Question (s)

[joesgirl73]

I lose alot of time whenever I change coils between wrapping the cord and disconnecting, etc. I was wondering if it was possible to buy additional shafts?

Also, sometimes I think that the batteries make it read differently when they are fresh and even when they have been used for a short time...has anyone else ever thought this? And does anyone have a brand of batteries you think work best? Thanks for any suggestions

 

[BigCatDaddy]

Yes, you can get additional lower shafta and hardware kits. Makes changing out coils a snap.
Fresh, hot batteries do make a difference. If you always want to hunt with fully charged batteries, get yourself some NiMH rechargables. I have several sets and can charge up a whole bunch before I head out.

 

[John-Edmonton]

Yes, you can get a lower rod. Call your nearest dealer or Garrett directly to order one. Cover the end of the coil not in use with a small balloon to keep the dirt out of the plug.

 

[GH]

Don't the NiMH rechargeable batteries need to be fully discharged before recharging?
If so how do you discharge them if you take them out of MD before they are dead? Dave

 

[Ken (Trenton Ont)]

NiMH batteries do not have a memory so they don't have to be discharged, the ni cads do and have to be discharged before re chargeing. Ken

 

[Steve In Michigan]

How Much do the NiMH batteries cost? With the charger I should say. I have been using Duracells they seem to last the longest as far as "Name Brands"

HH

Steve

 

[Ken_in_MI]

As far as brands of batteries, Consumer Reports ran a test on batteries. Their conclusion? If they say "alkaline", and you use them before the date on their package, the differences between brands were negligible...their recommendation? Buy the cheapest "in date" alkalines you can find...their conclusion? Big name companies need to charge more to pay "pink bunny" advertising charges, whereas other companies don't pay the hefty advertising rates.

Ken

 

[joesgirl73]

I can already tell this forum will help me get better at this. My next thing to do is purchase two sets of batteries and a charger. Thanks again to everyone.

 

[Uncle Willy]

Also a lot of the cheaper brands are made by those big name companies. I haven't been to Costco in awhile but their brand of alkies used to go for $10.99 for 48. Catch them on sale at Walgreens and they are cheap.

Bill

 

[au4greg]

Hey... You wanna start something.... use the Rayovac 15 minute NiMH.

If you have a Costco... check out their 30 minute NiMH systems.

 

[Spanky]

I use NiMH batterys and they work great! I have several different brands and like the Sony batterys the best. Sonys start at a full 4 bars and stay at 4 bars for a very long time....around 8 hours or more. The batterys last for about a week before charging. I like the Sony 15 minute charger as well.

 

[Uncle Willy]

How much are they?

Bill

 

[Neil in West Jersey]

Milliamps per hour (mAh) Shoud be 2500 if you use AA size batteries. They will last a LOT longer.


Milliamps per hour (mAh) is important because it's the easiest way to distinguish the strength of a battery. The higher the mAh, the longer the battery will last before recharging.

Milliamps per hour (mAh) refers to battery capacity. A 1/1000th of an amp, e.g.: 1.0Ah = 1000mAh.

Think of water flowing down a river. Voltage is how quick that water is flowing, where as amperage is the amount of water flowing. The more voltage the stronger the flow of the water. The more amperage, the more water flowing.

 

[FrankG]

There are now 2700 mAh batteries on the market. You could visit this site to see a large selection of batteries and charger options. If you care to learn about batteries/chargers, there are also good articles on that site if you poke around.

http://www.thomas-distributing.com/index.htm

I have nothing to do Thomas but have been buying stuff from them for years and they are very good. I've had great success with MaHa chargers and MaHa Powerex batteries although there are lots of decent performing brands out there these days. I use Powerex 2500 mAh batteries in my ACE and cameras and love them. I have several chargers and my favorite (so far) is the MHC-801D. The beauty of the more expensive chargers are that they have individual chargers for each of the batteries which means they charge them more uniformly and you don't end up throwing 4 batteries away when many time only one battery is actually failing to take a charge properly and making the entire set appear as if they are worn out. You also can't over-charge them. Just leave them in until you want to use them.

There is a pretty good selection of decent rechargeable batteries in the retail stores but the inexpensive chargers that they sell are pretty crude and rarely get you the best (longest lasting) charge. Fast chargers can also significantly shorten battery life. Slow charging means less heat, which means longer battery life (more charging cycles). Fast/Slow charging is a personal preference and some folks really don't mind a shortened battery life.

I use a LOT of rechargeables so I'm probably more picky that most when it comes to batteries and chargers.

 

[Spanky]

Ain't cheap thats for sure....about $25.00 Canadian for 4 AA's

 

[joesgirl73]

Excellent info. I wish I'd read this before I purchased two Energiser chargers and batteries came with them. Thats okay, there are plenty of other things to use them in. I had no idea that the rate batteries charge can affect their lifespan. I learned something new today. Thanks!

 

[GH]

The battery charger I bought came with 2200 mAh batteries & Charger. I bought another brand and they were 2500mAh. The fellow at the store said it was no problem charging any of them, but would just take a few more minute to charge. I would say it's probably OK to charge the new 2700 mAh batteries with the charger you/ I have, but will take a bit longer to charge. I have charged the 2500mAh & the 2200mAh with no problems. Dave

 

[Uncle Willy]

Yeah this is the place to learn all those important details.

Bill