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Makro Racer issues I'm experiencing

K

kammerer1

New member
A little over a month ago I bought a Makro Racer, and I've experienced several issues with the machine and stock coil. Reading through the posts here it looks as though several others have experienced similar problems.

First, I have noticed my machine seems hyper sensitive in areas with any EMI interference. I'm talking constant chatter even with the gain turned down below 10. These are in areas that my F19 and Minelab ctx have no problem hunting, with the sensitivity turned down just a little bit.

Second issue, my Racer either starts out in overload or quickly goes into overload when I turn on my machine. This issue seems to be resolved if I switch over to beach mode, and then go back to two tone or three tone. I've experienced this issue only when using the stock coil, under normal soil and temperature conditions.

Finally, my racer instantly starts giving me chatter when I turn on my pin pointer (Minelab Profit 25). Up to 4 or 5 ft away, the machine beeps eratically when my pin pointer is on. I've tried switching the frequency channel, and channel 4 seems to be the most stable, but feedback still occurs.

I've contacted Makro, and after shooting a video showing these issues they have agreed to send me a new stock coil.

I'm wondering, how many others have experienced these issues? If you were sent a new stock coil did it fix the problems I've described? Has anyone experienced the feedback issue with their pin pointer? Makro ' s explanation is that it is the pin pointer not the machine causing that issue. I've never experienced this with any other machine, and I've used my minelab pin pointer with Fisher, Garret, bounty hunter, and several Minelab models.

I'm truly not trying to bag on Makro or the Racer. I'm just trying to figure out if the issues are all from a bad stock coil, or the machine itself.

Any comments, suggestions, or other feedback would be much apppreciated. I'm hoping the new coil will correct the issues.

Thank you
 
Overload problem: I've been experiencing this problem on the beach with the 9x11 coil and agree that switching to beach mode solves the problem. I tried removing the coil cover thinking that sand buildup inside the cover might be causing the problem. However, that didn't seem to help. Just purchased the 5x10 coil but haven't had a chance to test it on the beach yet.

EMI - I agree with your comment about the Racer being more sensitive to EMI than the F19 (at least at the beach).
 
I would bet it is the coil..i can run my sensitivty at max in 3 tone and about 90-95 in 2 tone and it is super quiet!!and i have no overload problems either..good luck ..i think the new coil will fix it!!
 
High Gain machines have high gain of all signals received, good or bad. But yeah, sound like it's a little off. Likely coil.
 
My Racer seems very EMI prone when at home with the coil in the air but I haven't had any EMI issues out in the field. The Racer has very high gain and can be ran with the gain turned way down. A gain setting of 01 will still get 4" - 5" depth. The pin pointer issue is exactly that, the pin pointer is running too close to the same frequency as the Racer. This can happen with almost any detector and pin pointer combination. I use the Garrett Pro Pointer and have no issues.
 
Hey your back hahahaha! Anyway I think the coil will fix the problem, but as for the Profind it runs at 12 kHz just like the Garretts...I have used my original Propointer and the Carrot with no issues like you are having with the Profind.....so not being the frequency I am not sure what it could be....have you tried shifting the freqency on the Racer for the Profind problem?
 
ive never used the profind before but the x pointer makes the etrac go absolutely crazy..i use the garrett carrot as well and no issues at all..
 
interference from the pro find makes me think coil was bad as well. hope it works out.
 
No cracked coil ears would not affect it but he does have the coil from the bad batch with the thin ears and the same batch is becoming notorious for overload issues.
 
I used to get very similar instabilities on another brand of detector. It had a similar coil connections and sometimes I did not get the connector fully seated even thought I could still screw the retainer nut on. To fix it I would unscrew it, push down on the connector, re-tighten and everything would be okay. But if that isn't the problem it does sound like a bad coil.
 
There seem to be a couple of overload issues relating to the coil.

1) In cold weather, the machine upon power on will go into overload. It's not possible to make any changes on the controls, it's simply stuck in overload. This issue is typically remedied by removing the coil cover, and doesn't occur in warmer weather.

2) The overload issue in non-cold weather that's resolvable by switching to beach mode and then back - this seems to be some kind of bu, or possible coil issue, whereas issue #1 appears to be something odd with the coil cover.

Regarding EMI, I've only noticed one spot that I always seem to get EMI at (which oddly hasn't affected my other machines, including the ultra hyper F75). I've hunted around San Francisco where EMI is natorious for shutting down machines, and didn't have any issues. I run a Garrett Pro Pointer (black model) and it doesn't really cause any issues with the detector (although it made my T2 LTD2 go crazy). Again perhaps it's a flunky coil?

Let us know the results after swapping out the coil. I need to contact them for a coil bolt replacement, I had one of the hollow ones snap in off over the weekend. Seems to be my year for coil breaks as my T2 coil bolt also snapped earlier this year.

HH,
Brian
 
I'm using White's coil bolts. You have to open the holes in the tabs a hair as the White's bolts are larger diameter but the're just about bullet proof. Won't snap and the threads won't strip.
 
I thought about using the Whites coil bolts too. I held off due to the problems with the coil ears breaking on the standard coils and I don't want warranty issues from my drilling out the openings. I looked around at hardware stores for some nylon bolts for spares but no luck. I think a 5/16 x 1.5 inch thread should do. In looking at the bolts on a CoRe they appear to be similar but don't seem to have the problems with being weak. I also like the CoRe wing nut design. I got a replacement bolt and coil. They look the same but hopefully the materials are better. I think Makro just got unlucky with some substandard materials. I think the rest of the machine is really solid. CoRe and Racer for that matter.
 
Hey, thank you all for the feed back, it's much appreciated. I'm fairly confident it's a bad coil, and I'll be sure to let you all know when the new coil arrives. Thanks again.
 
I am having the same problems with mine doing the same thing. I even tried the small 5 inch coil and the 5X10 and they are doing it too but not as bad as the stock coil. This leads me to the conclusion that the Racer is too sensitive in the factory modes so the bigger the coil the more chatter, so I had to lower my gain and raise my disc for it to run decent. My gain is at 50 while my disc is at 50 also as I am more of a coin hunter in trashier places. On just coin hunting I run the 3 tones and in the hunting in trashier site I have to go to 2 tones and I do hear a lot of chatter, but in 2 tones it is easier to hear the good solid signals where 3 tones it is harder to tell the good from the bad, at least for me it is.
I am still waiting for my replacement coil as back in May when I took it to a competition hunt the coil ears broke off just riding in my car to the hunt and only was used about 2 hours total and had to rig up something to use to make it work and did OK with it. I was told the coils were back ordered and that was 6 weeks ago and still no coil yet.
I notice in wide open areas I can run my gain a little higher, but nothing higher than 80 so far.
Even though it is not as good as I thought it would be the price is right and I feel this detector just has a learning curve and the more I use it and the more I understand it the better it will be. Been detecting since 1973 and run into many detectors I didn't like at first, it was because I didn't spend the time to get to know them well and after I did learn them well they were some great detectors. I feel the Makro Racer will be a great detector for me after I use it more and get more experience with it.


Rick
 
The detector manufacturers choose when they design a detector between a conservative default setup and a hot one. A good example is the difference between say the Whites V3i and the Fisher F75 LTD. Both very capable of the same depth but start out completely different in the default setup. The V3i is rock solid stable and you need to make adjustments to get the maximum depth. In doing so the V3i becomes noisy and harder to run without experience. The F75 is just the opposite. Default is very hot making it noisy and unstable, but with better depth, and you can then make adjustments to calm it down and be more stable. If that is what you like.

The Racer is just one of those set factory to be very hot/sensitive making it one of the nosy ones. You make some adjustments to calm it down. The Deus gives you preset choices between easy and stable (Basic 1) and hot and deep but noisy.

I've tested a ton of detectors and my conclusion has been that, in the end, they all pretty much can get the same depth once adjusted as needed for that machine. VLF has hit a depth barrier some 20 years ago and has yet to make any major advancements in that area. A lot of new options to deal with different conditions better which in tern to give more depth in those conditions, but still the same limits in overall depth.

Find a detector in your budget with the options you feel will serve you best and learn that machine and be happy. You'll know when some manufacturer makes that major breakthrough.
 
Southwind, I think you hit the nail on the head. The Racer is indeed setup very hot in the factory presets compared to many other detectors.
 
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