Anyone use rechargeable batteries in their detector and recommend a good set my detector uses 8 aa and was looking into getting a set for my backup pack when I forget to charge my main pack
I just picked up 8 AA NIMH batteries at Walmart. Total cost was $21.20 (with tax).
They are the RayOvac recharge plus brand.
An 8 pack of 8 AA standard (non rechargeable batteries) will only cost $7 out the door but the rechargables will pay for themselves over the long haul.
Hope you charged them before you used them. Rechargables have a lower voltage than alkalines and strait out of the box should be charged first for best performance. The output voltage is good enough for sound detector operation however you'll need to use deeper batteries for longer performance as compared to alkalines.
I've been using rayovac and energizer they both have worked well for me. I got my energizers as a bulk lot on ebay for a good price. now I have plenty of spares ready to go all the time.
My first detector used 8 AA's and I bought over 40 bucks worth of rechargeables so I always had a charged spare set. Since I use the AT Pro now, I have MANY sets because it only uses 4. I am sure that using them for the last year and a half has more than paid for themselves.
Whatever brand you choose to get, be sure to also get a good charger. There are cheap chargers that will take all day to charge your batteries, and they don't shut off when they do charge the battery. Overcharging will ruin your batteries. So look for smart chargers. My charger will charge dead batteries in 2 hours and then stop charging when they are fully charged.
My old ACE 250 and my AT Pro run can run on 2000 mah Duracell rechargeables. I tried the 2650 MAH and they did not work. Get a back up set if you are running rechargeables.
For a BACKUP AA battery pack, use alkaline or low self discharge rechargeables like Eneloop. Either one can sit for a year and still have a good charge.
I use nothing but Eneloop from Amazon in my XLT, Ace 250, and Minelab X70. They are always ready to go, no matter how long they have been sitting. A 4-pack is $20.