We've been froze up here in <IMG SRC="/metal/html/canada.jpg" BORDER=0 width=34 height=17 ALT="c~"> for waaaay too long now. As for the contests, well I've been pretty lucky in winning three times. I've received two prizes from Minelab thus far. The second got lost somewhere in the shuffle but I didn't persue it as I'd already won a new rechargeable battery pack. I didn't persue the third either until several others made mention on the forum about their missing prizes. I resubmitted and was promptly contacted by Chrissy at Minelab. The coil arrived within a week to a US address I provided them. UPS happened to deliver it to the house next door... but that's UPS <img src="/metal/html/grin.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":grin"> As you can see in the pic... it's all set up and itchin to get dirty.
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Yea.. that's duct tape the home handymans salvation! See this detector was used when I bought it 4 years ago. I knew at the time that the cam was cracked. I knew the whole time I leaned on it to get my fat arse up from digging up a barber dime or quarter that it was cracked. I knew every time I pushed bushes aside or swung at a spider sitting at face level that it was cracked but it held up. This past fall, it got worse and finally the cam broke off in my hand as I monkeyed with it. But several layers of duct tape and back into the bush I went. And the duct tape was there when I unearthed the War of 1812 musket cock that won me the 8 inch coil.
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<img src="/metal/html/grin.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":grin"> Now I wouldn't have expected Minelab to fix it [since I bought it used and with no warranty card], but had I sent it in, I'm sure they would have. Now I'm no gun-owner but I will use their now famous expression...
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<img src="/metal/html/biggrin.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt="

"> <b>You can have it when you pry it from my cold dead hands...</b> <img src="/metal/html/biggrin.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt="

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It still works and I wouldn't use another brand if ya gift wrapped it and paid me to use it. My detecting time is far too valuable a commodity lately. I may even shake down the wifey for enough cash to buy a new one.... <img src="/metal/html/lol.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":lol">
So... broke or no broke it's the best thing in this relic environment since sliced bread and I can't wait for this season to start so I can snag what I missed with the stock coil using my new small coil. You'd have to hunt where I hunt to know the abuse this machines taken and the treats it's uncovered... <img src="/metal/html/super.gif" border=0 width=26 height=28 alt=":super">
Just my 2 Canuck cents worth... I guess that's about $0.0001 cents US <img src="/metal/html/tongue.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":b">
HH
Tom
PS I sure hope you and the Guv work this out Chris.. you've provided a lot of great input on here.