Garrett AT Pro coil problems..

[Barry NY]

Anything you purchase using a credit card has a 60 day return policy for defective merchandise from the time the charge gets posted to your credit card statement - a full 60 days.
That means that a newly purchased metal detector that is broken or faulty does not have to be repaired - it can be returned for a full credit or a new one (your choice) if it's within this 60 day window.

It's time that everyone realized that a metal detector is not a car.

Call your dealer and tell them you want a brand new replacement or a refund for the faulty item they sold you or you will be disputing the charges.

It's that simple.

 

[Willee - Texas]

Here is the deal ... the AT Pro is very sensitive.
If you want to run it at max sensitivity then it will false when you do the crazy twist in the air.
Yes ... it will also false when you bump the coil against something.
Is this a problem?
For some it is ... for others it is not.
With proper coil control it works fine for me when swinging it on the ground and I have no problem with it.
Very seldom do I need to cut the sensitivity back from max.
My $1500 detector will also false when I bump the coil.

If you want Garrett to fix your detector so it dont do this ... they can go in and reduce the sensitivity for you so you can still have all 8 bars of sensitivity on the screen ... or you can just cut it back yourself.
So if you must do the crazy twist in the air ... cut the sensitivity back to "5'' ... and please post some photos of what you find.

Some of the engineers have stated on the forums that the coil could have been better shielded.
All I know is whether or not I like the way a detector works when I use it.
I have no real issues with the AT PRO just the way it is.
I dont expect it to perform like an E-trac, a F-75 SE, an Explorer II, or any other top of the line detector.
If I didnt like it I wouldn't use one and I do plan on having another one to use in the water this summer.
It would be nice if Garrett sometime in the future decided to redesign the coil shielding to make it even better ... but that is up to them.

I have been badmouthed for selling someone my AT Pro because of this crazy shake "problem".
After he bought it and it was shipped he asked about the posts by Keith Southern and the crazy shake "problem" ... I told him it was common but if he did not like it after he used it to send it back for a full refund.
He didnt send it back but posted "Beware of Willee" on several forms.
All because of what he has read about using a detector in a manor it was not intended to be used and/or not fully understanding the "problem" that isnt really a "problem".

I have used several detectors in the past that I did not like the way they worked for one reason or another.
They worked exactly like they were designed to work and nothing was wrong with them ... they were what they were.
Detector manufactures can not custom make every detector for every person ... it dont work that way.
Everyone knows that some Tesoro detectors are hotter than others ... same with Fisher CZ's if you gat a hot one it is the luck of the draw.
Are all the others defective?

If the AT Pro dont suite your style and requirements get something that does.
I like the AT PRO and can use it with no problems.
It meets and exceeds my expectations of a detector in that price range.
The only reason I sold it was to help finance another more expensive detector I wanted more.

BTW: Who bought their AT PRO thinking it was a good choice for hunting gold nuggets?

Willee

 

[bearkat4160]

I have the very same new DD 11x8.5 coil on my GTI 2500 and it does not do the noise except slightly when max sens and shaking like crazy. It is the whole design of the AT Pro with the coil that does the shake noise.....just the way the machine is!....frigin coil sheild paint BS is all crap!

My AT Pro is a very capable nugget machine! See my vids about it here.

Keep your good post coming Willee!

Alan

 

[skippers]

I have the very same new DD 11x8.5 coil on my GTI 2500 and it does not do the noise except slightly when max sens and shaking like crazy. It is the whole design of the AT Pro with the coil that does the shake noise.....just the way the machine is!....frigin coil sheild paint BS is all crap!

My AT Pro is a very capable nugget machine! See my vids about it here.

Keep your good post coming Willee!

Alan

Alan, thanks for the video. I've been curious about the ATPro and gold nuggets. Skip

 

[TellYaWhut]

I have the very same new DD 11x8.5 coil on my GTI 2500 and it does not do the noise except slightly when max sens and shaking like crazy. It is the whole design of the AT Pro with the coil that does the shake noise.....just the way the machine is!....frigin coil sheild paint BS is all crap!

My AT Pro is a very capable nugget machine! See my vids about it here.

Keep your good post coming Willee!

Alan

Why would Garrett design a coil to false when shaked??

 

[Willee - Texas]

Why would Garrett design a coil to false when shaked??

I might ask why would you ever shake the coil like that?

They made the AT Pro so hot it overpowers the coil under certain conditions.
Cut the sensitivity back to the GTI-2500 level and it runs just as stable as a GTI-2500.
In the hands of an experienced person that understands what is what ... the AT Pro is a killer machine.
Kinda like driving a race car on the street ... most of the time you just dont need all that power.
This is just one of the pitfalls facing a manufacture making a detector that can be adjusted too hot.

Willee

 

[wheath22]

Has anybody tried running the coil wire straight up the shaft about a foot and securing it with tape or tie wraps and then wrapping it tight from there up to the control box? My AC250 will also false if you hit a sapling or corn stalk but so will any other machine I have ever used. Try to get the movement out of the shaft and coil wire and see if it makes a difference, just an idea..........Bill in NC

 

[TellYaWhut]

................I have been badmouthed for selling someone my AT Pro because of this crazy shake "problem".
After he bought it and it was shipped he asked about the posts by Keith Southern and the crazy shake "problem" ... I told him it was common but if he did not like it after he used it to send it back for a full refund.
He didnt send it back but posted "Beware of Willee" on several forms.
All because of what he has read about using a detector in a manor it was not intended to be used and/or not fully understanding the "problem" that isnt really a "problem"...............

Willee

As I understand, you at one point sold your AT-Pro because of the falsing-coil-shake problem. Now that the detector was returned to you for a refund (also because of the falsing), you've learned to accept the falsing as normal.....is that correct?? I have a (other brand) detector that will false when I have the sensitivity above the 3 oClock position...so I set the knob just below that. At this point it doesn't false and I still get great depth. My question is ......can you set the AT-Pro to not false (setting of 5 ?) and what are the depth results?? Thanks

 

[TellYaWhut]

Why would Garrett design a coil to false when shaked??

I might ask why would you ever shake the coil like that?

They made the AT Pro so hot it overpowers the coil under certain conditions.
Cut the sensitivity back to the GTI-2500 level and it runs just as stable as a GTI-2500.
In the hands of an experienced person that understands what is what ... the AT Pro is a killer machine.
Kinda like driving a race car on the street ... most of the time you just dont need all that power.
This is just one of the pitfalls facing a manufacture making a detector that can be adjusted too hot.

Willee

Actually Willee I mostly liked what you've posted previously regarding the At-Pro. The shaking motion is possible only used in tight areas during gold detecting. Though I feel that No metal detector should false when you shake it. Falsing is not a detectors positive feature.....I never seen this special-feature highlighted in any advertisement. As a consumer of metal detectors and accessories, I want something I can use in many areas, with smooth threshold and with good depth. I can have a race car, but the speed limit is still 35-75 mph. Generally the mentality is to have (and be seen with) the fastest car around, regardless of how practical it is. Just like there are special areas where I can drive a race car 150 mph, there are also special ground conditions where the AT-Pro will surpass other $600 machines. Thanks

 

[Woodchuck]

I just can not believe people are still carrying on about this .I had a AT Pro and it worked just fine.Yes you shake the crap out of coil it will false .And so will alot of other detectors, so don't shake the crap out of it PERIOD.! Better yet don't buy the detector if your going to knit pick it. IMHO I liked mine and it worked fine, I moved on from from AT Pro to something really different.If you were to give me a At Pro I would take it.So send your perfectly good AT Pro to me , I will give it the home it deserves LOL.

 

[Willee - Texas]

As I understand, you at one point sold your AT-Pro because of the falsing-coil-shake problem. Now that the detector was returned to you for a refund (also because of the falsing), you've learned to accept the falsing as normal.....is that correct??

No that is not correct ... I did not sell my AT PRO because of that problem because it is not a problem.
And ... it was never returned for a refund.
The AT PRO will not false when using it to hunt for metal objects in the ground if the sensitivity is properly set.
Making a detector false by shaking it madly or bumping the coil into objects is not normal ... is it?


I have a (other brand) detector that will false when I have the sensitivity above the 3 oClock position...so I set the knob just below that. At this point it doesn't false and I still get great depth. My question is ......can you set the AT-Pro to not false (setting of 5 ?) and what are the depth results?? Thanks

I normally can run my AT PRO at max or a bit less.
I dont scrub the ground but try to keep the coil an inch or less above the ground for max depth.
Yes ... as with almost all detectors cutting back the sensitivity will help stabilize the unit.

Willee

 

[Fishers Ghost]

It seems to me that the issue re coil instability of the At Pro is ongoing and most operators have noticed the problem so I guess it exists.
Coil rigidity is critical with DD coil config and the slightest bit of flex in the coil housing will unbalance the coil causing a signal.
It sounds as though the AT Pro DD stock coil is not rigid enough. Concentric coils are more tollerant of slight flexibility.
Most people are going in to bat for the AT Pro and are making excuses to explain away the instability.
I have several detectors with DD coils and I have to put a lot of pressure on them to get them to false.
So maybe the AT Pro DD coils should be more rigid??

 

[Willee - Texas]

It seems to me that the issue re coil instability of the At Pro is ongoing and most operators have noticed the problem so I guess it exists.
Coil rigidity is critical with DD coil config and the slightest bit of flex in the coil housing will unbalance the coil causing a signal.
It sounds as though the AT Pro DD stock coil is not rigid enough. Concentric coils are more tollerant of slight flexibility.
Most people are going in to bat for the AT Pro and are making excuses to explain away the instability.
I have several detectors with DD coils and I have to put a lot of pressure on them to get them to false.
So maybe the AT Pro DD coils should be more rigid??

Wow ... all this posted information and still ... people see and hear what they want to see and hear.

Instability .... What instability are you talking about?
The AT PRO coil is very rigid ... Have you ever examined one?
Any detector will chatter and false if you can turn the sensitivity up high enough.
Most detector makers do not allow the sensitivity to be cranked up so high you can hear the circuit noise.
The Fisher F-75 SE is another detector that will do the exact same thing as the AT Pro when the sensitivity is set to max.

Most all of the posts about falsing is demonstrated by setting the sensitivity at max, lifting the coil into the air, then twisting your hand clockwise and counterclockwise as fast as you can. The coil is rotating around its center.
Is that the way you use a detector? (if so then buy something else but dont buy the new Fisher F-75 ... it does the same thing)

I will say it again ... the AT PRO is a hot detector and can be set with too much gain (sensitivity) just like the new Fisher F-75's
(Thank you Garrett for giving us experienced users the abaility to get as much gain as the soil and our skill, will allow us to use)
When it is properly set and good coil control is practiced there is no falsing problem ... is that plain and simple enough to understand?

Does that sound like an excuse for a problem that really does not exist?

 

[EZrider]

Just an update. Since the guy was banned from this fourm. His AT pro did have a problem with the coil. Garrett replaced it and it seems to be working fine. There are who is having this problem. There are people who have this problem and think it normal. If your machine is falsing by bumping the ground then send it in.

 

[TellYaWhut]

I wonder how the At-Pro will perform with other coils, when available??

 

[Willee - Texas]

I wonder how the At-Pro will perform with other coils, when available??

There are three coils on the Garrett web page now.

Wonder how that 9 X 12 will do on relics.
Will be watching for reports on them.

Think SunRay will jump in there with a bad boy?

Willee

 

[Willee - Texas]

Just an update. Since the guy was banned from this fourm. His AT pro did have a problem with the coil. Garrett replaced it and it seems to be working fine. There are who is having this problem. There are people who have this problem and think it normal. If your machine is falsing by bumping the ground then send it in.

Willy got banned?
Sorry to hear that.

Willee

 

[SteveP(NH)]

I just can not believe people are still carrying on about this .I had a AT Pro and it worked just fine.Yes you shake the crap out of coil it will false .And so will alot of other detectors, so don't shake the crap out of it PERIOD.! Better yet don't buy the detector if your going to knit pick it. IMHO I liked mine and it worked fine, I moved on from from AT Pro to something really different.If you were to give me a At Pro I would take it.So send your perfectly good AT Pro to me , I will give it the home it deserves LOL.

Believe it or not just because yours works ok, doesn't mean every AT PRO made also works the way it was designed to. I had a falsing problem with the original AT PRO I had, and it had absolutely nothing to do with shaking the machine. It would false if I gently touched it to the ground, or if I lightly scrubbed it against some sand. I asked Garrett if it this was normal behavior for it and they sent UPS to pick it up and take it back to them for examination. Their senior tech checked it out and found that both the coil and the control box had issues that caused it to false and they replaced the entire machine and coil with new ones.

So belittling folks whose machines may have real problems isn't a helpful or very friendly approach to take on a forum such as this one.

 

[bearkat4160]

I shook my GTI 2500 with the new DD coil because EVERYONE ELSE is shaking their AT Pro and complaining abou it! And complaining that Garrett has a bad coil!

Well I did the shake on my 2500 with the new coil to prove it is not a bad coil or faulty design!

I think that as clear in my post....why eles would I shake it like that? I have never shakin it like that the whole time I have owned my 2500, since 1999.

Just a test for the AT complainers is all it was Willee...

Alan

 

[Willee - Texas]

I shook my GTI 2500 with the new DD coil because EVERYONE ELSE is shaking their AT Pro and complaining abou it! And complaining that Garrett has a bad coil!

Well I did the shake on my 2500 with the new coil to prove it is not a bad coil or faulty design!

I think that as clear in my post....why eles would I shake it like that? I have never shakin it like that the whole time I have owned my 2500, since 1999.

Just a test for the AT complainers is all it was Willee...

Alan

Understood Alan.

I tried the shake test on the Fisher F-5 SE and found it does it just like the At Pro.
Same with the CZ-5 ...
The E-Trac dont do it ... good thing ... it is all I will have to hunt with after I send the rest back for coil repair.


Willee