AT Pro goes nutts!

[Sand Pirate]

Up until yestereday, my ATP has been working great...no issues. I last used it this past Sunday and it worked flawlessly. BUT....
Yesterday I went for a spin on the beach....turned it on and it just went crazy!....It would not ground balance...numbers did not change, and it wouldn't shut up. I moved to another location thinking I may have been over a can or something, no help. This thing had a mind of it's own. It was making every sound imaginable, display was bouncing all over the place and it would not stop. I turned it on and off several times...did a factory reset, changed frequencies, took out the battery pack, checked for moisture etc, unplugged the coil connector checked for moisture, nothing....put everything back together...still going crazy. I could not get it to tone on anything either. i put the coil directly on my scoop and it would not "see" it...no tone other than the prolific chatter. It reminded me of something having a short in it....After about 30 minutes of doing this over and over, she finally settled down a bit, but to keep it steady I had to turn the sensitivity down to two or three bars. HIGHLY unusual. I still could not get a good GB, and she was still chirping when she shouldn't have been....I still managed to find 4 pennies before the rain came....
Anybody else experienced this?

 

[rks1949]

Sounds like you need to try a factory reset! Turn it on and hold down the power button until you hear a series of beeps,then give it a try!

 

[Sand Pirate]

I did...three times....no effect. I'm leaning towards moisture in the coil connector. It was loose, but not by much. Visual inspection did not reveal any moisture, but I could be wrong. I haven't had time to mess with it today. I plan on taking the connectors loose and letting them dry over night and see if that has anything to do with it. And leave the batteries out too...I wish I had video'ed it doing that ..it was crazy...

 

[Sandman]

We live in busy times and with all the Wi-Fi's and microwave towers its a wonder any of them work. Try cleaning out the coil cover but I don't think that's it. I won't use my AT PRO as I have no confidence in it so it hangs on a wall.

 

[Sand Pirate]

Well, I don't have a coil cover...sorry you don't like the ATP, my experience with it (until this issue) has been wonderful. I agree its not the best for the beaches, hence my efforts to research a better machine for the beach, but I will never hang mine in the garage....LOL!

Sandman, what's your take on the CZ21?

 

[Metal Detecting Stuff]

SandPirate, you might try a manual ground balance next time. Salt usually ground balances between 0-20 on the AT Pro.

Wayne

www.metaldetectingstuff.com

 

[Sand Pirate]

Thanks Wayne, I tried that too...all the way to zero. Nothing worked....
However, good news is, I unhooked the connectors and left them off overnight, just in case there was moisture there, and it seemed to help. I wont know for certain until I go back to that same location, because around the house there is a lot of metal stuff so its chatty here anyway. Gonna try it outside somewhere later...

 

[Sandman]

Well, I don't have a coil cover...sorry you don't like the ATP, my experience with it (until this issue) has been wonderful. I agree its not the best for the beaches, hence my efforts to research a better machine for the beach, but I will never hang mine in the garage....LOL!

Sandman, what's your take on the CZ21?

The CZ-21 is a great detector and works just like the CZ-20 that I have. I think it is as deep as my Excal with same size coil. But quality comes at a higher price. I've dove with my CZ to 140 foot with no leaks many times as well as my Tiger Shark and Excal. The Tiger Shark is the only one that is near the price of the AT PRO, but no screens on water detectors. CZ-21 has improved pinpoint button which I don't need in the water cause of huge scoop. Never had any falsing with either units. The Tiger Shark can false on some salt beaches because it is only a one freq detector unlike the CZ's. By all means get one if you can afford it and I promise you that you won't be sorry. The only thing the ATP has going for it is the less weight, but that's cause it isn't made for diving. I smeared silicone sealant over my PP button to stop rubber rot leaks and don't use PP anyway.

 

[ATGoldGuy]

I won't use my AT PRO as I have no confidence in it so it hangs on a wall.

Let me know if you want to sell it.

 

[Sand Pirate]

Well, after letting it air out and checking for cracks in the coils etc etc....it's going back to Garrett after the holiday. It has to be a bad coil based on what others have said about the same issues. Oh well, that's what a warrantee is for!

 

[Sand Pirate]

Called Garrett yesterday, they are sending a new coil. Hope that fixes it, if not they said send in the whole thing and they will replace it if it needs to be

 

[hobby]

Well, I don't have a coil cover...sorry you don't like the ATP, my experience with it (until this issue) has been wonderful. I agree its not the best for the beaches, hence my efforts to research a better machine for the beach, but I will never hang mine in the garage....LOL!

Sandman, what's your take on the CZ21?

I always use my at pro at the beach wet sand working smooth and detecting. Deep enough .it look like you have a problem but first try to change location away from the area that you detecting in

 

[bigmatt132]

Sandman , what detector do you use?

 

[Sand Pirate]

Well new coil came today...that was not the problem. Now the whole thing is going back to Garrett...hopefully this will get resolved soon!

 

[Sandman]

Sandman , what detector do you use?

Bigmatt, I mainly hunt the water and like my Excal, CZ-20 and Tiger Shark since I am can only hunt freshwater now. For land I use what ever I can lift.

 

[gleaner1]

Bigmatt, I mainly hunt the water and like my Excal, CZ-20 and Tiger Shark since I am can only hunt freshwater now. For land I use what ever I can lift.

I prefer cz20 for land. Hip mount the brain box and you got the lightest unit going and talk about hot its hotter than my eighth grade teacher.

 

[Bart@Big Boys Hobbies]

Garrett will get it fixed! They are top notch!