Help! new machine.....

[cudawantd]

I just received my ATMax yesterday. I've had a Radio Shack "toy" for 20 years, but this is my first time swinging a "real" detector. I'm sooo confused about the numbers and noise coming from the machine. I've watched hours of videos and read the instruction book. I'm used to beep-dig, beep-dig. Now, I've got beep, crackle, swing, 70, beep, 99, crackle, 70, beep, swing, crackle, 99, 85, beep, 70, 99-I'm in coin mode with ground balanced, and in a place already detected years ago. What do I dig? the beeps? the numbers? Is my machine faulty? As soon as I turn it on and pointing it in the air, it is showing 75,80,35,90,77, the numbers don't stop nor does the beeping and crackling. I am so confused. I'm used to no cheater screen- If it beeps-I dig type of machine.

 

[fematrailer]

I just received my ATMax yesterday. I've had a Radio Shack "toy" for 20 years, but this is my first time swinging a "real" detector. I'm sooo confused about the numbers and noise coming from the machine. I've watched hours of videos and read the instruction book. I'm used to beep-dig, beep-dig. Now, I've got beep, crackle, swing, 70, beep, 99, crackle, 70, beep, swing, crackle, 99, 85, beep, 70, 99-I'm in coin mode with ground balanced, and in a place already detected years ago. What do I dig? the beeps? the numbers? Is my machine faulty? As soon as I turn it on and pointing it in the air, it is showing 75,80,35,90,77, the numbers don't stop nor does the beeping and crackling. I am so confused. I'm used to no cheater screen- If it beeps-I dig type of machine.

Try putting it in Pro mode custom and notch out just a few things. I don't know if this machine is like my AT-Pro but I suspect it is. It's quieter in Pro mode and you can reduce the iron. Just push iron up to 35 and you won't hear it anymore

 

[fematrailer]

I just received my ATMax yesterday. I've had a Radio Shack "toy" for 20 years, but this is my first time swinging a "real" detector. I'm sooo confused about the numbers and noise coming from the machine. I've watched hours of videos and read the instruction book. I'm used to beep-dig, beep-dig. Now, I've got beep, crackle, swing, 70, beep, 99, crackle, 70, beep, swing, crackle, 99, 85, beep, 70, 99-I'm in coin mode with ground balanced, and in a place already detected years ago. What do I dig? the beeps? the numbers? Is my machine faulty? As soon as I turn it on and pointing it in the air, it is showing 75,80,35,90,77, the numbers don't stop nor does the beeping and crackling. I am so confused. I'm used to no cheater screen- If it beeps-I dig type of machine.

Really you don't have to Notch out anything I just leave mine in Pro Custom and turn the iron up and it's quiet until it hits something. Relax and Hunt. It's a great machine and you will enjoy it. Just take some time with it. You can also call Garrett and they're great with walking you through things.

 

[KindManTall]

Noise in the air Do you have the coil all the way on .. Wiggle and turn it in more .. Wiggle and turn in more
Are in the house EMI issue
Pro mode .. iron notch to 45 .. sentitivity down 2 notches .. Thresh hold -3

 

[cudawantd]

Noise in the air Do you have the coil all the way on .. Wiggle and turn it in more .. Wiggle and turn in more
Are in the house EMI issue
Pro mode .. iron notch to 45 .. sentitivity down 2 notches .. Thresh hold -3

I was outside when I turned it on. The coil connection is as tight as I can get it without using a tool to tighten it. Pro mode?? My ATMax has: all metal, custom, coins, and zero. I was on COINS and sensitivity was down 1 notch. I was not using the headphones, so I turned the volume down to 1 and it was still loud enough for all the neighbors to wonder what all the screeching and beeping was. Then I turned the volume off completely and just watched the numbers, that changed every second, never getting the same number in the same place. I dug 3 or 4 times when it was at 80-85-99, (the people in the videos always say it was an 85 for silver coins). Of the 4 digs, I got a 1/2" copper pipe 6 inches long, an old rusty nail, a hunk of 1/2" metal about 3 inches long, and a little tiny piece of an unknown metal. Was not the coins I was expecting being an 80-99 reading.

 

[KindManTall]

Well first you need to find why it doing the VDI bounce in the air .. mode will not matter .. Try cleaning the coil cover .. Just a piece like a staple will cause the issue .. Could be still EMI .. There is a couple parks I go to .. It does not matter what detector I have can not go to one corner . Make sure the coil wire is snug along the rods ..Go up atleast half the lower rod before you start the winding of the coil wire.

 

[cudawantd]

Well first you need to find why it doing the VDI bounce in the air .. mode will not matter .. Try cleaning the coil cover .. Just a piece like a staple will cause the issue .. Could be still EMI .. There is a couple parks I go to .. It does not matter what detector I have can not go to one corner . Make sure the coil wire is snug along the rods ..Go up atleast half the lower rod before you start the winding of the coil wire.

Coil was new straight from the box. Then I put the cover on it. No staples in the box or the room I was in to assemble it. The cord is wound on the tube all the up to the head. I will try unwinding it on the lower tube. It did look like maybe a protective plastic was on the coil, but I didn't take it off. It was pouring rain here today, but tomorrow I will try again and I can video what it is doing and take a pic of the settings it is on.

 

[cudawantd]

By the way, what are the WDI and EMI??? ?? and electromagnetic Interference?

 

[Monkeys Uncle]

Try placing a cpl of coins and maybe a pull tab on top of the ground about 12" apart and see what the machine does.

 

[KindManTall]

VDI is the Visual numbers
EMI is the Electro Magnetic Interference .. cell phone .. WIFI .. power lines .. transformer ..
Sorta looking like a bad coil .. Do you have any buddies with a AT detector .. AT Pro ..AT Gold .. AT Max to try there coil on your detector

 

[cudawantd]

Try placing a cpl of coins and maybe a pull tab on top of the ground about 12" apart and see what the machine does.

Yes I will try that tomorrow

 

[cudawantd]

VDI is the Visual numbers
EMI is the Electro Magnetic Interference .. cell phone .. WIFI .. power lines .. transformer ..
Sorta looking like a bad coil .. Do you have any buddies with a AT detector .. AT Pro ..AT Gold .. AT Max to try there coil on your detector

no one, I need a buddy!! --- and I presume all the clubs near me are not meeting because of Covid-19. I wouldn't have this machine if there was no virus!!! I just took it in the back yard and recorded about a minute's worth of video, it bounced around 60's chirping and cracking. I don't want to watch the screen. I'll have to read the book again--obviously I didn't understand what I was reading.

 

[RLOH]

no one, I need a buddy!! --- and I presume all the clubs near me are not meeting because of Covid-19. I wouldn't have this machine if there was no virus!!! I just took it in the back yard and recorded about a minute's worth of video, it bounced around 60's chirping and cracking. I don't want to watch the screen. I'll have to read the book again--obviously I didn't understand what I was reading.

It sounds like you are getting a good dose of emi. If I was a betting man, I would guess that there is an underground dog fence near you. There are more of these fences than you think. Try taking the detector to another spot like a school or park.

 

[cudawantd]

It sounds like you are getting a good dose of emi. If I was a betting man, I would guess that there is an underground dog fence near you. There are more of these fences than you think. Try taking the detector to another spot like a school or park.

haha, I do have a wireless fence, but it runs on radiofrequency, not an underground wire. Could it be that? No neighbors have an underground fence. I've lived in this house since 1969. I did another try outside and the numbers are all over the place, either the yard is loaded with little bits of metal or something isn't right. I dug one spot and pulled out half of a tootsie car, another spot was just a big hole of nothing. I did the bench test and recorded all the numbers on all the current coins and a modern pull tab, a big fat washer, and then the whole aluminum can. The problem was I got 10 different numbers on the can. shouldn't I get one number every time?? I got 85,77,63,85,67,86,82,83,64,75-WTH?

 

[cudawantd]

I unplugged the electric wireless fence and took the detector outside again. I didn't look at the screen this time, (though it was still bouncing numbers around) I only listened for the beeps. When I got a tone that sounded different, then I looked at the screen and if it was higher than 70's I dug it up. First, I found about a 5" x 7" heavy 1/8 inch thick piece of metal plate about 6 inches down, not rusty at all--stainless steel I guess? Then, I found a 2-inch diameter copper pipe about 3 feet long then filled in the hole and got another signal 6 inches away and it was the same thing! another 2-inch diameter all copper pipe, this time about 2 foot long about 4 inches down. I think I just need to get used to having a screen that tells me what it might be and how deep. My old detector only had a needle gauge and I don't think I ever even looked at it--I had always just used it to find anything metal and if I heard a beep I would dig it up (beep dig, beep dig). Thanks for everyone's help, maybe I'll become a pro like you guys one day and help other newbies. And the school suggestion sounds great, now that school is closed and no one is there...