CZ-5 advice on problem

[Alabama Jim]

I purchased a new CZ-5 in February of this year.I've had to seen it back to factory once already.They say it had a broken connector at the coil.The parks and some yards around here were filled in with pipeshop soil,small bits of iron and iron slag.I just came back from and 1872 yard that I've tried to detect a couple of times.Although I found a 1934 mercury dime and a coupls of pennies lying on top of the ground I can't find any coins with my detector.After trying with discrimanation on 4 and sens on 2 and my detector sounding like a machine I decided to try disc on 6(coins only) and sensitivity on 1.I would still get multiple high tone signals on every swing.I'm talking 3,4,5 high tones to each swing.I don't think that this is right.I feel that my detector is malfunctiong,but I don't have anyone close by to compare how the detector is function.Any ideas,please.P.S. Its impossible to pinpoint with.I have 20 years experience with a white 6000 di series 2 and it never gave this problem in these type soil conditions.

 

[allhuntedout]

That's tough. With Sens at 2, that would have been the first thing I told you to do was turn it down, but that's way low. Maybe too low? Here's an idea, take a quarter and bury it at 5" or 6" in this yard. Then you know where it is, and see if you can detect it. That will tell you if the soil is the problem or the detector is the problem.

Is it just at these locations? Or if you go to a local park or schoolyard can you find clad without problems?

Is there any radio interference? Power lines? Your cell phone?

Are all your cables screwed on tight? Is your cable wrapped around the shaft well?

I would say try to ground balance, maybe try a smaller coil, and go slow. If you sweep too fast you'll have more falsing in trashy areas. You need to try to isolate your targets. If you slow down to the point where you feel like you're going way too slow, that might be ideal. I make my best finds when I concentrate and go real slow.

How was the connector broken? You said you bought it new, but maybe when that broke, something else got messed up?

Sorry, lots of questions, but could be lots of things. Who did you buy it from? If a decent dealer they should be willing and able to help you get to the bottom of this.

 

[Alabama Jim]

I purchased it from a dealer about 80 miles from here.I have purchased other detectors from him.When I purchased my 6000 di from him,he came to my home an showed me how to work it.I'm 60 yo and I guess he is too.He said he would come up in September,but no longer detects in the hot months,I don't blame him.In also uses a cz-5.The problem is not just one yard,the parks are the same way.I know that fishers are hot on iron,but I never figured it would give me this much problem.I've tried using it in the same places that I used my 6000 di and its impossible.All the connectors are tight and I use the hipmount style,so yes the coils on the shaft are tight.
I don't have a smaller coil,was thinking maybe I would get one income tax time.Of course that would change if I can't solve my problem.Most yards an partks around here have been filled in with pipeshop soil.
Yeah I don't know how the connector was broken,I keep it in my shop when not using and very careful when transporting.If anything else is wrong with it,(I'm sorry)I figured they would have found it at Fishers.
As far as going slow,I would stop if I went any slower and the high tones(4-5 a swing) are very confusing and of course too close to seperate.
I'm really at a loss and ready to mark it up as experience and sent my old 6000 di series 2 in to be fixed!
I'm not trying to knock Fisher and all I read about the Fisher led to my buying one.

 

[mtdoramike]

if it has quite a bit of iron in the soil, this could cause you problems with flasing and depth issues. Don't assume that Fisher would have found the problem if there was one at the time, they usually only fix the problem that the machine originally came in with and then test it, but the question is, how well did they test it.

I had to send my CZ70 back twice for the same problem before they finally fixed it. The first time I sent it in, they tested it and claimed there was no problem and sent it back. The second time they replaced the display and I have not had a problem with discoloration of the display since.

So, before you final verdict, I would send it back to Fisher with a detailed list of what its doing or not doing along with a sample of the soil from your area in a sandwich baggie and see what happens. CZ's like a little iron, believe me, if theres a rusty old nail any where around where your huntin, the CZ5 will pick it up.

But that CZ5, in my opinion is one of the best coin machines ever made and it should be smokin them coins right now if its workin properly. The CZ5 is the only machine my wife uses, and more times then not, she smokes me with it.


Good luck,
Mike

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Some areas are just impossible to hunt because CZ's are deep powerful units and perhaps your old detector just handled the area better because years ago detectors were not as deep or powerful..One wonders your ability to ground balance properly as that could also be the culprit..I live in the old coal regions and due to mineralization around these old coal collieries can't hunt them with any machine...Easiest way if you could find another CZ in the area to see how it reacts would solve the problem very quickly...

 

[allhuntedout]

would be a good test to see if the soil or the machine is the problem. If it can't get a quarter at 5" then I would say something's wrong with the machine. CZ-5 is without a doubt the best detector I've ever used. I just can't imagine iron being that much of an issue, as I've hunted some trashy sites, and the deep square nails are the only "high coin" signals that fool me sometimes, and even then, I dig them if they're iffy just to make sure. Rather dig a nail than leave a good coin in the ground.

Of course, all those high coin beeps could be coins! Probably not, but I had one area in one park where I just kept digging and digging. There were hundreds of coins in this 10' x 10' area. Couldn't make a sweep without hitting another target. Absolutely unreal. Then too, there are areas where there just aren't any coins. I've hunted two yards that I recall that were clean. No high tone targets at all. Hunted 'em more than once thinking there must be something there, and nope, nothing.

What happens when you ground balance in this soil? Where is your GB set?

Can you isolate and dig all the high coin beeps? Or do they disappear when you try to get them to repeat or pinpoint?

Have you tried all metal/autotune to see what kind of response you get?

If you have a good smooth slow sweep that should eliminate a lot of falsing, but usually that falsing is caused by Sens run too high, which is not the case.

Wish I lived closer to you, so I could drop by and see what's going on, but hopefully someone else on the board will be able to help you more.

Worst case, a trip back to ther factory can tell you that everything tests out ok. I would be sure to ask them to test it well to make sure it's all up to factory specs before returning it to you. Sending them a soil sample is a great idea too, but I'd ask 'em if they'd use it before I sent it.

 

[BuckeyeBrad]

and I'd say also to look into your GB setting first. If the soil is so laden with iron that you can't find a good metal free area to knowingly get a good GB, just hunt away and while doing so, slowly turn your GB positive (smaller number) and see if the "falsing doesn't diminish. If it does, you'll know it is a GB issue (you had it set too negative) and can move forward to plan "B" on how to get a correct GB setting. Good luck and hope that's all the problem is. A couple other things to consider is make sure your digger isn't too close to the coil. If this was the case, it'd show up more on the end of the swing closest to wherever you keep your digger but it sounds like that's not the problem given you're apparently getting the falsing all through your swing. The CZ's are one of only a few detectors where I've seen this to be a potential problem due to their power. Lastly, and hopefully you already know this, don't wear steel toed shoes or boots when you detect. This will cause all sorts of problems when GB'ing and hunting.

 

[WVAdirtdigger]

I know air testing isn't the greatest measure of a machine but at least you'll know if it pings when a coin is under it. I sent my 3D back to the factory a while back. The following is a good way to air test your machine. I learned this from one of the CZ techs.

Here's how to air test it. GB-5, Sens 5 0r above volume 4 or above. Disc -0 You want to hear all the ID sounds.

Take a box turn it over and use the bottom as your top. Measure down from the "top" and make 5,6,7,8,9,10,11" marks. Now take a knife and cut slits at each of those marks parallel with the top of the box. Use a copper penny (pre 1982) and put it in the slots. Pass your coil along the top of the box so that the coin is under the center of it. About half of of your coil will be hanging over the edge of the box. You should be able to hit the coin down to at least 9" and probably at 10. The factory for the 3D is 9.5 to 10.5". Since the 3D is fashioned from the CZ-5, I imagine these numbers would be the same. Don't do this in your house. Your box should be at least 2 feet from the ground and 10 feet from any metal object. Be careful not to do it around power lines also.

Any soil between your coil and a coin will impede the signal and reduce your ability to detect a coin, so air testing is the max your machine will do. I know this flies in the face of the stuff you read on message boards.

 

[Alabama Jim]

I have come to the conclusion that theres just too much iron ore and scraps of iron in some places to use the cz-5.I will keep it and have my old 6000 di reworked for backup in this type yards.Thanks for all advice.