First impressions of the Infinium

[therover]

I bought an used Infinium off of a person here on the forum, and before I go into this mess, this person is NOT responsible for any of this. This is just my initial impression of the unit...and it has NOTHING to do with performance as you will see. Also, this is my first Garrett machine I have ever bought, and I had over 30 different makes and models in my 25+years of detecting.

I was pretty excited to put the unit together, test it out and take it tomorrow for a beach hunt.

The detector came with the land headphones as well as a home made adapter to use other head phones ( but this adapter was not one of the professionally made ones I seen before on the forum) . Before I go any further, the headphone connection is one of the worst I ever used. I HATE these types where there is a needle thin pin that has to thread into hole.

I put together the unit ( the stock configuration is horrible when using the stock DD and I have a straight shaft coming...thank goodness since there would be no way I could hunt for any length of time using that configuration). I immeditately took it off the stock shaft and put it on one of my straight shafts I have for another machine. MUCH BETTER !

I plugged in the Garrett headphones, turned it on and got the 3-4 beeps indicating battery strength, put it in lock mode, discrim 0 and adjusted the threshold. Heard the threshold and all was well. Since I wanted to try my other headphones on it ( Troys, Black Windows and Grey Ghosts) I unscrewed the Garrett phones and pulled the plug out. I then noticed the thin pin on the connection was bent, so in my infinite wisdom used my finger and straightened it out...BAD MOVE. IT SHEARED RIGHT OFF !!! F--K I yelled ( I am known in these parts and one of the best swearers on Earth) and yelled a bunch of other obscenities that didn't bother my 11 year old nor the wife since they hear it constantly anyway.

Thought, oh well, Garrett phones toast, but lucky I have the head phone adapter...or maybe not.

NONE of my headphones work with the adapter. NONE. Even 2 cheap sets I have. Thinking something is now wrong with the detector itself, I decided since the Garrett phones were toast, to pull the connector off and see what I may be able to do. I then had the 2 bare brass connectors showing, so I tried to put them into the dectector connection holes to see if I can hear anything. Holding the wires, I turned the detector on and YES...I heard the beeps and threshold.

So I thought, good thing...it's not the detector...its the adapter. I then tried to strip and splice but to no avail....an electronics novice I am not even close. Demolished everything, which no way had anything to do with my frustration ( as you can see, I am venting now !!).

Bottom line for me...the headphone connection SUCKS !!!

Back to serious business...can anyone put me onto the person who makes the GOOD headphone adapters.....or should I just buy another set of Garrett land ones ? My problem is, the connector...you got it...SUCKS !

I have seen professional grade adapters with gold colored connector here on the forum, but cannot remember who makes them or who may sell them. Also, if anyone has an extra set that WORKS, if you want to sell it, I will buy it !

JC

 

[Vancouver Steve]

Send Reid, (reid_man@cox.net) and e-mail. He had few headphone adapters (straight shafts too, but you've got that covered) for sale. Query his name on google, and you'll find youtube.com videos on his stuff, plus lots of forum references.

 

[bearkat4160]

Never had problems with the connector myself and I like it as it is a professional connector. Mine gets bent also just a tad sometimes....the cure...dont touch it...! Just slide it back it to straighten it. I like the Garrett stock headphones also..the land or sea ones. Good luck!

Alan

 

[Lake Hunter]

I only use the waterproof headphones, and take them off to clean the machine after each hunt. I have not had any problems with mine, I think its a good setup (jmo). Hope everything works well for you. And by the way .......... the stock shaft setup is the worst i've ever seen, just horrible IMO. The straight shaft is the answer.

 

[therover]

That I was so psyched up to use the unit on the beach today, that when I ran into this debacle ( caused mostly by myself I admit ), I got so frustrated that I was dead in the water and could use the machine, I flamed the connector design.

It probably is a good one...I just really don't like that small pin design. If it was just a little thicker and sturdier.

The problem was, the pin was so bent, I could NOT put it back into the connector for a proper connection without straightening it out. Not sure if it was compromised in the past, and became weak, but the second I touched it, it broke off....but that's water under the bridge.

I just wanted to try it out sooooooooo bad !

 

[Bluedog44]

About a month ago I bought a new Infinium LS. My first PI machine. My wife and I are heading to New Mexico for two weeks in October. The Silver City/Gila National Forest area for a little prospecting and rock hounding. I have had about eight metal detectors since the mid 70's, never anything like the Infinium. After I got it, I set it up with the 8" mono coil and headed to my back yard (5 Acres). One of the things I found was a rusted folded paper staple. I said wow I'm impressed. In 30 plus years, It's the smallest thing I have ever found. If it wasn't for my Garrett Pro Pointer I would probably would be still trying to sort it out from the dirt. My Infinium is set up with an external speaker, works great, can't have those bears and mountain lions sneaking up on me. Got my adapter from "East Texas Metal Detectors". Speaker from
Radio Shack. The stock coil and shaft are not a great combination.

I also added to my collection a Whites GMT and Tesoro Lobo ST.

 

[Gord (Tecumseh)]

Took my new Infinium out for a field hunt for the first time yesterday. It was my first experience with a Garrett machine and with a PI machine. I used the 8" mono coil. I dug the first 20 or so signals just to get a feel for the sounds compared to what the target really was. I dug lots of large and small very rusted iron pieces, from broken farm implements to square nails. I dug different gauge shot gun brass and a few washers. My pouch got very heavy and very full. I then switched to my other brand VLF machine and found my Indian Head cent and 187? Canadian fishscale nickle. Am I too dependent on tones and id #s?

While I bought the diving headphones, in retrospect, I wish I had waited and learned a little more about the detector. Since the land phones have o-seals, they are effectively good for use in the water as long as the phones are not submerged. Would have saved almost $100. Am I going to like the machine. I think in the long term, I am. In particular, I will initially be using the Infinium in the red mineralized soil of Virginia. Without a doubt, I will probably be digging everything in a continuing learning process. However, I will eventually end up using the detector as a water machine on my trips to Hawaii and the Great Lakes and will no doubt be scooping everything again. I'll continue to read all of John in Edmonton's posts to aid in my learning and will read anything that is relevant to the type of detecting I will do.

When I get to Virginia, I will have one of Reid's headphone adapters and one of his straight shafts waiting for me. For the life of me, I don't understand why Garrett chose to be unique when it came to their headphone connectors. In all honesty, it makes no sense to me. That would be one of my first suggestions to Garrett. Make a good headphone but give people the option of using an after-market set of headphones without having to buy an adapter from any manufacturer. I love my Gray Ghost NDTs. Now, I have to put together the Ace 250 that I won at a hunt last May. Boys and their toys. LOL. Only four detectors left in the stable. Two Garretts and two Fishers after using Whites for so many years. Just keeping the old brain active. Can't believe the wife bought that line.

Happy hunting.

 

[therover]

I put the Infinium with the stock coil on a straight shaft last night and BIG difference. Much better balanced and I can control the coil a lot better.

Ordered another set of land headphones and will be getting a good headphone adapter from a local dealer.

I hope to head down to the beach over the weekend to try it out. Bought the unit for beach hunting only, and if I like it, will probably get the mono coil for it...just don't know which one.

JC

 

[John-Edmonton]

Get the large mono coil. Pinpoints easier, covers more ground, gets about the same depth as the 8"....maybe just a tad more and it is easier to identify bobby pins by the audio. It is also fairly light too. I think the general concenses from the ones who have tried it is that they prefer the large mono coil over the 8" mono.

 

[Lake Hunter]

n/t

 

[therover]

I can't wait to actually use the Infinium...just have to get either another pair of Garrett headphones or a working headphone adapter.

Was leaning toward the bigger mono....for now, the stock DD is going to be used. Balances pretty good on the straight shaft I have...still a bit nose heavy, so I bet the mono, being lighther, will balance out perfect.

JC

 

[John-Edmonton]

Good luck

 

[Adam(Va)]

n/t

 

[therover]

You are correct...once I get my new set of headphones, I am putting my reading glasses on, making sure everything is lined up, connecting the sucker and never taking them off again. Decided the heck with the headphone adapter and using other headphones.

JC

 

[ivanll]

This might be the reason why the pin bend in the first place.

Be care-full when inserting the plug in the socket, ........the holes positioning the tubes in the rubber is incorrectly placed, therefore there is a possibility of misalignment between the pins and socket tubes.

Red mark on headphone connector is where the pin align, exert pressure when inserting and the pin will bend .......and so on.

The new as purchased Au.$65 headphone connector kit have never been assembled, it is never the less showing sign of a split in the rubber where the tube socket should fit and it will likely split open just like the coil connectors.
"LS" perhaps it stand for Limited Service.

I know some who would like to point to the user as the source of failure.
Included a pic. of the Coil Connector on my 1984 Sea Hunter XL-500 PI unit, fits perfect every time.
In this case "LS" could stand for Long Service.

In any case there is a reason why the pins bend and consequently fail.
My guess is illustrated above,............. so take care when changing coil or headphones.

ivanll