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Offline DarylHTopic starter
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« on: November 29, 2012, 03:32:46 pm »
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Hello all,
My dad gave me this detector a few years back. It hadn't been used for many years, and obviously a few more after I got it.
I brought it out to use it a few weeks ago and...it isn't functioning. Sad

Here's the symptoms:
Fresh batteries installed.
Power it up, there's no sound and the meter pegs to the right.
I've adjusted every knob on it with no effect - still quiet and still pegged to the right

I would like to get it working again, I miss using the meter to find stuff (the beepy boxes just aren't the same).
Problem is, it'll cost more to ship it to a repair shop than it's worth (I WISH my name was Rockefeller, but alas, it is not...)
Not being an electronics person poses a challenge, but it doesn't stop me from trying to find the problem myself.

So...anybody willing to offer assistance to a rank amateur?

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Offline GoldDigger1950
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« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2012, 03:36:26 pm »
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First things first. Is the coil far away from metal objects when you turn it on? If so, check the connector from the coil where it goes into the electronics box. The most common failure in a machine that has set for a long time is wiring issues. The stranded wire sometimes gets corroded from not being cleaned periodically.

Check also the battery wiring if there is any. Wiggle the wire near the coil itself and see if anything changes.

After all that, check your switches, potentiometers and all internal wiring. Take two aspirins and call me in the morning.

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« Last Edit: November 29, 2012, 03:40:12 pm by GoldDigger1950 » 		Logged
It's all about that moment when metal that hasn't seen the light of day for generations frees itself from the soil and presents itself to me.
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« Reply #2 on: November 29, 2012, 03:43:08 pm »
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Quote:Posted by GoldDigger1950
Take two aspirins and call me in the morning.

 
LOL!

To familiarize a little - the wiring goes straight from the coil to the board - this thing's so old that it's hard wired...I'd like to change that but that's gotta wait.
Not starting up near any detectable items.
I've wiggled the wires, blew on, jiggled all I can come in contact with - even opened it and pulled out the board to do the same... all with no change.

I'm guessing that some component on the board has grown old....

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Offline GoldDigger1950
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« Reply #3 on: November 29, 2012, 03:57:28 pm »
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OK, if it's not mechanical then the next step is to check for leaking or expanding capacitors on its main board. Paper capacitors leaked wax from their ends while electrolytic capacitors leaked from wherever they expanded to in the greatest dimension. Look for swelling capacitors.

Do you know how to tell which parts are which? If not, take a really good close up of the main board so we can have a look.

Your machine is a super sensitive BFO machine. That stands for Beat Frequency Oscillator. Inside of your machine are two oscillators. One is a very stable reference oscillator and the other uses the coil for its frequency. That's the unstable one. As long as they are tuned properly, you will hear a tone that is the "beat" frequency. Normally they are tuned so that only a very faint buzz is heard. When metal comes into the area of the coil, the unstable oscillator drifts and causes the beat frequency to vary giving you a tone that warbles as you pass over metal. Both oscillators use a tuned tank circuit - so named because of the coil and capacitor combination which is described in electronic theory as being like a tank full of liquid sloshing back and forth. At any rate, the coil for the stable oscillator is on your main board and might even be shielded. The other coil is hard to find but if you look at the end of the metal stich, you might see it.

Now, if any of the critical tuning capacitors have failed, one or both of your oscillators may be tuned outside of the range of hearing. So check out those capacitors next.

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« Last Edit: November 29, 2012, 04:52:04 pm by GoldDigger1950 » 		Logged
It's all about that moment when metal that hasn't seen the light of day for generations frees itself from the soil and presents itself to me.
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« Reply #4 on: November 29, 2012, 04:42:07 pm »
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Thanks GD!!

That explanation helps a lot.
I know just enough about electronic parts to be horribly dangerous.
I will work on the snapshot in the next couple of days and do some inspecting on the capacitors while I'm in there.

Again, thanks - especially for the jpg!

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« Reply #5 on: November 30, 2012, 12:14:14 pm »
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Well, I have a couple of shots to share...but I think I'm such a newbie that I can't post them here....

Options?

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Offline GoldDigger1950
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« Reply #6 on: November 30, 2012, 03:00:17 pm »
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Quote:Posted by DarylH
Well, I have a couple of shots to share...but I think I'm such a newbie that I can't post them here....

Options?

Anybody can post pictures. Instead of using the Quick Reply box, use the Reply button at the top of the post. Or, use the Preview option in the Quick Reply to open the full editor. Then attach your photos using the attachment fields below the edit box.

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It's all about that moment when metal that hasn't seen the light of day for generations frees itself from the soil and presents itself to me.
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« Reply #7 on: November 30, 2012, 03:11:39 pm »
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The only replying I can do is without attachments...as soon as I attach, it blanks the attachment out and quits responding.

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Offline GoldDigger1950
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« Reply #8 on: November 30, 2012, 03:17:52 pm »
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Then you might have a java script issue on your computer. What you have to do is use the browse button on the list of attachments. When you find what you want to send up, you simply click on it and select the Open button on the file name After that, the name is filled into the attachment box and when all your images are ready, you hit the Post button at the bottom.

If it doesn't work, visit the Sun Microsystems page and install the Java Runtime Engine that relates to your system and browser. They have help on their site.

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« Reply #9 on: November 30, 2012, 03:35:41 pm »
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Here's what the board looks like.

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