Tesoro Golden Umax Chattering Issue?

[Scanman]

Today I took out my new to me Golden Umax for the first time.

I purchased it on feebay, and it arrived yesterday. Went to a tot lot/ picnic area and was doing a good job at finding trash, around the hour of use mark, it just started like going off and chattering? adjusting the sensitivity and threshold did not seem to have much effect except quieting the noise. I tried turning it on and off several times but it still chatters away. I did not make it back home in time to call Tesoro, but will tomorrow.

I always try to research items before purchase, Is there any known issues with the Golden Umax? Anyone hear of any similar issues with other Tesoro units?

Thanks everyone.

 

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[Sandman]

Tesoro's don't have issues. That is why they can offer the lifetime warranty. From what you describe you never said you installed fresh batteries. Did you clean out the coil cover? I'll bet you had on your cell phone or carried it in your pocket. That is a No-No with todays detectors. Were you near any security fences or buried dog fences or transformers?

http://www.fisherlab.com/hobby/davejohnson/Electrical Interference.htm

 

[Scanman]

Fresh batteries right out of the package, coil cover was clean, cell phone was not on me at the time, no security or dog fences, and no utilities in park?

Thanks for the Link Sandman, the symptoms sure sound like EI, strange because there was no utilities except water in the park. I was approximately 60 feet from an apt. complex and approximately 30 feet or so from the property line, so even if there was underground electric I should have been 30+/- feet away.

Just grabbed it out of the car, fired it up and all seems normal. I will try to find time tomorrow and try it out again. I will also revisit the park, and investigate further.

Fired it up again, and tested interference from cell out of curiosity, it did not put in chatter mode. Well, I will try to hunt the issue down and report back.

Thanks

 

[Chris R]

60 feet isn't far enough from a dozen wireless routers. Apartment complexes are full of them.

 

[luvsdux]

I"ve had similar experience from batteries that SHOULD HAVE been good, but died early.
luvsdux

 

[atomicscott]

Tesoro's don't have issues. That is why they can offer the lifetime warranty. From what you describe you never said you installed fresh batteries. Did you clean out the coil cover? I'll bet you had on your cell phone or carried it in your pocket. That is a No-No with todays detectors. Were you near any security fences or buried dog fences or transformers?

http://www.fisherlab.com/hobby/davejohnson/Electrical%20Interference.htm

If Tesoros had NO issues, there would be no need for a warranty at all! No need to repair something that has no issues. No detector brand is so perfect as to have zero issues.

 

[damiani1]

Try seeing if maybe the battery came messed up. To field test this lick the end and if its a strong shock it should be good or just use a meter.

 

[Scanman]

I plan on returning to the same location and see if I can duplicate issue, and investigate further. I am confident I can at least narrow the issue down. It may be several days before I get back there, but I will report back. Thanks for all the info.

HH

 

[Scanman]

I have ruled out the Battery, the G Umax sounded the batteries as good, and I also checked them with my battery tester:

Amazon.com: Ansmann 4000042 Energy Check Battery Capacity Tester: Electronics

 

[luvsdux]

One last thought on my part - If you have, or can borrow a different coil that matches, I'd give that a try - also try flexing or moving the coil wire a bit to see it anything happens. You might have a bad connection or broken wire.
luvsdux

 

[Detector Wars]

With my Golden, EI can strike when you're away from what's causing the interference. Often if you're directly under power lines, there's no issue, move 100 metres and there's the type of noise you described.

 

[Scanman]

I made it back to the exact site where my Golden Umax went berserk, for the sole purpose of investigating what may have caused the issue. I had thought maybe I would find that I was on or near a electric service or primary trench, but that was not the case.

I swung for about 20 min, the only thing that I could find, that I have not already reported, was a very large target at or near the problem location, that I did not dig. I also fiddled around with the coil, wire, and connections and I think I have ruled those out as well.

So I guess I am still baffled, but I am not going to worry about it unless it happens again.

Thanks to everyone that responded.

HH

 

[luvsdux]

One last thought - if you were over heavily mineralized ground it may have been a ground balance issue.
luvdux

 

[Scanman]

I found a large target 2-3 feet wide in the approximate area where the chattering occurred. I have since used the detector in other sites and have had zero issues. Thanks for the additional info.

 

[luvsdux]

Glad you found the cause and the detector works as it should.
luvsdux

 

[mortarman]

Atomicscott, what I think sandman meant was that Tesoro's don't have any known or reoccurring issues.

 

[atomicscott]

I know, I know. I think Sandman meant to say that they don't have known issues.