When I bought the used Excal a week ago I noticed there was a discoloration and some white residue in the battery housing.
The fellow I bought it from suggested it was silicone from the end cap and not to worry and besides if there was a problem the purchase price included a spare alkaline battery housing and I could use it instead.
I put the battery on charge and was delighted to find it took a charge and seems fine!
I then placed it in the spare housing to avoid any possibility of wetting it with salt water.
On closer inspection I discovered the suspect housing had hairline cracks radiating out from the screw holes!
I cleaned, silicon-ed and closed the end cap and weighted it down in a pail two feet deep for a half hour! It leaked!
The "spare" housing wouldn't fit the machine until the ears on the housing were clipped to fit the older machine.
After this minor mod was done the battery pack housing fit just fine!!
I ordered a spare battery pack and charger from "only battery packs.com".
When they arrived I learned the new charging connectors would not fit the old machine!
I stewed for a day over how to use the charger and how to stop the leak in the housing!
I realized the battery connector is the same as the one for earphones and charger for my old Garrett XL500s.
I had an extra connector and after checking it for fit (perfect) I installed it on the new charger and shortly had a completely charged battery pack!!
Next problem-----leaking housing!!
Cost of a new housing-------OUCH!! New complete battery pack--------DOUBLE OUCH!!!!
Is it really necessary to be able to take the end cap off when a new NiMH 1600ma battery is used?
After weighing the cost of new housings, the unlikelihood of needing to remove a new battery for a long time and how well marine epoxy seals things, I epoxied the end cap in place!!
It will be thoroughly pressure tested before it is used and should it leak, there is still the option of cutting it apart and using the battery in a new housing!
The reason I'm sharing this information with you fellow hunters, is to help you understand that it isn't necessary to ship your machine off to home base for every little problem that comes along!
First it's time consuming and always expensive unless under warranty!
I'll let you know how the "epoxy repair job" worked out!
CJ
The fellow I bought it from suggested it was silicone from the end cap and not to worry and besides if there was a problem the purchase price included a spare alkaline battery housing and I could use it instead.
I put the battery on charge and was delighted to find it took a charge and seems fine!
I then placed it in the spare housing to avoid any possibility of wetting it with salt water.
On closer inspection I discovered the suspect housing had hairline cracks radiating out from the screw holes!
I cleaned, silicon-ed and closed the end cap and weighted it down in a pail two feet deep for a half hour! It leaked!
The "spare" housing wouldn't fit the machine until the ears on the housing were clipped to fit the older machine.
After this minor mod was done the battery pack housing fit just fine!!
I ordered a spare battery pack and charger from "only battery packs.com".
When they arrived I learned the new charging connectors would not fit the old machine!
I stewed for a day over how to use the charger and how to stop the leak in the housing!
I realized the battery connector is the same as the one for earphones and charger for my old Garrett XL500s.
I had an extra connector and after checking it for fit (perfect) I installed it on the new charger and shortly had a completely charged battery pack!!
Next problem-----leaking housing!!
Cost of a new housing-------OUCH!! New complete battery pack--------DOUBLE OUCH!!!!
Is it really necessary to be able to take the end cap off when a new NiMH 1600ma battery is used?
After weighing the cost of new housings, the unlikelihood of needing to remove a new battery for a long time and how well marine epoxy seals things, I epoxied the end cap in place!!
It will be thoroughly pressure tested before it is used and should it leak, there is still the option of cutting it apart and using the battery in a new housing!
The reason I'm sharing this information with you fellow hunters, is to help you understand that it isn't necessary to ship your machine off to home base for every little problem that comes along!
First it's time consuming and always expensive unless under warranty!
I'll let you know how the "epoxy repair job" worked out!
CJ
