Finally found out what was making my detector freak out

coinman123

Silver Member
Feb 21, 2013
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A few times this year I noticed that my metal detector, a T2 SE, would freak out the whole hunt. I always thought that it was underground wires or coil problems. On Sunday I realized that whenever my phone, a Galaxy S4, is on, my metal detector freaks out. I almost always have it off, but the few times I have it on, my metal detector will start acting like I have my pro-pointer on (which also makes my metal detector freak out). Does anyone have a problem with their cell phone making their metal detector go crazy.
 

AbTexEx

Full Member
Nov 27, 2008
206
246
America's Dairyland
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Yep.

Phones have some of the same internals that metal detectors have.

Here is my LG metal detector.

LGMD.JPG


AJones
 

AlienLifeForm

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Jan 31, 2010
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DFW Texas
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Luckily my phone doesn't seem to interfere with my detector.
 

Javadroid

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A very interesting observation - thank you for sharing. :thumbsup:
 

Bramblefind

Silver Member
Nov 26, 2009
2,922
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You may have just solved a mystery I've been having with my T2! It is my backup but I was out with my son and let him use it and it kept freaking out like that. I had my phone with me and now that I think about it - it only seemed to act like that when I came near him.

When I used to use the T2 as my primary machine I think I only had a regular cell phone and not a smart phone.

The F75 does not seem to have this problem even though they are similar machines.
 

pepperj

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10 yrs ago had a Minelab SE that the cell phone interfered with the detector. It was a Samsung phone I believe.
 

Coil-2-Soil

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Mar 21, 2017
433
815
East Coast
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I leave my phone in my locked truck when I hunt. 1so it doesn't get in my way and2 so nothing districts me while hunting. My wife knows I'm off the grid for a bit. HH
 

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coinman123

coinman123

Silver Member
Feb 21, 2013
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New England, Somewhere Metal Detecting in the Wood
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I leave my phone in my locked truck when I hunt. 1so it doesn't get in my way and2 so nothing districts me while hunting. My wife knows I'm off the grid for a bit. HH

I keep it either in the car, or off. I hope I don't get lost while it is in the car sometime :laughing7:.
 

Msbeepbeep

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Jun 24, 2012
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Well that is interesting!
My pin pointer has been freaking out the last 2 hunts, i thought it maybe because i used a different brand of battery. But i have always carried my cell & the pinpointer with no problems before. I will try turning off my cell & see if that helps. If not maybe there's wayward radio signals bouncing around in the same frequency.

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13dolphins1

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Jul 6, 2016
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I have a galaxy s 4 and if I do not have a signal and the phone is constantly re-booting or searching it will mess with my at-pro....messed me up one day as it would come and go and I would get a high tone then it would read iron....then high tone everywhere....I was taking batteries out...lol. Then it did it as a message came in and I shelved the phone and problem gone.

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TerryC

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Jun 26, 2008
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ALAS! My hearing is so bad that I wouldn't even hear my cell because of the earphones, anyway. I leave it off. ╦╦Ç
 

dsdigger

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Jan 5, 2017
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I had the Galaxy S4 but I was seeing problems with mine and my wife was running into problems with hers so traded them off. Normally, when I hunt, I leave the thing off in the car or a pocket and just stop and check it so I never noticed anything. Upgraded to an LG G5 so I might see if it causes any issues but normally, like TerryC, can't hear past headphones and if wearing the Rattler one-sided, I don't want to hear a phone but what else is going on around me. Check the phone later. If you have headset on and want to concentrate, leave the phone off or in the car and check at regular intervals if worried about problems at home, etc.
 

chub

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Apr 23, 2017
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Throw those cell phones away. Free yourself!

Remember those Sundays when someone calls for you and your wife would say " uglymailman is out for the day, can I take a message?". Why interupt a perfectly good hunt with mindless messages and the possiblity of someone interupting. I only turn mine on to take photos...

Chub
 

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coinman123

coinman123

Silver Member
Feb 21, 2013
4,659
5,768
New England, Somewhere Metal Detecting in the Wood
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Teknetics T2 SE (DST)
Spare Teknetics T2 SE (backup)
15" T2 coil
Pro-Pointer
Bounty Hunter Pioneer 202
Fisher F2
Fisher F-Point
Primary Interest:
Other
Remember those Sundays when someone calls for you and your wife would say " uglymailman is out for the day, can I take a message?". Why interupt a perfectly good hunt with mindless messages and the possiblity of someone interupting. I only turn mine on to take photos...

Chub

Same :laughing9:. The times I brought it with me were to take photos of what ever I find, probably four times, every time I brought it my metal detect freaks out. I normally don't metal detect alone, and who ever comes with me seems to always bring their phone with them. I try to stay pretty far away from my metal detecting partners, to avoid any metal detector interference, a lot of times they are completely out of view (I check one area, they check another). If I am ever alone I will keep it off in my pocket, just in case I get lost in the middle of nowhere, otherwise it is in the car (so I can quickly research anything cool I find when I get back to the parking lot). 99% of my hunts are spent deep in the woods, it kind of kills the feeling of being in the middle of nature, in some long gone 18th century settlement, when my phone starts trying to talk to me. I don't care if the queen of England is calling me, if I am metal detecting, my mind stays on metal detecting :laughing7:. Something I noticed is that if I ever go metal detecting with my father, who is close by, I let him use my old T2 SE. He has his Android Nexus on in his pocket always, which doesn't affect his metal detector at all, I guess it all depends on what type of phone you are using.
 

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SultansOfSwing

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Dec 28, 2016
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yes this happens to me. i swing right handed and have to put my cell in my left pocket or back pocket other wise i get interference. I keep my phone with me to use google maps and old maps to help me find my way to the cellar holes. The gps is incredible on phones. Its only off about 10 ft.
 

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coinman123

coinman123

Silver Member
Feb 21, 2013
4,659
5,768
New England, Somewhere Metal Detecting in the Wood
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Teknetics T2 SE (DST)
Spare Teknetics T2 SE (backup)
15" T2 coil
Pro-Pointer
Bounty Hunter Pioneer 202
Fisher F2
Fisher F-Point
Primary Interest:
Other
yes this happens to me. i swing right handed and have to put my cell in my left pocket or back pocket other wise i get interference. I keep my phone with me to use google maps and old maps to help me find my way to the cellar holes. The gps is incredible on phones. Its only off about 10 ft.

I forgot about that, whenever I use my homemade Google satellite maps, of cellar holes, I have to bring my phone. Normally I turn my phone off after finding the cellar hole, and never notice the interference. After finding my first honey hole in three years on Sunday, I forgot to turn my phone off and my metal detector was freaking out. I was about to leave and go home thinking my metal detector was broken, I am happy I didn't! I love when you mark down a cellar hole on a GPS based on lidar or map overlay, and you get there and find the cellar hole exactly where you marked it.
 

GA_Boy

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Jul 30, 2006
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I've not had that problem with my antique cell phone. I saw a cartoon about a guy digging a very deep hole before he realized the was wearing steel toed boots. I have to be careful with my knee replacements as both of them make the LRP sound off. 50 in coin mode.:laughing7:
Marvin
 

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coinman123

coinman123

Silver Member
Feb 21, 2013
4,659
5,768
New England, Somewhere Metal Detecting in the Wood
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Teknetics T2 SE (DST)
Spare Teknetics T2 SE (backup)
15" T2 coil
Pro-Pointer
Bounty Hunter Pioneer 202
Fisher F2
Fisher F-Point
Primary Interest:
Other
I've not had that problem with my antique cell phone. I saw a cartoon about a guy digging a very deep hole before he realized the was wearing steel toed boots. I have to be careful with my knee replacements as both of them make the LRP sound off. 50 in coin mode.:laughing7:
Marvin

My father has a metal rod in his arm after shattering his arm in a million places in a bicycle accident. It sets of the metal detector if he tries to pick up a clump of dirt to test under the metal detector. Luckily it is in his left arm, and he is right handed. I have had issues with my boots' metal grommet things accidentally setting off the metal detector. Now I wear these ridiculous blue rubber rain boots :laughing7:, easy to slip on and head to the car without wasting time tying shoes (it's the woods, and who will see my boots in the woods anyway :laughing9:).
 

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