Vantage Pro Battery Life

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  • Because
    Member
    • Jul 2010
    • 72

    Vantage Pro Battery Life

    Hi All:

    I have recently bought into a used Vantage Pro. I like this tool.

    One thing that I have noticed is the terribly short battery life. It will run for about 30 or 40 minutes on a fully charged battery pack. I'm moving up from an OTC Perception which lasted for many hours on (6) 'AA' alkaline batteries. I realize that the Vantage hardware is more demanding than the OTC. But it seems to me that the battery should last a little longer than it is.

    The tool and presumably the battery were made in 2005. The date code on the battery is '05/08'. I don't know if that means May 2008 or August 2005.

    I would appreciate any feedback on what the typical battery run time is in the Vantage Pro.

    Thanks,
    Bob
  • No-Start
    Senior Member
    • Oct 2006
    • 932

    #2
    The battery life on the Vantage Pro typically lasts over 6 hours, at least mine does. Either your battery isn't being charged properly or someone has neglected it in the past and damaged it.

    How are you charging it? Are you using the supplied charger?

    No-Start.

    Comment

    • Because
      Member
      • Jul 2010
      • 72

      #3
      I'm using the supplied charger. The machine arrived to me with a completely dead battery. I charged it overnight. The battery went to about 50% charge on the on-screen indicator in about 20 or 30 minutes of use. I figured that the battery needed a few discharge / recharge cycles to bounce back. It hasn't. I need to charge it regularly after each use. It has run out of charge on me a couple of times in under an hour of use from a relatively full charge.

      I've noticed that it is Ni-MH technology. Has anybody ever re-packed one of these battery packs?

      Comment

      • Jay G.
        Administrator
        • Dec 2006
        • 435

        #4
        Originally posted by Because
        I'm using the supplied charger. The machine arrived to me with a completely dead battery. I charged it overnight. The battery went to about 50% charge on the on-screen indicator in about 20 or 30 minutes of use. I figured that the battery needed a few discharge / recharge cycles to bounce back. It hasn't. I need to charge it regularly after each use. It has run out of charge on me a couple of times in under an hour of use from a relatively full charge.

        I've noticed that it is Ni-MH technology. Has anybody ever re-packed one of these battery packs?
        You should get 6 + hours of use from 1 charge. Sounds like you have a bad battery.

        Comment

        • kebo1970
          Senior Member
          • Nov 2008
          • 212

          #5
          battery life

          i have three v-pro batteries and none of them last 6 hours. i get about 3 to 4 hours; i bought all of them new. i think jay g. was right about you having a bad battery.

          Comment

          • Because
            Member
            • Jul 2010
            • 72

            #6
            I appreciate the replies. I agree that the battery is a goner. Time to replace it.

            Thanks for the help.

            Comment

            • Because
              Member
              • Jul 2010
              • 72

              #7
              If anybody has an old dead Solus Pro, Vantage Pro, or Modis battery they no longer need, I'd be interested in buying it. I'll try to repack one and see how it works out.

              Comment

              • VWBMW
                Junior Member
                • Dec 2011
                • 13

                #8
                One the guys I work with took his modis & Vpro battery packs apart and installed higher mA/hr rated battery cells... night & day difference in the length of time each unit now stays on for.

                My batteries are all stock still... any ignition scoping/labscoping is what drains them the most.

                Comment

                • Seminolespear83
                  Junior Member
                  • May 2012
                  • 3

                  #9
                  Never noticed how long the battery lasted honestly always have it hooked up to the vehicles battery, did die on me once but just swapped the batt from my Solus pro while it charged.

                  Comment

                  • kvr901
                    Member
                    • May 2010
                    • 61

                    #10
                    Interesting. As a home user my Vantage Pro and Solus Pro batteries don't get much use, but eventually they will die. I have thought about finding a bad battery, and looking at options to change it to non-rechargeable alkaline batteries as a way to have instant battery power without charging time etc.

                    Also - I am interested in the post below, but don't yet need to open my battery packs. What are the details and number of batteries are in the pack?


                    Originally posted by VWBMW
                    One the guys I work with took his modis & Vpro battery packs apart and installed higher mA/hr rated battery cells... night & day difference in the length of time each unit now stays on for......

                    Comment

                    • VWBMW
                      Junior Member
                      • Dec 2011
                      • 13

                      #11
                      Sorry about the late reply.... I don't read the forum that much.

                      I don't have the specific numbers on hand, but I'll ask the guy next week when he gets back from holiday.

                      Comment

                      • kvr901
                        Member
                        • May 2010
                        • 61

                        #12
                        Ah! Wonderful! I will appreciate that. Thanks!


                        Originally posted by VWBMW
                        ......I don't have the specific numbers on hand, but I'll ask the guy next week when he gets back from holiday.

                        Comment

                        • VWBMW
                          Junior Member
                          • Dec 2011
                          • 13

                          #13
                          He doesn't remember the specifics and his battery packs are glued shut.

                          I've been meaning to to the same upgrade, so I will try to visit the battery store this week (probably not till saturday).

                          Once I have the details, I'll post back.

                          Comment

                          • VWBMW
                            Junior Member
                            • Dec 2011
                            • 13

                            #14
                            Hi,

                            Bought the batteries today... will install them this week and then do a comparison
                            with a stock VP battery pack (provided I get the battery pack back together).

                            Both my stock packs have a life of 4-6 hrs. I don't use the stand-by function
                            (sleep mode/screen off power button red light on), because the unit seems to
                            lock-up during wake-up... so I just set the unit to dim the screen and not go
                            to sleep, which keeps the life closer to the 4hr mark.

                            Lots of labscope use will drain the battery quicker, that's why I have a second
                            charged battery at the ready.

                            As for the batteries I bought today, here's what the invoice says:

                            Item: NH-4/3A-3600-I
                            Quantity: 7
                            Description: Motoma NMH 4/3 A 3600 MAH Industrial Battery
                            Rate: $8
                            Amount: $56 (with local taxes: $62.72)

                            IIRC, the SO pack was around $100... bought my VP in 2006.

                            Comment

                            • VWBMW
                              Junior Member
                              • Dec 2011
                              • 13

                              #15
                              My apologies... I have not yet gotten to installing the batteries. It was a busy week and
                              I'm not sure I'll get a chance this weekend.

                              Comment

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