rain damage to my Ace 250?

[txpathfinder]

The other night I left my Garrett Ace 250 in the bed of my pick-up in the driveway. Later that evening I noticed it was raining, for how long I do not know but it was wet outside. I grabbed a towel and ran outside to getmy machine, brought it in, wiped it down, removed the batteries and let it air out. I didn't seem as though it had been soaked. the next day I reinstalled the batteries and it powered up as usual. However since then it seems like the machine it not as good at sounding off when I am looking for a target in a dug clod of dirt, also depth seems off as does getting repeatable signals. My question is do I have good reason to believe my machine was adversely affected when it got wet or I am perhaps just imagining the performance of my detector is off because I am expectingit to be. After all, a detector performs differently each outing and as the conditions change. Thanks.

 

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[ivan salis]

water is not a ace 250's freind -- it can kil them outright -- you were smart to dry it --and not turn it on for some time -- hopefully it was long enought to let it dry out fully and it did not damage the machine but if it got "soaked" hard chances are good it might have got hurt somewhat by water getting "deep" into it.

 

[John-Edmonton]

You probably need to dry it off for a while longer. Keep it in a warm place. Plain water shouldn't really hurt the circuit board as long as it wasn't powered up. Often, a circuit board is washed in hot water for a cleansing after all the components have been attached before it is mounted in a case.

Good luck!

 

[Keppy]

I have done that then took it apart and let it dry for about 4 to 5 days to make sure and they always worked fine for me. I dropped my sovereign in the lake grabbed it turned it off opened it up let it dry for about 4 days and it was just as good as new but give it enought time to dry out ...........

 

[txpathfinder]

Thanks all!

 

[cdltpx]

Electronics can get wet but you have to dry them after. When a board is dirty the electronics repair men will wash the circuit boards but they have to be dried a certian way. We are talking about the boards I would not place an entire metaldetector in an oven I doubt the screen could take the heat of 180 degrees. I would contact the maker and ask what to do perhaps they can tell you what to take apart and what should be placed in the oven.
Try using a hair dryer to dry it out be careful not to overheat the display screen.
I feel for you sorry to hear about your error. Good thing is the 250 is not an expensive item to replace. If I had to get another detector I would be very interested in trying out a tesoro. Ill tell you why when I first started using a detector I used a BH jr the toy from wally world but I could tell you the coin orientation type of coin weather it was copper silver what ever because you ge t the ear for what you find no need for a discrimination you can pop the coins out the ground with a slim knife. With simple circuit you learn the sounds and you would shocked how efficient you become with a barefoot detector.

 

[ivan salis]

using compressed air to dry inside might not be a bad idea

 

[vayank54]

I don't know about an ace 250 but I've had about every machine I own wet enough to where it stopped working and after drying out a day or so they were fine. I dropped my Whites blue /gray into a creek about 3 years ago. I took it apart and set it on the deck by the clothes dryer vent and I'm still using it. Hopefully you machine wasn't messed up to badly. Like someone else said a hair dryer will work. DO NOT put it in an oven.

 

[cdltpx]

When I bought my 250 it said not to leave it in a hot car there probably is a reason they may be able to tell you what needs to be removed to dry it my guess is the LCD screen just a guess contact the manufacturer there might be a internal component that is heat sensitive. As a person with an aos in electronics I can only tell you what we were trained to do when circuit boards need to be cleaned for various reasons. The boards are cleaned with soap and water in a vat rinsed and placed in an oven around 180 190 degrees for about an hour then checked for moisture.

 

[CWnut]

I've had my Tesoro under water and did not damage it, but it doesn't have the display like yours does.

 

[Keppy]

It is not all that complicated you don't have to call the Co. or get a teck to talk to . I have had my Garrett & Minelab dropped in water don't get so complicated with what to do. JUST open it up let it dry out for a few days it will be fine. Don't put heat on it don't blow dry it MY GOD MAN just let it dry out..... I have never seen a detector mine or any one elses hurt by water as long as you let it dry out..I have never seen a cell phone dropped in water hurt as long as they let it dry out.. The thing you hear is if you are shallow water hunting and drop your detector in it is done... NOT SO

 

[slarter]

Just open it up and put a fan blowing into it. The air movement will dry it quicker than any thing else without damaging it.

 

[schlepprock]

I know it's the wrong time of the year, but air conditioners works very well at getting rid of moisture as they have evaporator coils. You'd be surprised how much moisture they pull out of a house in a day.

Schlepp.

 

[POPS]

Dropped my cell phone in the lake this past summer. Took the battery out, opened it up and let it dry out for a couple days. Worked fine after it was dry. Pop

 

[txpathfinder]

It's gotten cold in Texas...I believe the detector is fine, good as ever. At least for the moment. Thanks for all the responses and let that be a lesson to all you young folk, "keep the detector high and dry."
One thing that has me excited is the addition of a hand-held pin pointer to my arsenal of excavation tools. I spent $16 at Harbor Freight and bought one of their China cheapo specials (I think it is called Cen- Tech) It was an eye opener. I can see where a pinpointer will help you recover deep targets. In the past, I might have abandoned a hole that had pulled me down deep but with a pp you can figure out just where in the "tunnel" to dig. Again, a real eye-opener. I found a 1937 Texas "Seine" fishing license (Seine fishing is the use of a vertically hung net weighted down to the sea floor.) at about 7 inches and under roots. This was a dig I would have certainly given up on without a pin pointer. I also found an old electrical plate at about 9 inches down- again I would have covered that hole up without finding the target without the use of a pinpointer, so you see where I'm going... in the next year I will certainly have "keepers" that were found deeper in ground all because I was able to ferret them out of a hole you could put a foot in due to the help of the pinpointer.

 

[trulyers]

A different tale of WOE:

Pathfinder, I have a Garrett also, but it is a higer priced one, the Top of Line GTI 2500. I took it on a beach, was searching for ten minutes on dry sand, down beside a jetty, when a huge (Northern California) Rogue Wave came up and almost drowned me and my detector, washing us up and depositing us 50 feet higher up the beach. I could not hold the detector up out of the water, being flat on my back in the cold salt water. So it got wet. It was out of warranty, so I took it home, opened it up, and took it all apart (I've had three years of electronics). It did not look wet inside at all, but it wasn't working. So I washed the circuit boards (it had five of them) plus the LCD, in warm water, dried them carefully, and put them all in front of my wall furnace overnight, with the funace running normally all night. The parts got a lot of warm air blowing softly on them all night. They were totally dry next morning.

I reassembled it next day, and it would act normally, giving the sounds I expected to hear, changing modes, etc. The LCD appeared normal, but it would detect absolutely NOTHING at all. The most sensitive part is the first circuit board with three big integrated chips on it. And at least one of those chips was ruined by the salt water, even though I could not see that any water had gotten inside at all.

We sent it back to the factory later, and it came back fine. But it conked out again, after only about 3 to 4 hours of use. I am disabled, on Disability, and do not have the money to have it repaired again. It is still not working.

So, in some cases, even a little water CAN damage a sensitive Garrett detector.

 

[Keppy]

A different tale of WOE:

Pathfinder, I have a Garrett also, but it is a higer priced one, the Top of Line GTI 2500. I took it on a beach, was searching for ten minutes on dry sand, down beside a jetty, when a huge (Northern California) Rogue Wave came up and almost drowned me and my detector, washing us up and depositing us 50 feet higher up the beach. I could not hold the detector up out of the water, being flat on my back in the cold salt water. So it got wet. It was out of warranty, so I took it home, opened it up, and took it all apart (I've had three years of electronics). It did not look wet inside at all, but it wasn't working. So I washed the circuit boards (it had five of them) plus the LCD, in warm water, dried them carefully, and put them all in front of my wall furnace overnight, with the funace running normally all night. The parts got a lot of warm air blowing softly on them all night. They were totally dry next morning.

I reassembled it next day, and it would act normally, giving the sounds I expected to hear, changing modes, etc. The LCD appeared normal, but it would detect absolutely NOTHING at all. The most sensitive part is the first circuit board with three big integrated chips on it. And at least one of those chips was ruined by the salt water, even though I could not see that any water had gotten inside at all.

We sent it back to the factory later, and it came back fine. But it conked out again, after only about 3 to 4 hours of use. I am disabled, on Disability, and do not have the money to have it repaired again. It is still not working.

So, in some cases, even a little water CAN damage a sensitive Garrett detector.

When mine got in water it was fresh water not salt water i guess the salt will take a toll un the detector...........

 

[mikeofaustin]

The biggest problem with electronics getting wet, is the chemicals in the water itself. A residue will form after being dried and is conductive (even if in the mega ohms). It'll also get into the coils and effect their tuned state. Tap water is the worst for this. A good technician can open it up and clean everything with alcohol.

 

[SwampHunter]

Brother in law left his in the back of his truck in the garage. His wife moved the truck out into the drive and it rained that day. He opened it up, took out the batteries and let it dry for several days. It has worked fine.