A Slight Modification for the Equinox

[laidback4sho]

Ok, so I decided to mount a portable battery bank just under the arm cuff on the Equinox. I did this to balance the machine a little better and to have extra juice when out in the field. No, I don't plan on swinging for longer than twelve hours, but ya never know.

Now I've seen some people suggest to use velcro, and some have mounted theirs to the stem. Well today, I've gone a different route. I ordered a 10,000 mAh Anker Power Core battery bank from Amazon, along with a hard shell case. As you can see in the photos, I poked a small hole in the case and used the thumb screw on the underside of the arm cuff to secure it in place.

Just wanted to share, in case this is something someone would be interested in doing. Takes all of five minutes.

 

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[gamiller]

Really clever idea.
Probably want to reinforce the hole.

edit reread hard shell case probably wont need reinforcement

 

[laidback4sho]

Really clever idea.
Probably want to reinforce the hole.

edit reread hard shell case probably wont need reinforcement

If that needed to be done, you could always put a metal washer under the thumb screw. But honestly, it doesn't feel like it's going anywhere at this point. Guess I need to check back in around the six month mark or so, just to give an update as to how it's holding up.

 

[digger460]

Cool idea. So how did it do with balancing the machine. I think mine is just slightly nose heavy, but no where near the stock coil on the Atpro. After playing with the shaft length and moving the cuff one back from the end, it feels pretty balanced. Just wondering how the battery bank effected the balance.

 

[laidback4sho]

Cool idea. So how did it do with balancing the machine. I think mine is just slightly nose heavy, but no where near the stock coil on the Atpro. After playing with the shaft length and moving the cuff one back from the end, it feels pretty balanced. Just wondering how the battery bank effected the balance.

It seems to help. I haven't been out with it yet, as I just did it last night, but swinging it back and forth in the house feels like it should do better in the field. I should be able to tell more tomorrow when I meet up with a buddy to detect some old Colonial farmland.

 

[gamiller]

This should act as a counter balance and also prolong the life of the built in battery.
Sound like killing two birds with one stone.

 

[GroundBalanced]

Nice work laidback4sho - now, you showed us the thumbscrew connection to the NOX, however, you didn't tell us how you decided to feed the cable to the inside. Are you just tucking thru the end of the zipper, or did you pop a hole in that case for the USB cable to thru? Just wondering.

 

[laidback4sho]

Nice work laidback4sho - now, you showed us the thumbscrew connection to the NOX, however, you didn't tell us how you decided to feed the cable to the inside. Are you just tucking thru the end of the zipper, or did you pop a hole in that case for the USB cable to thru? Just wondering.

Actually, I positioned the hard shell case so that the zipper zips towards the front. The cord hangs out of the case and I zip the zipper all the way closed.

If there was no other way, I was prepared to cut a hole in the case for the cord to slip through, but this worked out nicely.

 

[cheshireblack]

That's awesome. Any idea what the 10,000 mAh battery would support in terms of additional time?

 

[GroundBalanced]

I wondered, because if you did any digging in deep sand (like beach sand) and laid the NOX down in the sand with the zipper partway open, u might end up with sand in your charger box, but it looks like you are in Laconia, NH so that would only concern you if you traveled to the coast. I haven't been to Hampton NH area, but I know NJ has deep sand beaches. So i think your solution works great for hunting dirt/hardpack/etc, great job! (just stay out of those NH lakes!) haha
Good work,. Enjoy!

Oh... 1 thought, ck the temperature of the 10k charger after 30min, because with that case closed, it isn't being cooled by air, and some of them get pretty warm.

 

[laidback4sho]

That's awesome. Any idea what the 10,000 mAh battery would support in terms of additional time?

Not sure, but they say it'll charge a modern cell phone at least a couple of times. Would be nice if it would charge the Equinox from zero to full at least once. Time will tell.

 

[laidback4sho]

I wondered, because if you did any digging in deep sand (like beach sand) and laid the NOX down in the sand with the zipper partway open, u might end up with sand in your charger box, but it looks like you are in Laconia, NH so that would only concern you if you traveled to the coast. I haven't been to Hampton NH area, but I know NJ has deep sand beaches. So i think your solution works great for hunting dirt/hardpack/etc, great job! (just stay out of those NH lakes!) haha
Good work,. Enjoy!

Oh... 1 thought, ck the temperature of the 10k charger after 30min, because with that case closed, it isn't being cooled by air, and some of them get pretty warm.

Yeah, sand and water would make for a bad day. At least it's not attached permanently.

 

[fuceye]

Nice

 

[fuceye]

That's awesome. Any idea what the 10,000 mAh battery would support in terms of additional time?

10,000mah should charge the battery from dead and the earphones as well...if you are charging the internal battery and using the machine 10,000mah will leave the internal battery around 30-40% charged when the backup runs out....ish you should be able to charge the battery and use the machine for around 3-4 hrs.
this is just an educated guess. got to do the math for a answer that would satisfy homer.....

​

 

[vferrari]

The internal battery is 5000 mAH. There is a loss of efficiency when charging battery to battery due to heat losses and losses in the respective voltage regulator circuits, then you need to account for the fact that when you attach the power bank while the machine is operating it will need to supply current to the control head AND to charge the internal battery. I would say that if you used it after the internal battery was say 90% drained you could actually probably recharge the internal battery fully in about 4 - 6 hours and have about 1 or 2 more hours of run time on the external battery before you depleted it entirely. But then you would have about 12 hours of additional run time from the internal battery - so in total you could run it about 17 to 19 hours I reckon starting with a nearly depleted internal battery. Would have to run a test to be sure.

 

[laidback4sho]

The internal battery is 5000 mAH. There is a loss of efficiency when charging battery to battery due to heat losses and losses in the respective voltage regulator circuits, then you need to account for the fact that when you attach the power bank while the machine is operating it will need to supply current to the control head AND to charge the internal battery. I would say that if you used it after the internal battery was say 90% drained you could actually probably recharge the internal battery fully in about 4 - 6 hours and have about 1 or 2 more hours of run time on the external battery before you depleted it entirely. But then you would have about 12 hours of additional run time from the internal battery - so in total you could run it about 17 to 19 hours I reckon starting with a nearly depleted internal battery. Would have to run a test to be sure.

That's a whole lot of detecting time. I'll take it.

 

[fuceye]

I just like haven the bank around just in case....it's great for vap pens as well....
And if the bad guys chase you through a kitchen you can always through it in a micro wave to blow them to smithereens.....
As for the earphones they take a 15 min charge and will last for hours in a pinch

Even if you don,t keep the bank in your cool mod all the time it's a great place to
Keep the Spair coil nuts or screen protectors in. Or maybe even a joint or two....(oops...sorry...it must be the canadain in me....) ...
Hay you could blow up a little balloon and keep in their as a float...it could help to keep the equinox vertical when complete submerged....
If you made a container that was bigger on the inside than it was on the outside you could rent it out for parties....(tardis)

Even if you don,t do anything to it....it just looks cool....

 

[smokeythecat]

The bad guys are NOT going to chase me through the kitchen! They'll trip over one of my cats!

 

[laidback4sho]

Oh yeah, there is a very noticeable difference in the balance of this machine with the power bank attached. It doesn't feel like you're wrestling with the machine anymore. Feels much more balanced, not like you're trying to pull back on it all the time. I would imagine a larger power bank would be even better than this one. This seems to do the job nicely though.

 

[digger460]

I just like haven the bank around just in case....it's great for vap pens as well....
And if the bad guys chase you through a kitchen you can always through it in a micro wave to blow them to smithereens.....
As for the earphones they take a 15 min charge and will last for hours in a pinch

Even if you don,t keep the bank in your cool mod all the time it's a great place to
Keep the Spair coil nuts or screen protectors in. Or maybe even a joint or two....(oops...sorry...it must be the canadain in me....) ...
Hay you could blow up a little balloon and keep in their as a float...it could help to keep the equinox vertical when complete submerged....
If you made a container that was bigger on the inside than it was on the outside you could rent it out for parties....(tardis)

Even if you don,t do anything to it....it just looks cool....

Man the idea's are a flowin'! Must be them Canadian cigarettes. I see in your profile , you were able to get the pro-type Equinox 850. When the smoke clear's, be sure to review it for us (Just messin' with ya)