dmacb333 said:
I recently became the proud owner of a White's Classic SL plugged into a Blue Max 950 backed up with a Classic IDX.
Questions:
1.. You didn't further describe your
Classic SL. The 'SL' description simply means it is a latter Classic design that used the 'SL' or 'Slim-Line' housing like the XLT with the slide-in 8-AA battery tray. But they made several models in the Classic SL series. The first one, the Classic I SL is often just called a Classic SL. That model had a hard-wired 8" search coil so it would have been modified to add a coil connector ... IF that is the Classic I SL.
2.. The next model up the line was the Classic II SL and it did have a search coil connector. HOWEVER, both the Classic I and Classic II models used the older-style search coils and not most of the Blue Max series. If you have a Classic I with an added coil connector or a Classic II, those models were pretty much limited to the standard 8" search coils. Sometimes they might work with a different coil, but often not, and the performance was often faulty. The Classic I and Classic II SL unhi9ts were NOT designed to use the Blue Max 350,. Blue Max 600 or the replacements named 5.3 Black Max or 5.3 Bulls Eye, or any of the of the 8" Concentric coil that work on the up-line Classics as well as the XLT, 6000 Pro XL/XL Pro, Quantum or Quantum XT or the renamed QXT Pro and a few other models, and also NOT the Blue Max 950 or Pro 950. A few other models also used the Blue Max family of search coils.
The Classic III Plus (of the older-style Coinmaster Classics, and the Classic III SL, Classic ID, Classic IDX and Classic IDX Pro all use the newer Blue Max series of coils I referred to and share the same search coils, but they do NOT work properly with the older-style 8" coil used on the Classic I or Classic II SL. Even though all of the 'standard' Classic series models operate at 6.59 kHz, the older Coinmaster Classic's, other than the Classic III Plus, and the and the Classic I SL and Classic II SL do NOT use the Blue Max 950 and other related search coils.
Note, also, that after White's discontinued the Classic SL series they did make some models that were marketed through Costco and other sources but they used a different operating frequency and most didn't share the same search coils as most of the regular Classic SL series models.
3.. So double-check the Classic SL models you acquired and make sure it is compatible with the Blue Max 950
dmacb333 said:
The weather in Montana has finally let up and I was STOKED to get out and find me some treasure. I read the manual top to bottom, checked the batteries twice, practiced a bit in my yard and hit the road. When I turned the unit on it took a couple of minutes to "warm up"...
The Classic series DO NOT have a 'warm-up' time requirement. Matter of fact, no decent detector has since we went to the solid-state transistorized detectors that replaced those very early, big-box, tube-type detector designs.
dmacb333 said:
... and then it wouldn't SHUT UP. B B B B B B B B B BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB. That's all it did...DOES. I have tried everything. One day it seems to work ok but hits on aluminum and tin etc.
If the new-to-you Classic SL is noisy and doesn't shut up, there's likely a fixable issue. You stated that
"one day it seems to work OK but hits on aluminum and tin, etc." 
If it works OK then it works OK regardless of encountering an aluminum can or rusty tin.. If you are too close to a bigger object you can get an overload response. Also, aluminum cans are very conductive so everyone will likely hear them.
As for the 'rusty tin,' that is going to behave similar to a big rusty washer or other ferrous object that is 'flat iron' in size and shape such that they often respond with a higher-conductive read-out kind of like a dime or quarter TID read-out.
dmacb333 said:
I have tried several different adjustments while practicing to no avail. I have an antique Bountyhunter that's about 15 years old that I trust more. I really want to give the White's a fair chance, but as it stands right now, I simply can't TRUST it. Unless I was collecting aluminum cans.
Give the Classic's a chance to prove their abilities to you.
dmacb333 said:
Yes, that is quite possible. I have owned a few White's models that had a defective search coil. One in particular was a brand new, unopened Classic III SL that II bought the day before a vacation so I took it with 'as-delivered' along with 6000 Pro XL that was maybe a week to two weeks old. The 6000 Pro XL had some issues and I felt it might have been a coil issue so I opened the new Classic III SL to use the stock 950 coil since I was working the beach at Lake Havasu Arizona. But the 6000 Pro XL wouldn't work properly with that coil and theTID readings were very low for anything. I tried that coil on my Classic III and it did not work at all! A new coil with a dead short that had to be sent in for service,
dmacb333 said:
If you have a Classic ID or Classic IDX then they should work and share coils.
Keep in mind, also, that the Classic series rely on the internally preset Ground Balance setting. If the internal GB trimmer is not properly adjusted for that particular detector make or model as well as for that specific coil on that model, then that could be the issue.
dmacb333 said:
The unit sat for a few months but all the batteries were/ are it perfect full charges condition. It's a little dusty, but a pretty nice unit. It's owner passed on and asked me to look after his 'baby'. I/m trying, but...I'm frustrated.
I'm open for any suggestions or just some simple encouragement. I thinking just send it in and have it tuned up ???? Thank You, D
I'd suggest checking the model to make sure you're using the proper, compatible coil.
Next, check the GB setting. Do this by locating over some metal-free ground, especially more mineralized for your area, then hold the search coil about 6" to 8" off the ground. Use the highest Sensitivity possible, and turn the Discrimination to the minimum setting. Pull the trigger to access the All Metal Pinpoint mode and keep the trigger pulled. Lower the search coil toward the ground. A 'proper' GB setting should be noted by a slightly positive GB adjustment. That means, the Threshold hum should increase slightly when the coil is lowered to about 2" from the ground. If it nulls out and goes silent, you have a too-negative GB and that alone can be the cause of the problems.
Monte
