Question for Edge users

[histryhuntr]

Hello, all. This is my first post on the forum. I have been lurking -and learning- here for over a year.
I received a new ID Edge this past November just before Thanksgiving after reading comments and Bill Ladd's review on this forum. I had to return it for service just after Christmas. Almost all the buttons on the touch-pad stopped working. I was also having a problem with false signals. These signals were caused by the cord for my headphones bumping against the control box. This is very annoying because the cord taps the box at the end of every swing. Even a very light tap with my fingertip will cause this to happen. Each tap causes a progressively higher reading on the LCD and corresponding higher tone. The only way I am able to stop it is to wrap the headphone cord around the shaft in such a manner that it takes up some of the slack in the cord and helps to stop the cord from swinging. This works for a while, but after squatting and digging the cord invariably ends up with a little slack in it again and here go the false signals. I've even toyed with the idea of taping or tie wrapping the headphone cord to the shaft or the control box to stop the problem. If the headphone jack were on the face of the control box I don't think I'd have a problem.
I noted this problem on my repair request to Fisher when I sent it back for the touch-pad problem. It seems like it may be a little better than when I sent it in. So I'm forced to wonder if this problem is unique to my machine, or do some of you other Edge users have the same problem? It seems that it would have been easy for Fisher to test after their keypad fix and find it still malfunctioned.
Thanks in advance for any help or advice you folks can offer!

 

[Oak]

n/t

 

[deerman]

the touch pads do go out from time to time on mine I've had to get it replaced twice in 3plus years that i've had the edge but i use mine ALOT 3 to 4 times a week so thats alot of buttons being pushed as i get about 15.00 a week in clad alone sometimes more plus all the other junk targets along with the things i find in the water wading,As for the headphones making the detector false i found that it was the jack moving in the plkug that was the cause of mine doing the same thing i just used the suppled velcro strap and wrapped it around both the coil wire and the headphone cord leaving just a small half loop of slack so i don't move the plug

 

[histryhuntr]

It does false with the headphones unplugged. I just tried it.
If I tap just under the left battery compartment door, it'll false every time. The left side being the operators left as you are sweeping with the detector. I've been doing better by looping the headphone cable around the shaft and coming back over on the right side of the control box. I'll try using the strap to keep it from breaking loose and swinging around. False signals read around 16 and then ramp up every time until it hits 20 where it stays until it calms down again. The keypad problem is good now, but the false signals drive me NUTS! I hope I'm not looking at future keypad problems again, too.
It must just be my detector or surely someone else would have posted about it by now.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Jackpine Savage]

Yes it is a problem with some of the ID Edge's. I have seen it on two different machines and have heard of it from others. I never had a problem with the headphone cord hitting the case but a tap in the area you mentioned will cause them to sound off. It does not have an adverse effect on the detectors operation. Could be its a capacitance problem with some internal component

Tom

 

[Keith Southern]

Its because of a capacitor right at the back is close to the wall of the box and theres no shielding inside the box.I put a piece of aluminum inside mine that wraps around the sides sort of like a box inside a box.I made it on a metal bender works great no falsing.plus you can run the power wide open no falsing from electrical problems.

It took me a few tries to get it right the typical foil type shield wont do it it takes a 1/16 inch aluminum to stop it.but once its done it sweet.

It used to drive me crazy from falsing when i had a jacket on it would false when the corner of my jacket hit the side of the box on ever swing or the headphone cord.

I told the designer about it but I think he thought I was crazy.

hope this helps. I can probably send you a shield you can install it your self I'll just have to work it out on the bender.


Keith Southern

 

[Mr.Bill]

I have Prototype #1, and I just tried this tap - false beep thing out. If I put my finger right below the battery, I get a response out of the unit. No one has noticed that, at least I didn't, and this unit was hand built up by the designed himself.

From what I am reading about yours, you may have a different problem. I can tap all over my unit, and I receive no noise except what I mentioned. I would send it in to Fisher, explaining your problem, ask them to correct it.

 

[histryhuntr]

Thanks to all for your help.
Mr. Bill, I can tap anywhere on my unit with no problem too, except right around the left battery. I sent it back for the keypad freeze up thing and the falsing problem and got it back still with falsing. What you, Jackpine, and Keith say about your units makes me believe that it's a problem with all Edges. Mine is tolerable now with the headphone cord tied to the upper shaft to prevent it's swinging.
I believe I'm going to call Felix again and speak with him about the problem to see if it's fixable by Fisher, or if I need to take Keith's idea and apply to my unit. This is the beginning of detecting season for me here in SC and I hate to send it back now if it's still usable and not likely to be improved much by Fishers fix.
On another note, I found some really cool stuff Sunday that I'll post some pics of when I get them downloaded.
Thanks again! Y'all seem like a really good group of guys.

Tommy