Beach Day Blues

[kirk01]

Bought At-Pro new on 4/11/11.

Didn't like the balance so I bought a "Gizmo" and that helped fix the problem.

Noticed a few little chirps at the end of a swing now and then after a week or so, but no big deal. ( I hoped )

Then the machine would not retain the custom settings and the factory setting were incorrect.

No big deal, I just reset every time I turn the machine back on.

Also noticed from early on that the screen has a rainbow effect in the sunlight with me looking at it with or WITHOUT sunglasses on.

I'm told by the apologists "no big deal" all screens do that. ( Hmmm I wonder why my other MD's don't?)

Why do you lose the visual Target ID. at only six inches or so and after reading the forum for 4 months before buying why wasn't that mentioned?

Maybe it was and I missed it, but Garrett's manual page 20 informs us (although not saying 6") Stupid me!

Chirping got progressively more consistent, but no big deal, it's just such a sensitive machine, turn the sensitivity down, you will be OK.

Of corse as the "waterproof At-Pro" does NOT come with waterproof headphones, I brilliantly went out and bought a set.

Today at a fresh water beach, it started falsing, worse and worse, was in the water just past the control box.

Knowing that nothing could possibly be wrong with the AT-Pro I assumed it must be because the batteries were low( only two notches ) and everybody knows the AT-Pro does not like that.

Or maybe it was because there was a few clouds in the sky and a bit of thunder in the distance? (Hmm, other MD working fine)

So I get the baby home, turn it on, chirping, falsing, crazy all settings sensitivity down to zero a little quieter.

Put in new batteries, no help.

So, it will go back to Garrett tomorrow and when they fix it or send me a new one I will first make sure it works, then promptly put it up for sale with all the extras at a very good price.

If any of you reading this are interested PM me with your phone # and we will talk when it comes back.

Good Hunting

Denny

 

[Lake Hunter]

Thank for that post Denny,

I was trying to get rid of a perfectly good Sea Hunter that has found $1100 in gold for me in the past year. How easy I forget about the gold rings the Sea Hunter excels in finding. Yea I dig alot of junk, and a disc unit would help, but the AT can't touch the PI in depth and the blacksand I deal with in my area. I was going to get rid of it because being a PI machine it doesn't do gold chains well at all. Good thing for me a PI friend set me straight today and showed me the light. I know under the right conditions the AT is a good machine because I have seen it perform. But after using it in a few harsh conditions I hunt in it has some problems. Good thing I was able to use a friends AT the other day because as soon I returned home, I pulled my Sea Hunter off the market.

Everyone has there own opinions about machines and this is mine. JMO

 

[John-Edmonton]

You should have probably sent it in a while ago. Garrett has about the best customer service out there....Why did you wait so long? I don't discuss other brands here, as this is a Garrett website, however I do visit other sites. I can tell you that I have seen a lot of posts about coils not working, the audio going crazy, the machine shutting off on it's own, new coils with the wrong connectors, coils that might work, but you will have to see if it will. And these have been in the last 3 weeks, and they were not Garretts. The grass is not always greener on the other side..........

Here's your contact information to Garrett if you haven't already done so.

http://www.garrett.com/contact.htm

Best of luck with whatever direction you take.

 

[worthy]

you guys have got me worried about taking my at into the water, up to now it has worked fine on beach and dry land, but worried about the water. i got mine from reillys in florida - posted to england, it may be a big issue to send it to garret for repair,

 

[wayupnorth66]

Its no big issue to send a detector back to Garrett for service.....i just did it. It was at the Garrett plant for less than 2 days!!! Thats service..........As far as the target ID loss at 6"......My Minelab did the exact same thing. If you dont dig all the deep targets..no matter what ID ..you may be losing out. Ive found many Gold rings with different units with false ID reading

 

[itsaawgood]

you guys have got me worried about taking my at into the water, up to now it has worked fine on beach and dry land, but worried about the water. i got mine from reillys in florida - posted to england, it may be a big issue to send it to garret for repair,

Mine seemed to work fine until I took it in the water then the falsing started. Its being sent back to Garrett for repair. When I get it back its going straight into the water...if I have a second unit go south on me...I will ditch that model.

 

[kirk01]

Update,

Garrett is having UPS pickup my broke AT-Pro on Tuesday.

Amazingly I turned it on this morning and no falsing in my backyard.

So I packed it up and took it with me to the beach with my XT-70 and 705.

Went directly into the water with it.

For the first 15 minutes or so it was fine.

Then it started going crazy, with control box just under the water.

For the frist time I saw slight moisture showing under the screen.

Turned it off, set it up on the beach and started detecting with my X-Terra at the shoreline and about 3 feet deep. (Max allowed with that machine.)

After about 20 minutes, just to check I turned the AT-pro back on.

Quiet again!

Went back in the water again (the moisture inside the screen was gone).

Only lasted about 5 minutes this time before going wacky again.

Just another day in the field with my AT-Pro.

Off topic for a moment my Minelab XT-70 and 705 shows a visual ID # at all times in C&T mode if there is any audio tone on a target regardless of how deep it is.

Granted, over 8 inches or so the numbers showing are not always accurate, but they are pretty close.

Anyways, my machine is leaking and I sincerely hope none of your machines ever do.

Good Hunting

Denny

PS. I was fortunate enough on Friday to find a lightly used Tesoro Tiger Shark at a fair price.

I will have it next week.

One thing the AT-Pro did do for me is to get me into deeper water (forgive the pun) and I love it.

So I will not now hopefully ever be without an underwater machine again!

Wish me luck!