Reverse Polarity

[FLauthor]

While using my Minelab Excalibur with Alkeline Batteries, it started to work eratic after about an hour. I turned it off figuring the batteries might be dying. When I got home, I removed the batteries and checked their strength and they needed replacing but two of them had reversed their polarity. It didn't damage my Excalibur as I recharged the batteries and it worked fine all day. What would cause a battery to reverse itself from positive to negative and vice versa? With continued use, would it have harmed my Excalibur's circuits? Thanks for your input.

Harry

 

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[GarrettDealer]

What you are describing is a "Cell Reversal" . This is defined as Reversing polarity of terminals of a cell or battery due to overdischarge. While this is what you are describing I've never heard of it happening in an alkaline battery . I'd be willing to wager these batteries are either defective from the factory (most likely) OR your detector is creating a very intesne localized drain on only a few of the batteries due to a deffect in the detector itself .

As far as if its bad for your detector to have polarities revered the answer to that is a resounding YES . I'd call the manufacturer of the batteries and see what they think .

 

[FLauthor]

Too late, the batteries in question were dumped into the trash. I recharged the ni-cad and hunted with the machine for 5 hours with no problem. I bought the batteries from Big Lots, 4 AA for $2.00, they might have been defective as you said. I bought brand new Alkelines for my backup case. Thanks.
Harry