Bass Ackwards Detector Signal - HALPZ!

SageGrouse

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Joined
Jan 4, 2013
Messages
2,167
Location
Santa Fe NM
Many years ago, I had a RadioShack Micronta 4000. I loved that machine.
Eventually, after having used it from 1976 to 1988, twelve happy years, it broke.

This is what happened: I would turn it on, and immediately, the unit would begin buzzing, exactly as if it was over a coin. A constant sound.

The only time the buzz would stop was when there was metal under the coil! Then it would signal the presence of metal by silencing. NOT good in a detector. I tried new batteries, I tried everything I could think of, short of opening it up and attempting to fix the circuit board... finally I threw it away.

Well, now I have gotten a NEW/old Micronta 4000, from eBay. See the "soggy Saga" in the thread My New/Old DEAD detector" in "General Hobby Discussions forum.

I managed to open it up and clean the battery terminals, and re-connect the broken wire and now it works.

And AGAIN, it sounds a tone UNTIL there is metal under the coil. :cries:

In fact... if you need a comparison, it works NOW exactly like a MineLab does when in Pinpoint mode, except the contant tone does not get higher when over a targe, it silences instead.

Back then, I had no-one to ask for help. Here I have you all! Have any others among you had this problem? How dio you fix it? Is it a misalignment? A short in the wiring? A damaged coil? CAN it be fixed? Or do I have to throw away the detector again, along with the money I spent on it. $38.00 when you count the postage.

HALPZ!

SageGrouse
 
Sage, I have no idea how to help, except to acknowledge the problem. When I was a kid my cheapy detector was the exact same way. It was a constant tone until over a target then it would mute. What a piece of junk. I dug many treasured nails with that thing. In fact I still have it somewhere in the basement, and these threads make me all nogstalgic and I'm tempted to go dig it out.
 
That is a strange one as you haven't done anything to the wiring.

Where are you testing it?

Take it outside to the yard and try them.

That is all I can think of.

Willee
 
Incongruent! Yeah, that happened to me once!...I had my headphones on backwards!:laughing::laughing:

No really, I think you got an R&D 'Reverse Discrim' prototype gold nugget hunter that slipped out of the factory! Thats worth some big money there! :laughing::laughing:
Mud

(Sorry Sage, it was just too succulent for me to avoid!)
 
Well, here we are, two years later and still no answer. I'm re-activating this thread to see if anyone has any ideas. I'd HATE to throw "Mikey" OUT again... I'm sure there MUST be some way to fix him. Anybody?
Sage(now STOP that!)Grouse
 
Not saying you should pay for repair but call this guy and he might be nice enough to help you over the phone...maybe.

Keith Wills

East Texas Metal Detectors
1495 FM 49
Gilmer, Texas 75644
Phone: (903) 734-7773
DETECTOR REPAIR


From what I have read this thing works exactly this way.
You set it for either ferrous or non ferrous...you need to pick one.
Whatever you set it for the needle reacts and it goes off when you swing over it and the opposite target just nulls out.
 
i have heard of this happening when a detector has a coil cover and sand or hot rock has gotten in between the coil and cover. Does this have a cover and did you check it?

Ray
 
When I was wiring up a WOT to my excal it did this, and it was the transmit and receive wires were switched. swapped them and it worked normally. Not sure how that could just happen on its own though. Maybe the wires in the coil itself shorted or something.
 
Maybe the detector is freaking out here in the modern world? Back in '88 there was a lot less EMI to deal with!
 
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