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Hesitant to Post This, But, Anyone with the Same Issue?

S

scubadetector

New member
I have mentioned that the volume is too low on the machine for me to hear very well diving. I still do it though because of the target separation and the finds it has been making for me in the Detroit River. I always keep the waterproof headphones plugged in. Yesterday I unplugged them to let a wader try the machine. No matter what I did, factory reset, turn off and on a bunch of times change the volume up and down a few times, the speaker would not work loud at all. You could hear the machine but just barely. Like having headphones installed but not having them on your ears quiet.

I was all set to call Minelab today but I decided to turn it on one more time. Viola, today it is back to normal. There was no water in the jack and I have not had another issue with the machine. I am wondering now if my machine just has a small problem that needs to be repaired. Anyone else loose volume after unplugging headphones? Does anyone keep headphones plugged in their unit a long time?

PLEASE no Equinox OR Minelab bashing. It is a capable machine and when it works I am pleased.
 
Maybe the connections are not closing back down all the way... when the plug is pulled out.. that is a past problem with some headphones point of contact..
 
The entire detector industry is plagued by faults in new machines. It’s mostly due to not spending enough money or time on pre-production testing. The Microsoft problem might be made worse by the likelihood that they outsource their mechanical design - this creates another “interface” in development.

Hopefully this is an isolated issue, but it joins a growing list of them. Again, a sad feature of new detector introduction across the entire industry.
 
As I understand and by my assembling adapter audio cables, there is no mechanical switch type connection made in the audio connector that turns the audio on and off. The "shorting" of the ring and collar connectors on the plug, or somewhere closer to the headphone, is "sensed" by the internal electronics of the control box to turn the audio on and off to the speaker.

Maybe just the re-booting of the detector did the trick in getting the volume back up to par. Here's hoping it never happens again.
 
Did you have it submerged for a bit prior to trying without the headphones? I could be barking up the wrong tree and maybe you already checked the manual, but the Troubleshooting Guide in the manual on page 63 says:

"Speaker is squeaky or muffled after
submersion in cold water 1. Allow up to half an hour for the detector internal air pressure to return to normal."

Not sure of the water temp you were in vs air temp or what exactly they mean by "cold" in the manual. I'm guessing though that the impact is variable based on how cold "cold" is. Of course, all of that is moot if you didn't have it in the water prior to unplugging the headphones and experiencing the low volume issue.
 
Ive got a lot of hours with mine in the water and have removed the plug a few times and tested the speaker and inspected the inside of the jack. Mine is fine. If you look inside with a flashlight you will see what appears to be 4 brass connectors that i assume like WW said makes contact with the ring on the mono jack. I believe they hold the jack in as well. But i dont believe if there was a problem with them that it would be sporadic. I use teflon tap on the threads too.
 
Never used it without the headphones in the water. I think Elton is on the right track. When the jack is installed it breaks the connection for the internal speaker and the headphones work. When you unplug the headphones, the connection makes contact again and the internal speaker works.

I am thinking that after leaving the headphones installed for over two weeks the internal connector just didn't want to make contact for a long while. I called Minelab. Waiting to hear back
 
I believe if you would have left it sit and "dry out", it would have worked. I had the same problem one day hunting, my headphones quit working and I thought I had a problem with the machine since when I removed the headphones, I could barely hear the speaker. By the time I got home and started troubleshooting, I found normal "LOUD" volume out of the speaker and a loose wire in my headphone connector. From what I remember, those with a CTX had similar problems when coming out of the water having low volume on the speaker.....

Stick the plug (cap) in the headphone connector next trip out there, test the speaker and then dunk the machine to test the speaker volume after the dunking, I'm betting you find it is just a wet speaker and it takes a period of time for the water to dissipate out of the housing.

Cliff
 
nagov said:
I believe if you would have left it sit and "dry out", it would have worked. I had the same problem one day hunting, my headphones quit working and I thought I had a problem with the machine since when I removed the headphones, I could barely hear the speaker. By the time I got home and started troubleshooting, I found normal "LOUD" volume out of the speaker and a loose wire in my headphone connector. From what I remember, those with a CTX had similar problems when coming out of the water having low volume on the speaker.....

Stick the plug (cap) in the headphone connector next trip out there, test the speaker and then dunk the machine to test the speaker volume after the dunking, I'm betting you find it is just a wet speaker and it takes a period of time for the water to dissipate out of the housing.

Cliff
Click to expand...

Cliff, it is a possibility. I had my grandchildren here from Utah for 10 days and never used the machine. I guess water could have gotten into it last time I used it and never dried out because the headphones were attached. Minelab is going to take a look at it. Told me it might not be covered under warranty with aftermarket headphones. I got an RMA number today. Will see what they come up with.
 
Unbelievable that the use of aftermarket headphone would void the warranty, unless they physically damaged the jack.
I like the cold water theory. The air inside will be cooled, and the inside pressure will lower, allowing the speaker to be "pushed in" from the higher outside pressure thus the speaker diaphragm will not travel as far and the "volume" will be low. As for the water temperature here in NE 55-62 today.
A half hour seems like enough time to return things to normal.
That teflon tape sure make life slick!
 
As a precaution I think I will spray the headset jack on mine with electronic cleaner and some sort of electronics lube. I dont think it has ever had a headset plugged in it as I hunt wireless with ear buds. Had it in the water about 18-24" deep at Galveston and was impressed with the quiet and smooth operation. Didnt dunk the head unit though.
 
Someone else posted they were diving with theirs....... and noticed the screen at the Noxs depth limit would push in from the pressure. Again ..... i say why the need for an external speaker? Most wont ever us them..... and just one more thing to break or leak. WW im with you on the voiding the warranty...... had ML not changed the connector we wouldnt have had to make our own and go 4 months only being able to wade with our new machine. MOST of us were already using headphone with the M12 connectors for our OTHER pricy ML machines.
 
WHAT I am having a hard time with is Minelab might say I voided my warranty using aftermarket headphones. They made the connector to put standard headphones in. What is the difference between standard headphones and headphones with a connector for underwater. It did NOT leak.

What if someone uses the wrong charger and fries their machine? They didn't supply a charger. So does that void the warranty?

They gave me a RMA number. Said they would look at it and see if they will repair or replace it. I know there is nothing wrong with the headphones. They work fine attached to my computer. I haven't tried my computer underwater yet though!
 
jas415 and others:

Be very careful some electronic cleaners will MELT some plastics. I know for a fact that it does I have marred many plastic pieces with it. Yes even after repairing electronics for 50 years I still grab the wrong can to clean a circuit board and let the spray contact the plastic case. Bummer. I now have been keeping the "safe" cleaner on the bench and the destroyers on the shelf - out of my reach. If Minelab were to say the plastic has been chemically melted, I would have no problem with them voiding the warranty IF the affected area effects the detectors operation.
 
The way I read your Post is, your Equinox has been totally immersed and waterproof headphones were plugged in always?
Is that it Scube?

From my understanding, having extensively prototyped the CTX underwater the speaker ejects 'air' and is replaced by 'water' and therefore is saturated to its waterproof design and goes no further. But it's enough to 'block' sound as it can't 'vibrate' being wet within its designed tolerance. It can emit a weak 'whine' after coming out of the water and has 'to dry out' for a period of time before it can 'drive' sound and eject the water particles.

I'd imagine Equinox is the same and what you're experiencing is 'normal operation?'

NB: the 'drying out' can be very short (minutes) or prolonged (hours) and all depending on how long the unit was completely submerged and how deep as in several feet."

Des D
ex Minelab
 
Des D said:
The way I read your Post is, your Equinox has been totally immersed and waterproof headphones were plugged in always?
Is that it Scube?

From my understanding, having extensively prototyped the CTX underwater the speaker ejects 'air' and is replaced by 'water' and therefore is saturated to its waterproof design and goes no further. But it's enough to 'block' sound as it can't 'vibrate' being wet within its designed tolerance. It can emit a weak 'whine' after coming out of the water and has 'to dry out' for a period of time before it can 'drive' sound and eject the water particles.

I'd imagine Equinox is the same and what you're experiencing is 'normal operation?'

NB: the 'drying out' can be very short (minutes) or prolonged (hours) and all depending on how long the unit was completely submerged and how deep as in several feet."

Des D
ex Minelab
Click to expand...

Well the kicker is I had my grandchildren from Utah for 10 days. It hadn't been touched for that long but the headphones were plugged in the whole time. I would think 10 days is long enough to dry out. No water has ever got in the jack, so that isn't an issue. I do take it up to 9' deep when I do submerge it.

This is my setup:



I put it back on the middle and longer lower to let a wader try it. It wouldn't work all day.
 
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