New Minelab GPX Lightweight Battery

Just ordered:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=14691

will have to add Deans connector and it cost $48.21, but Turnigy have a very good reputation amongst the modelling fraternity and it should run the GPZ for more than 6 hours

I bought two of these, one for a mate, and we have run both for over eight hours. Haven't given them much use yet though.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__35553__Turnigy_nano_tech_6600mah_2S2P_65_130C_Hardcase_Lipo_Pack_AU_Warehouse_.html?strSearch=Turnigy%206600

Should do fine Robby.

I'm just being a cheapskate

Hi all
I've just purchased a secondhand SD 2100 and it came with a lucky lark and the battery is dead and I'm looking for a cheaper replacement battery set up that i can charge from the Lucky Lark Li-Ion Charging Mouse.

I'm happy to change the charging options but I'd like to be abbey to even carry 2-3 batteries.

Can anyone part some wisdom on what is best to use...I'd like to fit to the lucky lark for the amplified system and the volt regulation.

Tia

Nightjar wrote:Has anyone heard of the "Lucky Lark?"
First bought one when the SD 2100 came out, have simply adjusted the output voltage to suit the updated machines.
Lift the cover, multi meter and adjust, 7.4V, 8.3V, 8.0V to current GPX-4500.
Had to fit a 5 pin plug at a later date.

Hi there Nightjar

Mate i've got a lucky lark as well and the battery has expired and looking to update to a better battery ...just wondering if yourself or any else on this forum could assist with say a Flourion 2S2P 8000mAH 7.4V 40C LiPo battery in place of the Reeds lucky lark battery (expensive option) given that the lark has the amplifier built in and my thoughts is that it would just need a connector in place to connect the new battery to and of course a new battery charger (to do away with the turtle) ....also the lark has the voltage reg which could make it easier to regulate a newer battery and the lark has the amplifier as stated earlier for headphones and/speaker.

thoughts of the knowledge base would be gratefully appreciated.

Cheers

Cruzr

Hi Cruzr: I replied to your PM before I realised you had posted here.

I'm unfamiliar with the Lucky Lark, but I understand it has an internal Lithium Ion battery pack. Your best bet would be to get this reloaded.

It probably contains several 3.7v 18650 lithium ion cells connected in both series and parallel depending upon voltage output and Ampere-hour rating.

Does anybody know the figures?

The good news is that high quality lithium-ion cells are available from places like Ebay (beware of cr*p chinese ones) and these will now have considerably higher AH ratings than the originals.

If you have electronic soldering skills (or have a mate who does) You're laughing

What this means is that for little financial output you can now have a "Lucky Lark" that lasts much longer between charges than the original.

Personally, I would avoid the Floureons, They're cheap rubbish in my experience and I now pay more for quality lipos

OK, thanks to some old Minelabmods posts which Cruzr sent me, I now better understand the Lucky Lark battery layout.

The pack appears to use nine 18650 lithium ion cells. 3 are in series (to give 10.8 volts) and 3 are in parallel to boost the Ampere Hour (AH) rating.

The original packs had a total of only 6.6 AH whereas, reloading with the below Sanyo cells will give you an impressive 7.8 AH.

That's the way to fly and these are the cells to use:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/6x-Sanyo-UR-18650-F-2600-mAh-18650-Lithium-Li-Ion-battery-FREE-CASES-/280796328607?hash=item4160c3f29fmsb21XqJp7mBG-slNYeSgSA

The seller (Supersports600) has a high reputation and only sells genuine brand batteries. I have used him for years. He will quote you for the nine cells but the total should be around $60 post free. These Sanyo's are very high quality cells with excellent extended voltage drop (graphs posted on the website) and will last. Don't be fooled by absurd claims from cheaper cells. Both myself and member "Mechanic" have previously used these cells to reload GPX battery packs.

All you then have to do is find somebody with basic electronic soldering skills to dismantle the old battery pack in order to salvage and reuse the inclusive PCB protection board, then assemble the new pack (perhaps try sending a PM to "Mechanic")

Doing this will enable you to continue to use the existing turtle charger, and you will even have more detecting run time than with the original  

Thanks jrbeaty

Question: the link is for 6 batteries so can i assume that they will replace the 9 batteries in the lark pack?

I'll get in contact with mechanic and i appreciate your help and i hope that others will get something to energise their old larks.

Cheers
Cruzr

I notice that those Sanyo Batteries don't have any tags on them, so is it safe to solder directly to the batteries ?? and how many batteries are required for the Minelab battery GPX 5000. Thank you.

I shouldn't post at night --

Tangles wrote:I notice that those Sanyo Batteries don't have any tags on them

I linked to the untagged ones, sorry  There are eight in the standard GPX battery.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2x-Sanyo-UR18650F-2600-mAh-18650-with-SOLDER-TABS-Lithium-Li-Ion-battery-/280761032114?hash=item415ea95db2m7bxzaSdJVLNuaTxdqiitXg

Cruzr wrote:the link is for 6 batteries so can I assume that they will replace the 9 batteries in the lark pack?

No, nine batteries are required. As explained earlier, you can contact Supersports600 to quote for the total.

Thanks jrbeatty

Can i assume that the first link are the batteries I'll need for the sd?

Cheers
Cruzr

Hi Cruzer

The second link (batteries with the tabs) is the one to use for both the Lark and the Minelab

I've setup 2 4500's as in page one of this thread, a bit more time spent charging batteries but worth it being free of the minelab battery lead.
I use Nenads' units, Tx on the detector, Rx in the backpack/bumbag attached to an amplified speaker on the shoulder of my proswing harness.  I attach a small phone charger to the Rx via micro usb, which keeps the Rx battery charged (if you have the volume up on the Rx it uses more power).  With this setup I can also headphones/earbuds easily.

Hi Llanbric:  (love your nick, are you Welsh?)

Sounds like a good setup. Are you using the lipo's? one of their best qualities is the rapid charge time (ten minutes or so depending on charger setting)

if you have the volume up on the Rx it uses more power

Yes. Speakers require more power, which is another reason I prefer headphones (Summer heat is an issue though)

Cheers!

James, after working with you on our last project, I can honestly say your system is a cracker. Not only do you leave the ML 'boffins' for dead, but it's a pleasure (and challenge) to work with someone who knows how to prospect.
As you know I mostly use a 7000 these days, but that system would benefit from having a direct wireless link from detector to phones, rather than through the speaker box, then by cord to phones. Like you, I don't like speakers, and total cordless plus noise cancelling would be perfect.
PS it's 6 now. You forgot the last one.

Thanks for those kind words, Reg. It sure keeps me on my toes working with a legend of the game.

At least we got some decent results, and that's never a given in a virgin area.

Speaking of which, I rang our mate K and I apparently zigzagged right through a 2 oz+ run and missed it.

The ground looked right though, Bugger!

jrbeatty wrote:Hi Llanbric:  (love your nick, are you Welsh?)

Sounds like a good setup. Are you using the lipo's? one of their best qualities is the rapid charge time (ten minutes or so depending on charger setting)

if you have the volume up on the Rx it uses more power

Yes. Speakers require more power, which is another reason I prefer headphones (Summer heat is an issue though)

Cheers!

Nah, not Welsh, just confused.
I'm using the Imax charger which is great at $65 approx and floureon lipos, I still have doubts about the true capacity of the floureon (probably 75% of that stated) but they haven't let me down yet.  Oh the freedom of not being joined at the hip to your Minelab.

Llanbric:  (wasn't he one of Blackadders offsiders?)

If you're getting 75% of rated capacity on the Floureons you are doing very well indeed. I've changed to the dearer Turnigys but will keep the Floureons as spares.

As you say, nothing like being completely wireless.

Reg:

Next time I'm down I'll plug the Sennheiser into the 7000 for you to try, not noise cancelling but bl**dy good just the same and will make it truly cordless. At least you would be rid of the WM12.  

PS: Yeah! 6 nuggets now and counting---

jrbeatty wrote:Hi  Cruzer

The second link (batteries with the tabs) is the one to use for both the Lark and the Minelab

Thank you jrbeatty

I got the batteries and had an electronics guy rescue the board and linked the batteries and still able charge with the turtle I ended up getting an original battery which I tested out at the weekend and works a treat just need to do some fine tuning and hit the new ground before the rain season hits us.

Thanks again for your support and help

Cheers

All good Cruzr:

Get the gold!