BH Pioneer 202 Problems, Inconsistent and False Tones

Garrett424

Silver Member
Jun 20, 2014
3,164
2,284
Granite, Maryland
Detector(s) used
Teknetics Omega 8000
Teknetics Delta 4000,
Deteknix XPointer,
Fiskar's Big Grip Digger & my old Army Trench shovel for the tough jobs
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I posted another thread in the metal detecting forum and thought I would give it a go here as well in the hopes that someone who really knows these machines could maybe help me. Any and all input is greatly appreciated.

Here it is:

"I posted in the "Today's Finds" forum a few items I dug up in about 10-15 minutes with my BH Tracker IV after my BH 202 was just not hitting on anything regardless of the mode, setting, etc. I was getting a crazy amount of EMI from something in the area. That's why I broke out the Tracker IV, which performed beautifully as usual (for what it is).

I've used this 202 daily since July 26th and frankly, I'm just not impressed with it. I've given it (and myself) more than a good chance. But, I have found all of my best finds, silver, gold and silver jewelry, old coins and tokens, relics and tons of clad with my cheap little $30.00 Tracker IV. I thought the 202 was supposed to be better and search deeper.

Since I began using the 202, my overall count of everything is down by at least half. I've read some awesome reviews on the machine but no matter what I do, it just doesn't find the goods very well.

It's erratic, the tones are all over the place and it gives false signals consistently. You can get a solid, repeatable, diggable tone and then..... nothing's in the hole or it's not what the tone indicates if there's actually something there. A high clear tone shouldn't produce a nickel or foil. It's very frustrating and a huge waste of time and effort. I know that the tones will change when you're not directly over the target but that's not the problem.

It will also give all three tones over the same target and it happens consistently. They just bounce all over the place.

Also, when you use a fair amount of discrimination (2-4 O'clock) for say, coin shooting for silver, you'll often get a nice, clear, strong high tone but if you back off on the discrimination, you find it's just a low junk tone in disguise. It seems to be just kicking the trash tones into high tones rather than actually discriminating them out.

Also, the coin and depth indicators aren't even close to being accurate (and I am aware that they're "probable" readings for coin sized objects lying flat). That doesn't bother me so much because I go far more by tone anyway but it would be nice if it was right maybe 25% of the time or something just so you could get a feel for it. I mean, they did include it in the design right??

I bought this thing used. "as is" from a lady who claimed she never even used it. It certainly looks brand new. I'm just wondering if there's something wrong with it Maybe she damaged it and didn't tell me. Maybe it's just a bad model or a lemon. I just don't know.

Before I sell this thing and put the cash toward an upgrade, is it even worth having it checked out to make sure it's working right??

How would I begin to troubleshoot this thing?? It does detect metal and in a month I did manage to dig up one old IH but other than that, mostly clad and junk(about half the clad the Tracker IV finds consistently, including tonight).

It air tests pretty well but in the field is another story. The signals and tones are just all over the place no matter the settings and/or mode. I usually hunt in all metal with my disc at around 11-12 O'clock to start. It will lose gold entirely at about 1-2:00.

The auto notch will pass right over gold so I never use that. It also signals erratically on trash anyway so I see no point. I do use notch sometimes in trashy spots but even that gives consistently wrong tones and false signals.

If anyone knows anything about these machines I would love to be enlightened. I've read the manual many times, have watched numerous videos and demos and feel like I have a very good understanding of how it SHOULD behave but it just doesn't. I have spent at least one hundred hours using this machine as well and feel I know what it SHOULD do but it just doesn't. My gut/intuition says that there's some kind of malfunction because it just shouldn't function so erratically ALL of the time.

It's not a result of having my sensitivity too high either (which is a common mistake). I often crank it way back once I locate a target in order to help pinpoint/narrow down my digging area, yet it still gives false or inaccurate tones.

I'm leaning toward selling it for a great price because I got it so cheap but if it's worth saving as a backup I would like to know. To me, if you can't find good stuff with it what's the use??

If there is something I'm overlooking, I'm all ears."

Thanks in advance for any tips, tricks, advice or agreement that I should just get rid of this thing and get a good solid machine. I'm all ears.

HH
 

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DiggerinVA

Bronze Member
Sep 16, 2013
1,669
1,661
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Detector(s) used
GPX5000, AT Gold, AT Pro, Whites TDI, Bandido 2 umax, Tejon, Vaquero, Deus 2, ORX and Legend
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hey Garrett, sounds like your 202 has a problem. I started with a 202 and it was one of the most accurate (at identifying) machines i have used......just not a great amount of depth. I could even tell copper pennies from clad dimes alot of times! Probably not gonna get alot of depth but shouldnt be having the other problems....
 

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Garrett424

Garrett424

Silver Member
Jun 20, 2014
3,164
2,284
Granite, Maryland
Detector(s) used
Teknetics Omega 8000
Teknetics Delta 4000,
Deteknix XPointer,
Fiskar's Big Grip Digger & my old Army Trench shovel for the tough jobs
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Hey Garrett, sounds like your 202 has a problem. I started with a 202 and it was one of the most accurate (at identifying) machines i have used......just not a great amount of depth. I could even tell copper pennies from clad dimes alot of times! Probably not gonna get alot of depth but shouldnt be having the other problems....

I think it may have a problem too. Again, I don't even know where to begin in order to find out.
It's very disappointing. I even switched coils to see if it was a coil problem but there was no change at all.

I'm going to use my Tracker IV for a few days; maybe a week. I'd be willing to bet money that I'll find way more stuff with it than I would with the 202. That just shouldn't be.

In the meantime I need to find someone who can check the 202 out without breaking the bank. I have no intention of sinking hundreds of dollars into troubleshooting and repairs. It's just not worth it. I could buy another one online for less than it may cost.
 

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DiggerinVA

Bronze Member
Sep 16, 2013
1,669
1,661
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Detector(s) used
GPX5000, AT Gold, AT Pro, Whites TDI, Bandido 2 umax, Tejon, Vaquero, Deus 2, ORX and Legend
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Also, there is a great deal oon a ACE350 on ebay......just something to think about...
 

Fixitdave

Full Member
May 11, 2012
219
183
Have you checked where the coil plugs in? I have bounty hunter platinum and bounty hunter pioneer.ex and both act crazy if not plugged in good.Hope that helps.Happy Hunting
 

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Garrett424

Garrett424

Silver Member
Jun 20, 2014
3,164
2,284
Granite, Maryland
Detector(s) used
Teknetics Omega 8000
Teknetics Delta 4000,
Deteknix XPointer,
Fiskar's Big Grip Digger & my old Army Trench shovel for the tough jobs
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Have you checked where the coil plugs in? I have bounty hunter platinum and bounty hunter pioneer.ex and both act crazy if not plugged in good.Hope that helps.Happy Hunting

Thanks for the tip. I'll check that as soon as I get off work. It seems fine as far as I know though. I've swapped coils and it makes no difference. Then again, there could be a loose connection somewhere.

I WANT this thing to work right and at least give me the capability I expected. I know it's not a high or even medium end unit and I don't expect it to find silver coins at 12" but dang, I KNOW it should perform better than this.

I hope it's a simple problem that can be easily rectified. I just wish I knew more about it.
My original goal was to just get through this season, hang onto both units for my sons and upgrade before spring.

But, you know what they say about the best laid plans..........
 

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Garrett424

Garrett424

Silver Member
Jun 20, 2014
3,164
2,284
Granite, Maryland
Detector(s) used
Teknetics Omega 8000
Teknetics Delta 4000,
Deteknix XPointer,
Fiskar's Big Grip Digger & my old Army Trench shovel for the tough jobs
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Man, thank you.

I checked the plug as soon as I got off work and the whole assembly was loose. It's tricky because it has to be centered within the two plastic housing pieces just right so the plug will go on properly. Mine wasn't seating properly. It also wasn't really loose but just loose enough to create a hard to detect problem.

I took it apart, cleaned it up really well and put it back together. There was definitely some dirt caked in there. I plugged the coil in nice and centered and then snugged it up really good while the plug was still connected.

While I was at it I taped up the battery wires a bit. There was a slight nick in the insulation on one of the 4 wires.

Those battery wires just bother me because they're just kinda' flying around in there, crossing one another, etc. That can't be good. Any electrical interference really changes how this thing works and those wires just looked wrong and too sloppy. I have them nice and tight now. I think taping them up also greatly reduced the chance of breakage or accidentally pulling them out.

I had very little time to test it out but I did for about a half hour and guess what?? It's actually stable. I didn't get any false signals or multiple tones on the same target.

I KNEW something had to be wrong. THANK YOU SO MUCH for the tip. It didn't even cross my mind to check that connection. I was actually beginning to believe I had a real lemon or something.
Now I know.
I can't tell you how helpful you've been.
 

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