Excalibur Battery Help

[scoutingbear]

OK. Just got my machine back from repair. Tossed the battery on for a 6 hours charge before heading out detecting. About 1 1/2 hours into the hunt, the machine started to make a "WAAAAAAaaaa" sound every minute or so. This sound would happen if the coil was moving or not. I got out the new replacable battery pack I just bought from Kellco and loaded it with 8 brand new AA batteries. I placed it on my machine and could do nothing with it. All I got was a steady hum.

When the machine came back for repair they indicated they found cold solder joints on the board. A pot was replaced also.

Could this be a battery problem?

Has anyone used the replaceable battery style battery case on their Excalibur and if so, how did it work?

I also have a problem when you plug the cable plug into the battery, it does not mate up properly, leaving room between the gasket and connector and casket and battery case. I also have a problem where the cable connector will not tighten properly on the battery case. It gets so tight, then releases.

Any input on these problems would be helpful.

Thanks.

 

[Art (NWOH)]

It sounds a great deal like a power problem.

I don't have an Excal, so I need to guess a little bit here about how things are wired.

First, lets start with the factory battery pack..........

You say that it started squawking after about an hour and a half. This would indicate that you have two dead cells in it.

You say that you charged it for 6 hours. This is a bad thing to do with ni-cd's. Short chargeing ni-cd's on a repeated basis will ruin them through "memory effect". They won't hold a charge long.

Either one of these things could cause your problem.

Next, the alkaline pack...........

You did not say what kind of "new" batteries you put in it. If you buy the cheapies at Odd Lots or some other place where you can get some real cheap batteries, they could be bad right out of the box.

You did not say if you verified that the batteries were installed properly.

You did not say if you verified the voltage of either pack with a volt meter.

Next, the connector........

You say it tightens then slips. Sounds like it is stripped. Without knowing just how the electrical connection is made, I can't say if this is part of the problem or not.


See if you can fill us in on a bit more information about these things.

HH
Art

 

[scoutingbear]

OK, let me see if I can fill you in.

First, I know that a short charge is not always a good idea. The problem was, I just got the unit back from repair, was heading out to hunt, and only had 6 hours before the hunt. My normal practice is to get about 8-10 hours of use on the battery then let it charge fully.

The batteries I used were Duracell coppertop batteries. I do not allow lesser batteries in the house as I know the problems of inferior (cheap) batteries. The batteries came directly from the package, they were not just lying in the drawer. They were bought 1-2 months ago.

I did check to see if the batteries were installed properly. They were.

I could not check the voltage as my son borrowed my meter and, well, need I say more. A new meter is in the works. I am familiar with all the above as I have worked int he electronics field now for 35 years.

The connector and threads are not stripped. I believe the release has something to do with the guide pin hole in the battery pack not being deep enough. Just wondering if others have seen this.

Sorry if I sound snippy, I do not mean too. I apprecate the input. I am just a tad frustrated with the thought of having to send the machine back in.

 

[Art (NWOH)]

Did not mean to squeeze your weasel the wrong way. Did not know what your level of experience was.

By all means, obtain another meter. I couldn't live without one.

If you send it back in, be sure to tell Dick every piece of information that you have.

There could be an intermittent problem on the PC board. Not a pleasant thought.

HH
Art

 

[scoutingbear]

Art,

Did not take it as weasel squeezing as I know you were only trying to cover all the bases, not knowing what level or expertise I had. I do the same thing when I work Customer Support. It is funny when I talk to someone and find out they know more about the product then I do, just are having problems in one area. I call those calls "Learning experiences."

Sent an e-mail to Dick and will be calling him here shortly. Interesting fact, then I got it back they indicated they had cold solder joints on the main board. Not a good thing. Got me thinking about what else could be wrong.

Bear

 

[Art (NWOH)]

Hope Dick can find the problem for you. Hopefully an easy fix.

Have a good one.
Art