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Sand in coil.

C

cybernate

New member
Hi all, I have not had a lot of opportunity to use my detector it was recently serviced and I just got it back. I've been having an issue when I detect at the beach after getting home and rinsing the detector off I found that a lot of sand has been accumulating between the coil plates. I do not have a coil cover, but this is a concern because if sand is getting in I can only imagine that salt water maybe getting in side the coil as well. I have had the same issue with another Minelab coil the n e l 15 inch attack coil. Just wondering if this is a common problem, I believe I saw a thread with sand getting in between the coil and coil cover. Just wondering how people are getting around this or if there is a recommended fix.
 
You lost me....... you said you DONT have a coil cover........ then it appears thats where the sand and water is accumulating? Best fix .... clean after each hunt because it can affect the GB and noise you hear. Some run with out a coil cover and use marine epoxy on the coil, some use silicon in the cover which fills in the gaps, some just use it on the edge... which really doesnt work very well. Personally, i wouldnt recommend running without a cover. It could affect the warrant. I run marine epoxy on the OUTSIDE of my cover because id burn thru a cover in about 6 mos...... so id likely damage a coil as well.... and there are no replacements or covers. They are a pain to get off ...... i use a beer opener. Its the moving sand thats the problem..... not the sand in the cross members per sa since it moves WITH the coil.
 
Hi dewconn4414, that is Correct, I do not have a coil cover. I will try the epoxy to see if that helps resolve the problem. It seems like there is not a good seal where the top and bottom coil come together, and quite a bit of sand accumulates between the coil. I rinse my detector off after each beach hunt, but if I hold the detector upside down, or tap the coil, alot of sand comes out.
 
Can you post a picture of where the top and bottom coil come together and where the sand accumulates?
 
cybernate said:
Hi dewconn4414, that is Correct, I do not have a coil cover. I will try the epoxy to see if that helps resolve the problem. It seems like there is not a good seal where the top and bottom coil come together, and quite a bit of sand accumulates between the coil. I rinse my detector off after each beach hunt, but if I hold the detector upside down, or tap the coil, alot of sand comes out.
Click to expand...

News flash! YOU HAVE A COIL COVER and it comes pre-installed. Just grab the bottom lip of the coil and start peeling it down. it comes off. There is no such thing as a "top and bottom coil" There is only a coil and the bottom skid plate that comes with it.
 
I have been detecting for way too many years and have never seen a 2 piece coil that isn't a coil + skid plate combo out of the box. Epoxy separation issues outstanding, I can't picture this so a photo would be nice.
 
I saw this post early this morning and thought I was just groggy. I could not figure out the question. I was left thinking there has to be a coil cover on there. By the way mine comes off easy.
 
Those things are a bear to get off....even the cross overs are tightly clipped. ...unlike the CTX.
 
My coil cover comes off with no special effort. You won't get anything 'inside' the coil itself its solid epoxy. I beach hunt without a coil cover precisely because once you get salt water and some sand between the coil cover and coil it makes the machine unstable. If I get some sand on/stuck up under the coil I just dunk it in the ocean and I'm good to go. I do hover my coil just above the sand I don't drag it across the sand and don't hunt the dry sand just went sand.
 
cybernate said:
Hi all, I have not had a lot of opportunity to use my detector it was recently serviced and I just got it back. I've been having an issue when I detect at the beach after getting home and rinsing the detector off I found that a lot of sand has been accumulating between the coil plates. I do not have a coil cover, but this is a concern because if sand is getting in I can only imagine that salt water maybe getting in side the coil as well. I have had the same issue with another Minelab coil the n e l 15 inch attack coil. Just wondering if this is a common problem, I believe I saw a thread with sand getting in between the coil and coil cover. Just wondering how people are getting around this or if there is a recommended fix.
Click to expand...

First off, the Minelab Equinox coil is a horrible design for holding sand. I threw my coil cover aside. Then TWO steps. 1. Fill ALL the empty voids with Shoe Goo. 2. Apply two coats of Marine Epoxy to the bottom of the coil. Your coil is now battle ready, NEVER to false because of sand/dirt build-up. Email me if you want a picture.
 
Thanks for all the replies much appreciated. I will try removing coil cover when I get home. I had no idea the coil cover was preinstalled. I have the same issue with my attack coil on my Sovereign GT.
Thanks everyone.
 
Hello everyone, So I checked this morning, and yes A large amount of sand is collecting Inside the coil cover. There is alot of nooks and crannies for sand to collect, so I rinsed it off, and will try some of your suggestions.

Thanks
 
For those who want to modify their coil by filling in the coil shell cavities with epoxy, but without adding a lot of weight to the coil here's a tip, mix in hollow glass microspheres. Its likely Minelab didn't fill the shell cavities to keep the coil weight to a minimum, Epoxy is HEAVY. Microspheres are tiny glass spheres filled with air, when mixed with epoxy they significantly reduce weight. When a few of us were building coils for the Explorers years ago we potted the entire coil with an epoxy/microsphere mix to create ultra-light coils.

You can read about microspheres here https://www.christinedemerchant.com/filler-micro-balloons.html
 
Charles, some folks on this forum use Shoe Goo, two layers then a top coat of something else.

Have you ever use Shoe Goo?
 
Charles (Upstate NY) said:
For those who want to modify their coil by filling in the coil shell cavities with epoxy, but without adding a lot of weight to the coil here's a tip, mix in hollow glass microspheres. Its likely Minelab didn't fill the shell cavities to keep the coil weight to a minimum, Epoxy is HEAVY. Microspheres are tiny glass spheres filled with air, when mixed with epoxy they significantly reduce weight. When a few of us were building coils for the Explorers years ago we potted the entire coil with an epoxy/microsphere mix to create ultra-light coils.

You can read about microspheres here https://www.christinedemerchant.com/filler-micro-balloons.html
Click to expand...

Charles, I will say that is some interesting stuff right there. No doubt thinking out of the box. However I filled my voids with shoe goo and did the coil part with marine epoxy. If one weighs the coil cover there is little difference in what I did to the coil. Just not enough voids to fill to cause a weight difference. Dave
 
Midalake, should I purchase a 1 oz tube or will I need more then that amount of Shoe Goo?

Tony
 
BigTony said:
Charles, some folks on this forum use Shoe Goo, two layers then a top coat of something else.

Have you ever use Shoe Goo?
Click to expand...

Epoxy would be tougher, Shoe Goo is synthetic rubber. Shoe Goo is toxic as hell make sure to use that stuff outside. Both likely weigh about the same. I may fill in the coil shell cavities but I'll use microspheres to avoid adding unnecessary weight. Because of the extreme leverage the coil weight has way out on the end of the shaft, even small amounts can be felt. Heck if I can get rid of the coil cover, fill in the voids and end up with an even lighter coil awesome.
 
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