Minelab SDC 2300 Field Recharging of "C" Cell Batteries

[Steve Herschbach]

I just made an impulse purchase - the Goal Zero Nomad 20 Solar Panel

2.5 lbs for up to 20 watts output, includes female 12v receptacle plus USB.

I am going to try it with my C cell charger for the SDC over the next week and will report back on how it does.

[Condor]

BatterySpace.com in the San Francisco bay area has a package deal on the 5000mah batteries and charger which includes the cigarette lighter connection.  I think it was $49.00 for the charger and 8 c cell batteries.  I've bought a lot of Li-Ion batteries from them over the years, no complaints. 

[polekaat]

I have used many different battery chargers in my lifetime.  The ONE that I own now is an ac/dc lipo charger designed for the radio control hobby industry.  It will literally charge almost any battery that you own (haven't found a way to charge my 512vdc flashpack battery yet).  The only other thing that you would need is a 4c cell holder.  Just attach the alligator clips to the + and - sides, set the charger to the required type, voltage, and charge/discharge rate, then sit back and wait.  Most batteries charge within 10 - 15 minutes.

On a side note.  The minelab is a perfect candidate for a lipo battery pack.  Each lipo cell is 3.7v so a 3s pack is 11.1v.  Someone could easily build a voltage reducing circuit and use a rather large capacity lipo in the space of 4 c cells.  Just a thought.

Trevor

[El Dorado]

I bet Someone will do that very soon

[GoldenShowered]

Maybe it's a bit different in Australia, but the SDC the dealer showed me came with a charger that took inputs from a 12V car cigarette lighter OR a wall socket plug pack. Was not a "minelab" charger though, so they might give away different chargers that have other adaptors for different countries etc. someone from the USA who actually bought one might be able to answer this though... Anyway, pretty sure when you buy one here the charger works in your car. The dealer said around 7hrs of use from a full charge of the C cells that came with it - pretty much the right amount of time, before it's time for an overnight charge anyway!

[~LARGO~]

Hello,

I bought a SDC 2300 in the past couple of weeks.  It came with a Vanson Model V-9688 Super Universal LCD Charger, reading right off the package.  It only has a 110 volt wall plug, and no other means of charging batteries, as we have grown accustomed to, with our Minelab detectors.  Oddly enough, there are Vanson chargers available with both 110 and 12 volt charging capabilities.  There could be some reason electronically why the 12 v. capability was not included.  A person with knowledge of both the Minelab SDC 2300 electronic demands, as well as the capabilities of a 12 volt automotive circuit, to recharge four "c" cell batteries with this charger, at one time, could probably explain this better than a wood butcher could... 

As an aside, the  "c" cell batteries that come with the detector do not carry a full charge when packaged, and some people are using the batteries without charging them, and while they WILL work for a time, it won't be the full amount of time you might have hoped for.  If you charge them WITHOUT discharging them, when you do charge them, you will not have a full charge at the end of the charge cycle.  At least that is what I have read somewhere...  Kind of weird, huh?

We will muddle our way through this, until and IF Minelab sheds some needed advice on these questions that are being put forth. 

There is some discussion on Finders Forum about the need of an after market headphone pigtail, so a person can use your own headphones rather than the stock UR 30 headphones that come with the detector, with the odd locking ball cable end, which could very well go south on you at the worst time, and leave you with NO option, but your external speaker, which also is a topic of discussion elsewhere...

Have a great day!

Gary

[Steve Herschbach]

All I can say is the whole battery issue has been somewhat of a non-issue for me. Been car charging for over a month now and I tried my new solar charger this morning. Worked like a champ on a somewhat overcast day, bring close to dead batteries to full charge in less than 3 hours. I am very pleased with that, looks like I have my super remote location solution.

[~LARGO~]

Hi Steve,

 

I will have to take a look at the solar charger set up.  That is incredible that you could charge your batteries in such a short time...  Very much like the lithium ion battery recharge time.  Do you discharge them before you recharge?  And is your inverter part of the process?  I suppose I need to read the particulars on the solar panel.  I will have to look at the Costco offering. 

Thanks again Steve!  It is always great to read of your adventures!

 

Gary 

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi Gary,

I just run my batteries in a detector until they go dead, put backup set in detector, and charge depleted set. One of the supposed benefits of NiMH batteries is you are not supposed to have to baby them and I do not.

The Tenergy batteries charge faster than the Minelab supplied batteries.

[~LARGO~]

HI Steve,

I visited Costco today, they didn't have the Goal Zero Nomad 20 solar panel in house.  I checked with Cabelas, they had Goal Zero 13 but no Nomad 20.  I also checked Costco on line, with no success, so it must have been an introductory sale you happened onto, happily...  I was all prepared to by a panel set like your, as it has the 12v. female receptacle.

I visited Finders.com.au in the past couple of days.  Some discussion there about lack of ability to use your own head sets with the 2300, so some enterprising folk will be on that issue right now.  I made up a attachment point for a bungee.  My old hands and shoulders talk to me when I swing a heavy detector very long.  A swing arm is on the horizon as well.

Thanks for the wonderful photos of your trip, they were spectacular!

Best regards and have a safe trip!

Gary