Tesoro Golden Umax Chattering Issue?

Scanman

Full Member
Jul 27, 2013
165
30
NW MI
Detector(s) used
Cortes, Lobo Super Traq, Golden Umax 2.0
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Today I took out my new to me Golden Umax for the first time.

I purchased it on feebay, and it arrived yesterday. Went to a tot lot/ picnic area and was doing a good job at finding trash, around the hour of use mark, it just started like going off and chattering? adjusting the sensitivity and threshold did not seem to have much effect except quieting the noise. I tried turning it on and off several times but it still chatters away. I did not make it back home in time to call Tesoro, but will tomorrow.

I always try to research items before purchase, Is there any known issues with the Golden Umax? Anyone hear of any similar issues with other Tesoro units?

Thanks everyone.
 

Sandman

Gold Member
Aug 6, 2005
13,398
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In Michigan now.
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Excal 1000, Excal II, Sovereign GT, CZ-20, Tiger Shark, Tejon, GTI 1500, Surfmaster Pulse, CZ6a, DFX, AT PRO, Fisher 1235, Surf PI Pro, 1280-X, many more because I enjoy learning them. New Garrett Ca
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Tesoro's don't have issues. That is why they can offer the lifetime warranty. From what you describe you never said you installed fresh batteries. Did you clean out the coil cover? I'll bet you had on your cell phone or carried it in your pocket. That is a No-No with todays detectors. Were you near any security fences or buried dog fences or transformers?

http://www.fisherlab.com/hobby/davejohnson/Electrical Interference.htm
 

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Scanman

Scanman

Full Member
Jul 27, 2013
165
30
NW MI
Detector(s) used
Cortes, Lobo Super Traq, Golden Umax 2.0
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Fresh batteries right out of the package, coil cover was clean, cell phone was not on me at the time, no security or dog fences, and no utilities in park?

Thanks for the Link Sandman, the symptoms sure sound like EI, strange because there was no utilities except water in the park. I was approximately 60 feet from an apt. complex and approximately 30 feet or so from the property line, so even if there was underground electric I should have been 30+/- feet away.

Just grabbed it out of the car, fired it up and all seems normal. I will try to find time tomorrow and try it out again. I will also revisit the park, and investigate further.

Fired it up again, and tested interference from cell out of curiosity, it did not put in chatter mode. Well, I will try to hunt the issue down and report back.

Thanks
 

Chris R

Full Member
Feb 17, 2013
113
93
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60 feet isn't far enough from a dozen wireless routers. Apartment complexes are full of them.
 

luvsdux

Bronze Member
May 16, 2007
1,767
690
Lewiston, Idaho
Detector(s) used
Multiple Tesoros and Whites
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I"ve had similar experience from batteries that SHOULD HAVE been good, but died early.
luvsdux
 

atomicscott

Bronze Member
Aug 18, 2011
1,564
1,055
Riverside CA
Detector(s) used
Current: Nokta Makro Simplex+, Teknetics Patriot, Fisher Gold Bug (original), GP Pinpointer (Garrett Clone) Lesche. Owned: Omega 8000, Minelab X-Terra 505, Fisher F2, Tesoro Vaquero, & Compadre, Whit
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Tesoro's don't have issues. That is why they can offer the lifetime warranty. From what you describe you never said you installed fresh batteries. Did you clean out the coil cover? I'll bet you had on your cell phone or carried it in your pocket. That is a No-No with todays detectors. Were you near any security fences or buried dog fences or transformers?

http://www.fisherlab.com/hobby/davejohnson/Electrical%20Interference.htm

If Tesoros had NO issues, there would be no need for a warranty at all! No need to repair something that has no issues. No detector brand is so perfect as to have zero issues.
 

damiani1

Sr. Member
Jun 2, 2013
285
60
Windsor Ontario
Detector(s) used
Current: Tesoro silver umax, Whites Spectrum XLT
Past: Garrett ace 250
Primary Interest:
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Try seeing if maybe the battery came messed up. To field test this lick the end and if its a strong shock it should be good or just use a meter.
 

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Scanman

Scanman

Full Member
Jul 27, 2013
165
30
NW MI
Detector(s) used
Cortes, Lobo Super Traq, Golden Umax 2.0
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I plan on returning to the same location and see if I can duplicate issue, and investigate further. I am confident I can at least narrow the issue down. It may be several days before I get back there, but I will report back. Thanks for all the info.

HH
 

luvsdux

Bronze Member
May 16, 2007
1,767
690
Lewiston, Idaho
Detector(s) used
Multiple Tesoros and Whites
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
One last thought on my part - If you have, or can borrow a different coil that matches, I'd give that a try - also try flexing or moving the coil wire a bit to see it anything happens. You might have a bad connection or broken wire.
luvsdux
 

Detector Wars

Sr. Member
Nov 26, 2008
299
38
With my Golden, EI can strike when you're away from what's causing the interference. Often if you're directly under power lines, there's no issue, move 100 metres and there's the type of noise you described.
 

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Scanman

Scanman

Full Member
Jul 27, 2013
165
30
NW MI
Detector(s) used
Cortes, Lobo Super Traq, Golden Umax 2.0
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I made it back to the exact site where my Golden Umax went berserk, for the sole purpose of investigating what may have caused the issue. I had thought maybe I would find that I was on or near a electric service or primary trench, but that was not the case.

I swung for about 20 min, the only thing that I could find, that I have not already reported, was a very large target at or near the problem location, that I did not dig. I also fiddled around with the coil, wire, and connections and I think I have ruled those out as well.

So I guess I am still baffled, but I am not going to worry about it unless it happens again.

Thanks to everyone that responded.

HH
 

luvsdux

Bronze Member
May 16, 2007
1,767
690
Lewiston, Idaho
Detector(s) used
Multiple Tesoros and Whites
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
One last thought - if you were over heavily mineralized ground it may have been a ground balance issue.
luvdux
 

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Scanman

Scanman

Full Member
Jul 27, 2013
165
30
NW MI
Detector(s) used
Cortes, Lobo Super Traq, Golden Umax 2.0
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I found a large target 2-3 feet wide in the approximate area where the chattering occurred. I have since used the detector in other sites and have had zero issues. Thanks for the additional info.
 

luvsdux

Bronze Member
May 16, 2007
1,767
690
Lewiston, Idaho
Detector(s) used
Multiple Tesoros and Whites
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Glad you found the cause and the detector works as it should.
luvsdux
 

mortarman

Jr. Member
Aug 12, 2012
69
9
Southern New Jersey
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Tejon, Teknetics Omega 8500, Garrett Master Hunter 7, Garrett Pro-pointer/ Stavr Scoop
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Atomicscott, what I think sandman meant was that Tesoro's don't have any known or reoccurring issues.
 

atomicscott

Bronze Member
Aug 18, 2011
1,564
1,055
Riverside CA
Detector(s) used
Current: Nokta Makro Simplex+, Teknetics Patriot, Fisher Gold Bug (original), GP Pinpointer (Garrett Clone) Lesche. Owned: Omega 8000, Minelab X-Terra 505, Fisher F2, Tesoro Vaquero, & Compadre, Whit
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I know, I know. I think Sandman meant to say that they don't have known issues.
 

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