Nox No Longer Charges.. Any Advice?

[Erik Oostra]

My Equinox 800 no longer charges, the green light flicks on and off as if its doing its job but the battery is not holding a charge.. as soon as i turn it on i get the 'battery flat' sign.. I'm one of those pedantic bastards who always runs their battery flat and then fully recharges it, for fear that otherwise it'll create a 'memory' half full.. 

Is there anything I can do about this? or is my poor old Foxy Noxy a write off? 

Any advice will be much appreciated.. even slaughtering a black chicken at midnight during a full moon, if it works I'll be a very happy man! 

[F350Platinum]

Ehhhhhh... Lithium ion batteries don't have much magic to them. They either charge or they don't all of a sudden. I've always been advised to never let them go below 25%, been using them in other devices for years, and I have had a few kick the bucket. Some just... stop.

So ya got a few options. If the machine is under warranty, great, but you may have to part with it for a while. If it isn't you can get a replacement battery and replace it yourself. There are a few videos out there that will show you how. Be careful about sealing things up right. It may not be "dunkable" unless you pay strict attention to o rings and such.

The Equinox may stand alone or is one of the few machines that can run with an external battery attached via the charging cord, get a Power Delivery (PD) backup battery and attach it somewhere (velcro?) plug the detector into it and go. They are pretty cheap, and a 15000mAH battery will last 3 times as long as the installed battery. Anything bigger than that would be just too big. even a 5000mAH will give you the same life. I have found my detector didn't charge once and ran the battery out, I just taped the biggun' to the shaft, plugged it in, and started swinging. The extra cable is a bit fiddly. You will notice the additional weight as well, and you can't get the battery wet . The reason I mention PD specifically is twofold, they have a USB C receptacle and most charge things much faster than a "standard" backup (USB B)

At least you can use ol' Foxy Noxy until you get a replacement battery.

[abenson]

Try cleaning the contacts with alcohol where the charger attaches. One of them might be dirty.

[rvpopeye]

Most devices have a battery monitor circuit  that shuts the unit down before the battery gets too low to accept a charge.   The PD battery may "jump start" the battery to get it charging regularly again but if not , going with a new battery isn't too hard to do. I have a small PD battery I carry as a backup in case the built in one dies before I do !  Oh My Goshk !  Haven't needed it yet but will also work on the cell phone , headphones or whatever else needs charging.....

Maybe someone will come out with one of those sun shade hats with a built in solar panel that can keep the detector fully charged as long as there is sun shining ???  LOL 

 

[F350Platinum]

I think abenson is on to something here. Of course I took the long road, I'm a noob. The one time my 600 didn't charge I swear the green light was flashing, I always plug it in at the end of the day. I "may" have wiped the contacts when I connected the PD battery as a reflex.

Nevertheless, if you are like me and find yourself out hunting 5 hours or more, you need a PD battery in your pocket or pack or bag. I hated having to quit when two of the three bars were gone.

[Erik Oostra]

53 minutes ago, F350Platinum said:

If the machine is under warranty, great

Thanks for your advice F350Platinum (and others), but my Foxy Noxy was bought second hand (like all my detectors).. I'm thinking about pulling the battery out of my Nox 600 and putting it in the Nox 800.. and just share it between the two.. I've seen the videos on youtube on how to replace the battery but I can't find that particular battery in Oz.. 

 

[Rick N. MI]

Try other chargers.

[rvpopeye]

Yup yup , If you have a 600 . Switching the batteries and trying charging both will tell you if its the battery or charger circuit that's giving you the problem !

[Steve Herschbach]

 

[kac]

Might be worth just sending it in for a new battery and tuneup. Risk of getting some off brand battery and toasting the whole unit + labor and effort vs tossing the control unit in a box and let them deal with it is something to think about.

Would be a different story if the company was no longer around.