use the half deads all up, and switch both rigs over to the Eneloops..
Mud.

 

[Ricki7]

So Cal , described my last hunt In a area I had hunted several times. That day on Virgin batteries , I had clear hits with no vdi , that turned out to be
Pennies that were badly worn probably half the normal weight 6 inches deep . Another hit , clear tone no vdi about 9 inches, I thought had to be big iron ,
was a broken toy solider a lead mix. I have hunted the area before using pro coin and pro zero this was the first time on pro custom 33 nothing notched .
The tone was very clear and targets easier to define, soil conditions were normal, 5/8 coil. I did not see any info about Lithium batteries in the hand book.
I like the idea of the rechargeable batteries , did you buy a extra battery holder too. I'm not worried about the cost as much as having the odds in my favor.

 

[SoCalBeachScanner]

-
Maybe in the turf or sand for an occasional user detecting with low batteries, you may not notice any difference in depth, clarity of tones, and louder pronounced tones.

I run the AT Pro wide open in the pro zero, all metal mode, without even a ground balance to utilize the full potential of the machine. I use the AT Pro several times a week in the dark and scrub the sand with the coil in high traffic areas of the beach. The beaches I detect get heavy pressure from other's using CTX's. I listen for deep whispers and consistently scoop 10"+ depth for items that have been there for decades in the deep hard packed sand.

When detecting in the dark by sound only when it is totally quiet outside, you can hear the very deep whispers. At times, I can tell when the batteries drop down one bar down from a full charge without even looking at the meter.

I can scan the beach deeper than someone using a CTX mainly because most people swing the coil 3"-4" or more inches off the sand. I have seen detecting styles of many, many people and no one gets close enough to the sand with the coil to utilized the full depth potential of their machine. I wear out a coil cover every 3-4 months by skimming or scrubbing the sand.

 

[Canine]

I use Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batteries. Very high quality. When the battery meter drops one bar, I switch out the batteries. Weak batteries will affect performance. One bar drop is of little concern to me, but since I use rechargeables, I can change them out as often as I want. The batteries I use are not recommended for airtight applications like the ATPro, but the acid that forms happens only when the batteries get very low. As long they are not allowed to drain completely and not allowed to stay in the machine unused for months at a time, I see no problem.

Lithium batteries have differing voltages, so look at the voltage rating and match it as close as you can. I have a streamlight mini flashlight that specifically says not to use lithium, but I do anyway and it works fine. It takes one aaa battery, so the difference in voltage is minimal. If it took 4 aaa's, it would burn out quickly. Some lithiums have a much higher voltage and will quickly burn out my flashlight with just one battery. Lithiums are nice, but be careful. They are expensive. Not worth the cost unless you are needing your device to work in the coldest weather, you want the batteries to last as long as possible, and you want the lightest weight possible.

 

[mudpuppy]

So Cal Scanner is experiencing exactly what I do with the Pro..additionally, for guys that hunt as hard as he does, you might want to consider getting an extra battery holder as well as an extra battery hatch with Oring..

The extra battery holder is a MUST, the batt cap and O ring, not so much but still, a guy cant have any cheap little failures in prime time...

I have also removed the upper and lower camlocks for obvious reasons...the upper being removed makes it super easy to do a batt swap out, and If I'm putting the Pro in the trunk, I break the rig down at that juncture and fold it in half instead of collapsing the lower shaft, which even with the camlock removed, is now froze up...Thats no biggie, for I have it set at the perfect length I need it to run at..nearly fully extended..

On those deep targets in the sand, you wont get a tid, so you have to sort of go by tones and size of target...we get these stupid layers of black sand here on Lake Mich, and the signals get all crappy until you take a few scoops out, then it settles right down...that hole with the nickel in it is from yesterday...it was pretty deep...I got all sorts of coins, but no solid tones/tids unless they were shallow, or until a guy scooped off some sand and got under the black layer..
Mud

 

[fongu]

That's a deep hole for a nickel, Mud. I prefer rechargeables, but keep some regular batteries on hand, also. I charge my batteries and then might not get to go detecting for a week or two and then put them in the At/Pro and change them out when it's down to one bar. With the store bought batteries, I run them until they almost quit. I'm taking both my detectors to the river and see if I can do better than I have lately tomorrow. Working dry sand and around the docks only and no water detecting. A neighbor at the river told me I could work the sea wall in front of his house and I could do it without his permission, but prefer to ask. It shows respect and this neighbor has helped me out once before and I apreciatte his help.