I'm considering trying out another machine ....( go ahead , just kill me ) and it's 6 volts .....If I get a 7.4 volt Lipo , which will probably charge to 9 volts , will I damage the detector in question pumping 9 volts or so into a 6 volt detector , or will the detector only take in the 6 volts that it needs to operate ? .....Thanks, Jim
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Another Lipo question .....
- Thread starter synthnut
- Start date
Jim,
Here is my take on this. If the detector's voltage regulator is rated for 9 volts + and properly heat sinked (cooling), it should be OK. If you cannot establish that the regulator can handle a 50% voltage increase over it present operational voltage, then it would be a crap shoot and the regulator would probably fry and possibly the entire board.
In short it is probably not a good idea, the board was designed for 6 volts.
Here is my take on this. If the detector's voltage regulator is rated for 9 volts + and properly heat sinked (cooling), it should be OK. If you cannot establish that the regulator can handle a 50% voltage increase over it present operational voltage, then it would be a crap shoot and the regulator would probably fry and possibly the entire board.
In short it is probably not a good idea, the board was designed for 6 volts.
synthnut said:
Critterhunter
New member
I assume you mean you've got a 2 cell series lipo? Lipos charge to 4.2V per cell, never higher (or they'd blow!), so your total pack voltage would be 8.4V if the lipo is a 2 cell series pack. So, that means you are 2.4 volts above the 6 volts it needs. It would help if you told me what kind of "6 volt" source we are talking about here. Is is a 6 volt lantren cell, a 4 cell (1.5V per cell) AA holder, a 5 cell (1.2V per cell= 6V) nimh or nicad? With that info I can tell how much fudge factor you have in what the machine probably will tolerate. If it's say using a 5 or 6 cell nimh or nicad then I'd say you are good because they often charge higher than 1.2V per cell. If it's using 4 AAs then you probably are also good because they built a good bit of tolerance into those as well voltage wise. If it's a 6 volt lantren then I'm not sure because I don't remember if those things charge precisely up to 6 volts or if they go a volt or two higher. Regardless, most voltage regulators will tolerate a pretty wide voltage input window so I'm betting the 8.4V max of a two cell lipo should be good. You could open it up and see what kind of voltage regulator is inside. Power it up with the lipo and touch the heat sink on the regulator a few times over a few minutes span like every ten seconds. If it starts getting hot then disconnect the lipo right away and don't use it.
If you do use a 2 cell lipo just remember that you don't want that lipo draining below 6V total (3V per cell).
Whatever it normaly uses a quick and dirty way to check things out- Fully charge or use new cells from whatever the thing is supposed to use. Check the voltage of the pack and see where it's at new or fully charged. I bet it's around 8 volts easily. If so then you know you are good to run a 2 cell lipo.
If you do use a 2 cell lipo just remember that you don't want that lipo draining below 6V total (3V per cell).
Whatever it normaly uses a quick and dirty way to check things out- Fully charge or use new cells from whatever the thing is supposed to use. Check the voltage of the pack and see where it's at new or fully charged. I bet it's around 8 volts easily. If so then you know you are good to run a 2 cell lipo.
Critter,
The detector takes 4 - AA batteries ....... I was hoping to take that pack out and replace with a better Lipo as we did with the Soveriegn .....I realize that it will be a 2 cell Lipo and not the 3 cell Lipo as the 2 cell is less voltage ..... Also , I'm assuming that I will also have to change some parameters on the Accucell if I did this so not to blow the battery apart .....THanks for your help , and Happy Holidays to you ...Jim
The detector takes 4 - AA batteries ....... I was hoping to take that pack out and replace with a better Lipo as we did with the Soveriegn .....I realize that it will be a 2 cell Lipo and not the 3 cell Lipo as the 2 cell is less voltage ..... Also , I'm assuming that I will also have to change some parameters on the Accucell if I did this so not to blow the battery apart .....THanks for your help , and Happy Holidays to you ...Jim
Yeah, I've been talking to a few people , and the AT seems to do pretty well with iron masking ....It's reportedly going pretty deep too with good seperation .....It's worth a shot for a few hundred bucks !!...I'm picking up an SE today too ....I will be waterproofing that one too !!..... I will be able to mix and match coils with the E Trac and still have the Excal to play with .... Out with the old , and in with the new ......I'll pin the AT against the SE and sell off the one that looses !!.... I'm not havin Mnelab gouging me with their prices.....The Soveriegn is a great machine , but is not worth that kind of price hike .... Enough is Enough !!... They move to America and start acting American ? .....Worse service and higher prices !!....LOL !!....Nest thing you know there will be a detecting tax on top of a license fee !!....Jim
Critterhunter
New member
Yes, to charge a two cell lipo on the Accucel plug the two cell Molex (white balance plug) into the proper 2 cell port. Plug the power connector in too like you always would to that plug. Now choose the Balance Charge charging mode. Press the ENTER button to where the 3 cell indicator is blinking. Press the "-" key so that it says 2 cells. Press ENTER, then press ENTER again and hold it until it responds and says whatever that indicates it finds a 2 cell lipo and you have it set up to charge a 2 cell lipo. Hit ENTER again and you're charging. I might have a few details wrong above but I'm sure you know what needs to be done. Mainly, everything is the same except you need to change from a 3 cell to a 2 cell.
Oh, and of course select the proper amp rate. As always, no higher than 1C. Some lipos now will charge at 2C or even higher rates but even if they do I still only follow the 1C rule. After all, it only takes an hour on a drained pack and you never run the risk of forgetting one pack can charge at say 2C while another can handle only 1C. 1C will give it a longer life, too.
What lipo are you going to use? Will a 750ma 2 cell Rhino fit in there?
I really don't think you'll have any voltage issues. 8.2 volts really should be well within the window of variation a 4AA 6V device wants to run. You know, I never really checked a store shelf battery to see if it's holding a higher voltage when new than 1.5V. Take four brand new AA batteries in series and read the voltage you get. If it's 7 or 8 volts then you should be golden because AA devices would then be designed to tolerate a wider voltage input due to variables in batteries.
Oh, and of course select the proper amp rate. As always, no higher than 1C. Some lipos now will charge at 2C or even higher rates but even if they do I still only follow the 1C rule. After all, it only takes an hour on a drained pack and you never run the risk of forgetting one pack can charge at say 2C while another can handle only 1C. 1C will give it a longer life, too.
What lipo are you going to use? Will a 750ma 2 cell Rhino fit in there?
I really don't think you'll have any voltage issues. 8.2 volts really should be well within the window of variation a 4AA 6V device wants to run. You know, I never really checked a store shelf battery to see if it's holding a higher voltage when new than 1.5V. Take four brand new AA batteries in series and read the voltage you get. If it's 7 or 8 volts then you should be golden because AA devices would then be designed to tolerate a wider voltage input due to variables in batteries.
Critterhunter
New member
Or if you want to go another route why not four 2500ma or higher nimh AA cells? Being only four they'll still almost weigh nothing, although still not as light as a lipo.
I'm curious about those AT Pros. I doubt they'll get the depth of a Minelab even if the ground isn't highly mineralized but I'd still like to hear info on them. For a waterproof full LCD screen machine that is light enough to be just as at home on land as in the water, and under $700 new they should have a real good seller regardless of how deep it gets.
Minelab should come out with a waterproof box to stick your Sovereign in with the needed waterproof cable connectors and such. It would seem a logical step as many already water hunt by chest mounting a Sovereign. They could probably make the box for less than $20 (with no external controls on it) and sell them easily for $50 a pop. Imagine how many people would rush out to buy a Sovereign just because they can get an "official" waterproof holder for the control box without having to make one themselves like many already do. Excalibur performance with none of the quality issues, much lighter, cheaper, and take it out of the box and it's now the perfect land machine too.
Of course that's asking too much. Minelab seems to do everything they can to not make the Sovereign sell well. No advertising, a seperate meter that can't be mounted in a decent spot you can actually see unless you mod it yourself or buy a commerical third party adaptor, a PP switch location that makes absolutely no sense unless you chest or hip mount, a shaft, arm cup, and rechargable pack that weighs more than a boat anchor. Just blows my mind that one of the most advanced (performance wise) detectors on the market has so many *ss backwards design flaws in terms of hardware for it.
I'm curious about those AT Pros. I doubt they'll get the depth of a Minelab even if the ground isn't highly mineralized but I'd still like to hear info on them. For a waterproof full LCD screen machine that is light enough to be just as at home on land as in the water, and under $700 new they should have a real good seller regardless of how deep it gets.
Minelab should come out with a waterproof box to stick your Sovereign in with the needed waterproof cable connectors and such. It would seem a logical step as many already water hunt by chest mounting a Sovereign. They could probably make the box for less than $20 (with no external controls on it) and sell them easily for $50 a pop. Imagine how many people would rush out to buy a Sovereign just because they can get an "official" waterproof holder for the control box without having to make one themselves like many already do. Excalibur performance with none of the quality issues, much lighter, cheaper, and take it out of the box and it's now the perfect land machine too.
Of course that's asking too much. Minelab seems to do everything they can to not make the Sovereign sell well. No advertising, a seperate meter that can't be mounted in a decent spot you can actually see unless you mod it yourself or buy a commerical third party adaptor, a PP switch location that makes absolutely no sense unless you chest or hip mount, a shaft, arm cup, and rechargable pack that weighs more than a boat anchor. Just blows my mind that one of the most advanced (performance wise) detectors on the market has so many *ss backwards design flaws in terms of hardware for it.
Yes and it IS true a vclip is not included anymore. I went round and round with smellyco until I got one from them. I bellyached because the picture that they use to advertise the sovereign has a vclip, but the machine came without one. They gave me a song and dance. They did finally make it good, but after I had already purchased one. However, I also find it strange that Minelab ignores the aftermarket goodies that enrich the Sovereign's greatness. Excluding the vclip on a new machine, is proof. I agree with you Critterhunter, they could profit handsomely by listening to user's suggestions. Am I biased or do we have some great ones? 
As I said in an earlier statement , it costs too much to make a Soverietgn .......It's almost as if they are sabataging the existance of the Soveriegn so that they can justify it not doing well , so that they can justify taking it out of the lineup .... It's the same thing that they did with a LOT of electronic items .....Guitar amps, synthesizers , keyboards , stereo's , etc ......Nothing sounds as good as any of these items of yesterday , but it costs too much to produce now ..... The politicians have sent the American businesses packing , and brought into the country a much cheaper product and sold it for the same money or cheaper and crammed it down our throats .....We don't make hardly ANYTHING in this country anymore ...... It's a shame !!.....If you want a good sounding guitar amplifier, you have to buy a tube amp that was designed years ago , but now you pay a royal fortune for it !!...... Stereo's are all solid state now and sound like crap compared to the old tube amps of yesterday ...... Heck, years ago you could build a Dyna Kit or a Heath Kit and have a GREAT sounding stereo when you got done .....Analog synthesizers are a rarity today .....All this stuff is GONE !!...... All the well made analog detectors that were heavy and went DEEP !!! There are only a few companies making them .... It will only get worse , before it get's better .... Jim
Critter
The AT Pro will probably not be as deep as the Minelabs, but it will be a fast recovery, light weight , little screamer that will go down the beach very quickly and pick up a bunch of recent drops faster than lightniing !!......I can make time with this machine and not get tired at all .....I can then jump in the water and go down the lane real quick to check for more gold at an operating frequency that is in tune to gold and then jump in my car and hit the Park and have a good performer there too ....all for a few hundred bucks !!...... Best bang for the buck I've seen out there in a while, and the performance is not to shabby at all !!..... Great at dealing with masking issues , good at seperating out targets , enough tones and a discriminating screen in the water .....First of it's kind ..... The price is right and the weight is light ..... I will be happy to get back to having FUN detecting again with this machine ..... Works for me !!....
The AT Pro will probably not be as deep as the Minelabs, but it will be a fast recovery, light weight , little screamer that will go down the beach very quickly and pick up a bunch of recent drops faster than lightniing !!......I can make time with this machine and not get tired at all .....I can then jump in the water and go down the lane real quick to check for more gold at an operating frequency that is in tune to gold and then jump in my car and hit the Park and have a good performer there too ....all for a few hundred bucks !!...... Best bang for the buck I've seen out there in a while, and the performance is not to shabby at all !!..... Great at dealing with masking issues , good at seperating out targets , enough tones and a discriminating screen in the water .....First of it's kind ..... The price is right and the weight is light ..... I will be happy to get back to having FUN detecting again with this machine ..... Works for me !!....
Critterhunter
New member
What scares me is that when WWII happened we quickly were able to re-tool our auto plants and such to build tanks and even planes along with other military hardware. You not only have to have the facility, but you have to be able to make the tools to build the stuff, along with having people who know how to do it. These days are auto makers are dependent on outside sources for tooling and even key components. If we get into another big war I wonder if we still have the ability to build things.
I mostly lean conservative (like you wouldn't have guessed), but the one thing I break away from them on is free trade. Free trade means we get screwed because you can't compete with people working for food and water. Tariffs and stuff need to be put in place to level the playing field. You want to send a company over to a cheap labor country? Fine, but now you are going to pay a tariff when you import that stuff that makes up for the lower costs. In fact, this country used to be protected in such ways and most of the funding for the government was derived from tariffs on imported products. Too bad the Dems have also crawled into that same boat and sold us all out.
In order to have a working model of capitalism it must be enclosed. Meaning, no outside forces of cheap labor or products. That's why I'm so against illegal immigration. There are PLENTY of good paying jobs in construction and other fields that no longer exist. You used to be able to live well hanging drywall. Now'a days standard pay for that is $12 an hour if your lucky. Painters, cement work, and so on. Americans will do any job provided you pay them enough. That's where supply (labor) and demand (needed labor) works things out, but not when you've got illegal labor driving down the wage.
I mostly lean conservative (like you wouldn't have guessed), but the one thing I break away from them on is free trade. Free trade means we get screwed because you can't compete with people working for food and water. Tariffs and stuff need to be put in place to level the playing field. You want to send a company over to a cheap labor country? Fine, but now you are going to pay a tariff when you import that stuff that makes up for the lower costs. In fact, this country used to be protected in such ways and most of the funding for the government was derived from tariffs on imported products. Too bad the Dems have also crawled into that same boat and sold us all out.
In order to have a working model of capitalism it must be enclosed. Meaning, no outside forces of cheap labor or products. That's why I'm so against illegal immigration. There are PLENTY of good paying jobs in construction and other fields that no longer exist. You used to be able to live well hanging drywall. Now'a days standard pay for that is $12 an hour if your lucky. Painters, cement work, and so on. Americans will do any job provided you pay them enough. That's where supply (labor) and demand (needed labor) works things out, but not when you've got illegal labor driving down the wage.
Critterhunter
New member
Did you measure 4 new AAs in series to see what the voltage is? If it's like 6.5V or more I bet there will be no issue with a 8.4V 2 cell lipo.
Critter,
All the real design put into the Excalibur has been on the electronic circuitry side, this is were the genius is, in my opinion. The mechanical aspects are atrocious. I suspect they left the mechanical design to the electronic engineers or at least that is what it looks like to me. There are mechanical engineers and there are electronic engineers, they ain't the same people, and they don't have the same talents most of the time.
All the real design put into the Excalibur has been on the electronic circuitry side, this is were the genius is, in my opinion. The mechanical aspects are atrocious. I suspect they left the mechanical design to the electronic engineers or at least that is what it looks like to me. There are mechanical engineers and there are electronic engineers, they ain't the same people, and they don't have the same talents most of the time.
When you get the AT Pro run a set of alkalines down and see what the cutoff voltage is too, its important not to overdischarge the lipos or you may kill them. I think the low voltage is going to be a bigger problem than the high voltage as i think the minimum on a 2S is 6v which is the AT's normal voltage so its gonna go much lower, you'll need to find some way to cutoff when 6v is reached so as not to over discharge.