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T2 Classic Setting Knob Acting Up?

F

Fish N Chips

New member
I have noticed the settings knob on my T2 has been acting up the last few days. It seems to do it more when the unit is cold, than when inside at room temp. It has been 30-45 degrees outside, which is well within the operating temp of the unit. When I change the settings the numbers do not move fluidly, it stalls on numbers, jumps forwards and backwards, and skips numbers. A very slow turn seems to do better, but the issue is still noticeable. I have not had an issue getting it set, it just takes a bit longer playing with the dial to get to the numbers I want. The unit works and detects fine after setup. My unit is barely 3 months old which worries me some. I emailed Teknetics to see if there was a simple fix or if it was necessary to clean the turn pot? Has anyone else experienced this? I would hate to have to send it in if it is a simple fix. I am sure I am just a bit worried as the unit is still so new. I have never used it in the rain, so do not think moisture is an issue. I also keep the rain cover on it while hunting to keep dirt out of the knobs and protect the screen from scratches. Hopefully it is not the sign of a serious issue.

Thanks!
 
I set the unit by the stove and warmed it up, it worked perfectly. I took it back outdoors and as soon as it got cold the issue started to re-surface. Odd, I will let it sit by the stove overnight in case it is a condensation issue with the temp changes. Maybe the cold graphite in the potentiometer is building a condensation layer when it gets cold. Just speculation on my part, but plausible.
 
It's not a potentiometer, it's a rotary encoder. It might fix itself, but probably won't. Not something you can repair yourself, it'll have to go back to the factory for a repair.

This is one of those situations where back at the factory they may not be able to replicate the problem. So make sure they understand that regardless of whether or not they can replicate it, the rotary encoder needs to be replaced, unless they specifically identify and fix some other problem that can cause those same symptoms (for example a load resistor with a cold solder joint).
 
Thanks Mr. Johnson,

I will give it a few days and see if it corrects but the way it is behaving will likely have to send it in. I never had an issue until the weather began to cool down. At least I have my Tesoro as a backup. I have been having a lot of fun with the T2 and hate to be without it for long. Its perfomance is pretty amazing.
 
Double post...
 
I've had mine several years and it always does that in cold weather. Seems like it does it more in the lower numbers like from 10-40 and seems to do better above 40 but its never really been a problem.
 
Thanks Chuck,

I think I will send it in and have it fixed, it worries me waiting around for it to fail further. I looked up rotary encoders and the cold seems to be an issue with them, the cold pulls in moisture and condenses on a poorly sealed unit. It is just an inconvenience right now, but I have some big trips planned coming up and want the unit working top notch.
 
Took the T2se out today.. 36 degrees and I had the same problem. I manual ground balanced and it took a while to get it to 60. I remember on a different T2 I owned, it acted the same way in the cold.
 
My T2 is a about 7 years old and never missed a beat,one thing i did and its not related to the knob issues/problems was to take the knob off and place a very thin 'o' ring on the shaft and then replace the knob,the idea behind this was to give some friction so the knob does not get knocked or turned easily when detecting.Problem solved and also may or may not have stopped moisture getting into the detector.

Hope you get your problem resolved quickly,must admit i have never heard of any major problems with the knobs over the years,but like anything that is either mechanical or electronics they can fail even on say a Rolls Royce.
 
I pulled a return number today and hope to mail it off tomorrow. Hopefully it does not cost too much to ship it. I admit Teknetics and Dave Johnson have been very helpful. It is more of an inconvienence right now but I was advised it could get worse and fail some day, it could take years or days, they do not know. I hate to send it off so early in its life, but hopefully it gets repaired correctly and that is the last of the issue. If it gets fixed and the problem resurfaces I will not be overly pleased. The O ring is a good idea. I did the same thing on my Tesoro detectors and it has really helped keep moisture and dirt out of the turn pots. I will do that to the T2 when I get it back from Teknetics.
 
Chuck, and dougj7. Has the issue ever gotten worse with your T2s, or is just there in the cold. UPS and FedEx want 50 dollars to ship it back with the declared value. The unit is only 2 1/2 month old, I am wondering on giving it some time to see if the issue self corrects, gets worse or fails before sending it back. Not too many shipping locations open due to the holiday right now anyways.
 
Fish N Chips said:
Chuck, and dougj7. Has the issue ever gotten worse with your T2s, or is just there in the cold. UPS and FedEx want 50 dollars to ship it back with the declared value. The unit is only 2 1/2 month old, I am wondering on giving it some time to see if the issue self corrects, gets worse or fails before sending it back. Not too many shipping locations open due to the holiday right now anyways.
Click to expand...

No, it hasn't gotten worse. It just seems to be an issue related to the temperature. As soon as it warms up, it works fine. Same behavior as my previous T2, so I never even considered sending mine in for repairs.
 
Well the decision is made for me. I warmed it up and took it to a local park, within 20 min I was unable to change any of the settings and it was a nice 53 degrees out and sunny. It is headed to the service center on Saturday. I checked into the quotes on USPS and it is a lot cheaper even with insurance. It will be around 28-30 dollars, compared to 48-50 dollars for UPS and FedEx. Darn, I was hopeful but deep down I knew better. Luckily I took my Tesoro Eldorado along and finished up the hunt with it. As the T2 was still working I compared some signals and am definitely not missing signals with either machine in the trash, although the T2 is deeper in the more open sections of the park. I look forward to getting it repaired and getting back to hunting with it. I already have some O rings to put under the knob when it comes back.
 
it hasn't gotten any worse and I've had mine for several years. the only settings I change are the disc. and tones and it does it on both but works fine once I get them set.
 
It went off today, even USPS ran me 45 dollars with all the add-ons (insurance, certified, ect.) that Teknetics recommends, ouch. At least I did not have to drive 30 miles to drop it off. I look forward to getting it fixed, returned and get back to hunting with it. I am glad I have more than one detector for situations like this. For all the T2s out there, I do not read of too many issues with them. I am sure it was just a fluke thing that surfaced when it finally got cold here. I am going to put an O ring under the knob like Mega suggested, hopefully that will help seal the encoder a bit more.
 
Looks like I'm going to have to send mine in. My problem is the push button to change the settings. It doesn't work so I can only hunt in factory pre-set and 1 tone and 10 disc. means I have to constantly watch the screen for a good number. I tried bringing it in to see if the warmer temperatures made a difference but it didn't help.
 
Mine was under warranty so it just cost shipping to Teknetics. They replaced the knob, put in a new moisture pack and changed out the screen due to some minor scratches (they did this on their own and was not part of the issue). Great service and I have not had an issue with the machine since the repair.
 
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