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Washing AT Pro

A

AlexP

New member
Can the AT Pro connectors (both on the unit and of the coil and the headphones) be washed with fresh water when they are disconnected (i.e. the pins of the connectors are exposed)?
 
The idea is to keep the connectors dry. If you need to clean them go by Radio Shack and get some spray contact cleaner.
 
After using the AT Pro in salt water, the connectors have to be cleaned, otherwise they get some white residue (oxidation?), and it will soon become impossible to screw or unscrew them. How do you clean your AT connectors to prevent them from getting like this: http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=86419 ? Apparently, they have to be disconnected in order to clean the threads.
 
Yeah, I saw that thread when it came up. I also commented there. I don't care what he said, I highly doubt his idea of a cleaning and maintenance was much more than a quick rinse with a hose. If yo are going to spend most of your time immersed in salt water, which is what he was doing, then a dedicated water machine is the way to go. If I'm taking my AT-Pro into salt water for the occasional swim them I put a fresh coating of silicone grease on the o-ring and threads. Then on the coil connector ring pull it back while disconnected and put a little silicone grease where the threaded ring will contact the connector body. You don't need much, just a light coating. Later you can wipe it off with a rag or Q-Tip after you've given the rest of the machine a good disassembly and flushing with water. This simple maintenance would prevent what he claims was a factory problem. It wasn't, it was a maintenance problem.

That particular forum is full of AT-Pro bashers who love to trash the machine and Garrett whenever they can and they love to pile on in a thread like that.

I hope that guy isn't a diver. I'd hate to think what shape his gear was in....
 
Thanks for the tips. I will be looking for a dedicated water detector. I still will use my AT Pro in salt water from time to time, but only in shallow water and will try not to immerse the control box.
 
NO NO NO...I would not even use contact cleaner (some are corrosive)...if crud gets in there...92% rubbing alchohol on a lint free cloth (old T-shirt, or cotton diaper)...dry completely, and make sure the batteries are OUT of the unit for 5 minutes or more.
I have also picked lint and the like out with toothpicks...Just be careful not to bend any pins on the connectors. I wash my machine with a hand held shower head in the tub, fully assembled...keep water out of the headset if it is not the blue (waterproof) ones...You also want to get some silicon grease to lubricate the O rings (keeps em from binding in the connection and from drying out and cracking).

HH,

P.S. I do have a question regarding O rings...can you buy them from like home depot or lowes and use them as long as they are the same size???
 
Hmmm, been using contact cleaner on electronic connectors for years without issues. O-rings are pretty universal except in extreme duty when certain compounds are spec'ed.
 
AlexP said:
Thanks for the tips. I will be looking for a dedicated water detector. I still will use my AT Pro in salt water from time to time, but only in shallow water and will try not to immerse the control box.
Click to expand...

"will try not to immerse the control box."


Smart.

Good Hunting

Denny
 
I am only saying the thing about the contact cleaner, as I have used some product labled as contact cleaner, and it started to eat the plastic...I have fully dunked my AT Pro in a shallow creek, and it did not leak...The real test will come this Spring when I get it into deeper waters...If she leaks, she just goes back to Garrett...

HH,
 
Wow, never had it eat the plastic! Around marine electrical and electronics you see a lot of green copper and it's always cleaned it up well. I think CRC is the brand I've seen the most.
 
Would it hurt anything to use rain-x on the display??
If no one has tried it maybe someone can give it a shot and get back to me...:))))
 
Rain-X is safe on glass but can cause clouding on some types of plastic. I'm not brave enough to try that on one of mine!
 
Sailorman said:
Rain-X is safe on glass but can cause clouding on some types of plastic. I'm not brave enough to try that on one of mine!
Click to expand...

Lol, nope nor me... Sounds good in the therory though.. Probably an 800 # on the rain-x bottle..
Seems I use to use it on my motorcycle windshield but can't swear to it.. Too many yrs ago..
 
sonnydigs said:
Would it hurt anything to use rain-x on the display??
If no one has tried it maybe someone can give it a shot and get back to me...:))))
Click to expand...
I just tried the rain-x on mine for you sonnydigs and now I cant see nothing, I have ruined my faceplate trying to help another member. Can u please help me . Get back to me.
 
:rofl: I swear by that stuff on windshields, I haven't tried it on the ATPRO but it would B nice to know if it works on the faceplate.
 
I wonder if the old black print newspaper trick would work or if it would scratch the plastic...I know it works like rain-x on glass...take a lot of elbow greese though...I used a iPhone screen protector shield on mine...Use edge of credit card to get out any bubbles...

HH,
 
I guess I could send you a new piece of plexiglass, do you have a saw?? :))))
 
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