Lowrance iFinder performance problems using NiMh batteries?

[grandad69]

Does anyone have a good experience using NiMh batteries (freshly charged) with Lowrance iFinder HuntC?

 

I recently purchased a HuntC and, using 2300mAh NiMh batteries, have found:

1) The unit auto powers off after approx 3-3.5hrs use (10 hours with GPS switched off via "use indoors")

 

2) The (combined) battery voltage at power off, checked via multimeter, is consistently 2.52v - i.e.above NiMh operating voltage for most of the discharge cycle. Surely this should be well within the operating parameters of a unit claiming to support NiMh rechargeables?

 

3) Time to acquire warm start lock is typically 3+ to 25+ minutes

 

4) Tracking can 'wander' (not spike) a few hundred yards from actual track in open sky conditions

 

5) Etrex Legend and Mio P350 PDA are significantly faster to acquire lock and spot-on accurate on same tracks at same time as HuntC. Etrex has no battery capacity problem like 1) above with same batteries.

 

Thinking the unit defective I returned it to the dealer who tested it, using non-rechargeables. He found very fast lock and 13 hours use before low battery warning. Consequently, Lowrance would not accept a warranty claim.

Being a nice guy, he has offered a refund.

 

Hence my question above. Has anyone had similar problems and solved them by moving to non-rechargeables?

Edited February 14, 2008 by grandad69

[+Indotguy]

I use Duracell 2650 mAh NiMH batteries in my H20C and it works fine. I would suggest a higher mAh battery and see if that helps.

[+Airmapper]

I use Rayovac Hybrids at times, 2100mAh with no issues. Only thing is the batteries are getting older and don't hold charge for as long, but I used to get all day use out of a set.

[+DonB]

Does anyone have a good experience using NiMh batteries (freshly charged) with Lowrance iFinder HuntC?

 

I recently purchased a HuntC and, using 2300mAh NiMh batteries, have found:

1) The unit auto powers off after approx 3-3.5hrs use (10 hours with GPS switched off via "use indoors")

 

2) The (combined) battery voltage at power off, checked via multimeter, is consistently 2.52v - i.e.above NiMh operating voltage for most of the discharge cycle. Surely this should be well within the operating parameters of a unit claiming to support NiMh rechargeables?

 

3) Time to acquire warm start lock is typically 3+ to 25+ minutes

 

4) Tracking can 'wander' (not spike) a few hundred yards from actual track in open sky conditions

 

5) Etrex Legend and Mio P350 PDA are significantly faster to acquire lock and spot-on accurate on same tracks at same time as HuntC. Etrex has no battery capacity problem like 1) above with same batteries.

 

Thinking the unit defective I returned it to the dealer who tested it, using non-rechargeables. He found very fast lock and 13 hours use before low battery warning. Consequently, Lowrance would not accept a warranty claim.

Being a nice guy, he has offered a refund.

 

Hence my question above. Has anyone had similar problems and solved them by moving to non-rechargeables?

I have an iFinder Hunt and have not had any problems with battery life. I can't tell you how long mine will last because I top them off at the end of a caching day, but that day might be 10 or 12 hours long and once I turn it on it stays on for the day. A friend also bought the Hunt and he said he was amazed at the battery life he is getting.

 

I would try using a different set of rechargables or if they are new they may have to go through a few cycles before they are up to par because I just can't see them not lasting as long as the non rechargeables. I also think there is such a thing as getting a bad set of batteries, I bought 4 2500 mAh Energizers and they just plain would not hold a charge, I could take them off the charger and after 3 or 4 days just laying around they would be dead. I am slowly switching over to the hybrids, I think they are the way to go.

[+ICHTHYS]

I have Energizer 2200 and 2500 nimh and have had great results with both in my H2Oc

[grandad69]

Thanks, all above, for your replies.

 

I've decided to keep the HuntC and (when it comes back) try with the alkalines the dealer used - Duracell Plus MN1500. Also some Sony 2700mAh NiMh rechargeables I've just bought. Just hope one or the other does the job. 'The job' being to stay on for at least 8 hours to record track whilst walking.

[+DonB]

Thanks, all above, for your replies.

 

I've decided to keep the HuntC and (when it comes back) try with the alkalines the dealer used - Duracell Plus MN1500. Also some Sony 2700mAh NiMh rechargeables I've just bought. Just hope one or the other does the job. 'The job' being to stay on for at least 8 hours to record track whilst walking.

I don't think you would regret trying some hybrids, they come in 2000 and 2100 mAh sizes but from what I have seen they will out preform the 2300 and 2500 regular NiMh batteries I have and they have a much better shelf life.

[grandad69]

FWIW, I emailed Lowrance support re NiMh battery support and auto power cut-off voltage (2.52v in my case).

 

Their reply:-

 

Thank you for your inquiry. The Owner's Manual states that you can also use rechargeable AA alkaline batteries, such as those made by RAYOVAC, or rechargeable AA nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. We do not ecommend nickel cadmium (NiCd) rechargeable batteries because we tend to get poor battery ife from them. Rechargeable alkaline batteries will not last as long as standard alkaline batteries. Rechargeable NiMH batteries, however, should give you suitable battery life.

 

Note that the unit is set to work on 3 volts, not 12 (sic). The rechargeable batteries being used should each be rated for 1.5 volts only. You will need to check the specifications for the batteries being used. The unit will also not recharge batteries in the unit itself.

 

To test the unit, try using the recommended Duracell batteries. If the unit does not run properly with those batteries, there may be a problem with the unit. If the unit provides expected battery like with the Duracell, then the rechargeable batteries are not suitable for the unit. The Rayovac batteries would then be recommended.

 

To paraphrase - "NiMh should work, provided they are rated at 1.5v"

 

Someone at Lowrance is re-inventing battery chemistry.

[+Indotguy]

I'm not a battery expert and forgive me if I'm missing your point, but I was looking at the Duracell NiMH ones I use and they are rated as "1,2V". With the comma between I would assume this means between 1 and 2 Volts. The regular Duracell coppertops show a 1.5V rating.

[grandad69]

I'm not a battery expert and forgive me if I'm missing your point, but I was looking at the Duracell NiMH ones I use and they are rated as "1,2V". With the comma between I would assume this means between 1 and 2 Volts. The regular Duracell coppertops show a 1.5V rating.

 

ALL batteries produce a voltage which depends on the type (chemicals used). Alkalines e.g. coppertops are nominally 1.5v. Fully charged they are a little above this - the voltage declines steadily as the battery is discharged, down to 0.9v. When used in electronic stuff like GPSrs, the unit usually powers down well before 0.9v is reached. RAM (rechargeable alkaline) battery has a similar voltage characteristic.

 

All NiMh batteries (chemistry again) have a nominal voltage of 1.2v. In practice, most start at about 1.35v, decline rapidly to 1.25-1.20v, maintain this voltage until almost discharged, then stop working very quickly.

 

The point is that it does not make sense for Lowrance to say that a device works OK with NiMh AND that "The rechargeable batteries being used should each be rated for 1.5 volts only".

 

Other posters report that the combination of their particular unit and their chosen NiMh brand works OK.

 

Lowrance seem to be saying "NiMh may work but we only warrant alkaline"

 

As an aside some manufacturers have a setting to specify the battery type, to take account of the voltage differences. It matters because receiver sensitivity can change quite a lot with 'reduced' voltage. Provided the unit is designed to work at around the 1.2-1.25v level, NiMh should give more consistent performance.

[+DonB]

ALL batteries produce a voltage which depends on the type (chemicals used). Alkalines e.g. coppertops are nominally 1.5v. Fully charged they are a little above this - the voltage declines steadily as the battery is discharged, down to 0.9v. When used in electronic stuff like GPSrs, the unit usually powers down well before 0.9v is reached. RAM (rechargeable alkaline) battery has a similar voltage characteristic.

 

All NiMh batteries (chemistry again) have a nominal voltage of 1.2v. In practice, most start at about 1.35v, decline rapidly to 1.25-1.20v, maintain this voltage until almost discharged, then stop working very quickly.

 

The point is that it does not make sense for Lowrance to say that a device works OK with NiMh AND that "The rechargeable batteries being used should each be rated for 1.5 volts only".

 

Other posters report that the combination of their particular unit and their chosen NiMh brand works OK.

 

Lowrance seem to be saying "NiMh may work but we only warrant alkaline"

 

As an aside some manufacturers have a setting to specify the battery type, to take account of the voltage differences. It matters because receiver sensitivity can change quite a lot with 'reduced' voltage. Provided the unit is designed to work at around the 1.2-1.25v level, NiMh should give more consistent performance.

Maybe because of the color screen your Hunt puts more of a load on the batteries then what my regular Hunt does but when I put a newly charged set of batteries in mine on the battery scale they start out about an eighth of an inch down from full scale, and usually when I'm done for the day it might be down to half scale, but I have never had it shut down on low battery. One thing I noticed when I started using the hybrids, after a couple of chargings, when I first put them in they will show full scale. I don't know why Lowrance doesn't do their firmware so a person can pick the battery type.

 

After speaking with some of their tech support people I don't think a lot of them are up to speed. In conversations with them I have mentioned things about the GPS that their reply was "oh, I didn't know that."

[+DonB]

I'm not a battery expert and forgive me if I'm missing your point, but I was looking at the Duracell NiMH ones I use and they are rated as "1,2V". With the comma between I would assume this means between 1 and 2 Volts. The regular Duracell coppertops show a 1.5V rating.

 

ALL batteries produce a voltage which depends on the type (chemicals used). Alkalines e.g. coppertops are nominally 1.5v. Fully charged they are a little above this - the voltage declines steadily as the battery is discharged, down to 0.9v. When used in electronic stuff like GPSrs, the unit usually powers down well before 0.9v is reached. RAM (rechargeable alkaline) battery has a similar voltage characteristic.

 

All NiMh batteries (chemistry again) have a nominal voltage of 1.2v. In practice, most start at about 1.35v, decline rapidly to 1.25-1.20v, maintain this voltage until almost discharged, then stop working very quickly.

 

The point is that it does not make sense for Lowrance to say that a device works OK with NiMh AND that "The rechargeable batteries being used should each be rated for 1.5 volts only".

 

Other posters report that the combination of their particular unit and their chosen NiMh brand works OK.

 

Lowrance seem to be saying "NiMh may work but we only warrant alkaline"

 

As an aside some manufacturers have a setting to specify the battery type, to take account of the voltage differences. It matters because receiver sensitivity can change quite a lot with 'reduced' voltage. Provided the unit is designed to work at around the 1.2-1.25v level, NiMh should give more consistent performance.

Maybe because of the color screen your Hunt puts more of a load on the batteries then what my regular Hunt does but when I put a newly charged set of batteries in mine on the battery scale they start out about an eighth of an inch down from full scale, and usually when I'm done for the day it might be down to half scale, but I have never had it shut down on low battery. One thing I noticed when I started using the hybrids, after a couple of chargings, when I first put them in they will show full scale. I don't know why Lowrance doesn't do their firmware so a person can pick the battery type.

 

After speaking with some of their tech support people I don't think a lot of them are up to speed. In conversations with them I have mentioned things about the GPS that their reply was "oh, I didn't know that."

[grandad69]

....One thing I noticed when I started using the hybrids, after a couple of chargings, when I first put them in they will show full scale. I don't know why Lowrance doesn't do their firmware so a person can pick the battery type.

I'm not a battery expert - after getting my problems, I started looking around 'battery websites'. There are lots with enormous technical detail and hints on care for long life.

 

Your hybrids will still be NiMh chemistry, with same voltage characteristics. I'm surprised about showing full scale after a couple of chargings. The claimed advantage for hybrids is much lower self discharge than regular NiMh - you can leave them in a drawer for a while and still get almost full capacity, with ordinary NiMh you really need to charge shortly before use for top initial voltage and full capacity. (I think Lowrance say somewhere that only alkalines show full scale - makes sense since they have higher voltage - also true for RAM batteries.)

[+DonB]

....One thing I noticed when I started using the hybrids, after a couple of chargings, when I first put them in they will show full scale. I don't know why Lowrance doesn't do their firmware so a person can pick the battery type.

I'm not a battery expert - after getting my problems, I started looking around 'battery websites'. There are lots with enormous technical detail and hints on care for long life.

 

Your hybrids will still be NiMh chemistry, with same voltage characteristics. I'm surprised about showing full scale after a couple of chargings. The claimed advantage for hybrids is much lower self discharge than regular NiMh - you can leave them in a drawer for a while and still get almost full capacity, with ordinary NiMh you really need to charge shortly before use for top initial voltage and full capacity. (I think Lowrance say somewhere that only alkalines show full scale - makes sense since they have higher voltage - also true for RAM batteries.)

I can't tell you why unless they charge to a slightly higher voltage on the charger I'm using, A friend with a Hunt has experienced the same thing. I think they also last longer in the GPS then the regular NiMh batteries I have that are higher mAh batteries.

[+qlenfg]

The comma in the 1,2 voltage rating on the battery is the decimal point. The comma is used as a decimal point in some European countries.

 

Haven't tried rechargeables in the IFinder Go2 I have -- it lasts forever on plain alkaline batteries. Not to mention its pretty accurate for caching.

 

Keep in mind some of the chargers you get with sets of batteries at WalMart, Target, et al are pretty cheezy. I went through this with camera batteries and finally got a good MaHa charger from Thomas Distributing. It brought a couple of sets of batteries back from the dead and it puts a good charge on new batteries, not to mention being able to test and revive questionable batteries.

 

Also, standard NiMH batteries will self-discharge over time, possibly losing half their charge in a month or so. Try the low-discharge models -- they don't have quite the capacity of a standard NiMH battery, but they do keep a charge longer when stored.

[grandad69]

I've now tried some different batteries, and got an incredible improvement - left the GPS on a windowsill and checked battery voltage regularly until auto power off, using Sony 2700mAh NiMh then cheap 'supermarket alkaline'. See image at link below (hope it works - the 'insert image' button didn't like it). The 'glitch' is where I turned off overnight, in each case.

 

Still can't understand why my original Batteries worked fine in Etrex but not in HuntC.

 

http://www.imageno.com/pd1tnwzstyztpic.html

[+ICHTHYS]

Glad to see you found some batteries that work.