Dēus II Power Management

[Bucket Lister]

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, eh? 😉

Looking over the battery life charts of the various components (Coils, RC, WSA II-XL, MI-6) it appears (if I'm things correctly) that the weakest link is the MI-6 pinpointer with a battery life of 10 hrs. (worst case).

Yes, I know real world conditions vary from the charts; please bear with me for a moment...

Scenario 1:
Let's just spoze (for whatever reason) that something runs out of power in the middle of the day/session.

• Does it make sense to invest in a portable charger/power bank?
• Would such a unit reduce the 3 hr. charging time?
• Does anyone use one, and if so, any recommendations?

---

The docs seem to cover charging and usage times, and some suggestions for long battery life--all good.

---

Scenario 2:
Let's spoze I plan to go out detecting tomorrow, so I charge everything up tonight. Then tomorrow (for whatever reason) things get postponed. 😥

• How long (in general) should the batteries hold that charge? (I would likely check them again the night before going out, but out of curiosity...)
• I know the batteries shouldn't be left completely discharged for long periods (months to years); would it hurt to leave them in a fully-charged state or should they be partially drained, or what?

THX

Sign Me,
Technologically Challenged 😔

 

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[pepperj]

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, eh? 😉

Looking over the battery life charts of the various components (Coils, RC, WSA II-XL, MI-6) it appears (if I'm things correctly) that the weakest link is the MI-6 pinpointer with a battery life of 10 hrs. (worst case).
View attachment 2122026
Yes, I know real world conditions vary from the charts; please bear with me for a moment...

Scenario 1:
Let's just spoze (for whatever reason) that something runs out of power in the middle of the day/session.

• Does it make sense to invest in a portable charger/power bank?
• Would such a unit reduce the 3 hr. charging time?
• Does anyone use one, and if so, any recommendations?

---

The docs seem to cover charging and usage times, and some suggestions for long battery life--all good.

---

Scenario 2:
Let's spoze I plan to go out detecting tomorrow, so I charge everything up tonight. Then tomorrow (for whatever reason) things get postponed. 😥

• How long (in general) should the batteries hold that charge? (I would likely check them again the night before going out, but out of curiosity...)
• I know the batteries shouldn't be left completely discharged for long periods (months to years); would it hurt to leave them in a fully-charged state or should they be partially drained, or what?

THX

Sign Me,
Technologically Challenged 😔

Pair the Ml-6 with the Deus ll
Now when you turn on the PP it will automatically switch over to where you can hear it though the headphones.
The coil will flash rapidly during the time the PP is turned on.
You can see the menu/battery life/and through the screen change the settings.

The LED light comes on, it vibrates, buzzes via headphones-and I would give the running time 60-80 hrs.
I probably charge it for every 5-6 times I do for the coil/headphones/controller.
The coil has the least amount of time for the battery.
The battery indicator for the coil will go to the 1st notch level when it's getting low, but I've gone 2-3 hrs still on that level.
They recommend charging up the units every 3-4 months in storage. They do last way past that amount-coil is less it seems (maybe because of the idiot light flashing all the time.

So if you charge the detector up tonight-I'm pretty confident that if you went out a month from now you wouldn't have any issues.
If you can out last the fully charged battery in one day I tip my hat to you sir.
A quick 1 hr charge on the coil will last the rest of the day if you happen to be running on the platform of Relic or deep conductor. (These 2 use up the coil battery life faster as the detector is pumping more energy out)

 

[cudamark]

Same here. I charge the Mi6 once every two weeks or so, which is maybe 50 hours? I just wait until it only flashes once when I turn it on, then charge it. The coil gets charged after every hunt or two depending on how long I hunt. It will usually last a whole day still. I do carry a battery charge bank and cables in my back pack just in case.

 

[RussM]

I guess it depends how much I use the pinpointer. Usually it gets such light use, I might charge the MI6 every few weeks or so, or when it seems like it's been a while. The only thing that has ever crapped out because I tried to get two full days out of it is the coil. I've now gotten in the habit of charging the coil every night. Just cheap insurance.

Oh, and I did get the new WSAII-XL headphones and let them go a few days without a charge, thinking they held a charge like the WS6 seemed to. Walking along I suddenly heard their power down signal, and that ended the day's hunt. So now I charge the coil and the headphones every night, and the controller every other hunt.

Recently, I did put together a small charging bank attached to the coil clip, and it's in the trunk... just in case.

 

[Bucket Lister]

I do carry a battery charge bank and cables in my back pack just in case.

Recently, I did put together a small charging bank attached to the coil clip, and it's in the trunk... just in case.

I'm going to take those as a "Yes" on investing in a portable charger/power bank. Same theory as the condom and the handgun (from Alien vs. Predator): It's better to have one and not need it than to need one and not have it.

Some good practical information from all.
Everything is updated to V2.0 and paired.
Thank you again!

 

[Bucket Lister]

• I know the batteries shouldn't be left completely discharged for long periods (months to years); would it hurt to leave them in a fully-charged state or should they be partially drained, or what?

Sorry, but this part still has me a tad concerned.
I live in the Northeastern US, so it's very likely I'll (have to) be putting this thing away for several months of the year. Weather's been so bad I haven't even been able to give it a real try. 😒

So, assuming it will be put away for 3-5 months per year, in what state should I leave the batteries during that period in order to keep them healthy?

• Fully Charged (3 flashes)
• Mostly charged (2 flashes)
• Minimally charged (1 flash)

 

[robertk]

So, assuming it will be put away for 3-5 months per year, in what state should I leave the batteries during that period in order to keep them healthy?

This is straight out of the XP Deus II User Manual:

"To extend the life of your batteries well beyond five years, do not store them either flat or fully charged for a long time. Keep them half charged between 40 and 80%.
If you do not use your detector for several months, check them every two months by letting them go flat and then charging them to 40-80%."

 

[Bucket Lister]

Then the answer is 2 flashes.
It took me a while to find that.

Now every two months, I'm supposed to turn everything on to run the batteries flat, and then re-charge everything for 1.5 hrs.?

That's a first on me. We don't have too many things that run on Li batteries, but the few we do all caution NOT to let the batteries go flat.

 

[robertk]

Well personally I'm just going to keep mine charged. You never know when a decent day and a couple of hours might present themselves. And it seems to retain the charge quite a while just sitting there waiting for me.

 

[DWerk]

CAUTION: Do not let your batteries run flat (empty). Should charge at about 50% percent. Letting Li Batteries run dead will decrease the life cycle. See the following: https://www.popsci.com/charge-batteries-right/

 

[Iron Buzz]

Pair the Ml-6 with the Deus ll
Now when you turn on the PP it will automatically switch over to where you can hear it though the headphones.

Yeah, and it turns the coil off when the pinpointer comes on. It was a great idea in theory, but in practice, I hate that. I suspect most of us often grab the coil shaft and wave it over the plug/hole when the pinpointer doesn't find the target right away. When paired like that, you need to switch the pp off to get the coil. I really wish they would provide a mode that left both the pp and the coil active at the same time.

 

[Bucket Lister]

This is straight out of the XP Deus II User Manual:

"To extend the life of your batteries well beyond five years, do not store them either flat or fully charged for a long time. Keep them half charged between 40 and 80%.
If you do not use your detector for several months, check them every two months by letting them go flat and then charging them to 40-80%."

CAUTION: Do not let your batteries run flat (empty). Should charge at about 50% percent. Letting Li Batteries run dead will decrease the life cycle. See the following: https://www.popsci.com/charge-batteries-right/

OK... YOU guys argue this out.

Now that it's been pointed out to me, I think I'll stick with the mfrs. recommendations (as big a PITA as they may be).

I DO appreciate all input.

 

[pepperj]

OK... YOU guys argue this out.

Now that it's been pointed out to me, I think I'll stick with the mfrs. recommendations (as big a PITA as they may be).

I DO appreciate all input.

Charge the units up post last hunt of the year. Half way through the winter give it a charge.
Charge it again pre first hunt.
I have left the units go for months and they've only dropped a wee bit over that time.
My Deus battery is just fine in the 3 different batteries after 6+ yrs of charging.

I'm not going to be sweating the small stuff like fully discharged-too long charger.
As long as I have a good charge pre hunt, I'm good.

 

[DWerk]

Not much to argue about; it appears that the article is pretty much in line with mfrs. recommendations. Don't let them go flat, recharge at about 50%. I have also done that and have had the same results as pepper ever since the Deus I and now II