CTX control box cable issue

[bklein]

I backed off my control unit to switch to a different coil and discovered the control unit cable insulation was damaged by being pinched by the enclosure. It still works ok but it is compromised and will draw in water. Just a matter of time before the wires fail. FYI this was the first time I switched coils since I verified an issue with both 17" coil and the unit's gps and had them repaired.

 

[amberjack]

oh dear

AJ

 

[Jason in Enid]

Wow, I can't fathom how that could get pinched hard enough to do that. That's a head scratcher for sure!

 

[rsarge1]

I would definitely call minelab to get fixed esp if you plan to use in water

 

[bklein]

There is a circle of plastic around the coil connection that apparently pinched it. I'm not sure on how to prevent this - just be sure to heck yours for this as well as scuffing of the coil cable down at the coil side by the sharp edge of the shaft plastic.

 

[Paulie]

Thanks for sharing this bk!! I will have a look at mine!!

 

[jas415]

I swap coils fairly often, deep fill dirt sometimes requires the bigger coil. So, I tend to make sure the shaft is extended with the coil cable attached to the head unit before I slide the housing shut. I had thought the fit was rather tight and by fully extending the shaft I thought I would be stretching the coil wire back into the tubes. It seemed to be pinching in the sliding head unit a couple of times so now I extend the coil shaft fully, lock it in place, then also tug on the coil wire near the coil to make sure it is extended. I dont give it a solid yank or anything, I just make sure it is fully in the tube near the head unit.

 

[Jason in Enid]

I swap coils fairly often, deep fill dirt sometimes requires the bigger coil. So, I tend to make sure the shaft is extended with the coil cable attached to the head unit before I slide the housing shut. I had thought the fit was rather tight and by fully extending the shaft I thought I would be stretching the coil wire back into the tubes. It seemed to be pinching in the sliding head unit a couple of times so now I extend the coil shaft fully, lock it in place, then also tug on the coil wire near the coil to make sure it is extended. I dont give it a solid yank or anything, I just make sure it is fully in the tube near the head unit.

This wasn't his coil cable, it's the cable that runs from the battery to the control head; The one under his finger.

 

[bklein]

Correct. I guess the best you can do is to shove the cable into the housing with your little finger before closing it up.
My unit is now out of warranty but I haven't yet gotten an estimate on repair cost - it will be $75 an hour and they don't sell the cable separately.
As I don't go underwater and don't intend to sell it nearterm I will probably wrap/tie the insulation together with thread and coat it with GOOP and call it a day.

 

[CTX-3030]

Would be interesting to know if this problem, that looks like bad assembly, has ever happened to others.

I'm not suggesting that you would have caused it in anyway shape or form but that's something that could have been caused by someone dismantling the unit out of curiosity or a previous return to Minelab and maybe badly re assembling it. It MAY have also happened at the time of factory assembly?
Hard to tell.

I think, if it's the case that other CTX3030 have been wrongly assembled at the factory and the same problem has occurred it would help you out as I believe that Minelab would most probably consider helping you out, regardless of it being shortly out of warranty.

CTX-3030

 

[billwatson]

I had this cable bind up as I tried to close the housing. I unscrewed the connector and rotated the cable one turn and re connected it. the cable was straighter and didn't bind on the side of the housing.