JohnApthorp
New member
Thanks everyone for your "condolences," suggestions & criticisms of my handling of my AT Pro & AT Gold detectors. I'm posting this message so that other people may be aware of what can happen, how it may be prevented & the possible cause of the problem. Some of you already know this, but if it helps prevent this inconvenience for someone else, then I have done what I believe this forum is all about - helping people with detectors etc.
When you open the box that contains your new AT Pro or AT Gold detectors, remove the control box - the unit with the buttons & LCD display on it. Now turn it over so the display is upside down.
You will notice that there are 2 small mounting lugs protruding from the housing about 3/4 inch long & 1/4 inch wide (approx.) with screw holes in the centre. These are the lugs that will brake off with very little effort if you use the mounting screws supplied by Garrett. (This has now happened twice for me,)
The problem stems from the fact that the 2 screws supplied to mount the control box to the stem, are only as long as the thickness of the stem. (Try it - poke a screw into the small hole on the stem/control arm & you will see that there is only about 1mm of screw protruding through the bottom of the stem.)
That's the problem. The screws don't go into the actual control box far enough & the result is, all the weight of the control box is sitting on the 1mm of mounting lugs that supports the control box. Yes, about 13mm of the screw, screws through the mounting lugs but only about 1mm supports the weight of the control box - the previous 13mm only place the control box in the correct position & when you tighten the screws up tight enough to stop the control box flopping about on the stem, it only takes a small bump or cold weather to snap these plastic lugs off.
The solution. Hold the control box on the stem so that it is in the correct position. Get someone to poke a thin piece if wire (A thin Allen Key is excellent) into the hole & mark the wire at the top of the stem.
DO THIS FOR BOTH HOLES. There was a 2mm difference in my detector.
This measurement now gives you the MAXIMUM length of the mounting screws. I suggest you use a 1 - 2mm smaller screws than your shortest measurement as you don't want the screws to pierce the control box housing. Don't use thicker screws than the ones supplied - you don't want to split the mounting lugs. Take care, if you appear to be using excess force when tightening the screws, back the screws out & clear the threads.
By doing this, I was able to get both machines up & running again.
I hope this helps someone out or prevents the problems that I've had.
J.A.
When you open the box that contains your new AT Pro or AT Gold detectors, remove the control box - the unit with the buttons & LCD display on it. Now turn it over so the display is upside down.
You will notice that there are 2 small mounting lugs protruding from the housing about 3/4 inch long & 1/4 inch wide (approx.) with screw holes in the centre. These are the lugs that will brake off with very little effort if you use the mounting screws supplied by Garrett. (This has now happened twice for me,)
The problem stems from the fact that the 2 screws supplied to mount the control box to the stem, are only as long as the thickness of the stem. (Try it - poke a screw into the small hole on the stem/control arm & you will see that there is only about 1mm of screw protruding through the bottom of the stem.)
That's the problem. The screws don't go into the actual control box far enough & the result is, all the weight of the control box is sitting on the 1mm of mounting lugs that supports the control box. Yes, about 13mm of the screw, screws through the mounting lugs but only about 1mm supports the weight of the control box - the previous 13mm only place the control box in the correct position & when you tighten the screws up tight enough to stop the control box flopping about on the stem, it only takes a small bump or cold weather to snap these plastic lugs off.
The solution. Hold the control box on the stem so that it is in the correct position. Get someone to poke a thin piece if wire (A thin Allen Key is excellent) into the hole & mark the wire at the top of the stem.
DO THIS FOR BOTH HOLES. There was a 2mm difference in my detector.
This measurement now gives you the MAXIMUM length of the mounting screws. I suggest you use a 1 - 2mm smaller screws than your shortest measurement as you don't want the screws to pierce the control box housing. Don't use thicker screws than the ones supplied - you don't want to split the mounting lugs. Take care, if you appear to be using excess force when tightening the screws, back the screws out & clear the threads.
By doing this, I was able to get both machines up & running again.
I hope this helps someone out or prevents the problems that I've had.
J.A.
