Beach Hunter ID Cracked Tabs Still Waterproof?

[kinigit]

So I read up on the Beach Hunter ID before I bought one used and saw that the original black o-ring was an issue. So after I bought it I ordered the orange o-ring from White's. It turns out it is really hard to install. However, I did follow the advice I found and did not crank any screws down too tight.

However when screwing it back together I noticed one of the clear tabs on the top of the case had what appeared to be a hairline crack and when I examined it closer it appears that in addition to that about 4 or 5 of 8 of the bottom black tabs also have small hairline cracks on the outside of the tabs (away from the case). This makes me very sad for lots of reasons (not getting to use it in water, having to send it in, and $$$$). I was curious if anyone else had similar experiences with theirs and if it is still waterproof? The cracks are on the outside, but it throws up red flags for me that their are cracks at all. This seems like a serious defect. I do not believe I cracked them, but if I did these tabs are far from durable as I did not over-tighten them at all. If you have one and have the orange o-ring installed can you look and see if you have similar cracks. Any other advice or information would also be appreciated.

I know the smart thing to do is send it in, but unlike a lot of the members here I do not have a backup detector and will be completely without for a couple of weeks while it is away. Also having bought it used I am expecting it will cost an arm and a leg since the case will likely need to be replaced. Thanks for any feedback.

 

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[norbyx]

Well my best advise is to sink it in the bathtub and see what happens. If you fresh water gets in and you are monitoring it than you can pull it out and realize that you need repairs, also fresh water most likely won't harm it.

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[U.K. Brian]

The placing of the holes in the tabs is distinctly iffy with some being slightly further out than they should be. Question is if they changed the design at all. I've got one or two in the same state as yours but no leaks and the screws don't need to be tightened right up to provide a watertight seal so be gentle. As I don't dive any more I don't worry as no problems with low water pressure but if your going to go deep then you should replace the case.

 

[kinigit]

Well I guess I am going to give it a dunk in the tub. I plan to use it at less than 10 feet almost exclusively, I would consider that low pressure. Do other people agree? I called a White's service center and it will be $25 for the top, $30 for the bottom, and $45 for a pressure test. And shipping. So over a hundred bucks.

Would wading in the surf at the beach be low pressure? I am definitely planning on testing with freshwater first, but any issue in saltwater that would not occur in freshwater? Thanks for the help I feel that this is a significant design flaw with this detector. I am disappointed that White's has not come up with a better fix than to replace the case with another that can easily crack. I wish I would have known to look before I bought it. Well you live and you learn. Thanks again.

 

[norbyx]

Wading in the surf area is definitely low pressure. So if it doesn't leak in the tub it shouldn't leak at sea. Also sea water is denser than fresh water (even if not all that much), but if you sink it and see no water filtration or bubbles than you should be fine.

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[U.K. Brian]

I only had trouble with the clear plastic tabs so that would be a top only. I don't think that's a bad price though as I had a similar job done on another make of detector about twelve years back and that was around $200 plus postage.

If you do do a water test yourself try and find someone with a rainwater butt and use rainwater rather than what comes out the tap as its nearer to distilled water and if you do get some water inside it should dry out O.K.

 

[kinigit]

Well I gave it a go with the dunking and did not see any issue. I unfortunately do not know anyone with a rain barrel so ended up with tap water in a tub, but that is a great idea and I might try connecting my downspout to a bucket for the next test. It was fully submerged about six inches deep. I watched for bubbles and after the initial ones were cleared (from the crevices and dimples in the case) I saw no more, and I did not see any water entering the case. After removing it I inverted it to see if any water showed up in the corners of the top clear portion and saw none. If it was leaking at all it was very minimal. I will test it again before giving it a full test under real conditions. I will try it in a five gallon bucket or trash can where I can fully submerge it deeper and will leave it for 15 minutes or 20 minutes. Is there a more sensitive way to observe moisture than just looking for it?

UK Brian I agree completely it is a fair price and on the cheap side, but I would rather something be built to not have such obvious potential problem areas than to have a cheap repair available. I am hoping that future buyers of used machines will find this discussion so that they know what to look for when purchasing a used machine. I find it hard to believe I cracked these as I did my research before replacing the o-ring and saw from several people to not overtighten the screws. I actually noticed the cracks because one of the top clear tabs was cracked, but upon closer inspection several of the black ones were cracked too. Thanks again for the advice and help. Great website and forum.

 

[kinigit]

So second test water definitely got in. I guess it will be going back for a makeover and re-testing. Thanks for the advice, hopefully none of the electronics got fried. There was one relatively small drop of water in the case so I am hoping for the best. Better to know now than when neck deep in saltwater.

Thanks again for the advice.

 

[kinigit]

Well got to say I am disappointed with White's. $120 later it is working and waterproof again, but this detector has serious design flaws. The plastic case with plastic tabs is a poor idea and they break apparently frequently. Warren at White's of the Southeast was good to deal with, but Whites should fix this design. They have good designs on many of their waterproof cases and I am unsure why they have not improved this design. I was informed by Warren that this is not an infrequent problem and that cracking at the tabs does not necessarily mean that it is not waterproof but I was unlucky since both the top and bottom were leaking. While it is a reasonable cost to get fixed an inferior product should not be sold by one of the most reputable detector companies. Please fix this White's!

As a side note Warren said it should be tightened down to the point that the tabs touch for anyone who is trying to replace the o-ring themselves. Be sure not to tighten it beyond that.