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Need help... E-Trac won't work... acts strange.. lemme 'splain.

jbow

Active member
I decided to take a walk in the woods today with the E-Trac. I put new batteries in the AA holder and tried to turn it on.
It barely gets started, just makes a sort of hybrid clicking/eh sort of sound, no tones, the coil picture starts to swing from the left, swings about 1/2 inch and starts over with the weird sound... over and over. The screen shows and if I turn it to menu, it will flash the menu screen, over and over while making the weird clicking sound.
Then I tried the rechargeable battery pack... same thing. I tried some older batteries (there was another problem I'll mention below)... same thing. Tried a different coil, same thing, no coil, same thing.

About the batteries... I had a brand new pack of AA batteries I got at Publix. In one side, the side with the spring hidden down in the holder, the batteries barely fit... I mean I had to force them. The old Ray-O-Vac AAs I had fit better but I guess that is just a cheap Chinese battery tolerance problem and since the rechargeable pack didn't work either, well IDK if that is the problem).

I can make a video if no one has any idea what is wrong or what to try.

I tried the old slap the control box (not too hard of course) and that changed a couple of things. When I slapped it on the back, the side facing down the shaft I got an Over Voltage message, I slapped the other side and got a flat battery message.
Do you think both battery packs could need cleaning? It was working a few months ago, no problem and it has been kept in a bag. I usually carry it and a T2 with me in the bag but most of the summer it has been in the garage.

I tried holding the power to get to the factory reset but it just stays caught in the loop. If I hold the light button when I try to turn it on it goes back off.

I've never seen anything like this and have no idea what to try but I do have a multimeter and a few skills. IT is wy out of warranty, I got it when the ET first came out and well, Mineab isn't Tosoro!

Thanks for any help.

Juien

PS... Hello, sorry I've been such a stranger lately but a bad back and passing parents will do that. I still went back in the woods behind the house. Found a shot .22 and what looks like a .32, an old kids cowboy holster, and some sort of metal grate like off an old stove or heater... the cat and I had fun!
 
I called Minelab support and left them a message. It is still getting in a loop trying to start though now it is also giving a low beep.. and a message Over Voltage with both battery packs.
This makes me thing either a resistor is open or a capacitor is bad .

Anything?

J
 
I took a chance and opened the control box. On both sides there are plugs with maybe 12 contacts. One was loose. I pushed it back down tight, I noticed another plug in with 5 or 6 contacts came loose, I plugged it back in.
Put the screws back and it works like a champ again. I guess I'll have to be sure to take a screwdriver with me when I got out detecting from now on, just in case. If I find them it loose again it will get a dab of hot glue!
I went ahead and cleaned the contacts on my battery packs while I had it on my mind.

I LOVE my E-TRAC!

Now if I can figure out why these Publix brand batteries wont fit... I guess it's back to Duracell or Ray-O-Vac. I wish we still had those Panasonic batteries. I've never had AAs that were a bit too long. I do now!

I hope this is helpful to someone else sometime... because you KNOW... it is always something!

Happy hunting!

Julien in Cartersville!
 
Glad you got it going. I use enloop rechargeable in my E-Trac. Going strong for 4 years now. Later on I'm buying the Rnb rechargeable.
 
Delta Digger said:
Glad you got it going. I use enloop rechargeable in my E-Trac. Going strong for 4 years now. Later on I'm buying the Rnb rechargeable.

Yeah, been using Eneloop's in all my detectors. Those things REALLY hold a charge for a long time.

Julien - Cool, simple fix!
 
I use the RNB battery in my Explorer or ET and it lasts around 35 or more hours , best thing i have bought for it or them.

Glad you sorted the ET , i thought it might have been the springs in the battery compartment.
 
Nuke em said:
I use the RNB battery in my Explorer or ET and it lasts around 35 or more hours , best thing i have bought for it or them.

Glad you sorted the ET , i thought it might have been the springs in the battery compartment.
+1 on the RNB battery !!! Best single investment ever made for my E-Trac
 
I also love RNB as have one for the Etrac and my White's XL-PRO. The nice thing is I can use the same charger. Now if they would make some type of a 9 volt set-up For my CZ's and Nautilus I would have it made!
 
Kodak brand batteries are also too long. I used to use Energizer AA's alkaline. They lasted a long time. I am now the proud owner of 2 RnB battery packs. One for my Etrac and one for my EXII.
 
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