Battery Thoughts Please...

[AugustMoose87]

So I've used my Titan 1000XD less than a week, and I'm already wondering about a mod... The batteries died on me today, and as I'm sure more experienced detectorist are all too well aware, 9v batteries are expensive... So I'm sitting there thinking about the fact that the clad I've found so far will just barely cover the cost of 2 9v batteries, when I think "I've got a few rechargeable 18v... huh, I wonder if those are in parallel or series..." So I grab the electrical tester, and test for connectivity, and they are in series, meaning the detector runs of 18v. I happen to have 4-5 rechargeable 18v batteries for my cordless tools... Anybody ever try this?? I'm thinking of mounting the battery on a belt or something, since that would probably double the weight of the unit. And then just run cables to the unit.

I realize that this would be over-doing it, since those batteries have 2.4 amp hours compared to around 0.5 in the 9volts, but I thinking it would have a number of advantages for me... Cost of 9v, rechargeable, already own multiple batteries, I even have a car charger for those batteries... And I would have to run some tests, but I'm fairly certain based on how long the 9v's lasted that one pack would last more than a day... So hypothetically speaking, I could detect from dawn to dusk, throw the battery on a charger and have it ready before I get to sleep (they take 1 hour to charge).

The only downsides I see are more weight and having a "tether" running along my arm. Or who knows, I may see if I can find a spot to attach it on the detector where it balances well...


Thoughts?

 

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[DDancer]

Took a look at a review *link below* and there is a suggestion of using rechargables.

Titan 1000XD Metal Detector Metal Detector Review - Metal Detector Reviews

As to modification; as long as you are sure about the need for 18vdc and you don't mind a tether there should be no problem using one of your big batteries instead of 9 volts. Adapting connections or just hardwiring your detector are the only real obstacles.
If you want to spend the money you can probably pick up some 18 volt lithium ion batteries and a charger. Their smaller size may allow you to mount them on the detector instead of carrying a fanny pack.

 

[AugustMoose87]

I bench tested today, and the 18v pack works. Now I just need to settle on a long term electrical connection and mounting option...

 

[DDancer]

Couple of ideas come to mind so be creative. I don't know that you intend to mount the battery to the detector or not~ I would not suggest it because the weight of an old NiMh or Cad pack for 18v tools are pretty heavy and will throw off the balance of you detector *unless you have pop eye arms and don't mind the strain*.
If you have a spare or can pick up an old charger base you can gut it and hook up the lead to the terminals in the base for your connection to the battery. A dremel tool can cut away the bits you don't need and some Velcro and a couple of clamps to keep the wire fixed to the connection and battery seated. This can be put into a small pack. The other end of your lead you can pig tail some 9v connections onto the lead, drill a hole in the battery access panel on the detector and mount a clamp for the lead to it so it does not yank out of the detector. All pretty strait forward.
Luck to ya.

 

[AugustMoose87]

Well, turn out I didn't bench test thoroughly enough... Thankfully I didn't get too much time or money invested in to it. I took an old battery charger with alligator clips on the ends. I cut the transformer end off and cut some wooden 9v sized replacements. Then I screwed a wood screw and a few washers as a terminal, and wrapped the wires to them. Alligator clips to the battery, fired it up, and.... No sound. My guess is that the speaker run of 9v, but I don't know. I don't have a set of head phones yet, but once I get them I will have to see if it is just the speaker, or the whole audio part of the detector.

 

[Beeping_Rich]

great outside the box though though i look forward to finding out if it was just the speaker that failed, I have a few ideals on paper about the same concept, gonna test them out first.... fingers crossed

 

[Rawhide]

The engineers that design the detectors have tuned them to work with a certain set of conditions. I hope you didnt fry your machine. The vlf detectors all run off the same science, and have limits. My first detector was a Bounty Hunter 202, just enough knobs to make it dangerous. These are fairly cheap if you need a backup. Batteries are not that expensive. I have used rechargeable's, I use what is recommended now. I have found the Rayovac in the yellow cases cost a buck, and do the job. I keep a small back pack that covers about every situation I could possibly face.

Another thought is the coil is tuned to the unit. You need to match voltage and ohms if you add anything to the detector. While it may work, its not going to work as designed. I may have misunderstood the question. Cant you just carry a couple of 9 volt batteries as back ups? I did take a old famous trails detector apart I bought at a second hand store. Then joined a few forums that specialized in modifications or building your own detector. I learned volumes from those forums. I also learned your detector is pretty much at its best when it leaves the factory. You could try mods, but I would caution against that.

I saved for two years hunting with that old Bounty Hunter. I got a used but busted detector I had to send to the factory. I was embarrassed but glad they fixed it. I get a lot of crap about owning a expensive detector. But I dont buy used and I hunt a lot. I also could do most hunts with that $75.00 dollar bounty hunter. I think folks trying to mod a machine is great. I have found ways of tricking the detector to detect a certain way. But this is about power consumption. My detector gets about 70 hours on a set of batteries. That is a lot of detecting. Im happy with that. One of the reasons I bought it.

If you dont hunt a lot. I say have fun, make some new handles, figure out a way to make it work better.

 

[DDancer]

I kinda alluded to this question so I gotta ask outright: Are you sure your detector requires 18 volts? That's pretty high. Most dual 9 volt systems run in parallel and some older systems actually use two batteries~ 1 for the detector and 1 for the audio driver. Without a system schematic you'll have to use a pen and paper to trace the circuits, I'd like to see that, plus a meter to verify the connections for the batteries.
A good picture of the battery leads and the circuit board may help me picture what you have.
I feel like I kinda dropped the ball not asking earlier. If what I think is true the 18v may have damaged the detector.

Casa~ modifying the power supply typically wont affect the detector. What August is trying to do is just adapting a larger battery for use with the detector.

 

[AugustMoose87]

I was a bit skeptical as well, but double checked the connectivity of the battery terminals in the detector multiple times before hooking things up. With my 18v rig, the machine turned on, and would give the visual indicators when I passed metal by the coil, it just didn't beep. And no, I didn't fry it, I have since put 2 9v';s in and done some detecting. I finally got some headphones, so I will be re-testing things today. I'll take some pics when I do.

 

[Molemann]

I was a bit skeptical as well, but double checked the connectivity of the battery terminals in the detector multiple times before hooking things up. With my 18v rig, the machine turned on, and would give the visual indicators when I passed metal by the coil, it just didn't beep. And no, I didn't fry it, I have since put 2 9v';s in and done some detecting. I finally got some headphones, so I will be re-testing things today. I'll take some pics when I do.

Try The Dollar Store. No kidding. I have been buying batteries from them for years. Way better than you might think.
Give 'em a try.

 

[AugustMoose87]

Well, no dice with headphones... still no sound. Seems odd to me that the audio would be on a separate circuit with a different voltage, but that seems to be the case... Looks like rechargeable 9v's are going on the Christmas list

 

[DDancer]

Not so odd really. Audio circuits use more power than the detector circuits and have a more variable draw on power. The circuits, detector and audio, are separated to reduce the variable draw and keep the detector side voltages stable. Older and less expensive detectors often have this kind of separation~ its cheaper than equipping the circuit board with good voltage regulators *even though those are dirt cheap*. Its all in how its built.
Without knowing the schematic its hard to say what your device is set up for. Its just a thought.
Be nice if I could access schematics online

 

[AugustMoose87]

Be nice if I could access schematics online

My thoughts as well... I came up with nothing, which I get because the manufacture probably doesn't want the plans to build their product all over the web. Still stinks though. I put some serious thought in to taking it a part so I could get a look at the circuitry, but since may end up selling it to help pay for an upgrade, I don't want to mess it up too much. Oh well, it looked good "on paper" but not in practice.

 

[akasyto]

Battery

Power supply is not 2x9v but +,- 9v so you need to have center point, its ground to detector circuitry. If you have 18v need to add opamp to make +.- 9v
with center point(ground), bountyhunter,fisher,teknetic share the same circuitry.
Regards
http://circuitsan.blogspot.com/2014/01/tl496-3-to-9-volt-converter-circuit.html
you can put 2 of these then you need 4 AA batteries.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Having the schematic of most electrical devices usually prevents trouble later in the process. Especially when power supplies and voltage regulators are involved.

 

[gleaner1]

You should be okay using an 18v power tool batt. It will last forever before you need a charge. Just belt mount the batt with a coily cord to the brain box and you should be good to go. You are only limited by your ingenuity and imagination. Just make 100% sure the system is two nines in series, not parallel.

 

[DDancer]

True enough Prof. Unfortunately its difficult to obtain schematics or diagrams. Then one has to know how to interpret them to use them effectively. With training or just self study reverse engineering is the only way to go to discover how a system is structured. However there are certain basic principles that should be followed when attempting to modify an unknown system~ research is one key and basic electrical knowledge another. Never assume Your probably aware of this however.

gleaner: In this old discussion we never got feed back on how the power supply was structured~

 

[AugustMoose87]

Look back to the first page... I was able to connect things and power on, but the sound circuit seems to run on 9v and the rest on 18v. Even with headphones I had no sound, but it game me the visuals when I powered on, altered setting and swung over metal. So for now I'm using regular old batteries.

 

[Rawhide]

Radio shack will sell step down circuits. A 18 volt battery has a lot of amps. I'm surprised you didn't melt your detector. I like the new red Duracell battery's.

 

[DDancer]

I recall what you said on the first page and I know what I asked for in terms of figuring out your power supply circuitry so I could try to provide more useful input as to how to modify the battery to the detector. Its likely you burnt out the audio circuit or just the input for power. Maybe that the detection circuits do work on 18v however they may just have a better voltage regulator that can handle the input power *most likely because detector circuits usually require stable clean input voltages for best operation*.