12v Charger For GPZ

[Norvic]

No problem here. Note the 240v charger puts out 18v, have you tried it with the alligator clamps direct on battery rather than cig lighter. Cig lighter plugs are not the best conx, and I suspect that is where your problem is, a high resistance joint cutting voltage. I use the old 32v polarised plugs have been doing so for 40 years in vehicles, no drama. Should be available in US, they were used in low voltage households before the grid power and are still being made by Clipsal, who I suspect are worldwide.

[mn90403]

I have always charged my units with or without an inverter while I was going from one hunting ground to another.  It has never been a problem for me as long as the engine is running.  Some trucks like mine are set up with a power outlet which is different than the cigarette lighter.  Maybe that one has a better wiring but I don't know what the amps the old lighter required.  Perhaps it takes more for the lighter than for a computer?

[Norvic]

 

Here is photo of my vehicles power board, just a marine switch board and the two Clipsal polarised low voltage plugs below it. All is connected with 6mm2 cable direct to battery through a fuse. Cuts down on high resistance joints that are the bane of low voltage power, especially in vehicle use in dusty, wet conditions and I imagine even more so in your snowy conditions.

[Gold Hound]

Thanks Guys.

Dale, I noticed while visiting Oz that transport is set-up for being on one's own. Chargers, solar-power and freezers everything to provide for a long term stay in the beautiful vast spaces of OZ...you folks have it figured out for sure!

 

fred

We have to have it right as we live out of the car and rely on it to keep our fridge, freezer, detector battery's, lighting and heaps of other stuff running for extended stays that last months.

 

Nothing worse than coming back to your car and your freezers thawed, your fridge is hot and ya car wont start!

And to top it off ya cant roll start it because your on a flat!

 

Stuff up like that could kill you in the areas we go to.

[fredmason]

Thanks, I use the convenience 12v outlet that most new trucks have, not the cig lighter outlet. I could go direct to the battery but why would I want to lift the hood every night after detecting...that would be a pain.

I think I will just fix a charging port in my trailer with the deep-cycle and some solar chargers...and save the truck for when I am traveling as Mitchel does.

 

I must say this has never been an issue with any other Minelab 12v charger that I have ever used...oh well.

 

fred

[Ivansgarage]

If you are looking for a great battery warning alarm system this is it, they are very loud. I have been using one of these for the last seven years in my big truck.

 

http://www.voltminder.com/faq.htm

 

Ivan

[Norvic]

Thanks, I use the convenience 12v outlet that most new trucks have, not the cig lighter outlet. I could go direct to the battery but why would I want to lift the hood every night after detecting...that would be a pain.

I think I will just fix a charging port in my trailer with the deep-cycle and some solar chargers...and save the truck for when I am traveling as Mitchel does.

 

I must say this has never been an issue with any other Minelab 12v charger that I have ever used...oh well.

 

fred

 

 

By connecting direct to battery, and if it worked or not is simply a fault finding procedure.  i.e If it worked, than you know the problem is in conx somewhere if it didn`t work and your battery is good, the problem would be in the charger. I manufactured portable 12v fridges for 20 years, most of them to customers 1000s of miles away, it is a very effective method of isolating the problem. A lot of vehicle wiring even in new vehicles is not up to the job of supplying such, in fact to solve future problems I always recommended a separate new cable run direct from battery to appliance.

 

I suspect Minelab is well aware of this thus the extra cable that comes with the GPZ that has alligator clips on each end for direct conx. Just giving this extra info to clarify, Fred certainly would be a pain to lift bonnet just to charge. Like Dale says, in remote areas these things have to be working AOK, we rely on charged batteries especially in our Sat Phones, that can be a matter of life or death Apologise for not being clear in my original post, Norm in his post also illustrated this.

 

Solar & deep cycle batteries have been a big boon to prospecting, also to my life, wife and I live totally off-grid using solar and wind to charge a battery bank that weights a wee over 1 ton, have been doing so since 06-07. People used to ask me about the solar cells I had permanently mounted on my Troop Carrier back in the 80`s, used to tell them "its a solar powered troopie"

[fredmason]

Thanks Norvic;

Now i understand the process and the reasoning...

 

fred

[Norvic]

Should you require further info on this matter, solar etc. just ask Fred, I`m no expert, learnt the hard way but have found it is the way to go for us prospectors. Solar is really easy, a lot of my gear is US made, eg have a Morningstar regulator in current vehicle, purchased back in 80`s, A large Outback regulator on off-grid system both perform faultlessly.