Garrett Infinium Forum Classroom

Well Ya'll ~ Just Received my New 8" Coil w/ Silver connector from txpremium (They just Sell stuff). took my Finny outside , unplugged 14", conn. the 8" then fired it up (at least i got 4 battery beeps GB'ed it fast then slow then Lock all at 0 Disc. then i did one tiny freak adjust - runs fairly Non-falsing. Tweeked on Cable near box , Does the same thing as Rays - Back & forth then i pinched it off as if Velcroed to shaft & it's OK . Actually if You Bend it enuf near Coil it will do the same thing but not quite as Sensitive. I Wont Send My Finny Box Period ~ Because I NEED It For Prospecting (THE PROBLEM IS NOT IN THE CONTROL BOX CHARLIE GARRETT, MY 10X14 MONO OR DD DO NOT DO THIS PERIOD - PLEASE START QUALITY CONTROL ON THESE COILS , OK ?) I will wait & see when Ray & Others & Garret get them Resolved. Certainly Not a Big Enuf Prob. for me to Consider abanoning Finny. I Decided that I'm Only going to Nugget Shoot With the Big Mono for Gold after reading the Article of March 12 Gold Prospectors (GPAA) on Monster Nuggy Hunting , in Fact ~ Ghost Master or Ivanll or Others , DOES ANYONE MAKE A 16" OR LARGER MONO FOR FINNY ( That the Cable Doesn't False - HaHa) Someone ought to, Cause I Need to go Deep as Possible on some of the Big placer areas we Hunt . Thanks - Ken



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 07/16/2012 11:57PM by Ken~Digs.

Hi Ken -

You can't imagine how pensively I have been waiting for your post. Sorry to hear your 8 mono is the same run-of-the-mill coil as the rest. I was so hoping to hear your coil was a solid runner. Garrett has a huge problem with this and I would like to see a Representative from Garrett show up here and explain and or apologize for this ongoing problem. I love the women at Garrett - they are silky smooth and sincere.....but, we need someone to step up and join this conversation that can talk about and take responsibility for what is wrong with these coils. We all know now - everyone knows the 8 mono is in a tail spin. Come on Garrett - Join the conversation - is there something better coming along with the 8 - is this issue being addressed at the factory - will Garrett please acknowledge they are aware of this?????? PLEASE
I know how you feel about not sending your box back Ken. We need our machines close by in case we get a chance to hunt and also, we become attached to our machines or at least I do and to have it gone for three weeks at a clip is hard. I have been with this issue for over three months. Since I bought the 8 in March this irritation has been surrounding my Infinium. I really hope someone can fill us in.

---

Ray Giroux

{ If you dig it out pack it back in }


Infinium LS
Garrett AT Gold
Vibra-probe 580 (PI technology, waterproof, bulletproof - one 9v batt last forever)
Lesche trowel ---

If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win, but you think you can't,
It is almost certain you won't.

Kind of Afraid to re-connect my 10 x 14 Mono after building shaft - I may have to touch the Cable (jk) . . .

Maybe those black plastic connectors are better - like the ones on the 10x14 DD. I'm still waiting for the 8 mono to come home. She's been out of town for a few days.

---

Ray Giroux

{ If you dig it out pack it back in }


Infinium LS
Garrett AT Gold
Vibra-probe 580 (PI technology, waterproof, bulletproof - one 9v batt last forever)
Lesche trowel ---

If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win, but you think you can't,
It is almost certain you won't.

Actually the Threaded connector part (with pins) is Black Painted Brass not Plastic (the cable joint connector/corkscrew looking thing is Plastic like on the Silver ones.

Gotta turn off Puter , leaving for Prospecting in a Couple hrs. Gotta tie offf the 14" cable , dont wanna touch it. Be back bout Thurs. - have fun : )

I have been off line for a week and a bit because my computer decided to throw in the towel.
I have a nice custom built job now,
Suprised to see that you fellas are still having probs with the 8 inch mono.
The only way I can get my 8 in mono to do what you have been discribing is to back the plug locking collar off a couple of turns and then by flexing the cable at the control box the machine will false. Otherwise it is rock stable when connected correctly.

My mono is old now and has cracks across the bottom of the coil that I have filled with epoxy. The pins are worn and a bit out of shape and the rubber insulation is cracked between the pins but still the coil performs perfectly.
So it is somewhat confusing why you are having the same problems with several new coils.
The coils are not super high tech and the wireing to the windings is basic. The cable is high qual double shielded 4 core with a braided copper shield over wound with foil. The foil is in contact with the copper over the total length of the cable.
If the foil breaks at the coil end or several feet along the shield effect is altered enough to cause false signals but a break in the foil at the control box end will have little if any effect on stability. because the majority of the cable is still shielded and the shield cct is connected at the coil end of the cable and the cct completed when the coil plug is connected to the control box via the plug pins and not via the plug shell which not connected to the shield untill the plug is connected.(The foil is more likely to break due to cable flexing than the copper braiding).
This is because the shield can only work correctly when just one end of the shield is connected to the coil cct and earth. If both ends of the shield were connected to the same earth point then the shield will be ineffectual. and would result in falsing.

Fishers Ghost -

Thanks for all the tech talk. You are right, it is confusing! Yours sounds all tore up and works fine! I have had two of these coils and several others have had several of these coils new from the factory or dealers that false. Why is it I can plug in and go with the 10x14 DD with no problems but the 8 mono (as you suggest) is not being connected properly? After being frustrated to tears with the false from the 8 I assure you I used all caution and care when putting the new 8 coil plug together. Could the problem be with the box side plug? Why is Garrett sending out so many 8 replacement coils that they are out of stock and not available at this time? Are these coils refurbished that we are getting?? When we send the "bad" coils back do they get 86ed to the dump or are they "fixed"? If Garrett is aware of the problem are they working on a fix OR, are we the user being blamed for improper set-up? When I got my first 8 it was fine for a while (3-4 wks) before false and I never took the plug out the whole time. To erase [Hip Mount] from the list of mounting options would be a good first step for Garrett in solving this problem. Then, maybe they should start using the black plastic plug from the 10x14 on the 8 mono. Anyway, some of us are working on putting extensions on the back of the shaft to mount the box under the elbow and fix the cord tight with no flexing. How many MDers does it take to plug in an 8 mono? None if they make the 8 wireless! :0)

---

Ray Giroux

{ If you dig it out pack it back in }


Infinium LS
Garrett AT Gold
Vibra-probe 580 (PI technology, waterproof, bulletproof - one 9v batt last forever)
Lesche trowel ---

If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win, but you think you can't,
It is almost certain you won't.

I got coils with black plugs and my first thought at the time was is was plastic but it was not, merely a black coating.
Two things with this black plug, 1. it is not electrically conductive 2. the nut would not screw on for more than one thread leaving the plug loose prone to cable movement and that made sounds as described.

A loose plug that gets twisted can cause the pins and tube sockets to momentarily loose contact with each other (they are not very tight to start with) also any dielectric silicon grease on these pins will Not improve conductivity.

First I made sure the pin tubes were tight enough to make good contact with the pins, also I cleaned the black coating off the plug where it make contact with the box socket and third made sure the nut screws on easy all the way to the bottom preventing any movement in the plug.

Not a fix all but this took care of my black plug hurdle.


ivanll

Good info there Ivanll.
The only way I can make my coils false when moving the cable close to the plug is to loosen of the lock ring a turn or so.
I have not seen the black plugs but I do know they are metal painted black and what you have said makes a lot of sense.
You would reckon that when the plug was manufacture the paint would be kept off the threads hey?

Man! Those plugs are just to sensitive! I can't believe what us Infinium users have to go thru to plug in a coil. Looks like we should all be electrical engineers. So, I guess I'm just "plug challenged" when it comes to using the Infinum. I have looked at the plug on my 8 mono with a magnifying glass - I have aligned the key while looking with a magnifying glass - I have pushed the plug ALL the way till seated while looking with a magnifying glass and I have spun the nut freely and tightly - guess what! it still falses -





If you will look at the plugs and see they are damaged please let me know - they look as new to me

---

Ray Giroux

{ If you dig it out pack it back in }


Infinium LS
Garrett AT Gold
Vibra-probe 580 (PI technology, waterproof, bulletproof - one 9v batt last forever)
Lesche trowel ---

If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win, but you think you can't,
It is almost certain you won't.

Fishers Ghost and ivanll -

If either of you want to check this coil and if you are willing to pay return shipping I will send it to you for a look-see. I think, however, the solution is to not hip mount this box. If you would like to check it out give me an address. I am sure you will agree with me

---

Ray Giroux

{ If you dig it out pack it back in }


Infinium LS
Garrett AT Gold
Vibra-probe 580 (PI technology, waterproof, bulletproof - one 9v batt last forever)
Lesche trowel ---

If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win, but you think you can't,
It is almost certain you won't.

Quote
Fishers Ghost
I have been off line for a week and a bit because my computer decided to throw in the towel.
I have a nice custom built job now,
Suprised to see that you fellas are still having probs with the 8 inch mono.
The only way I can get my 8 in mono to do what you have been discribing is to back the plug locking collar off a couple of turns and then by flexing the cable at the control box the machine will false. Otherwise it is rock stable when connected correctly..

I also can't get my older coil to malfunction (made around 2008 ). I have a hunch that something was either changed since the earlier production runs or unfortunately a bad batch went out??? My 8" mono does have the later replaced heavier shielded cable which at that time was an update to help prevent too much sensitivity from the very first production run mono coils.

I now only run the Finny on the the Anderson shaft and it's balanced the way I like it. At one point I didn't have the control box connected to the shaft, however I thought the excessive movement of the cable might cause some future issues so I just changed it to the Anderson.

diggindirt - That sounds like the best way - straight shaft with extension under elbow to mount box. I haven't tried it yet but hoping for good balance with the 8

---

Ray Giroux

{ If you dig it out pack it back in }


Infinium LS
Garrett AT Gold
Vibra-probe 580 (PI technology, waterproof, bulletproof - one 9v batt last forever)
Lesche trowel ---

If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win, but you think you can't,
It is almost certain you won't.

Quote
au79
Fishers Ghost and ivanll -

If either of you want to check this coil and if you are willing to pay return shipping I will send it to you for a look-see. I think, however, the solution is to not hip mount this box. If you would like to check it out give me an address. I am sure you will agree with me

If you were in this area we could swop coils for testing.
My last quote to return a coil by post to Garrett was around $65, so posting this way and return is not an option.
If I was on your side of the border the box and coil would go straight back to Garrett for a proper checkup, it's the only place where I have had any physical service/repair besides from a very help-full mash-detector dealer.

ivanll

I use my Infinium LS chest mounted always, on the beach, in the water and when gold prospecting.......always!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/2012 06:08PM by ivanll.