Minelab explorer XS problems

[Sobo]

Hello T-net, bought a used Minelab Explorer XS last December. Didn't get a chance to really try it because of all the snow and frozen ground up here(did take it out on a couple warm days this winter, but didn't really count as testing it because there wasn't really any ground to check...just wanted to try it lol). Well snow finally melted so I took it back out, also replaced the coil with the FBS 800. Everything seemed fine at first, solid signals...worked perfect. Then this past week it's been very nice outside, so I took the Explorer out.

And this is where the problem starts, the XS was working fine at first for the first few hunts. Then yesterday I started getting disappearing nickel/pull-tab signals...in a huge open field that is not littered with trash at all...signals are spaced out several feet. Then today it got real weird, the fake nickel/pull-tab started being more and more frequent. Holes that were hitting iron...bottle cap...penny..dime..all signals would turn into these signals then disappear...then reappear as the pesky fake nickel/pull-tab signal.

So I knew something was up after a few hours of this, so I decided to do a factory reset. Then it got just got worse after that, I couldn't detect anything, everything would come up in the bottom area of the smart find screen or 0 on the digital screen. Also if I moved the coil in the air it would give off these false signals as well. I then wanted to see if I could even detect anything besides these false signals...so I went to an iron infested area and nothing but these false signals.

A bit of info on my settings, 24 Auto sensitivity, -15 Iron mask, threshold just audible, gain - 7, conductive tones. Also very irritating thing is I came home after wasting all this time and disconnected the FBS 800 coil and tried the stock coil, and it was working fine...so I thought it may have been the smaller coil that was damaged. To confirm this I plugged in the 800 coil again...and that was working again.

I really hope my machine isn't dying...in the few hunts I had with it was working great. Got 5 silver dimes, and a hand of wheats. And I know its not functioning like it was on the hunts I got the silver and wheats. On those hunts most things I was able to tell if it was a coin or actual item in the ground...or if it was falsing on me.



Thanks for the help T-net...I really hope my machine isn't dying on me already

 

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[Iron Patch]

If the detector is both brutal and perfect at different times for both coils that tends to rule out the coil. The first thing that comes to mind is maybe you're losing the cable connection into the housing, and when this happens it can create a glitch that lasts, and might only get cleared up by disconnecting it, and then doing a restart... which is sort of what you did to resolve it. This problem is probably more likely to happen on detectors where the camlock gets shot and the shaft has some play making the detector wobble when you swing. Anyway, that would be the first thing I look for.


If you are not aware of how interference affects a detector, consider that, and try different locations.

A bad Sunray probe switch can cause detector problems, if you happen to have a probe.

Switch to alks. if you're using the charger pack, just to rule out one more thing.

Do a tap test on the couple inches of cable that goes into the coil. If it makes a low tone every time you tap it, it could be a short and a bad coil.

 

[Sobo]

If the detector is both brutal and perfect at different times for both coils that tends to rule out the coil. The first thing that comes to mind is maybe you're losing the cable connection into the housing, and when this happens it can create a glitch that lasts, and might only get cleared up by disconnecting it, and then doing a restart... which is sort of what you did to resolve it. This problem is probably more likely to happen on detectors where the camlock gets shot and the shaft has some play making the detector wobble when you swing. Anyway, that would be the first thing I look for.


If you are not aware of how interference affects a detector, consider that, and try different locations.

A bad Sunray probe switch can cause detector problems, if you happen to have a probe.

Switch to alks. if you're using the charger pack, just to rule out one more thing.

Do a tap test on the couple inches of cable that goes into the coil. If it makes a low tone every time you tap it, it could be a short and a bad coil.

Thanks for the reply Iron Patch, I've tried it in several locations now...some that defiantly shouldn't haven't much interference, noised canceled at all locations.
I don't have a sun ray probe and will try the alk pack today. I also did the tap test with both coils and no falsing at 5 sensitivity in the house. It seems today she's deciding to work, is it possible that somehow by taking apart the shaft and unplugging the coil from the control box that it somehow fixed the problem? Or if its the camlock issue can I expect this problem to reappear at some point?

I'll be bringing the XS out today with the alk pack and normal battery pack and see how that goes. I'll try various sites again and see if she's back to functioning normal. Thanks again for your reply and I'll post when I get back tonight with an update.

 

[Iron Patch]

Thanks for the reply Iron Patch, I've tried it in several locations now...some that defiantly shouldn't haven't much interference, noised canceled at all locations.
I don't have a sun ray probe and will try the alk pack today. I also did the tap test with both coils and no falsing at 5 sensitivity in the house. It seems today she's deciding to work, is it possible that somehow by taking apart the shaft and unplugging the coil from the control box that it somehow fixed the problem? Or if its the camlock issue can I expect this problem to reappear at some point?

I'll be bringing the XS out today with the alk pack and normal battery pack and see how that goes. I'll try various sites again and see if she's back to functioning normal. Thanks again for your reply and I'll post when I get back tonight with an update.

Disconnect it, then reconnect, do a factory restart, and began detecting. So how long you're good for, and then if you start to have those problems repeat the process and see if it clears up or stays the same. If it clears up, your plug may be moving around a little bit and breaking the connection causing the problem. If the detector stays messed, maybe it's something else. I would try the disconnect and restart things a few times though if the first doesn't work, just to make sure. Maybe you'll have something new to report later, but right now most of the usual problems don't seem to fit real well.

 

[Sobo]

Well I went out today with my Ace 150 and Minelab Explorer XS (FBS 800 coil). At first seemed like it was working normal, then started to notice was only detecting items at a depth of 4 inches or less. Weird thing is the depth meter would read 8-10 inches on some of the targets. Also noticed a lot of the deeper targets would start with a nice sweet tone and read dime or penny etc...then slowly turn into a garbled iron signal.

I was using the XS for a couple hours and wasn't finding much...mostly because all my signals would slowly turn into those garbled iron signals or just vanish. Did find a bottle cap though at 1 inch . I then went over this same site with my Ace 150 and pulled 2 indians and 1 shield nickel... in 45 minutes : /. I also tried the Minelab again after, and had a super nice sounding quarter hit on it at 6+ inches...getting excited I dug the cap and...wouldn't you know it the signal vanished. Then I decided to check it with the ace 150 and it was picking it up loud and clear as a coin , yet my XS couldn't see it (ended up being a piece of copper and not a quarter). Once I retrieved the piece of copper I swung it over the Minelab coil and it picked it up fine.

I'm gonna try going out with the 10.5" stock coil tomorrow and see if it fixes the problem. If not I dunno what to do, I did noticed the shaft seems to wiggle a little where it connects to the control box and sometimes can hear it creaking.

Thanks for the help Iron Patch and hope I can get to the bottom of my issues .

 

[Sobo]

Didn't get to go out when I planned..caught the flu and had a fever ;(. Was feeling a bit better yesterday and wanted some fresh air, so took out the XS with the 10.5 inch coil. Seemed to be working like normal again, pretty sure the smaller coil was the problem. The wire insulation actually fell off of the wire (well it was cracking and falling off ...so I took the rest off).

But anyways was like a whole new machine with the stock coil on it, didn't get to hunt too long as I was still recovering. But did manage to find a couple keepers.





The Dime was a good 10-12 inches

 

[Sobo]

Well my XS started acting up again, a little different this time..but pretty much the same issue. I'm thinking there is some loose wiring inside or something, because the other night when I turned the back light on it started going hay wire and just making constant signals. If I turned off the back light it would stop, yet when I got home the next day it wouldn't do the back light glitch again.

I decided it's not worth keeping this machine if it's gonna keep acting up, so I'm gonna sell it. Unless there's someone that can repair these relatively cheap.

 

[Mach1Pilot]

Your best bet for repair may be kellyco.... I don't think Minelab will repair this model any more. Beware that the parts for the older Explorers are getting expensive... Sorry for your troubles.

 

[huntsman53]

I would recommend cleaning all connections and open up the Control Box and check for loose and/or corroded connections as well as corrosion on the Electronic boards. Get a good Control Contact Cleaner and Lubricant from Radio Shack or elsewhere and spray all of the connections and the Electronic boards, then wipe dry as possible. Also, while inside the Control Box, if any of the soldered connections on the Electronic boards are corroded from one soldered connection to the next, make sure to carefully remove the corrosion as this corrosion can cause a cross short between the two connection. If any connections (cables, plugs or wires) are disconnected during cleaning, make sure to plug in, un-plug and plug in again several times to insure that they not only make good contact but by doing so, it will help remove corrosion which is hindering a good connection. Once done, hopefully the problems you are having with the MD, will be solved! The Minelab Explorer XS is a great machine, not as great as the Explorer II in my opinion but still great. With all metal detectors excellent, great and even the cheapies, you will eventually have some type of connection or corrosion problem that will have to be taken care of.


Frank

 

[Sobo]

Thanks for the replies guys, I got a friend who's dad works on electronics...so I might have him look at my explorer. But I also realized that my lower shaft is warped and causing the wire to be pinched when connected to the upper shaft. Could this possibly cause the issues I'm having?

Thanks again for the help everyone.
Sobo