Man, this is NOT cool

[mountainplayer]

This is going to be part rant, and part request for help. Here's the deal. A few weeks ago, I sat down to order an 11" Pro Coil for my Explorer II. Like a lot of folks, I was disappointed to find out that these coils have been on factory backorder for months.

I decided to just make due with the stock 10.5" DD.

Fast forward to this morning. It's been two weeks since I've had a chance to get out for a hunt. Left the house early, and hit a campsite out in the woods along an old road. The first 10 or 15 targets all hit like nickels. Started to suspect something was wrong and noticed an aluminum beercan lying on the ground. Ran the coil about 6" above the can and got no signal. Ran it down to within a couple inches of the can and got a nickel signal.

Back in the car to home. Went to my coin jar and got a couple of copper cents. Ran the coil over them and they read as nickels. Tried a factory reset, still sound like nickels. Removed the coil cover and cleaned it and the coil. Pennies still sound like nickels. Disconnected the coil from the Sunray probe and cleaned the connection. Did the same with the connection to the control box. Pennies still sound like nickels. Disconnected the Sunray probe altogether and attached the probe directly to the control box. Pennies still sound like nickels. Put everything back together as before, and tested just the Sunray probe. Pennies sound nice and high, just like they are supposed to.

It looks to me like I've got a shot coil. Can anyone else help me with suggestions?

Thanks in advance, from a desperate and seriously bummed out Mountainplayer.

 

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[Iron Patch]

That sounds very odd because I have had several coils go bad and none have reacted that way. Do you have a plain upper shaft to try? I don't think it has anything to do with the Sunray as it would be an unlikey problem for it too, maybe even more so.

Take the unit apart undoing all connections, put it back together with the plain upper shaft, and once together do a reset the first time you power up. What I'm getting at is maybe it's just the combination of how you did things, because if your detector goes a little wacky from a bad connection, and you reset it without breaking the connection, the gitch might remain. It's probably not the problem but the first step to figuring out what is going on. Also try alks if you are using the charger pack because those things can also go bad and make a detector act funny. The good news is if the Sunray works you don't have an expensive circuit board issue. (It does sound like the coil but as i said mine have not reacted that way)

 

[Iron Patch]

PS... One time my explorer was acting really messed up and it took many tries restarting to get it right. I tried a cold boot.. it's yanking the battery out when the detector is playing the tune while starting up. I think it took me at least 7 tries, but once it was back to normal I never had that problem again.

 

[mountainplayer]

Thanks, Patch. I had a feeling you'd be willing to lend a hand.

Just tried your suggestion. I disconnected everything, cleaned the connections, then attached the coil directly to the control box. Did a factory reset immediately on powering up the first time. Still reading pennies like nickels. Can only get a signal when the penny is within 2" of the coil. Any further and no sound at all.

MP

 

[Iron Patch]

Thanks, Patch. I had a feeling you'd be willing to lend a hand.

Just tried your suggestion. I disconnected everything, cleaned the connections, then attached the coil directly to the control box. Did a factory reset immediately on powering up the first time. Still reading pennies like nickels. Can only get a signal when the penny is within 2" of the coil. Any further and no sound at all.

MP

Obviously you have no other coils to try, but sounds like you're going to have to get one. If the Sunray probe is reading all targets correctly I think that pretty much says it has to be the coil. Each time I had a stock coil go bad I still used it, and in some cases for many hunts, but always read the signals right, just gave me a lot of extra low tone noise. Even right to the end it read high targets and it was just the noise that finally made me throw it to the trash. Is this an older heavy stock coil? Or the Slimline? Is this detector new to you? ...and has the coil ever worked? What I'm wondering if it isn't just a straight out dud.

 

[mountainplayer]

Tried the cold boot, over and over again (at least 15). No joy.

Tried the Sunray again (after putting everything back together) and it works perfectly. Such a sweet high tone on a copper penny it almost brings tears to my eyes.

The Sunray is just a tiny coil. Since it works fine, I can't fathom how it could be anything other than a bad search coil.

MP

 

[Iron Patch]

Tried the cold boot, over and over again (at least 15). No joy.

Tried the Sunray again (after putting everything back together) and it works perfectly. Such a sweet high tone on a copper penny it almost brings tears to my eyes.

The Sunray is just a tiny coil. Since it works fine, I can't fathom how it could be anything other than a bad search coil.

MP

Yep, definitely has to be the coil if the coil keeps failing and the Sunray is working well. Your problem now is a 1" coil doesn't cover much ground. Detector problems suck!

 

[mountainplayer]

Was typing my reply while you were making your last post. Agreed that it's got to be the coil.

I've loved this detector for the last 14 months. And yes, it has the original heavy stock coil.

Wish I had another coil to try...heck, I'd be out hunting right now! Appreciate the help, IP.

Dear Minelab: Please build some 11" DD Pro Coils.

Sincerely, Mountainplayer

 

[mountainplayer]

Yep, definitely has to be the coil if the coil keeps failing and the Sunray is working well. Your problem now is a 1" coil doesn't cover much ground. Detector problems suck!

Ha!

But it'll do one heck of a job at separation!

MP

 

[Iron Patch]

Yep, definitely has to be the coil if the coil keeps failing and the Sunray is working well. Your problem now is a 1" coil doesn't cover much ground. Detector problems suck!

Ha!

But it'll do one heck of a job at separation!

MP

...and probably still beat most Garretts for depth.

 

[Marchas45]

PM sent with link.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

So when you are testing the minelab coil the Sunray switch is NOT in line correct?