older garrett ads deepseeker

Hi i have an old Garrett that takes 6 X 9v batteries ($$$$) use it on the beach and parks question is, is it possible to rig a small rechargable 12 volt battery (i can hip mount) with a step down transformer to 9v and connect that to the various terminals in the unit ??

any comments / ideas greatly appreciated

Hi Peter
If you go into an electronics shop like Jaycar you can buy a voltage regulator kit to step down to the correct battery voltage and as long as you supply the same voltage as the equivalent battery setup for the detector you will be fine.
A few years ago I built one of their kits that stepped up the voltage from a D size battery {inverter }from 1.5 volt to 9 volts and it lasted many times longer than a standard 9 volt cell and heaps cheaper.
Mark

Thanks Mark, I'll get int jaycay this week and get started on the project

Peter

Hi,

I still have my old Garrett and it is in good order, I bought it new in 1980. (found lots of nuggets with it too)

Recently, I adapted a battery pack for another Deepseeker I acquired without a battery slide (the detector had been "Professionaly" upgraded too)

After carefuly examining the detector and the battery slide I made up the following modifications with successful results:

I found that it is not necessary to install the two 9 volt batteries for the speaker, it will actually just run on one battery alone (9 volt).

However, you will need to run 36 volts (I used the 4 x 9 volt batteries) to the two wires that would normally run from the battery pack to the connection inside the detector.

I made up four (female) connections, installing them on the battery cover plate, then I connected 4 x 9 volts - in sequence - then run the two wires to the new detector plugs marked on the battery slide cover - the other two connections are for the one or two 9 volt batteries connected for the speaker.

I can send you further details should you need them.

By the way, I am a new member here - I am intending to 'go back' detecting soon (retiring) but plan to purchase a Minelab, probably a 3500 from what I have read in this forum.

regards,

Tezza

peter_s wrote:Hi i have an old Garrett that takes 6 X 9v batteries ($$$$) use it on the beach and parks question is, is it possible to rig a small rechargable 12 volt battery (i can hip mount) with a step down transformer to 9v and connect that to the various terminals in the unit ??

any comments / ideas greatly appreciated

Peter it's not as easy as that I don't think

I think the batteries perform a + 18 and - 18 volt powers supply and maybe even a + 9 volt supply
this would alos include the 0 Volts ground

Hi there,
Newbie to the board, never been detecting, but have 'inherited' a Garrett VLF/TR Deepseeker that I would like to have a play with and like Peter I find the cost of batteries a bit prohibitive, and have thought about a power pack running off a sealed 12v acid battery (hip pack) and supplying the appropriate voltages to the correct pins in the unit.

Some questions and some possible options...

Could anybody give me/us an indication of how long a set of fresh "Heavy Duty 'normal'" batteries should last?

Can you use alkaline batteries?

Rechargeables?

Now unlike one of the other posters I have a complete battery slide and can take some pics of the battery box layout and circuit board. My memories of circuit diagrams and PC boards has rusted a long time but perhaps with some pics and descriptions of connections the someone could perhaps draw the diagram for the battery box circuit and tell us what voltages need to be supplied to each pin?

I can see that two batteries are connected in series alone and connect to Pins 2 and 4. (6-pin plug so doesn't matter which way you look at it) so they carry 9v and as another poster said could be run with one alone but I imagine would only last half as long.

The rest of the PC board gets a little confusing to me but as Alimo88 said it looks as though there is more than one voltage being supplied to the battery pack outlet, perhaps three.

I will sit down with piece of paper and then describe best I can the battery connections to the pins. Hopefully someone with a better understanding of electronics can help.

Many thanks and happy 'tecting

Graham

Should have read 2 x 9v in parallel connected to Pins 2 and 5 NOT 2 and 4 as above...duh

Imagine 6 x 9v batteries standing on their heads, side-on, in a line from left to right, all with their negative (-ve) terminal towards you...in a box.

The socket is on the left hand end of the box and the box is labelled on the negative side facing you.

I will number the batteries starting from 1 nearest the socket (left).

I will number the pins starting from 1 on the box labelled side (batteries negative side) nearest you and 6 farthest away.

Batteries 1 and 2 are connected in parallel (1+ve > 2+ve & 1-ve > 2+ve). Negative to Pin 2, Positive to Pin 5.

Batteries 3-6 are connected in series as well as these following...

Battery 3-ve connected > Pin 3

Battery 3+ve > Pin 4

Battery 4+ve to Pin 1

Battery 6+ve to Pin 6

From what I have scribbled in a drawing and understand from my electronic days, we have the following

9 volts across Pins 2 (-ve) and 5 from Batteries 1 and 2 as a parallel pair and separate from other 4 batteries.

9 volts across Pins 3 (-ve) and 4 from Battery 3 alone.

18 volts across Pins 3 and 1 from Batteries 3 and 4.

36 volts across Pins 3 and 6 from Batteries 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Geez I hope someone can make sense of that cos I'm not sure if I do anymore.

Cheers

Graham

Hey Graham......You deserve a Phd in physics for that one !




*****To all who are contemplating "home mods."..........Don't do what I did with my "you beaut" FT 16000....wired it up for a 12volt r/c battery.....worked like a dream until recently when I was'nt concentrating fully and crossed the wires on the batt. +/- switched on and saw my beach machine produce a puff of smoke.......tut, tut said I......(or something like that).

peter_s wrote:Hi i have an old Garrett that takes 6 X 9v batteries ($$$$) use it on the beach and parks question is, is it possible to rig a small rechargable 12 volt battery (i can hip mount) with a step down transformer to 9v and connect that to the various terminals in the unit ??

any comments / ideas greatly appreciated

This works for me, charge in car (mobile phone cord) or with a plugback at home.



Batteries available from Jaycar Electronics, they indicate 8.4V but are well over 9V tested under load a day after removal from charger and they have good capacity, used to last me all day, best of all haven't thrown one of this brand out yet even after years of use.

Link to more info on, chargers, batteries and options.

http://www.thomasdistributing.com/

ivanll