F 2/4/5 rechargeables

[Alimo88]

Hi all, The instructions say NO. Does anyone know the reason? Does anybody actually use rechargeables? What do I need to know about this?
Thanks for all your help.

 

[backacheUK]

I Tried Re-chargeables in my F4 with very limited success I purchased 4 Vapex 280mah Ni-Mh batteries plus a charger. Although the advertising stated these would last 8-10 times longer than disposable batteries. My experience differs greatly = When the batteried held any charge they lasted about 4 hours unfortunatly the second charge either damaged the battery or the charger was at fault.....U believe the batteries just didnt have the guts for the job,,,,,,A shame really as my F4 uses a fresh set every 20-30 hours, But i managerd to reduce costs by buying wholsale in boxes of 12. Also I found that energizer potperform duracell rrvrn though they are cheaper....

The F4 uses 2 seperate 9v circuits for its power requirments so I was thinking of making an exteria battery pack that used 12x AA size rechargeables 6 per circuit, as they have more power at least 2000mah than the 9v rechargeables..............now that Would give you 10X more hours May do it next winter But at the moment getting ready for my first time out this year.....as much snow n rain n freezing weather as been the hold up...


Happy Hunting Folks

 

[woodwizard]

I use akaline-the blue colored rayovacs seem to last the longest.all my detecting equipment says to use alkaline and since they built it and recommend this type battery-its a good idea to listen to them

 

[Alimo88]

Thanks, I was just trying to figure out WHY they say that? it's not like you can over voltage it with rechargeables. Maybe its a physical size issue? pity because buying new batteries all the time is not very cheap or GREEN.

 

[Cal_Cobra]

I used rechargables all the time in my F4 & F5 and they performed just fine.

Who knows why the manual says that, perhaps the FT 401K is heavily invested in Energizer

 

[backacheUK]

hi Cal, what make of rechargeables are you using in your F4 & what is the mah rated at?. The best I found here in UK were Vapex 280mah ni- mh. I'd sure like to find some that work for me...Also what charger do u use? & how long use you geting out of em? as i tried as I Said Vapex & Fujicell both failed to power my detector for more than about 4 hours.... Thankx in advance BachacheUK

Happy Hunting

 

[Mike Hillis]

I believe, if I remember the instructions on some I used in the past, that for them to work properly, they needed 5 complete charge, discharge cycles.

This doesn't have anything to do with memory, it was more to do with conditioning the battery.

Mebbe that helps?
Mike

 

[Cal_Cobra]

I use Tenergy 250mAh Ni-Mh batteries, and a generic charger. I get about 8-10hours out of a fully charged set, enough for a full day of hunting.

I was excited when I found a 9V 350mAh LI-ION battery (and charger) by Marsell. I purchased several sets of them, but unfortunately they do not perform well at all. They only last for about 4 hours, and you do not see any indication on the battery meter that their loosing charge, when the batteries run out of juice, they instantly die, and the machine shuts off without warning. Very disappointing, I had high hopes for these.

 

[Alimo88]

That is characteristic of rechargeables. Li-ion must roll of real quick. look up battery discharge curves on google

 

[Cal_Cobra]

That is characteristic of rechargeables. Li-ion must roll of real quick. look up battery discharge curves on google

You wouldn't expect that though, think of a laptop battery, any modern laptop battery worth it's weight in salt is Li-ION, and they have a gradual discharge rate (imagine if your laptop just switched off when the battery was done

That in itself isn't so much the problem I had with the Li-ION batteries, it was the lack of time I got out of a fully charged set. If the 250mAh Ni-Mh batteries are giving me 8-10 hours, I'd expect the 9V 350mAh LI-ION batteries to give me at least 10-15 hours, not half the time of the 250mAh Ni-Mh batteries

There's another seller who gives a 30 day guarantee on their 9V Li-ION batteries (and their 400mAh) so I'm considering giving them a try. 9V batteries are expensive, especially when the machines that use them seem to have low battery life anyhow, and use TWO 9V's. If I can find a good way to go rechargeable to save some $$ I'm all for it.

I've been using Energizer EN22 Zinc-Manganese Dioxide Industrial strength batteries, you can buy them buy the carton, 12 per, for abour $20 inc. shipping. On my CZ70 I get about 25 hours from a set of these which is the same as I get from a good set of akalines.

 

[Alimo88]

Cal I just looked at some curves. Li-ion nice and flat for a long long time then rapid voltage loss. Not being critical of you view just saying mine is all. Thanks

 

[lazzelazer]

I use X-power 220 mAh for my F2 and it works perfectly.
I just make sure they are charged up to max by having them in the charger overnight.