Tesoro Tejon (and similar) battery questions

[Slim382ms]

I’m not able to get to my workbench to test this and was wondering if anyone checked draw in mA on these detectors?
I run my detector pretty hot, and I get about 2 and a half days of hunting (12-16hrs I’m guessing).
What are you guys getting?
I’ve bought enough batteries over the years to buy yet another detector, lol.
I’m considering a swap to LiPo OR LiFe. I have seen other do this but I’m planning a slightly different approach. I’m gathering data at this point and compiling a materials list.
I’ll definitely share once I’m done- should have it completed in the next week or so.

 

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[pinenut]

I was changing mine after about 16 hrs. Used it about 4 days, about 4 hrs each time, then changed ‘em out. That was with Duracels, BTW.
They do eat lots more batteries compared to the single 9v Tesoros.

 

[Slim382ms]

Thankes Pinenut. I’m going to post the current draw this week sometime. Good to know I’m in the range for expected battery life!

I was changing mine after about 16 hrs. Used it about 4 days, about 4 hrs each time, then changed ‘em out. That was with Duracels, BTW.
They do eat lots more batteries compared to the single 9v Tesoros.

 

[Kitz]

I usually get a bit more than 20 hours on mine using Energizers. At that point I only get two beeps on the battery check and replace the batteries. I'm not sure if I'm running my machine "hot" though... I thought the Tejon kind of ran hot by definition and couldn't really be super-tuned (?)

-Ken

 

[pinenut]

Maybe “hot” means more negative on the ground balance - and more “chatty”. That probably does run batteries down a little faster if the machine is talking more. I usually run all my Tesoros a little bit chatty (a bit negative on GB). If they’re too quiet, I think they’re not working right.. ^_^

 

[Slim382ms]

I usually get a bit more than 20 hours on mine using Energizers. At that point I only get two beeps on the battery check and replace the batteries. I'm not sure if I'm running my machine "hot" though... I thought the Tejon kind of ran hot by definition and couldn't really be super-tuned (?)

-Ken

Yes, like pinenut said, I just keep the ground balance about 1/4 turn negative.

 

[Peter67]

When i got the Tejon i first used normal alkaline batteries but after a while i switched to rechargeables. I never had the feeling that they gave me a different result but what i did was charging the batteries after each hunt (my hunt last +- 6 hours). Only in winter i only used normal alkaine batteries instead of rechargeables.

 

[Kitz]

The negative ground balance probably explains the difference in battery life. I usually balance my Tejon to neutral; it seems plenty deep enough that way, and still mutters to itself a bit.

-Ken

 

[Slim382ms]

Answers here


39.2 mA @ rest


93.2 mA with load.

 

[HighVDI]

1/4 turn negative on the GB here too. It is my only gripe about the Tejon. It's a battery eating maching! Goes deep though

 

[Slim382ms]

1/4 turn negative on the GB here too. It is my only gripe about the Tejon. It's a battery eating maching! Goes deep though

Yep, for sure!
I’m trying to conquer the battery problem, got an “outside the box” idea I’m working on. Should be done tonight or tomorrow.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

I was actually thinking of making an external power supply attached to my belt and connected through a coiled wire to the box. If I had the time to do!

My battery of choice would be a hacked RnB Innovations battery designed for the Whites detectors (12 volts, HP 3100)...just thinking!

 

[Slim382ms]

I was actually thinking of making an external power supply attached to my belt and connected through a coiled wire to the box. If I had the time to do!

My battery of choice would be a hacked RnB Innovations battery designed for the Whites detectors (12 volts, HP 3100)...just thinking!

As soon as I get the kids in bed I’m firing up the soldering iron- implementation of my master plan begins tonight, lol. I’ll post a separate thread later tonight when I’m “semi-finished”.

 

[Slim382ms]

I was actually thinking of making an external power supply attached to my belt and connected through a coiled wire to the box. If I had the time to do!

My battery of choice would be a hacked RnB Innovations battery designed for the Whites detectors (12 volts, HP 3100)...just thinking!

Here’s my plan, prototype implemented. Dewalt tool LiPo battery.
I’m using an LM317 to regulate the voltage to 13v. I had to buy one of those adapters for using the newer dewalt batteries in older tools. The reason I had to use this is that dewalt doesn’t integrate battery low voltage cutoff circuitry into its battery, it’s in the tool. Other manufacturers integrate this into the batteries.

I ran it through a discharge cycle after I assembled it. I used 60 mA since this is what the Tejon consumes. I got about 18hrs (I think, I hooked it up late last night and didn’t check the time). I’m going to mount this box to the shaft using some large zip ties for now. Once I decide if I want to keep it, I’ll integrate this into the battery holder in the Tejon. I think this will be much easier since I use dewalt tools every day, and always have at least 3 of these batteries fully charged. The battery used here is a 1500mah. I have the larger ones, 5000mah, but I think that they might be a bit heavy for swinging for hours st a time.
Great thing about this setup is that the battery slides off easily, no disassembly, then right into the charger.

 

[Slim382ms]

Onece I integrate this setup on my detector, I’ll post up a how to. It’s really dead simple. I’m not going to leave this big box on my detector, this is only for prototyping.

 

[Picketwire]

Just get two sets of eneloops. Even one set will work if you charge them overnight while you are not hunting. They seem to run at least as long as alkalines and can be recharged hundreds of times. No modifications are necessary. I paid $18 for 8 of the 2000mah ones. When I bought my first Pentax digital single lens reflex camera, it came with alkaline batteries but the instruction manual said they were just to set up the camera and that they would not support everything the camera would do. It said to buy rechargeable NiMH. The older rechargeable NiMH ones would lose a charge about as fast as the camera would use the ones installed but the new ones hold most of their charge for over a year. The only difference i get with my Tejon is less beeps on startup.

 

[HighVDI]

Just get two sets of eneloops. Even one set will work if you charge them overnight while you are not hunting. They seem to run at least as long as alkalines and can be recharged hundreds of times. No modifications are necessary. I paid $18 for 8 of the 2000mah ones. When I bought my first Pentax digital single lens reflex camera, it came with alkaline batteries but the instruction manual said they were just to set up the camera and that they would not support everything the camera would do. It said to buy rechargeable NiMH. The older rechargeable NiMH ones would lose a charge about as fast as the camera would use the ones installed but the new ones hold most of their charge for over a year. The only difference i get with my Tejon is less beeps on startup.

I wonder if it is as deep as a fully charged set of alkalines. The Tejon definitely loses depth as the number of beeps at startup drops. 5 beeps is as low as I like to go on mine.

 

[Davers]

I wonder if it is as deep as a fully charged set of alkalines. The Tejon definitely loses depth as the number of beeps at startup drops. 5 beeps is as low as I like to go on mine.

3-4 beeps & I change the batteries , (I always try to carry spares ) I use Duracell , Energizer, but I like Energizer Lithium they work well but , when they die ; they die Quick.

Just thinking 'using HP's ' I get about 20 hours on all the battery types I use.
FWIW

 

[Picketwire]

Google aa batteries vs NiMH. "1.5V" vs. ""1.2V" batteries EZnec pretty much sums up the case. With flash photography, a high drain situation, NiMH batteries outlast alkaline by a considerable extent, recharge the flash much faster and are much cheaper in the long run. The beeps on a Tejon are calibrated for alkaline batteries which have lost most of their amperage at a certain voltage. NiMH batteries hold their amps much longer. I ran rechargeable batteries in my T2 until it absolutely shut down while digging a dime at approximately 6 inches. I didn't know it had quit until it seemed to quiet and when I looked at the screen, it was blank. Air testing in my house with all the wifi, fluorescent lights, etc., I can see no difference in depth between new alkaline and some eneloop rechargeable that have been used for 4 hours one day in my Tejon.

 

[Stoof2010]

I use rechargeables for my AA machines. No they won't last as long as a set of alkalines, but I get what seems like unlimited charges out of them.
I use them for a hunt, then recharge before next hunt.
Or get enough for 2 sets and then you can run them longer without worrying about running dead in the middle of a hunt. However, I don't think you can kill a fully charged set in one hunt. I never have. And if you too them off when you get home or before going out again, they're always full.
Eneloop white (or special edition colors all besides black) say you can get 2100 recharges. That's like 40 years if charged once a week lol. So 8 years if you charge 5x a week or so.