I just want to detect...

Crumble

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So I sent my Infinium in to Garrett 2 weeks ago, since the batteries kept dying after 20-30 minutes with both battery packs. Talked to them today, they said it's on the way back to me, and they didn't find anything wrong with it... sigh.

I know I'm going to go out and hunt, and it's going to die again, then I will have to send it out again... sigh... I just want to hunt...

/rant
 
sorry bout that.

I know how you feel.. my metal detector is in working order just seems that every time there is a good tide or a big swell dies down I have to be busy with something . Gl
 
So I sent my Infinium in to Garrett 2 weeks ago, since the batteries kept dying after 20-30 minutes with both battery packs. Talked to them today, they said it's on the way back to me, and they didn't find anything wrong with it... sigh

This thought is from WAY out in left field, but if the machine is testing to specs according to garrett, then the only think I can think of that might draw anywhere near a draining current might be your headphones.

Old style headphones were 8-ohms, and some were even 4-ohms. If you hunt with a constant tone, such headphones might draw considerable current.

Modern headphones are much more efficient with impedances of 500 to 100K ohms, and many earbud style phones are in the megohms. That might sound bass-ackwards, but current draw is essentially inversely proportional to input impedance.

So while it's unlikely that your headphones are the problem, it's still a remote possibility so you might want to check.

Other than that, I'm a loss. :(
 
This thought is from WAY out in left field, but if the machine is testing to specs according to garrett, then the only think I can think of that might draw anywhere near a draining current might be your headphones.

Old style headphones were 8-ohms, and some were even 4-ohms. If you hunt with a constant tone, such headphones might draw considerable current.

Modern headphones are much more efficient with impedances of 500 to 100K ohms, and many earbud style phones are in the megohms. That might sound bass-ackwards, but current draw is essentially inversely proportional to input impedance.

So while it's unlikely that your headphones are the problem, it's still a remote possibility so you might want to check.

Other than that, I'm a loss. :(

I have used my non-waterproof headphones a number of times in the rain (with rain jacket hood covering the headphones), they seem to work fine, but they may have damage that is causing a short or something.

They are the headphones that came with the machine, doubt its a mismatch problem.

Edit: Oh !!!!, I think I just figured it out... looked at the headphone connector, which has a male pin and a female hole, and the male pin was slightly bent off of the 90degree angle... I wonder if the male pin has been off to the side of the hole barely making contact...

The only thing is, I plugged the headphones in the day I bought it, and never unplugged them... why didn't the problem exist since day one... hmm.
 
They are the headphones that came with the machine, doubt its a mismatch problem

Agreed, highly doubtful that garrett would supply low-ohm headphones on their machines. :D

I must confess that I also looked up the infinium AFTER I made my post, and saw that it uses a proprietary (custom) jack, so it's not like you can just plug in any old headphone set that you may have inherited from your grandfather. :lol:


Edit: Oh !!!!, I think I just figured it out... looked at the headphone connector, which has a male pin and a female hole, and the male pin was slightly bent off of the 90degree angle... I wonder if the male pin has been off to the side of the hole barely making contact...
The only thing is, I plugged the headphones in the day I bought it, and never unplugged them... why didn't the problem exist since day one... hmm.

I don't think a "slight bend" on the pin would affect electrical performance. The jack would probably take up any minor deviation and maintain good contact. If it didn't, you'd have problems of either no sound or intermittant or scratchy sounds as you moved the machine around.

Another thought though...are you using rechargeable batteries? If so, how old are they and what kind?
The old nicads were notorious for losing their charge capacity over their ridiculously short lifetime. NiMH and LiPo batts are ALMOST immune to this, but it still happens due to old age, damage, defect or improper charging methods.
 
If you look at the headphone plug in the picture below, the plug that it connects to has the same configuration, the male pin was bent maybe 10 degrees. I wonder if the male pin was missing the female hole and off to the side of it, just barely making contact on the side of the pin.

As for the batteries, it's the rechargeable batteries that came with the machine, only been charged maybe 30 times. Happened with my other battery pack with alkalines also...

Machine should be delivered on Thursday, wonder if I will find a hole next to the female connection on the control box showing that the male pin missed...
 

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The Infinium has a voltage regulator. The voltage going into the detector is 7 (seven) volts. You should not have any problems until your voltage gets in this range. This was told to me by Garrett personnel just a month ago.
 
The Infinium has a voltage regulator

Actually, almost any battery powered device has them, from cell-phones to laptops to metal detectors.

The voltage going into the detector is 7 (seven) volts. You should not have any problems until your voltage gets in this range. This was told to me by Garrett personnel just a month ago.

Solid state electronics have evolved to having 2 main power busses: 5v and 12v. TTL electronics use 5v, and CMOS is designed to comply with that, even though CMOS has a wider voltage tolerance than TTL.

So I suspect that the main electronics are powered by a 5v regulator, probably a 7805 or an LM340. These voltage regulators need a couple of volts to play with, so what garrett probably said was that the regulator needed a minimum of 7 volts to provide a regulated 5v buss. When the battery voltage drops below that (IOW, when the batteries start dieing), then the regulator starts getting erratic and can't provide a fixed 5v buss under varying load conditions.

But Nameless's problem isn't that his batteries are going dead, it's that they're going dead too soon. Most detector batteries last from 2-8 hours, but his batteries are only lasting a half hour. This implies either defective batteries or excessive current drain.
 
Well, since Garrett said that the machine checked out fine, and when I got it back it didn't work, I figured it must be the headphones... So after ordering brand new waterproof headphones and waiting 2 weeks, I finally get them today... plug them in... machine still doesn't work... tried all 3 coils, 2 sets of headphones, and 3 sets of new batteries, nothing makes it work...

I'm getting so pissed... about to call Garrett tomorrow and demand a new machine. I've been as patient as I could, but I've only owned this machine for 4 months, and it's been broken for 2 months now...

Sigh... I just can't get a break...
 
Well, since Garrett said that the machine checked out fine, and when I got it back it didn't work, I figured it must be the headphones... So after ordering brand new waterproof headphones and waiting 2 weeks, I finally get them today... plug them in... machine still doesn't work... tried all 3 coils, 2 sets of headphones, and 3 sets of new batteries, nothing makes it work...

I'm getting so pissed... about to call Garrett tomorrow and demand a new machine. I've been as patient as I could, but I've only owned this machine for 4 months, and it's been broken for 2 months now...

Sigh... I just can't get a break...

I'd be ticked off as well... sorry you are having to go through this frustration...
 
AKA Good luck with it all

I would get a back up machine being as you are an avid hunter.
 
Sorry to hear that news. I think I would be demanding a new machine also. A backup machine would have kept you swinging while this whole mess gets settled with Garrett.

Raphis
Dan
 
Yeah, I need to get me a CZ21, but just don't have the extra cash right now. The Infinium is supposed to find me the gold to pay for it!

I love the Infinium, but this just sucks...
 
Wow, I just talked to Garrett, that was a lot less painful than I expected it to be.

Told them the problem, and that I had tried with 3 coils, 2 headphones, 3 battery packs, and the problem is definitely the control box, and said hopefully they can send me a new control box. She instantly agreed and said she will have UPS come by my house tomorrow to pick up the control box, then when she gets the tracking number, she will ship out a new control box right away, and hopefully it will arrive by monday.

Awesome!

Even though I'm frustrated that I haven't been able to detect for 2 months, I can't be mad at Garrett for it, that is some amazing Customer Service.
 
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