mh9162013

1 hour ago, phrunt said:

You can calm down your dislike for 9v batteries by buying these Rechargables, you may in fact start to like them ?

https://www.mahaenergy.com/powerex-9-6v-230mah-1-pack/

For those that have discovered the joys of being an Eneloop owner with their AA batteries, these are basically the 9v counterpart.

Those seem like a decent option, except for the fact that:

1) They have about 50% of the capacity of an alkaline 9V battery. They might be able to handle relatively high current draws better, though.

2) They still require the user to have an additional battery type on hand, keep track of and support.

3) Price: that's $14 for one battery. Even collector's edition eneloops aren't that expensive on a per-cell cost basis.

When I was a growing up* I had so many things that ran on 9V batteries. The smoke detectors in my home, my walkie talkies, multiple R/C transmitters for my cars, trucks and boats and at least two radios. Today (several decades later), do you know how many devices I have that run off of 9V batteries? Just two: My Fisher F2 and its accompanying aftermarket pinpointer - both of these are used in the metal detecting hobby. Practically everything else I own that runs off of AAA or AA batteries. If it uses C or D batteries, I have special adapters for those where I can use my AA eneloops. And if something is absolutely mission critical and requires very low-temp performance, I also have a few Energizer Lithium AA batteries.

In this day and age, why the heck would anyone make a device that uses such an antiquated, inefficient and borderline useless battery type, unless there was a very special reason for doing so? Do I really want to use a battery that has internal resistance that's multiple orders of magnitude higher? The only thing I can think of (using pinpointers as an example) is that when Garrett designed their carrots, they wanted to keep research, development and production costs down so they stuck with the 9V battery. But that's a lousy excuse given how the newest pinpointers are compatible with AA batteries or use built-in lithiums. I'm suspecting it was laziness or arrogance of a manufacturer and that both scares and disappoints me as a consumer.

EDIT: I'd also like to add that your unintentional use of a red herring adds further support that there's almost no need for anything designed within the last 15 years (and for use with metal detectors) to use a 9V battery. I know you are trying to help and I appreciate your suggestion. If it weren't for the price, I'd probably buy what you linked to for use in my F2.

*One could argue I'm still growing up

So I'm doing a lot of research here and other message boards about making the most of your time while metal detecting. One thing I knew (and have subsequently seen confirmed online) is that you REALLY need to know your machine well (features, how it responds in different conditions, etc.) to make the most of it.

Given this, how many of you factor in similarity among metal detectors when upgrading (aka: staying within the ecosystem)? For example, I will eventually upgrade from the F2 (assuming I stay in this hobby). Most likely, that will be several years from now because I've told myself any new machine must be funded from finds made by the F2. By that point, I'll know my F2 like it's nobody's business. I imagine it would be "best" for me to stay within the Fisher Labs ecosystem due to my anticipated familiarity with the F2. So given inherent time limitations in learning a new machine, I figure I'd be making finds faster with say an F44 or F75 than a Minelab CTX-3030.

Is this true and if so, how many of you out there take this into consideration when upgrading your machine? I ask because I'm surprised by how little "brand loyalty" I see among metal detectors users. Not that this is a problem, but I just figured more people would find one or two brands and stick with them. Luckily, I have plenty of time to figure out whether I'll stay with Fisher or move on to Garrett, Minelab, White's or some other brand.

1 hour ago, Steve Herschbach said:

I have no idea. I use Duracell rechargeable NiMH batteries.

If they came precharged, then they're the LSD type. Even if they're not, if a regular NiMH works, so will the LSD NiMH.

Thanks! 

Thanks to both of you!

6 minutes ago, Steve Herschbach said:

I am sure somebody does. They are great pinpointer but reliability has always been mediocre. To drop in your package would have to be exactly the same size as a 9V battery.

Both Fisher and Whites have pinpointers that use AA batteries for those that want to get away from 9V. I imagine the vast majority of people just don’t care.

Yeah, from pictures I've gleaned so far, it looks like the length of the 3xAAA drop in will be an issue. I guess it'll depend on the amount of space that exists between the end cap and the bottom of the 9V battery.

I noticed that Fisher and the Whites TRX can use AA batteries, but I'm worry about the F-Pulse's ability to use eneloops and the TRX's price.

Keep in mind that having your pinpointer go off just a few extra seconds during each use can have a drastic effect on the battery. I doubt I'm going that far out on a limb to suggest that the vibrate feature and beeping are the two biggest battery guzzling features of any decent propointer. I'd spitball that a pinpointer that's on but not detecting anything pulls anywhere from 1/2 to 1/10 of the current of a pinpointer that's beeping and vibrating.

18 minutes ago, Steve Herschbach said:

I hear you. I hate the bloody things. I went 9V rechargeable but mainly have tried to get rid of anything using a 9V. I think the only thing I have left that uses one is my Garrett Pro-Pointer AT. Which may be why I grab my F-Pulse now. None of my detectors use a 9V now.

That's why I hope to develop a 3xAAA upgrade to convert popular 9V battery pinpointers. I know I can make the conversion for less than $10. The only question is whether I can make it a drop in upgrade or one where modification to the endcap or battery compartment is necessary. I just need some broken pinpointers to work on.

You wouldn't happen to have a broken 9V Garrett pinpointer, would you?

Thanks!

Does the F-Pulse work well with LSD NiMH AA batteries?

Why do so many metal detecting companies use 9V batteries for their products? What is this, 1979? 9V batteries aren't even used exclusively in smoke detectors anymore.

I want a new pinpointer but I'm absolutely appalled that so many of them use 9V batteries. Is there a logical or engineering reason for this?

I'm thinking about upgrading my current pinpointer (Bounty Hunter, I think) to the Fisher F-Pulse. But reading about all the nasty problems is making me reconsider.

Does anyone know for sure if the F-Pulse is working as it should? I know they released ones with new software, but did that fix all the problems?

I got a Fisher F2 metal detector for my birthday several years ago, but only now am I able to make use of it. I'm looking forward to finding some cool stuff.

Right now, I'm figuring out when and how to get a new pinpointer.