My Letter to Minelab, requesting Free of Charge "O-RIng" replacements - CTX3030

[roadrunner]

I think he is saying because it has the preshaped bends in it

Is that the o-ring itself?
If so,orange usually means silicone which is good for pressure, and for non shrinking.
But if it is the size,or the o-ring in question.
It does not have enough surface area for me.
It is a design flaw.If it is square,it needs to be no less than 1/8 th inch.

Square o-rings dont get a good squish.
Round ones go flat as they are tighnted down, and give a superior fit.
I used to work on Caterpillar heavy equipment.
The Pro's know there stuff.

Anyway,so this o-ring goes on a cover of some kind then.
Where are the MD made?
Check with the factory.Get some from them.Tell them you are a seller on ebay and need some packages.
If they are made in china,or elsewhere,they wont be loyal anyway.From what I know.
I will see if I can find square o-rings.
Also,a round one will work,it will bend around the corners.

 

[hoosierguy]

A smart move by MineLab would be to announce free replacement of the seal ring and provide a PDF with detailed instructions/tips on how to maintain and replace the ring if needed. It might also be a good idea to publish a instructional video.

If the seal issue is the result of a design defect, acknowledgement of that fact publicly earns a lot of respect from customers. Being up-front about this kind of issue is the right thing to do. If it's determined not to be a design defect, then customer education is the key. A previous poster was correct in saying that the replacement of the seal should be idiot-proof, but the owner of a piece of gear like this does hold a certain degree of responsibility in it's upkeep. We could argue for hours of what that level of responsibility should be...(not really the reason I wanted to post).

Even after hearing about this issue, I would still love to own a CTX-3030, but it's definitely a potential black eye for Minelab if they don't resolve the issue quickly before it becomes a PR nightmare. I can imagine they be be hesitant to admit a design defect for fear of having to replace entire detectors at their cost, or quick have their engineers come up with a solution that only involves replacing the current seal with a redesigned seal.

 

[Minrelica]

If I were you I'd post this letter on the minelabowners forum as well.

 

[lookindown]

Whether the O ring fails because of user error or the O ring contracts to much with cold water, Minelab should have made these things IDIOT proof. I know how to take care of O rings and never had one of my other water detectors flood even with the water pressure at +100 feet. Camera's never leaked either. So it has to be the O ring contracts and has to be made with another material. There can't be all these guys that don't know how to keep the O rings and surfaces clean.

Since the O ring is preformed, it might be not inserted correctly where it belongs and that causes the leaks.
Maybe we should cover the joint with Duct Tape till Minelab comes up with a solution.

Your right, if its user error then it is too hard for the user "not to error"...if the users are making this many mistakes then it is a design flaw...if Minelab wants to sell the 3030 to people that want to use them in the water, they better make a design change or stop advertising that it can be used in the water...no one is going to buy one to use in the water with so many leaking complaints coming in.

 

[Sandman]

Fisher Labs has flat gasket seals on the battery doors of the 1280, CZ-20 and 21. They have a raised o ring molded onto the gasket. There are no leaks on the Fisher Labs water detectors and they are rated for depths deeper than I have ever dove. Minelab can do it, but think they were greedy and wanted to get this CTX out in the market to soon. I want one but not at the expense of giving up a perfectly good Excal that is waterproof.

 

[OBN]

I agree with Sandman, rush to make the dollar. When putting a new product out there is going to be design adjustments needed specially when it comes to Saltwater, that's why you put out about 30 machines, to hard core hunters, give them about 6 months and you will have an idea on what is needed. Problem then is if it requires a major tooling design change. Then you make the changes and you have a good quality machine/product. My opinion they should change it from water proof to 10 feet to... "Water resistant".

I have seen this several times of late also, coil not detected

Best to have a backup

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Whites water detector coils still float and they haven't done anything about that known issue either.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[lookindown]

Whites water detector coils still float and they haven't done anything about that known issue either.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Might be why you don't see many Whites water detectors at the beach.

 

[Dreadnox]

Minelab needs to cave on this and bite the bullet, its their flaw and they should at very least give 10 or 12 of these seals with each unit sold!! Not taking care of this is just plan bad business Minelab,,, cough up some free seals and show everyone how well you care about your customer base or it will deminish from bad pablisity!! Their expence would be minimal at worst for these seals.

 

[Digger2]

I would bet McMasters-Carr probably has the orings. They usually stock every type and size and they have fast shipping a light shipping charges. They are my go to place for orings which I swap around regularly in my pcp air guns and air pumps.

 

[hoosierguy]

I would bet McMasters-Carr probably has the orings. They usually stock every type and size and they have fast shipping a light shipping charges. They are my go to place for orings which I swap around regularly in my pcp air guns and air pumps.

The term o-ring is a misnomer... The rubber ring or gasket is not circular. It's molded in a custom offset rectangular shape that seals the two sides of the case.

 

[DrunkBrother]

Hi guys,
The end story to this- i have received a call from Minelab and had a chat with Global Customer Services and Training Manager , after that i received 2 O-Rings in the mail "for my time and feedback provided"

My personal opinion - the issue can not be resolved due to BIG surface of the oring, that is stupid, it supposed to be like in Excal - 2 sm in diamter.

So again, IMHO - design flaw, can not be fixed. wait for another detector.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I don't own a CTX, but my hunting partner Dave does and I know he loves his and has used it in the water too..... He says he always double checks the o-ring afer putting the battery back back in to be sure it is seated properly...

His has never leaked..............

 

[SocalJim]

No matter if it's a design flaw or not. Gouging your customers after a sale for maintenance and repairs seems like a recipe for failure. I doubt many with high repair bills and estimates will return as repeat customers. Although they make a great product in the end it's only as good as the company behind it. I wonder how sales have held up with all these complaints about service and the 3030. One more rant how about raising the price on the Sovereign then discontinuing it ? I'm sure there's lots of happy GT users too knowing service ,such as it is ,now has a limited life span.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

No matter if it's a design flaw or not. Gouging your customers after a sale for maintenance and repairs seems like a recipe for failure. I doubt many with high repair bills and estimates will return as repeat customers. Although they make a great product in the end it's only as good as the company behind it. I wonder how sales have held up with all these complaints about service and the 3030. One more rant how about raising the price on the Sovereign then discontinuing it ? I'm sure there's lots of happy GT users too knowing service ,such as it is ,now has a limited life span.

Sov GT will have repair service for many years to come... There is 3 year factory warranty running from
12/2012 when last new ones were sold, repairs will be done after end of warranty period for years...

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[Petrie502]

Mines never leaked and I hunt twice a week in the water submerged

 

[Bart@Big Boys Hobbies]

I don't own a CTX, but my hunting partner Dave does and I know he loves his and has used it in the water too..... He says he always double checks the o-ring afer putting the battery back back in to be sure it is seated properly...

His has never leaked..............

Very good advice! When you walk up to your truck, don't you usually visually look at all the tires and take a quick peek at the gauges on start up? Just good practice.

 

[Mirlen]

I'm a new CTX owner, and I have to admit that the "O-ring" issue is a little nerve-wracking for me.

Tonight our kids dancing Elmo toy's batteries died and I had to change them. I find it a bit sad that the Elmo toy has a better seal for the battery compartment than my much more expensive CTX...