Finally upgrading to re-chargeable batteries!

[Goldstrike]

I'm 'old school' meaning I'm slow sometimes to get up to speed with some things so on my occasional trips to Costco, I would pick up a 40 pack of AA's for around $14 and change. After using many batteries over a long time, I figured it's time to get up to speed and get re-chargeables! So, the Eneloops and the charger was around $29 and change from Costco. NOW.....maybe I'll work on getting a 2900 mAH NIMH battery and then I will truly be in overdrive!!!

 

[MetalMiner]

yeah it didn't take me long to realize I needed rechargeable batteries. I bought the cheap Amazon rechargables 2 yrs ago & have been using them for 2yrs without any problems, They have paid for themselves many times over with the money they saved me on batteries. I also got the Hitech iC-808UL-LCD 8 Bank Smart Quick Charger that will charge all 8 at once & has a charge indicator LED bar for each battery. works great.

 

[mudpuppy]

I might have to give them a try too Goldie and MM...

Like you, I buy those big packs....my experience is this... I put the fresh ones in the AtPro..after @15hrs of hunting, they fall off really fast, and the thing dont like half deads...so I pop them out and put them in my F70, which absolutely loves halfdeads and will take them right down to zero without missing a penny...runs at least another 15hrs on them!

So I thought I was being smart...except now, after a heavy season of Pro work in the water, I have probably 40 half dead batteries rolling around in various locations in my car, waiting for the F70 to need a reload, all the while the AtPro consumes more and more...so, from an economic standpoint, at this juncture, it makes sense for me to but some rechargeables and use them in the Pro until I get rid of all the half dead ones in the 70, garage door opener or something, which may take a year, then I can slingshot both into the rechargeables! Thanks for the post!
Mud.

 

[Goldstrike]

Thanks Mud. Like you, I have AA's all over the place and so I occasionally gather them up and test each one to make sure they are dead or near dead before they get chucked!!! I bought some plastic cases a while ago off Fee-Bay! but they didn't do the job like I thought they would so they continue to roll around in the trunk and other places!!

 

[Goldstrike]

MM....yes, I was thinking to get a bigger capacity (more batteries) charger so I'll check out the one you mentioned in your post! Thanks!

 

[croakersmoker78]

yes I did that years ago best purchase ever

 

[Deeptarget]

Enloops! They are the best. Nice work

 

[jabbo]

I've been using rechargeables for about 10 years now on all my detectors. Made up my own battery pack, wired it up, added a 1/8 inch jack for the charger and located the pack on the outside of the arm cup. At the end of each hunt I simply plug in the charger, no need to remove the batteries to recharge. Works great, I never need buy batteries.

 

[Goldstrike]

Jabbo.....can you take a pic or 2 of your battery set up please? That is a very interesting and cool idea!!

 

[MoSafari]

Sounds interesting. Would you mind posting a photo of your battery pack alone, and then attached to your detector? I'd surely like to see how you did it and what it looks like

Thanks

 

[MoSafari]

Yes, I would like to see a couple of photos of your set up, too. One to show how you have it constructed... off the detector... and one on the detector.

Thanks

 

[kschae4]

GS, got away from the bulky batteries a few years ago. Picked this charger and re-chargeables up at Harbor Freight and they work fine. Dave, that's a great modification you've come with.

 

[Goldstrike]

Kschae4......I shoulda done this years ago!

 

[jabbo]

Includes a Radio Shack 6 cell battery holder as seen in one of these pics, used on my X-Terra. The 8 cell batt pack pic was for the CoinStrike that I had. A pic of two types of wooden dummy batteries (9 volt, 1.5 volt). A view of both detectors showing batt packs mounted on the arm cuff with toggle switch turned off while charging. A jack wired to batt packs so that I can charge the pack without removing batteries from the holder. The wires from the new batt pack to the control box are wrapped around the detector shaft. A dummy battery is inserted into the control box. These are the best pics I can give without disassembling things. A charger is needed too, about 9 volt, 150 milli amps. If your detector runs on a 9 volt battery then you can make a battery pack of six 1.5 volt batts. and a square dummy batt. Jabbo