Myers Depot Metal Detectors

First Hunt!!

E

El Diablo

New Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2006
Messages
26
I got my BH QDII this afternoon and tried it out in the yard. Lots of trash and only one penny. Found it about 8 inches down and thought this has got to be old. Wrong! 1978 with a hole drilled through it?

I'm headed for a large local park tomorrow and hopefully towards better luck.

The owners manuel says to only use Alkaline batteries. Can I use rechargeables, and if so where can I find rechargeable 9V's?

El Diablo
 
Congradulations on your first hunt! Even if it is a 78 penny...it's the excitement of hitting a target and digging it up that counts...more valuable finds will come with putting in time with your detector.

As far as rechargeable batteries go, here is some info from the Tesoro site:

"Occasionally, someone will ask about rechargeable batteries. Tesoro detectors are engineered to have excellent battery life and since rechargeable batteries can never be charged to the full voltage (only 1.2 volts instead of 1.5 for each AA, for example) and require recharging so often, they are not a good alternative to alkaline batteries."

Basically what they are saying is that the voltage is not up to snuff, and the life is short.

HH
Dan
 
I found nothing but clad the first month I got my MXT. Now I'm in the 1800's ;) It's just a matter of time before you start finding some good coins. Remember, location location location and luck!
 
I don't know about a Tesoro or BHQDII but rechargeables work super in my Whites MXT. They last me all day and I charge them when I get home. I have never had to use my alkaline backups. If rechargeables didn't work Whites wouldn't sell rechargeable battery packs. Good luck and welcome.

ps: A detector is set to run on a voltage that is less than the batteries produce. In my case the operating voltage is 8V. My pack is 12V with 8 alkalines and 11V with the rechargeables. The detector's voltage regulator is set to use 8V. As long as the voltge doesn't drop below 8V the detector doesn't care. If they didn't work this way your performance would start dropping as soon as your batteries started changing voltage which would be in a short time.
Rob
 
Welcome aboard El Diablo! Since most people only hunt a few hours max at one time, I don;t think you need to worry about the "short life: of the rechargables. Try your local Radio Shack to find them. Good luck and HH!
 
I just wanted to add a few notes to my first hunt. Maybe it will help out future newbies.

1. When your new unit arrives don't fool your self thinking that you are just going to take it out in the yard and test it. Especially if you are wearing your good jeans and a pair of 80.00 white Nike's. :(

2. If you hit a strong signal that say's it's a $1 peice 4 inches down and you dig 2 foot and all you see is the water main, there's no need to keep going until you hear Chinese voices. :roll: It's the water main.

3. Digging is a lot harder than you might think. Don't do it in 92 degree heat with humidity at 80%. Or if you do, bring something to wipe away the sweat besides your white polo shirt.

4. Even though you might be over joyed with your first find (a 1978 penny with a hole in it.) chances are your wife won't share the joy when she see's her dug up front lawn. You can try to convince her it was gophers...but she had better be dumber than my wife. Especially when you are standing there looking like you just went through trench warfare.

5. Apparently people are litter bugs!

6. Your neighbors Rotwieler is very protective of any bones he/she may have buried. Even though it's on your property. :shock:

El Diablo
 
Diablo..Congratulations !...about digging attire ; this time of year I recommend swim trunks, t shirt, cap, old sneakers, and a knee pad for the one you'll be kneeling on..always go for comfort over style...and get a screwdriver..digging's hard work.."popping" a coin up is much easier, faster, and less noticible on the turf ...Good luck at the park ! Roadrunner_426
 
I wrote a rather definitive post on rechargeable batteries in the old forum. I have another one that I had intended to post here in a few chapters, but it is written in MS Word, and I can't figure out how to upload it.

Anyway, only 3 -4 years ago AA cells were topping out at 700 - 800 Mah.
Milliamp Hours (Mah) is the storage capacity of the cell, much like how much gas you may have in a full tank. Today we have 2600 Mah AA cells with 15 % current loss when stored for over a year. The smaller the cell the harder it is technologically to increase its capacity. Normal operating voltage is 1.2 V. per cell. Voltage is electrical pressure, similar to how much water will flow through a given diameter of pipe. Amperes is the amount of juice or current. The micro circuits of today's detectors are designed to operate on very low current and voltage demands in order to give ample operating time. A rechargeable cell is considered discharged when it reaches .3 volts. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RUNNING A DETECTOR WITH ALKYLINE OR RECHARGEABLE CELLS OTHER THAN THE OPERATING TIME, which today is almost equal. The rechargeable cells will drop off quicker at the end. I consistantly get 14 - 16 hours running my Explorer II on 8 AA 2500 Mah Nimh cells without even tripping the low battery alarm. BTW if you do buy rechargeables, get Nickel Metal Hydride cells (Nimh) as opposed to Nickel Cadmium (NiCad). You can top off the cells at any point without developing a "memory" and damaging the cells.
HH!
Bill T.
 
I just bought 2 9V HiMH batteries and a charger. I have not yet tried them but I will post my results after I have.

Something I was very suprised with is the life of the batteries I did buy. I bought 2 alkaline 9V batteries. I am now on over 10 hours of use... The batteries are still working. I would have figured they would have died about 4 hours ago. Nope. Still working

One question I had. When my batteries are low what happens? Does the metal detector stop beeping? Or does the LCD/Beep die at the same time. I just want to make sure I am not detecting, while thinking my batteries are good, and just not hearing a beep.

Thanks
 
You didn't mention how many mah the batteries were. Remember to always get the bigger mah rating as they last longer. There are many places to buy cheaper than Radio Shack. Mine are 2500Mah. Who cares how much they last over 12hrs. Just charge them when you get home. I've charged mine at least 200 times since December and they are working great. Rob
 
El Diablo,

Love your sense of humor . . . your "first hunt notes" are hysterical! (and oh so true). You mentioned the heat -- are you in Texas by chance?
 
I don't get 10 hours on my NiMh rechargeable 9V's. But I don't care, I just recharge them. I ve 2 sets. A generic set from Ebay that's 200 mAh, and an Energizer set that's150 mAh. The generic set was cheaper and lasts longer. I barely get 5 - 7 hours on the Energizers.
 
Worth Noting:

Right now, the best cells made are from Sanyo, without exception. They are often re-labeled for other companies. Panasonic cells are ranked # 2.

The best deal on AA NIMH cells that I know about is Eveready 2500 Mah. Two four packs for less than $9.00 at Sam's Club, a little more at Walmart. I believe these are re-labeled Sanyo.

Ray-O-Vac makes a good cell as well, but haven't seen anything above 1800 Mah.

Radio Shack cells are the poorest quality I've used. They just do not last all that long. (Over years of experience with a lot of electronics).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Z
Silver ore
Replies
6
Views
86
KOB
KOB
V
Who did it?
Replies
8
Views
141
jimther
jimther
strandjutter
Traveling by plane
Replies
3
Views
88
strandjutter
strandjutter
longbow62
Older vs. Newer Coins
2
Replies
27
Views
481
Xxray
Xxray
randy
filling holes
2
Replies
23
Views
551
Rock Jock
Rock Jock
Back
Top Bottom