Replacing GP Battery - Self Vs Shop

Okie,

so i needed to replace the Batt from GP extreme. Miners Den sells them from $60 on special (never actually seen that, but hear it happens) to $90 - which i think i have seen. Their old website lists them at $72.

Since i alredy had the top-dome from the old batt i went to jaycar and got identical batt and also some shrink tubing: $29 + $1.50.

it took 10 minutes from start to finish:

- cut the wires on old batt
- strip the wires
- solder
- heat shrink
- glue the dome back on

So thats a saving of between $30 and $60, and stisfaction of doing the job yourself as a bonus.


And now that i had the "taste of blood" i think i am going to make a curly cable to see if it REALLY costs $60 or whatever

G'day, have also been told about this replacement myself a few years back, but didn't know where to pick the battery up from. The last battery that I flattened, never to be re-incarnated with a charge, ended up becoming 'beheaded'. Yep, took the top off and snipped the wires, just in case I damaged one of the spare battery tops, and needed a replacement top. So far have not needed a top, but one of my spare batteries is starting to get a bit long in the tooth, so will follow your lead and pay a visit to Jaycar. Per'aps I might pick up 2 and do them both at the same time, rather than sending across to the mainland from Tassie all the time. Cheers, Cashman.

When replacing the dome top.......don't glue it back on or you give yourself a difficult task of getting it off in the future.........the quick way is wrap duct tape around the dome and the battery a couple of times (easy on easy off).........another way is to glue a small piece of wood to the top of the battery and then drill a hole through the top of the dome and put a self tapping screw through the hole and screw into the piece of wood (not into the battery !!!)......looks a bit more professional but both systems are effective.

I was reading just the other day that the best way to get the dome top off is to use a hair dryer and slightly warm the top as it is only glued with a hot glue gun.

Found link below.

http://www.billandlindaprospecting.com/minelab-battery-new.html

My question is where can you buy the plastic dome top from as a battery I have has a couple of cracks in it.

cheers

koeh

I bought mine from Coiltek in Maryborough month ago for $55 (for GP3000).

Glad I found this, just bought a new 6V Gellcel battery ($75). I've got an old one that won't take a charge anymore and was just about to throw it out, so I got a couple of questions coz I know nothing about these batteries apart from storage and charging.

1. if they are gelcells, why do they have "sealed lead acid" printed on them.
2. apart from the 2 soldered wires, what is under the dome top. Is the dome just a cover ?
3. had a look at the jaycar site, I can only see one battery that fills the bill, does anyone know what the part or catalogue number is for the battery that can be used as a replacement.

cheers

Bullet,
there is something else under the dome top, I think it is a thermal switch, my guess it is just a safety switch for when you are charging the battery so it does not over heat.

cheers

koeh