F4 Could it be the weather?

[SkiWhiz]

I don't know if it is a coincidence or not but I have noticed a few times that my F4 goes alittle wacky if weather isn't clear. I mean not thundering and lightning but heavy clouds & nasty weather in the distance. Hard to explain - kind of like detecting in the eye of the storm. I just turn down the sensitivity and it works alright. If I don't turn down the sens. the F4 will beep beep beep and show up random icons non stop.

Another thing I have often wondered is what the symptoms was with the first supplies of F4's that had the possibility of a defective part. Were they irratic,power off by themselves,etc. ??? I do really enjoy my F4. Steve.

 

[Mark in NC]

Hi Steve,

I haven't experienced the weather thing. The only erratic behavior I've had was when I was right beside a power pole. I had to drop sensitivity a notch or two, then it was okay. After I moved about 20 feet away, I could crank 'er up again.

As far as the first F4's, I don't know for sure what it was... I think maybe they would turn off themselves?

 

[HotTexas]

I hunted a old house for about 40min. today had to to call it because lighting struck about 100 yards from me and it started to rain. had no problems at all.

Also got a silver dime before it started to rain.
Can't wait to go back.

 

[SkiWhiz]

It could very well be a power pole thing, I will check to see if there are close by wires when I go back to the spots where it acted up. Thanks for the replies! Steve.

 

[BarnacleBill]

On high tension wires the insulators sometimes get dirty which leads to a condition of Arc Over creating a broadband noise source. When the air is very dry it may not be occurring, but as "the weather" approaches and humidity rises, a better conductive path is created. Much the same as using a detector on a saltwater beach, the salt when mixed in with the dry sand is no problem, but in a mist or light rain it changes to a conductive wet sand.

Easy way to find out is to carry a cheap transistor radio with you. If you run into the noise problem on the detector, turn and walk away until the detector settles down. Turn the detector OFF, turn the radio ON, set the radio to the AM band. Tune the the radio to a clear space where you can't hear any radio stations, turn the volume to max, note the noise level. Now walk back towards where the interference was, if the noise level from the radio speaker goes up along the return path, then you have confirmed it is the wires.

HH
BarnacleBill