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gold bug not working!
luke  
Posted : Friday, 8 March 2013 5:15:56 PM(UTC)
luke

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Hello,

iv got a Goldbug and love it but went out today and found its not picking much up. it sounds fine and looks to be working ok but when i run it over my shoe it normal give me a nice loud zip like gold noise but now its not even picking it up and only just picks up my pick.

i think the coil is messed up but waited to see what you guy think before i order one.
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1864hatter  
Posted : Friday, 8 March 2013 5:20:42 PM(UTC)
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Hey mate me and a mate have both had this same problem problem, I solved it by replacing the coil. The original coil lasted about a year bit of a shame really, I think something in the connection buggerd up. I had a look in there but just made things worse.
And now....On sandy beaches and muddy soil, rings and coins await my coil!
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simon  
Posted : Friday, 8 March 2013 10:16:16 PM(UTC)
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get a gb2. they fall over cliffs and still work.
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simon  
Posted : Saturday, 9 March 2013 9:19:28 AM(UTC)
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luke,

do you have 2 detector coils?

if so try the second one. still got a problem?

if you don't have a spare i'm sure someone round here must have the 2 coil gb package. they might lend you one to test this.

i reckon all those knocks on cliff may have let water into the coil? have you been in the water with it? if not that rules that out.

if it like the gb2 the plate protector should come off. pull it off and see if theres water inside?

a mate showed me his original gb1. he had siliconed up leaks but eventually wore through the coil protector plate.

you can easily order mor eof these online for not too much.

if that is not the problem i suspect you have electronic issues such as a loose wire. have a look inside and see what you can see.

just be careful that this doesn't void the warranty on it. if there is some sort of seal that they can tell you've opened prob best to return to base.

something else i've just thought of is that there may be dust inside the unit? i know its gotten pretty dusty out there lately.
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luke  
Posted : Saturday, 9 March 2013 11:14:10 AM(UTC)
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i have been in the water a bit and i lost the coil over a while back to. im going to have a look today and see if i can work out if something loss with the wires but im sure the coils stuffed. it has been well used and abused.

i take it the GB1 coil will not work on the GB2? anyone in Queenstown with a GB2 coil i could test mine with??
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oroplata  
Posted : Saturday, 9 March 2013 12:35:18 PM(UTC)
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Leave the coil out in direct sunlight for a few days to bake it then try it again and see if theres any difference.
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luke  
Posted : Saturday, 9 March 2013 3:08:10 PM(UTC)
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had a play with it today and found the on knob is playing up a bit if you push it a little it turns off and on. but also when you ground balance it looks to balance around 20 instead of 80/90. im thinking its getting the wrong signal from the coil.
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Lammerlaw  
Posted : Saturday, 9 March 2013 4:15:41 PM(UTC)
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Sounds a bit late for the coils some of you have but one wee hint if you put it in water is to put silastic over the point where the lead wire enters the coil and also where the bolt to hold the coil onto the shaft goes through - my sons had problems with erratic noises and traced it to water getting in the bolt holes - he discovered it when he squeezed the coil and water bubble came out of thebolt holes
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luke  
Posted : Sunday, 10 March 2013 9:47:01 PM(UTC)
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Ok tried someones coil and its working so im thinking that some water got in some where. looks like im going to have to get a new coil. bit gutted as iv maybe had it 6 months or so.
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oroplata  
Posted : Monday, 11 March 2013 12:19:44 AM(UTC)
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If you ended up chucking the old coil, I'll grab it off you, thanks - I can gut it and use it for mad scientist experiments.
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sycotoad  
Posted : Wednesday, 13 March 2013 9:26:10 AM(UTC)
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Send it to the NZ distributor - They will see you right

Seems like its a common problem that Fisher should have sorted
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?37,1728539
Makro - Nokta - deteknix - GoldFinder
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arvenderpan  
Posted : Saturday, 20 April 2013 11:40:25 PM(UTC)
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I think you can replace this bug with new if you have this option..
But I must want to see your gold bug. Can you share your some bug picture here with us?
It will be helpful to make some suggestion for fixed your problem.
Ntep floor scales | Food Scale

Edited by user Wednesday, 13 November 2013 6:01:22 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified
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rgmcbrid  
Posted : Sunday, 21 April 2013 12:16:15 AM(UTC)
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I have sold hundreds of Fisher coils and hear about it when one stops working, and this is my take on them:

First of all, if it gets water inside it is ruined. You might be able to dry it out and use it for a while, but it is eventually going to fail.

Gold Bug 2 6.5" and 10"- Have never had anyone who had a problem, other than wearing a hole through it and letting it fill up with water.

Gold Bug 5" - Have seen a few of these stop working, but by the looks of them they had a lot of hard use and as I recall the failure was always from water getting in.

Gold Bug 10" - As far as I am concerned these are the most problematic, have had several of these fail after very little use. I quizzed Fisher about it and they insist that there is no inherent flaw and that they do not have a disproportionate number coming back to them. Maybe I just have had bad luck, but I am a bit leery of them. Again, Fisher said the cause of failure was water getting inside. Although people who use them seem to like them a lot, and to be fair the vast majority seem to work fine.

11" DD coils (F2, F4, Gold Bug's, and F75) - By far the most popular coil, sell heaps of them and have only had one or two that failed with a crack near the back. They look more fragile than the other coils, but I don't think they take as much of a beating as the gold coils so maybe that has something to do with it.

F2 F4 8" coil - have never had one come back.

So that is all a bit anecdotal, but like I said that is from hundreds of coils sold over that last few years. Hope it helps.

-Robert
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sycotoad  
Posted : Sunday, 28 April 2013 1:44:30 PM(UTC)
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thanks for clearing that up rgmcbrid - however, it still makes you worry a bit when shelling out over a thousand bux for a top shelf unit, only to end up with a dodgy coil - I know there's no problem with you & your customers Rodger, as you will see them right, however anyone contemplating purchasing used Fisher 11"DD coil has an added dilemma to consider before pulling the trigger on one -

personally i think it to be a issue that should have been sorted out properly by Fisher at the start - you don't expect to have to send a new coil in just to have it sent back with a bead of silicon around a join, making it look like a cheap repair to new item - not good for those that take pride in their gear -

anyways Rodger, thank you again for clearing that up -
Makro - Nokta - deteknix - GoldFinder
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rgmcbrid  
Posted : Sunday, 5 May 2013 9:54:23 PM(UTC)
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Keep in mind that a metal detector is essentially a very sensitive computer/broadcaster/receiver. Like all electronic equipment there are going to be failures, even though they are tested. Unlike your home computer your detector bangs around in the back of the car and gets used in the rain, dust, mud, streams etc. Manufacturers try and balance weight with durability (and cost), and I think all the big manufacturers do a pretty good job at it. They could for example make a really durable coils, but it would be a lot heavier and you would not be able to swing it for hours.

One thing you should know when buying a used Fisher is that the 5 year warranty only applies to the original purchaser (and only with the original receipt). Coils purchased separately only have a 1 year warranty.

-Robert
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