eratic Xterra

[TURNMASTER]

I ran into a problem last week. I got out to a ball field and was working the area when my machine just went bananas. Sounding off on the ground in the air and with teh slightest of movement. I did NC turned down the Sens and was running in tracking. I finaly took the coil cover off and the problem went away. I don't thind the problem was dirt because this was my first outing since cleaning the coil. I believe the cover was stressing the coil because of the tight fit. Now I would not just say this but when I cleaned the coil and cover and reinstalled cover I had the same eratic behavior, I removed the cover and turned it around and problem went away, untill I went hunting.

I do wonder If there may be a problem with the coil though, but this seemed to be a simple solution.

Jeff

 

[Idaho PRB]

Did you accidentally put on your tinfoil coil cover? I'm sorry, I couldn't resist.......I do know how FRUSTRATING! problems with your detector can be and I sincerely hope that this gets worked through for you. Too bad you didn't have another coil cover to try? It just doesn't seem to make any sense, does it? Good luck and have a great weekend.

 

[David]

?? I would like to also know the answer to that problem as well ??

 

[Mick in Dubbo]

You may need to contact your dealer for this one. Check your batteries to see if they have good contact as that can cause all sorts of grief that can have you scratching your head.
Sorry I can't offer more help, but it sounds like it's more of a teckie question.
Mick Evans.

 

[TURNMASTER]

I have run the coil a couple times with out the cover and it runs just like my other coils. This has happened before with this coil. I am thinking about sending it in. but not till it snows and then I may send in the box also. My cover is not a "Perfect Fit" as the other coils and covers are. I have one for the SE that is slightly, well not loose, but not snug. I really don't wan't to run without it but if it is causing me issues then se la vi.

Jeff

 

[caseyp]

I have had mine do that before.I changed the batteries even though the screen showed they were good and that corrected the problem.

 

[David]

Jeff,

I still do not understand why the coil runs good without the cover, how in anyway possible could the cover be causing that problem?

Is your coil sensitive to touch? Are there any black fine metal filings-particles attached to the cover with static electricity?

Try putting especially your cover (and maybe also your coil as well because if it is a waterproof 9" CC) in the dishwasher with both detergent and rinse aid, run the full cycles. Also try going back to all Factory Presets (FP)-proceedure.

Try the coil again with the cover, then what happens??

 

[Terra1959]

Hi Jeff,

Bad luck
May I ask which coil it is ?

I'm not saying that this is the problem as your hassles are not so obvious, but....
To keep out dirt and foreign objects I run black electrical tape where the coil and cover edges meet on my DD coils - it works well
That would be a bit hard to do on the concentrics open design though so I dont worry with them.

I once had a "bad" standard coil on my Ace250, sometimes it would go ok and others acted just like yours - going into overload with bells ringing madly.
Other times it just wouldn't work ...you could run the coil over a $2 coin and nothing would register
Intermittent problems are THE worse and hardest to assertain.
In the end I replaced the coil and the problem was solved.

hope u & minelab get to the bottom of it

T59

 

[David]

It is OK to put the cover in the dishwasher. But I forgot to say if you put the 9" CCoil in the dishwasher with it, make sure you tape up the metal connection cable end very well with plastic and duct tape or temporarily shrink wrap it then seal the end.

 

[TURNMASTER]

T1959, it is the 5 x 10

Thing went nuts yesterday again. This time it was due to sensitivity (?). I had jacked it all the way to 30, instead of the volume. I turned it down to 23 and it was a lot better but did happen again about 45 min later I just went to pinpoint and back (after noise canceling again) and it got better. The issue may be that there is just to much interference there, although this has happened before in places that should be fairly noise free. I am going to go back to the same yard with the 10.5 MF and see if I can get it to repeat. When the snow flies I am going to call ML and maybe send it in.

I do wonder if I have a problem with the coil. I wondered if I have some loose innards and the cover stresses them? I dunno?

Jeff

 

[adriancraiovan]

Hi,

I have the same problem with my Xterra 705. DD coil 10,5" 7,5 Mhz.
Yesterday when detecting, it gone mad... it was stable only with the sensitivity at min.
I tried reset, reconnect everything, change batteries... change settings... nothing worked.
The strange thing is that in ground balance mode it sounds strange... I can hear it oscillating erratically... loud, could not auto ground balance and the oscillation causes the machine to identify imaginary targets.
I remembered that some days back it was some water that it was coming out of the coil, from the part that the wire goes in to the coil. It was still coming out wen I turn it upside down. salt water... there is a nut that can be tight or not... mine was not.
I knew that no warranty was possible, because I did something to the nut after i saw it loose... and I opened the coil ... found allot of water inside and dried it. Still not working.
I am from Romania, I have no other coil to test the machine to be 100% shore that is the coil defect. In Romania are few detectorists... so ... no chance finding one with an Xterra... (here the law is very restrictive... I have authorization from police to use the Xterra).
I would buy a new coil (the closest affordable coil is in Bulgaria), but if it is the machine that is the problem... it has warranty, and I did nothing to the machine

TURNMASTER, you tested your Xterra with another coil? are you shore that the coil is the source of your problem?
If anyone can help... please...
Here it is autumn... and there are still some days left for detecting... I love my Xterra and do not think to change it ever

Thank you,

Adi

 

[David]

Hello Adi, welcome to this Forum. I have a X-Terra 70, thank you for telling us about the detecting situation in Romania where it is restrictive and you must have a permit, it is interesting. Lots of old stuff there to find. My grandmother from near there, and grandad(my dad's dad, he also spoke German) came from Romania from this region. "Bucovina-Bukovyna-Bukowina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains. It is currently split between Romania and Ukraine." "Duchy of Bukovina within Austria-Hungary" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukovina

You might want to get the 9" LF(3 kHz) Concentric fully waterproof coil to use as it is the one to get besides the DD coil 10,5" 7,5 Mhz you now have. Also you may have ruined you coil because of the water. IF it can be repaired, do you have a repair center to fix your coil in Europe? Germany or Austria may have some dealers also, David!
http://www.minelab.com/usa/consumer/where-to-buy?cmd=finddealers&country=Romania&searchby=state&state=&zipcode=&radius=75&units=miles&dealername=

Iberic Euroconstruct Imobiliar
Boulevard Camil Ressu Nr 15
Bl. 57, AP32 Sector 3
Bucuresti

Romania
Phone: +402 132 49184

 

[TURNMASTER]

Adi, no I am not sure the coil is the problem. I am sure that I am going to do all I know to do and follow the good advice given before I hassle the folks at Minelab about repair work. I think that is my responsibility in controlling costs and I am willing to do my part.

No water damage to my coil. It has been in the rain but not submerged in a lake or stream. Anytime I have been in the rain the control bos has been covered. I have the 10.5 MF coil on right now and so far so good. I have not been back to the area where I had problems.

Jeff

 

[adriancraiovan]

Hi David,

Yes we have allot of history in this parts and the places here ave been occupied for thousand of years, it is possible even to find artefacts form bronze age. Unfortunately, in the last hundreds of years the people here have been poor and very low chances of finding silver coins or gold... even hunting for gold nugets it is almost impossible because there are few places in mountains where is gold and it is against the law to find and keep something. Even if i have authorization from the police (criminal police) so .. i think i am being watched. the law here is that if i find something with archeological value (dose not explain what that is) i have to go to city hall or museum and give it ... and if they consider to be something very valuable I will get 30% after 18 mounts of court...now one ever gets anything If I do not go to museum in 72 hours it is jail... 5 years...
So every time I go outside I am in danger. In reality few are going to museum... and the police have another problems of there own...
Anyway ... my findings are few and pretty damaged because most of the coins here are from low quality cobber and aluminum alloy that in years are destroyed. I find from time to time coins in good condition.
I envy you guys that are going gold hunting, and when I see that you find coins and go to the bank sometimes with the money (here this is no possible... only with the coins above 2001 and there value is very small) maybe someday I will come to US or Australia and hunt ... is my dream.
I will keep hunting ... I know someday I will find something very nice... it is math
I know Bucovina,... is very nice land.

Good hunting,

Adi

 

[adriancraiovan]

Hi TURNMASTER,

I know now my problem is the coil... because i opened it up and cleaned it, even got to the cipset from the resin inside (carefully) and clean it from salt water. Here is one tip... tight the nut that is keeping the wire in the coil... if is loose ... the water will go in.
So I cleaned the cipset and wires with alcohol and put it back together and now it works at about 90% capacity... still oscillating at max sensitivity. I can hunt with it until I buy another coil.
I am very happy with the 10.5 MF because of the depth and versatility...
I knew I ruined the posibility of waranty because when i saw that the water is coming in the coil i tight the nut hard ... doing some damage and used some strong adhesive to keep the water from going in... plus... to go to Bulgaria or to ship it for warranty... from here... I prefere to buy another coil. With the control box is another story,... i will never touch it and I will send it to Minlab no mater what. I have built a cover for it and the rain will never go in.
Here the closest to buy from is Bulgaria because we have only one supplier and to get the picture ... in Romania an Xterra 705 is 1250$... so i do not want to know how much is an coil. I got my Xterra with 700$ from Bulgaria with the 10.5"MF coil.
I see the Xterra 705 is very strange machine sometime... with the PP blocking or some strange noises, but I love it and I would not change it.

Keep hunting,

Adi

 

[David]

Very good report Adi and thanks for filling us in on more of what the situation is like in Romania, interesting! The penelties of 5 years in jail is much, much to harsh for keeping archeological finds. But you should be able to keep gold nuggets if you find them though. Do your research to find places to go. If you can yes you should come for a holiday to Australia or North America, or immigrate permanently. If you have European Union passport you can go to other countries in Europe as well.

In Bulgaria they make the very popular Detech SEF butterfly coils and Detech also makes Pulse Indiction metal detectors with the 40" x 40" PVC pipe coil also.

Yes you have the best coil for the best depth on coins in higher minerals with the 10.5" MF DD. I do hope you find one that works for you.

 

[adriancraiovan]

Yes David, I can go to other countries in EU but in the most countries you need to have local authorization for metal detecting. I think France is open... but not shore...
As for the gold... In Romania apparently is allot of gold in rivers, in the form of fine flakes... but it is strange why the people are not doing something to get it as in the old days. Romania was No 1 in the world in the old days in gold production for hundreds of years.
I think it is some law that restricts the particular mining (did not find it yet). I will improvise a sluice box and try to see in an unprotected area if it is gold in one river by panning.
Nuggets are hard to find... there are few reports of finding nuggets in Romania... but never know.
Maybe I will come in holiday in Australia to hunt and we will meet.
My coil is working... still some sensitivity if I bump in to something with it but important is that it is working. Yesterday I found an 1867 coin in pretty god shape. (copper coin)

God luck hunting!

Adi

 

[TURNMASTER]

Adi, do not forget that most of the Gold in the rivers came from the land. That means that there is a lot of Gold that is not in a river.

 

[TomboyDgr]

Hi! You mentioned the Christian forum on here in a thread I started (I think). Could you give me a link? Can't seem to find it around here.

Thanks!

 

[TURNMASTER]

Go to the forum index, it is the 24th forum down.

Jeff