About this replacement
Hi-Target iHand18 / Qmini GPS — 7.4V Li-ion Replacement Battery (BL-2000A)
This is a 7.4V, 2000mAh Li-ion replacement for the Hi-Target BL-2000A battery pack. It fits the iHand18 Data Collector and Qmini GPS handheld units. The iHand18 is a field GNSS receiver used in surveying and geospatial data collection — this pack keeps it running through site work when the primary battery runs out.
- iHand18 and Qmini GPS compatibility: Both devices share the BL-2000A form factor, the same 7.4V two-cell Li-ion architecture, and an identical connector and BMS handshake. Swapping between units in a mixed fleet works without firmware changes or reconfiguration.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this pack through GNSS acquisition sequences and sustained data-logging loads. The BMS held the output rail steady during satellite lock events and did not trip on the initialisation current draw that causes problems with lower-spec cells.
- First deployment after installation: Before heading into the field, run a full calibration cycle through the iHand18 instrument menu. The device maps battery state during calibration — skipping this step causes the low-battery warning to fire prematurely on the first survey session, even with a fully charged pack.
BMS lockout after the iHand18 sat unused in a carry case for months
Li-ion cells self-discharge slowly during storage. If the iHand18 sits unused long enough, the cell voltage can drop below the BMS protection threshold — typically around 2.5V per cell. At that point the BMS opens the discharge circuit and the device appears completely dead, even on charge. The pack needs a slow pre-charge at low current to bring cells back above the recovery threshold before normal charging resumes. Use the original Hi-Target charger and leave it connected for at least two hours before assuming the pack is faulty.
iHand18 shuts down mid-session during USB data transfer to PC
USB data transfer combines active CPU load, display backlight, and the USB bus current draw simultaneously. On a partially degraded or cold cell, this combined load causes a voltage dropout that the BMS reads as a fault condition and cuts power to protect the cells. The shutdown happens suddenly — no low-battery warning. Check that the battery is above 7.0V before starting a transfer session. If it shuts down repeatedly at that step, the cell capacity has faded enough that the pack needs replacing.