F75 LTD PROBLEMS

[etechdigger]

I got up this morning at 5:00 a.m. to beat the heat. We are coming off a pretty bad dry spell her in middle east TN. with a couple weeks of good rain. I had been detecting for about an hour when my F75 LTD laid down on me. I had just got through digging a coin when I stood back up an noticed there was no sound in my headphones. If you use the F75 then you are aware that quiet is not the norm. The only display that it had was the battery level. I turned it off then on again but no change. I performed a factory reset but no help. I did notice that when you pull the trigger to put it in pin point mode it will give you an audio and visual signal, but when you release the trigger it goes quiet again and will not detect anything. I swapped out the coil and changed the batteries with no help.Unless the metal detector fairy comes and fixes it tonight I guess I will have to get an RA and send it back to Fisher. I have another machine to use but going back to my 1265X will be taking a step back in time.

 

[jim tn]

Fortunately, I've not had that happen with mine, thus your having done about everything I would have suggested I can't be of any help. You swapped out coils, so not in the connection, seemingly. Weather wise, any rain around has missed us right here in the Memphis area this past week. We are getting real dry right here again and not to far away ground is dry as a bone and tough digging. I am curious to know what the problem is. Let us know when you find out. HH jim tn

 

[Elton]

Please let us know what caused the problem .

 

[Barney II]

Hi, I had the same thing happen this pm----something in the air???---lol I changed batteries, found one that just went dead--a new one but dead just the same. I also did a complete restart and everything is back to normal----hope that is what you have-----Don

 

[squirrel1]

Etech digger where exactly do you live. I live about 30 miles west of cookeville.

 

[etechdigger]

Well here is an update on the F75. Yesterday I took it out of the closet several times and turned it on and noted no change, just the same silent detector telling me that it had good batteries in it. Well I located the original box to pack it up and send it in. But I thought that I would try and turn it on one more time. Yea you guessed it, on it came on with all its glorious noise chirps and beeps. I went out in the yard an used it for about half an hour and now its working fine. I guess it had a brain fart I don't know. Before retiring a couple of years ago I serviced consumer electronics for 30 years and believe me I have heard my share of crazy customer stories about their equipments quirky problems that you can never duplicate. To those people I would now like to apologize.

Confused in Chattanooga

 

[jim tn]

Great that it is back to working. Hope no future problems. Didn't by chance get it wet some how? Just a thought that it may have been and dried out???? Good luck down the road. HH jim tn

 

[Elton]

and be sure the Batteries are Quality ones ..Not all batteries are the same size.......... I'm sure this wasn't the issue, but just an in case mention..

 

[WV62]

If you ever figure out what the problem was, let us know.

Congrats,

Ron in WV

 

[etechdigger]

Actually when the problem initially happened my first thought was that the coil being wet was the problem. But as soon as I returned home I hooked up the 5 inch coil that was high and dry on the closet shelf and it made no difference. The batteries were new Duracell's and I even checked those with my meter and they were all 1.7 volts each. And the springs in the battery compartment had plenty of length and held the batteries snug. I also always use the enviro. covers on the F75 so the control box didn't get wet. I appreciate all your suggestions, its working now just hope it stays that way.

 

[pasttom]

Sounds like you did all the right things. With a glitch like that, I don't know if it helps but I roll the batteries with my finger in case a bit of grit may be holding the connection open and I would try a second set of new batteries before I sent it in to Felix and Co. All with fervent prayer, of course!
I am ever so grateful I haven't had to send my babies to the hospital more than a one time trip for the ID Edge that was goofy on arrival.
Tom

 

[Ed in SoDak]

Speaking of Consumer Complaints, my wife is an expert at noticing some odd behavior in our car or other thing she seldom uses. I do most the driving, while she might take the car somewhere once a month if that. She'll return and report the brakes are weak or the clutch is slipping or she smells something, and I can never track it down to a specific problem. Meanwhile, I think it runs great.

Your F75 problem sounds like one for the Journal of Irreproducible Results. You mentioned always using an eviro-cover. They may stop some water drops, but they're not moisture-proof. I wonder if it trapped humidity inside it, which took longer to dry out because the cover remained in place.

Another possible explanation might be if the ambient temps and humidity changed radically at some point. If the brain box were warm from the sun then cooled relatively quickly, it might draw in moisture as the air trapped inside it contracted, making a small, temporary vacuum. I know it can happen to coils, so it's possible for a brain box with cover to suck in some moist air.

LCD displays have a known temp range. Too cold, they get sluggish, too warm, they fade out for awhile. Capacitors and transistors also have a specified operating range. The old transistor radio I keep on the patio always needs retuning when the sun hits it and again when shade moves in. You might be surprised how many flat-panel TV's are being dumpstered these days that are rescued by a radio hobbyist who only needs to replace a few caps to get it going again. So, some marginal capacitor or other part might be the culprit in your unit.

If it happens again, maybe you'll notice if one or another of those issues might come into play and help you spot a trend.

-Ed

 

[jmann]

This may sound stupid but i noticed the other day when i went out with my at pro that the airconditioning in the house had gotten the detector cool and when i got out in this record heat in bama the screen fogged over. So moisture can still be a possibility?

 

[Coilfisher]

Don't know about the visual, but I have another brand of detector that if your headphones have a Stereo/Mono switch---the detector audio will not respond through the headphones if it is switched to Mono.