How Many of You Have Detectors With Battery Damage?

[Nitric]

Don't ask me where I come up with this nonsense! I actually have a reason behind the question...

I'm wondering how many detectors were shoved to the side, in the basement, closet, etc.... Because you found that you left the batteries in and they are damaged?

How many have them shoved away ? "I'll fix it later".....

I have one so far, an older coinmaster 3, which will be an easy fix. Just haven't gotten around to it.

Or maybe even better machines from the 90's that quit working and were shoved aside?

 

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[huntsman53]

I have an old White's 66-T Goldmaster that has a little battery damage to the battery holders but nothing electronically compromised. It took the old school 9 volt and 12 volt batteries and needs the battery holders upgraded to accept the 6 "AA" 9 volt battery pack and the 8 "AA" 12 volt battery pack. I would love to use it in some Gold bearing areas but never seem to have the money to send it into White's for the battery holder upgrades and a checkup. It was previously owned by a University Geology Professor who traveled the world looking for Gold, Silver, other heavy metals and gems and came with 5 coils ranging from 3.5" to 24" in diameter and I purchased it from one of his daughters. The Professor found a lot of stuff in his travels and had large grain bags and buckets full of high grade ores and gem/rock specimens but the daughters and granddaughter would not sell any of it.

 

[Nitric]

I have an old White's 66-T Goldmaster that has a little battery damage to the battery holders but nothing electronically compromised. It took the old school 9 volt and 12 volt batteries and needs the battery holders upgraded to accept the 6 "AA" 9 volt battery pack and the 8 "AA" 12 volt battery pack. I would love to use it in some Gold bearing areas but never seem to have the money to send it into White's for the battery holder upgrades and a checkup. It was previously owned by a University Geology Professor who traveled the world looking for Gold, Silver, other heavy metals and gems and came with 5 coils ranging from 3.5" to 24" in diameter and I purchased it from one of his daughters. The Professor found a lot of stuff in his travels and had large grain bags and buckets full of high grade ores and gem/rock specimens but the daughters and granddaughter would not sell any of it.

That sounds like a cool machine to have. I'm starting to really have an interest in the older stuff. I also have thought's that I wonder if I could repair some of this kind of stuff.

I really think some of the old machines are better? I really wonder. They don't have all of the buttons and toys to play with, but I'm wondering is some of that is lost in the "digital" and discrimination sorting.

I wish you were a little closer! We could put that battery holder in!! Or make one. I don't know anything about "adjusting" the electronics yet. I do have the equipment, just don't know enough about how to use it or tune a detector. Or upgrading parts that fade or don't work as good with age...Like capacitors. From what I understand most had a 10 year life expectancy.

 

[Rookster]

I've got two that need the batteries removed just to be on the safe side.

 

[Nitric]

I've got two that need the batteries removed just to be on the safe side.

It's one of the things I always do now. Even if I think I'll use it next week, sometimes they sit for months or longer, like mine are now.

 

[huntsman53]

Some of the White's Metal Detectors have a problem and likely other brands as well. If you leave them on with the battery or batteries in them and the batteries die, it will fry a Diode probably in the power circuitry and then you have to send it into a Repair Center just to have the Diode replaced. Something in the power circuitry more than likely pulls more amperage in an attempt to keep the metal detector operating when the battery or batteries are failing and the Diode just can't handle the load. IMHO, it is a good possibility that a fairly large majority of metal detectors that are inoperative, are so because of the above. Hopefully they a put protection circuits in place to prevent this from happening to the newer and more expensive metal detectors.

 

[Nitric]

Some of the White's Metal Detectors have a problem and likely other brands as well. If you leave them on with the battery or batteries in them and the batteries die, it will fry a Diode probably in the power circuitry and then you have to send it into a Repair Center just to have the Diode replaced. Something in the power circuitry more than likely pulls more amperage in an attempt to keep the metal detector operating when the battery or batteries are failing and the Diode just can't handle the load. IMHO, it is a good possibility that a fairly large majority of metal detectors that are inoperative, are so because of the above. Hopefully they a put protection circuits in place to prevent this from happening to the newer and more expensive metal detectors.

That's good info! In case I run into one I'll have a starting point or something to check, If it's surface mount I couldn't do much because I don't have that stuff...That's another reason why I'm interested in older machines..The stuff is bigger on the circuit board and easier to tinker with.

 

[huntsman53]

The reason I like the old analog metal detectors and especially the old White's metal detectors is because of the capability to locate voids in the ground (i.e. tunnels, caves, underground bunkers and I would imagine underground streams). Most of these can't be too deep, at least that is what I believe but who knows unless further testing is done. Since the signal on the old White's analog metal detectors will drop completely out after a Vooop sound on voids in the ground and also totally degraded Iron, some folks aren't sure what they have located. This is how I found the void in the ground while metal detecting the entranceway of the West Martello Towers Fort in Key West and they later found that it was an entrance to an underground bunker under the Fort.

 

[Nitric]

The reason I like the old analog metal detectors and especially the old White's metal detectors is because of the capability to locate voids in the ground (i.e. tunnels, caves, underground bunkers and I would imagine underground streams). Most of these can't be too deep, at least that is what I believe but who knows unless further testing is done. Since the signal on the old White's analog metal detectors will drop completely out after a Vooop sound on voids in the ground and also totally degraded Iron, some folks aren't sure what they have located. This is how I found the void in the ground while metal detecting the entranceway of the West Martello Towers Fort in Key West and they later found that it was an entrance to an underground bunker under the Fort.

A friend of mine had an old White that his grandfather gave him. We went out a few times together and he had no problem finding stuff. But the machine sounded like a spaceship and never stopped making noise! But I would even put that machine up against newer machines...Just annoying to whole neighborhood with no headphones!!!

Thats cool that you were able to find that!! I also wanted to build a coil and hook it to a program on the laptop to see what's in the ground...But......Way way out of my knowledge!

 

[chub]

Whites classic SL. Terminals on the battery tray were...umm...terminal. Cleaned everything up and away it went. Alot of cells in the old whites battery trays. A lil bit of vaseline on the springs and contacts helps.

chub

 

[smokeythecat]

Never had it happen.

 

[Nitric]

Everyone probably already knows this....I just learned it and thought I'd pass it along..

My son has all kinds of toys that take batteries...I couldn't figure out why, every one that I was opening up lately? had leaky batteries!!! Some of them haven't even been in for 6 months.

I have boxes that I pull batteries out of, some new, some partially used..I test them and if they are good, I use them..I guess you can't mix them up, and just randomly grab a mixture of batteries to put in something. They will leak in a short time.

I didn't look into why. But in most stuff they have to be matched.

 

[huntsman53]

Everyone probably already knows this....I just learned it and thought I'd pass it along..

My son has all kinds of toys that take batteries...I couldn't figure out why, every one that I was opening up lately? had leaky batteries!!! Some of them haven't even been in for 6 months.

I have boxes that I pull batteries out of, some new, some partially used..I test them and if they are good, I use them..I guess you can't mix them up, and just randomly grab a mixture of batteries to put in something. They will leak in a short time.

I didn't look into why. But in most stuff they have to be matched.

I do the same on certain items like small flashlights that use "Double AA" batteries or for my grandson's Xbox controllers. However, you really never want to put used batteries into a metal detector unless you check them and they are full strength and all the batteries in the metal detector are all full strength as well. Weak batteries or ones that are going bad and are not up to par can wreak havoc on a metal detector's electronics and thus the signal. Most folks never check for the correct amperage output of a battery but just because the battery tests good, does not mean it is outputting the correct amperage. Where you keep the batteries and the environment they are in, is the likely cause of them to leak. New and or used but good/usable batteries have to be stored in a cool dry place at a temperature of 60 degrees or cooler. Heat and moisture are their worst enemy. You can store them in a refrigerator but they have to be sealed in a plastic ziploc type bag and get out as much air as possible when sealing them as this also forces out most of the moisture. Do not store batteries in a freezer.