GPX 6000 Important Information - Cleaning Battery Terminals And Pins

[Sourdough Scott]

Are you having low run times on your gpx6000 batteries? Or other battery related issues? Here is some important information regarding that. 

https://www.minelab.com/anzea/support/product-notices?article=516981&fbclid=IwAR2wdWbKiRuHo2nvrxpVq5t6v1_WcGtR5NJYMEumj39CGViBpvaTltAI3AY

[phrunt]

Thanks for the product notice information, basically it's a bad design for a dusty, dirty environment but anyway, what's done it done, a better design is more surface contact area, you know like battery contacts from the 1980's 🙂 This has been a known issue for a while now and I and many others have pointed out you need to keep those terminals very clean and to clean them with electronics cleaner or alcohol, the same thing with the Nox/Manticore terminals but to a lesser degree as the detector doesn't rely on them for operation, just charging.

GPX 6000 CLEANING BATTERY TERMINALS & PINS

09 Nov 2023

If you are experiencing lower than expected battery run time and/or intermittent power cycling of your GPX 6000 detector this could be due to build-up of dirt or carbon on the battery and/or control box terminals.

Please follow the below guide showing how to effectively clean your detector terminals to prevent low battery run times and intermittent powering off when using your GPX 6000.

You will need the below:

• GPX 6000 detector control box and battery
• Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) mixed with distilled/demineralised water (3 parts IPA to 1 part distilled/demineralised water.)
• Cotton buds

 

After cleaning your detector and battery terminals give the battery a full charge. If low battery run-time or intermittent switch off still occurs, please contact your Minelab office or Minelab authorised service centre.

[Sourdough Scott]

7 hours ago, phrunt said:

Thanks for the product notice information, basically it's a bad design for a dusty, dirty environment but anyway, what's done it done, a better design is more surface contact area, you know like battery contacts from the 1980's 🙂 This has been a known issue for a while now and I and many others have pointed out you need to keep those terminals very clean and to clean them with electronics cleaner or alcohol, the same thing with the Nox/Manticore terminals but to a lesser degree as the detector doesn't rely on them for operation, just charging.

So as a carpenter myself,  I'm constantly using cordless drills, saws, etc daily. Charging and changing out batteries several times a day. Most of these tools run several hundred dollars each. And have never had a issue with the batteries or connection to the tool. Nor have I ever cleaned them. I have dirt, dust, sawdust, concrete dust. So you think when you buy a high end detector in the $6000 usd range, you wouldn't have these sort of issues.

[phrunt]

This is funny, don't use Isocol 64% scented antiseptic alcohol from the Chemist like they're recommending unless you want to spray water all over your battery terminals, its ingredients are antiseptic alcohol, water and fragrance, buy some proper alcohol, like this 99.8% stuff from Jaycar Australia.   In NZ you can buy 99% stuff at Bunnings and Mitre 10 in 1 litre bottles but that doesn't seem the case in Australia, Bunnings certainly don't carry it there which is odd, perhaps they're worried about people drinking it.    I can't believe Miners Den are telling everyone to use Isocol........ crazy!   I've linked the video starting at the right spot.  At least their detector will smell nice and pretty 🙂

 

 

[Nedkelly]

4 hours ago, phrunt said:

This is funny, don't use Isocol 64% scented antiseptic alcohol from the Chemist like they're recommending unless you want to spray water all over your battery terminals, its ingredients are antiseptic alcohol, water and fragrance, buy some proper alcohol, like this 99.8% stuff from Jaycar Australia.   In NZ you can buy 99% stuff at Bunnings and Mitre 10 in 1 litre bottles but that doesn't seem the case in Australia, Bunnings certainly don't carry it there which is odd, perhaps they're worried about people drinking it.    I can't believe Miners Den are telling everyone to use Isocol........ crazy!   I've linked the video starting at the right spot.  At least their detector will smell nice and pretty 🙂

 

 

Hi phrunt, do you think contact cleaner would be OK to use on the cotton bud or not recommended?

I purchased DIGGERS isopropyl alcohol at my local bunnings in Australia for another purpose recently,  it’s in a 500ml spray bottle. I think they had a smaller spray bottle and a larger bottle as well . Not sure what to use maybe give them a hit with both.

[phrunt]

4 minutes ago, Nedkelly said:

Hi phrunt, do you think contact cleaner would be OK to use on the cotton bud or not recommended?

I purchased DIGGERS isopropyl alcohol at my local bunnings in Australia for another purpose recently,  it’s in a 500ml spray bottle. I think they had a smaller spray bottle and a larger bottle as well . Not sure what to use maybe give them a hit with both.

Diggers Isopropyl is fine to use, spray it on the cotton bud or even better just pop the spray lid and dip the bud in there though as the alcohol will ruin your serial number sticker if you get it on that.  Seeing you've already got Diggers just use it and you'll be good.   Isocol is watered down and fragranced as it's meant as a rubbing alcohol for cleaning your skin and dealing with insect bites and so on, not for cleaning electronics 🙂

Contact cleaner is very good as long as it specifies on it that it doesn't damage plastics as some do, the CRC one is good and doesn't damage plastics, again careful to spray it onto the cotton tip then clean the terminals as the cleaners can smudge the stickers.

[Nedkelly]

17 minutes ago, phrunt said:

Diggers Isopropyl is fine to use, spray it on the cotton bud or even better just pop the spray lid and dip the bud in there though as the alcohol will ruin your serial number sticker if you get it on that.  Seeing you've already got Diggers just use it and you'll be good.   Isocol is watered down and fragranced as it's meant as a rubbing alcohol for cleaning your skin and dealing with insect bites and so on, not for cleaning electronics 🙂

Contact cleaner is very good as long as it specifies on it that it doesn't damage plastics as some do, the CRC one is good and doesn't damage plastics, again careful to spray it onto the cotton tip then clean the terminals as the cleaners can smudge the stickers.

OK thanks. The contact cleaner I have says safe on MOST plastics,  so I'll just stick to the diggers alcohol.