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Uh Oh...machine going to the hospital....

K

Knipper

Active member
Haven't read about these symptoms on the forum yet...

When turning on the machine (so that the last settings come up) the detector has started to really give off some erratic signals. High and low tones in a staccato beat that used to only last a few seconds, but now, in manual sensitivity, doesn't quit at any sensitivity setting. Doing a noise cancel doesn't help. I've switched coils, using the stock 10" and 8" Minelab coil, and both are doing this, along with the new 4x7 Excellator coil. It even pops and squeals now in semi-auto mode. I suspect there are some major issues here.

Called Sandy who said to send both coils and the control box in, as she suspected it was the coil, but I'm inclined to think its in the circuitry. Checked batteries and they're ok. I keep my coils and covers clean, so no soil build up, though we don't have mineralized soil to any great degree around here....

Anyone run into this with their machine? I hate to lose it for a couple of weeks, but fear I must as I think something is very wrong.
For anyone who has had to send their machine in, will service do a thorough check on the control box AND the coils, if I describe the problem in a note and ask them to check? In the past, with another brand, I went round and round with the factory, but all they did was keep switching the coil and sending the machine back with the same problem. I've heard ( and hope) Minelab is better than this...

One other possibility...if I received the wrong type coil from Kellyco, i.e., a coil for the Sovereign instead of an Explorer, would using it cause damage to the machine? (or are the connectors totally different to help prevent this?)

Knipper
 
Same symptoms as yours. Checked with 3 different coils - exact same noises.
Changed location (moved to another beach), and noises disappeared completely.
My best guess about my today's situation is - powerful source of interference, probably a radar on the nearby marina.
Try to hunt another location, it might help.

By the way, a thunderstorm (or just a thundercloud) can be the source of interference, too.
 
Well, that would have been a factor except it was my own backyard, and the machine never acted that way before there....

Knipper
 
Like any antenna, your searchcoil will pick up any electromagnetic interference; in fact, it does so by design. That's how metal detectors work.
So yes, your detector might chirp on fusion welding next door, thunderclouds, radars, etc.

When this first happened to me, I was ready to blame the stock coil. I was hunting local playgrounds, my favorite source of coffee change (people lose $3-5 every day here, and you actually don't have to dig). I've never hunted playgrounds with the stock coil, only 10x14" and 4.5x7", but this day decided to give it a try. Oh my, it was chirping and falsing like hell, I've never heard anything like that! Lowered my sens - still chirping. Unfortunately, I had no other coils in the car, so there was no way to compare. However, I noticed a big thundercloud, and that made me think about possible source of interference. Well, I turned on CB radio and there was a lot of static on all channels. So home I went, and returned the next day with the same coil. No static, no chirping.

Yesterday there was no thunderclouds, but I was hunting on a beach right next to marina. So when I heard inconsistent chirping (key word is "inconsistent", because hot rocks, in contrary, are more or less repeatable), my first suspicion was about something going from this marina. Maybe radar, maybe fusion welding, who knows?.. Tried all 3 coils (4.5x7", stock and 10x14") with the same results. In frustration I forgot to check CB channels, but moved to another beach (4 miles away from the first one) and found no interference.
 
The fact that there was no interference before doesn't mean anything. It's always possible that interference has been introduced to the area right before you went detecting. Thunderstorm, fusion welding, radar, reserve powerline got power, etc. Try other day and another location before sending your detector for repairs, that's what I am trying to say :biggrin:
 
Problem is happening at multiple sites , different times, under various conditions. Some places in the country...no electricity, no storms, no industrial welding going on. It started subtlety and now its pretty much doing it everywhere.
 
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