Coil Calibration Question

[WILL_PENNY]

I have the 6000 XL Pro which I purchased new the first year they came out along with the Big Foot coil when they were first offered. The detector [ which has issues ] and coils have seen heavy use over the years and I am sending the machine in for a check up. Is it fact or fiction about having your coils re-calibrated after so many years of use...

 

[MarkCZ]

Speaking of just having "coils" calibrated I'm going to say no!
They are a few detectors out there that I know of that the coils are hard wired to the detector. The detector can be ordered with different coil options but the 'Electronics' have to be tuned at the factory to match the selected coil.

There isn't anything in a coil to "calibrate" and most if not all of them are sealed. (most here knew that, but there be some lurkers that don't)

So, in the term of "Calibrating Coils" I'm going to say that checking/matching (re-calibrating) the detectors electronics for any drift from factory tune specs is more of really what is going on. Many electronics have what are sometimes called,
trimmers pots these usually adjust with tiny screwdrivers, these can adjust voltage or frequency ect.. and are factory set (calibrated) at the time of the build.
What can happen over time is electronic drift of components or adjustments, when this happens and its enough for a noticeable or negative effect in performance then the unit can be "re-calibrated" and its very possible or maybe even likely that one of these adjustments could be to adjust the detection frequency of the detector to re-match the design fixed frequency of the coil.

Many if not all electronics has an Plus or Minus range of operation (tolerances) and if they test withing that range then things are considered acceptable, trimmers pots are installed in certain area's of the electronics to fine tune the operating en-balances of the electronics. If or when they drift they can be "Reset" to factory specs (calibrated). In some cases a component may drift to far out of range of adjustable by the trimmers and when this happens the working but bad component must be located and replaced, or the factory may to decide to replace the entire circuit board that the component is on (their option).

Keep in mind the term "Drift" drift happens over a period of time and is subtle in its effect over time, it can be so subtle that the user doesn't know it really happened. Its kind of like I so my grand kids last weekend and this week end when I saw them they looked the same even though they are something different, but the changes are to "Subtle" for me to see or tell. Now if I were to go six months without seeing them, then I could for sure see some changes.

Mark

 

[Monte]

Caution: Personal opinions added in this response are just that ... personal ... and are not meant to offend.​

I have the 6000 XL Pro which I purchased new the first year they came out...

Congrats on buying, using, and hanging onto one of the all-time best White's detectors I feel they have ever made. The 6000 Pro XL and renamed XL Pro model is a definite performer and I wish they were still being offered. I have owned several, regretted parting with them after I did, and am currently in search of a cream-puff condition XL Pro at this time.

... along with the Big Foot coil when they were first offered.

I guess you are one of those who liked that coil, but some of us never did. It just wasn't a good 'fit' in our coil selection for the types of site conditions and applications we had/have. I've used them but have never cared to have one. For me, the BigFoot was more of a BigLoser, but that's only my personal opinion. If it worked for you, and if it is now faulty, I hope you can get it repaired.

The detector [which has issues] and coils have seen heavy use over the years and I am sending the machine in for a check up.

All my detectors get a lot of use, but I also pamper every detector I have owned. I do my best not to ding, dent, scratch or dirty them. I know the folks in Sweet Home, Oregon can take care of any 'fixes' your 6000 Pro XL might need and I hope it gets back to you in great working condition soon.

Is it fact or fiction about having your coils re-calibrated after so many years of use...

It can be 'fact', and sometimes it doesn't take many years of use. I have purchased a brand new detector, opened the box, and found that I had a non-working search coil. Sometimes it can be a component failure or other problem caused by jarring or just wearing out an electronic part.

If you have a White's search coil and they check it out, they can tell you it is working fine .. OR .. it could be damaged/defective .. OR .. it could be "out-of-spec."

I have seen some search coils FROM MANY DIFFERENT MENUFACTURERS that have had the internal wiring, of both Concentric and Double-D coil designs, held in position on the plastic coil body by glue. I have seen them with the loops of wire nested in cuts in a foam-type insert. Some used glue or even staples to hold the wire winding in position on a piece of cardboard that was placed inside the plastic housing. I have seen small wire ties hold the transmit and receive windings in place, some have been settled in epoxy, some wrapped around plastic posts to keep it from wriggling around.

That was just to keep the windings from moving out-of-alignment. Then there is the "pick-up wire" that needs to be positioned and set in place to properly 'tune' or 'calibrate' the search coil, and most search coils will have some small electronic components, capacitors and such, that are also embedded within the search coil to properly 'tune' them. If any of the coil windings get out-of -position, or the tuning wires or electronic components also get 'out-of-alignment' so that the search coil isn't tuned properly, then Yes, it is "out-of-spec" and needs to be fixed. That usually entails recalibration or adjustment of internal components or specific coil parts placement.

Naturally, other things can happen, too, such as a shorted coil cable or connector contact, but search coil failure can come from a faulty component, or other things that cause it to not be functioning withing the specific limits it needs to.

Monte

 

[WILL_PENNY]

Caution: Personal opinions added in this response are just that ... personal ... and are not meant to offend.​

I have the 6000 XL Pro which I purchased new the first year they came out...

Congrats on buying, using, and hanging onto one of the all-time best White's detectors I feel they have ever made. The 6000 Pro XL and renamed XL Pro model is a definite performer and I wish they were still being offered. I have owned several, regretted parting with them after I did, and am currently in search of a cream-puff condition XL Pro at this time.

... along with the Big Foot coil when they were first offered.

I guess you are one of those who liked that coil, but some of us never did. It just wasn't a good 'fit' in our coil selection for the types of site conditions and applications we had/have. I've used them but have never cared to have one. For me, the BigFoot was more of a BigLoser, but that's only my personal opinion. If it worked for you, and if it is now faulty, I hope you can get it repaired.

The detector [which has issues] and coils have seen heavy use over the years and I am sending the machine in for a check up.

All my detectors get a lot of use, but I also pamper every detector I have owned. I do my best not to ding, dent, scratch or dirty them. I know the folks in Sweet Home, Oregon can take care of any 'fixes' your 6000 Pro XL might need and I hope it gets back to you in great working condition soon.

Is it fact or fiction about having your coils re-calibrated after so many years of use...

It can be 'fact', and sometimes it doesn't take many years of use. I have purchased a brand new detector, opened the box, and found that I had a non-working search coil. Sometimes it can be a component failure or other problem caused by jarring or just wearing out an electronic part.

If you have a White's search coil and they check it out, they can tell you it is working fine .. OR .. it could be damaged/defective .. OR .. it could be "out-of-spec."

I have seen some search coils FROM MANY DIFFERENT MENUFACTURERS that have had the internal wiring, of both Concentric and Double-D coil designs, held in position on the plastic coil body by glue. I have seen them with the loops of wire nested in cuts in a foam-type insert. Some used glue or even staples to hold the wire winding in position on a piece of cardboard that was placed inside the plastic housing. I have seen small wire ties hold the transmit and receive windings in place, some have been settled in epoxy, some wrapped around plastic posts to keep it from wriggling around.

That was just to keep the windings from moving out-of-alignment. Then there is the "pick-up wire" that needs to be positioned and set in place to properly 'tune' or 'calibrate' the search coil, and most search coils will have some small electronic components, capacitors and such, that are also embedded within the search coil to properly 'tune' them. If any of the coil windings get out-of -position, or the tuning wires or electronic components also get 'out-of-alignment' so that the search coil isn't tuned properly, then Yes, it is "out-of-spec" and needs to be fixed. That usually entails recalibration or adjustment of internal components or specific coil parts placement.

Naturally, other things can happen, too, such as a shorted coil cable or connector contact, but search coil failure can come from a faulty component, or other things that cause it to not be functioning withing the specific limits it needs to.

Monte

Both Coils are still crisp sounding after 10 plus years of use, tested on another XL. My machine since day one has always produced a clear, strong signal on targets. Here lately my signals are like, or should I say, placeing a cloth between my ears and the headphone cups...I am rough with my machine, scotch tape on the lens cover, most paint gone from control box, dented and a bungi cord holding the battery door closed. Can't say much for the coils either. Epoxy holding them together. All in all, as strong now as when I purchased them.....