Time to Get Repairs :minelab:

[AngelicStorm]

So I have had my CTX 3030 for about two years to the end of February. I have put about 4 months cumulative use into my machine over those two years. It has lasted without any problems whatsoever until right recently.

Here are the things that are wrong with mine.....

1: Lack of Depth
I have a friend who lives in a nearby town. He decided to do a side-by-side field test comparing his two CTX 3030s to mine because of my concerns. Mine maxes out at around a measured 7-8 inches in depth with 8 inch depths being very rare below ground while the other CTX 3030s average
9-12 inches with a few 13 inch depths. These tests were done using wheat pennies, nickels, and dimes using every available setting. No discrimination and discrimination patterns were used. Both battery packs were used for the detectors in the test to rule out the possibility of battery issues (Li Ion Battery packs and supplied spare AA Battery Packs). All tests were done in the same location and all underground depth tests in the same soil conditions. Obvious issue.

2: Micro Fractures around LCD Screen
There are tiny little cracks or fractures all around the very edges of the LCD screen. They appear to be stress fractures.

3: Broken Stand
The stand that sits on the back of the Control Box is broken. It randomly started falling apart about three weeks ago for no apparent reason.

Here are some pictures of the broken stand and the fractures in the screen.

Good thing my Machine has another year and some change worth of warranty.

 

[nagov]

Very interested in what is done/said about the "stress fractures" on the screen edge, also curious as to the outcome of the depth problem and what Minelab does about that one. Not certain if on these computer driven detectors there are adjustments to internal components like on a more analog detector to make adjustments to... IF you haven't sent it in already, check the handle to upper shaft area for wear. The plastic handle will in time wear on the CF upper shaft and carve a groove in the CF which creates wobble between the handle and shaft which in turn cuts the CF more....if yours is like that you may want them to replace parts at the same time.

Cliff

 

[trojdor]

Those might be stress fractures, but I've also seen polycarbonates with that same pattern caused by someone using alcohol to clean the screen. It's called 'crazing'.
Polycarbonates will 'craze' with that same pattern. It also weakens the plastic. If you're using a cleaner with alcohol, you might try something a little milder.

I'm very interested in hearing back what they find about your depth issue. Some folks are reporting that along with 'retuning' the control box, they get a brand new coil.
I'm hearing something about perhaps some early coils not 'talking' to the control box properly?

Good luck and HH,
mike

 

[Mike MD]

Sorry to see this.
The broken stand looks like old deteriorated plastic. Makes me wonder if it's UV resistant.
That's the first time I have seen stress fractures on the screen.
Did you happen to try your buddies coil?

I sent mine back in July because of the wobble, the coil connector separated from the carbon fiber rod, trace amounts of water in the USB connector, and the arm cuff kept sliding.
Everything was fixed except for the cuff. Things really changed once I started water hunting, puts a lot my stress on the detector.
With months left on my warranty I better do a full inspection.

Here's hoping for a quick turn around.

HH
Mike

 

[AngelicStorm]

Very interested in what is done/said about the "stress fractures" on the screen edge, also curious as to the outcome of the depth problem and what Minelab does about that one. Not certain if on these computer driven detectors there are adjustments to internal components like on a more analog detector to make adjustments to... IF you haven't sent it in already, check the handle to upper shaft area for wear. The plastic handle will in time wear on the CF upper shaft and carve a groove in the CF which creates wobble between the handle and shaft which in turn cuts the CF more....if yours is like that you may want them to replace parts at the same time.

Cliff

I hope they fix those fractures or at least confirm it is not a threat in the long run. Not saying the fractures are not a big problem because they might could indeed become a big problem in the future, but the bigger issue in my opinion at the moment is the depth. The lack of depth just means I am probably missing targets, and probably really nice targets.
After checking the upper shaft for wear, there are no obvious wobble or issues there. I will note that I want them to inspect the entire detector for underlying problems though.

Those might be stress fractures, but I've also seen polycarbonates with that same pattern caused by someone using alcohol to clean the screen. It's called 'crazing'.
Polycarbonates will 'craze' with that same pattern. It also weakens the plastic. If you're using a cleaner with alcohol, you might try something a little milder.

I'm very interested in hearing back what they find about your depth issue. Some folks are reporting that along with 'retuning' the control box, they get a brand new coil.
I'm hearing something about perhaps some early coils not 'talking' to the control box properly?

Good luck and HH,
mike

What happens is that I either take the hose outside and briefly rinse it off or I will take it to the shower and wash it with soap. Interesting observation although I do not recall ever using alcohol to clean the detector.
I figured there has to be some sort of way to "tune" the control box due to the differences in results using the same machines. I currently own the 6", 11", and 17" coils. The only coil I have noticed that gives more depth is the 17" coil, but only in farm fields or low trash areas resulting in 8"-9" depths. The other machines used along with mine all had the 11" coils attached when comparing results.

Sorry to see this.
The broken stand looks like old deteriorated plastic. Makes me wonder if it's UV resistant.
That's the first time I have seen stress fractures on the screen.
Did you happen to try your buddies coil?

I sent mine back in July because of the wobble, the coil connector separated from the carbon fiber rod, trace amounts of water in the USB connector, and the arm cuff kept sliding.
Everything was fixed except for the cuff. Things really changed once I started water hunting, puts a lot my stress on the detector.
With months left on my warranty I better do a full inspection.

Here's hoping for a quick turn around.

HH
Mike

Thanks Mike.

The stand really does seem like it is deteriorating.
I did not switch coils between the machines.

You guys also make the wobble seem like a real possibility. Maybe I am lucky it isn't doing that or just maybe they might fix it or go ahead and replace other parts that may become issues in the future.
The arm cuff and control box seem near impossible for me to move! I hope they fix that.

I would suggest doing a full inspection because of on my RMA there is an area that says "Value for Customs" with $1,710.63 underneath it. Not sure if that is an estimate of how much the repairs are for. Not a very cheap price tag for an out of warranty machine.

 

[nolanation]

"Value for customs" is just what they are valuing the detector at for custom purposes. Nothing to do with repairs. Hope it works out.

 

[Chris(SoCenWI)]

Be sure to keep us posted on what you find out.

 

[oregon_dragonfly]

my first concern would be what are you cleaning the machine with, alcohol along with other chemicals will deteriorate certain plastics, also bug sprays and sun screen don't do it any good if transferred or over sprayed. like you said it may need a tune up or adjustment, I have a few coins, lead, and aluminum buried at different depths and check my machine when new and take notes on depth and how it preformed to compare later to see how the machine is holding up. dfly

 

[AngelicStorm]

my first concern would be what are you cleaning the machine with, alcohol along with other chemicals will deteriorate certain plastics, also bug sprays and sun screen don't do it any good if transferred or over sprayed. like you said it may need a tune up or adjustment, I have a few coins, lead, and aluminum buried at different depths and check my machine when new and take notes on depth and how it preformed to compare later to see how the machine is holding up. dfly

Good deal. The only thing about this situation is that, I never read anything telling me not to use bug spray or sunscreen when I go metal detecting or it may destroy my machine. Minelab should know that people in hot humid areas during the summer have to wear bug spray or sunscreen. No sunscreen=sun poisoning or some sort of disease from biting insects. There is probably good reason they do not warn people about such reactions. That reason maybe the real chance they could suffer a big loss in sales. I have always put sun screen and bug spray on myself a good distance from the detector so it is not like the stuff was being wiped onto it or even sprayed on it. The only thing the manual says about anything pertaining to chemicals is as stated in the manual..... "Do not use solvents to clean the detector. Use a damp cloth with mild soap detergent." As it says I have followed. I do not use chemicals of any sort to clean my detector. I have only used soap to clean it. Knowing the situation, they really should look into making their detectors resistant to such things as bug spray and sun screen. They have to be used in order to enjoy the hobby worry free where insects plus the sun become factors.

It really sucks that I have seen the results the way they have turned out. I just hope to get this fixed and looking like the quality machine it is supposed to be. The performance should be there too.

I should be shipping it out tomorrow or if not, the day after.

The only thing I need to find out is if I could send it in with the spare AA battery pack because I do not want anything not under warranty being charged to me. Some time ago I dropped my Li Ion battery and it cracked. It's still very functional, it just may not be fully waterproof any more. I know that battery pack only had like a six month warranty.

Thanks.

 

[GKMan]

Minelab may say not to use bug spray, but believe I have seen a warning on the bug spray itself that it could damage plastic

 

[AngelicStorm]

Minelab may say not to use bug spray, but believe I have seen a warning on the bug spray itself that it could damage plastic

I would imagine people buying this detector would be expecting to use protection if needed rather it be bug spray or sunscreen and expect Minelab to have made an outdoor machine capable of handling such applications without causing defects for the price tag. Perhaps regular plastics should not be used is all I am saying. They are building detectors to be used outdoors. It is a major falloff if you cannot use your detector due to the limitations and risks of having to deal with the sun or bugs. Also, another thing maybe worth noticing..... If it is a really widespread issue with bug spray and sunscreen then I am sure there probably would be a lot more complaints or warranty claims. I think someone mentioned something about UV resistance.

I doubt bug spray or sunscreen has caused this stuff anyway because of it is not happening to other areas of the detector. I just think they are defects. Premature wear and tear.

 

[GKMan]

it's odd that one CTX would have two very wildly different issues than I have heard of before...

I'm curious what minelab will say.

 

[AngelicStorm]

it's odd that one CTX would have two very wildly different issues than I have heard of before...

I'm curious what minelab will say.

I paid good money for this machine and have taken good care of it or tried my best, accident free. This world has had stranger occurrences and by no means did I see Minelab or would I expect Minelab to say their machines cannot have a few issues occurring at the same time. It may not be common, but it feels bad to be the one with the detector issues. Like I have said, I have tried my best to take care of this machine. That means there were no accidents GKMan. You would think that I would care enough to take care of something such as this after spending so much money on it.

Oh, there has been one accident..... I went to take the Li Ion Battery out one day and dropped it. A minor crack is on the side of it, but that has nothing to do with the rest of the detector.

Either way, the depth issue is really the biggest pain in the neck. Just knowing that there are targets getting away is a hard thought to swallow while the guy next to me is doing the exact same thing but with better results. I look forward to getting this over with.
Thanks.

 

[nolanation]

Depth is a touchy subject in any detecting form. Just about every person, with any detector, questions whether they should be getting more depth than they are, as I have on a few occasions. It's hard for me to imagine a detector just "losing" depth and wonder what would cause that. The word "retune" is used, but I wonder exactly what Minelab says is the process behind that. No offense to anyone, but I wouldn't be surprised if Minelab told some consumers that they fixed the depth issue, even though they did nothing, but the placebo effect kicks in and they don't hear from the consumer again, as expected depth can screw with the mental side of detecting. If retuning is, in fact, what is done and does help, I would suggest every member of this form with a CTX to sends theirs in for a retune, and why not? It could only help. I know I will be. Anyone can say they are having depth issues, as it doesn't require any physical proof. Hope it works out.

 

[AngelicStorm]

Depth is a touchy subject in any detecting form. Just about every person, with any detector, questions whether they should be getting more depth than they are, as I have on a few occasions. It's hard for me to imagine a detector just "losing" depth and wonder what would cause that. The word "retune" is used, but I wonder exactly what Minelab says is the process behind that. No offense to anyone, but I wouldn't be surprised if Minelab told some consumers that they fixed the depth issue, even though they did nothing, but the placebo effect kicks in and they don't hear from the consumer again, as expected depth can screw with the mental side of detecting. If retuning is, in fact, what is done and does help, I would suggest every member of this form with a CTX to sends theirs in for a retune, and why not? It could only help. I know I will be. Anyone can say they are having depth issues, as it doesn't require any physical proof. Hope it works out.

Well just like you, it has always been on the back of my mind. Mainly from watching many youtube videos copying what people do and not getting what they are getting. In the past there have been posts made on this very site of people claiming to get very good depths. Here is one link from earlier in 2014..... http://www.findmall.com/read.php?86,2042400,page=1 You were involved in some of them. You suggested meeting up with someone to compare results and I also was having the same issues with depth. At one point before that I was not completely satisfied, but was still curious of my results. Here http://www.findmall.com/read.php?86,2026016,page=3 you can tell that and also see I was at the time settling with my results, "blaming soil conditions". That is a rather interesting thread that was made. I did however say I was getting 9" -9 1/2" on quarters with the 11" coil. Not sure if I actually measured that outcome for me to be saying that back then, but that is not true for me today. Like I said in the very first post of this thread and was saying in the first link in this post, I actually met up with someone and compared results using all the same conditions at the same time and yes everything was measured in the same holes. We did this last month to be exact. Also, as I was saying in that first link, I am glad to have finally cured my curiosity by meeting with someone. On every occasion this guy with the other CTX 3030s beat mine in every aspect of depth. Adding the s because he has two of them and they both had the same results against mine.

If Minelab does not actually fix them then that just means we wasted about four hours digging holes and testing. I really hope they fix it though. If they do, then I would be a pretty happy camper and suggest others on this site get theirs checked out if they are seeing similar results as I am.
If Minelab does not fix anything, I would be truly disappointed. Looking forward to the results.

 

[AngelicStorm]

Before anything else is said.....
I would like to clear a couple of things up because I feel as if the comments on these issues seem a bit negative for my liking.

GKMan
I am not sure what the word "odd" means when you say it on my thread, but there has been nothing that happened or done to my detector to "cause" the outcomes you have seen. I have been detecting ever since I was 18 years old and now I am 27 years old. That means I have a good bit of experience although it may not be as much as others. Over the past couple of years, I have studied the CTX 3030 a good bit too. Both are enough to know how to use a detector, take care of a detector, and distinguish such factors as depth or issues involving the outside of a detector. The way that you have commented is very suggestive in a negative way.

Nolanation
Your comments are very relevant, but so are mine. "Anyone can say they are having depth issues, as it doesn't require any physical proof" is suggestive that you do not believe I have carried out field tests to be saying these things. I do realize it is a touchy subject though. That is why I was very thorough before jumping to any conclusions and getting ready to ship my machine out.

All the other comments about alcohol and other harsh chemicals have already been addressed. I took the pictures of the detector to show these problems with mine and set an example of things that could possibly go wrong with these machines down the road and possibly post some after pictures of the good job Minelab might do. These pictures or depth issues were not meant to be controversial. Sorry about this, but I would rather people not say anything at all if it is not positive. These are real issues with my detector that should be resolved. I did not ask for them or anyone to suggest anything otherwise.

Like other people have said, it will be interesting what Minelab does. I will keep you guys posted.
Thanks.

 

[nolanation]

When I wrote that, I just meant someone that believes they are experiencing depth issues doesn't have to run out and get audio and video proof for Minelab to see. I too think the best way to compare is with another CTX, with the exact same manual sensitivity and other settings, which I am sure you did. If I was comparing right next to a CTX, and having noticeably worse results, mine too would be in a box with a shipping label headed to IL. Sorry about the misunderstanding.

 

[GKMan]

Feel free to spin it anyway you want to, it is and will remain to be an odd coincidence. You don't need to convince me how you treat a machine. You just need to find out what Minelab has to say about it.

 

[AngelicStorm]

When I wrote that, I just meant someone that believes they are experiencing depth issues doesn't have to run out and get audio and video proof for Minelab to see. I too think the best way to compare is with another CTX, with the exact same manual sensitivity and other settings, which I am sure you did. If I was comparing right next to a CTX, and having noticeably worse results, mine too would be in a box with a shipping label headed to IL. Sorry about the misunderstanding.

Thanks. Indeed that is what is happening. It is okay. I just really hope they do something to fix it.

Feel free to spin it anyway you want to, it is and will remain to be an odd coincidence. You don't need to convince me how you treat a machine. You just need to find out what Minelab has to say about it.

I wonder what you mean by "odd". If you are so hard on that then it would be nice for you to be clear. What do you think Minelab will do? I have a faulty unit with issues that are not my fault. You just seem to to have a negative outlook on things then again it is not my place to judge how you see things. I would just rather you not suggests such negative things. It is not good for this forum or the people reading it.

 

[GKMan]

This isn't rocket science.

I'll try to define odd for you. The chances are quite low that you would have two unusual issues.

It's too bad you're having such a problem with me saying that.

Thankfully I'm done with this thread, so don't worry about spending time responding.