Made a mistake

[mburnett17055]

Well long story short...
I bought a Fisher 1220X in 1982 and still have it. I wanted a new modern detector so
I researched for about two months, with a budget of $900.00.
Read all the reviews, watched all the videos.

I visited my "local dealer" (35 miles away), he showed me the Garrett AT Pro and it seemed to work
as I had seen in the videos. I still didn't buy.
I read some more, and decided to buy the Garrett AT Pro.

Bottom line:
NOT HAPPY

This detector is so chatty, worse that my old 1220X , and it you have ever used one of those you know
how chatty it is!!
The numbers are all over the place, it high tones constantly.
I don't know what to do, I guess I am stuck with it.

Anybody else go through this as a new user of the AT Pro???

HELP!!!

 

[Sailorman]

What program are you running, what settings what's the ground like. You may just be set up wrong. Also are you sure the coil connector is seated properly. It's very easy to pinch out the o-ring and get a bad connection.

 

[Jeff (or)]

You might call your local dealer you got it from, he is there to help. How many hours do you have on the detector? With any new detector, practice, practice,etc. Read your manual front to back a few times. Also there is a troubleshooting giude in the back of the manual that may help. A couple of things to check, make sure your coil is conneted properly, and that you are not running the sensitivity to high.

 

[ML]

What is your sensitivity setting? If at or near max, try taking it down a few notches.

 

[khouse]

I would say to make sure it's properly ground balanced and reduce the sensitivity until it runs stable in your soil. If your not using some iron disc then raise it up to 40. This will help.

 

[Blink]

You didn't make a mistake, you bought a very good machine BUT you need to practice and follow the suggestions given to you from more experenced people who use it on a regular basis. If you still have problems then have it checked out. Good luck !

 

[GoVidGo]

I have an AT Pro and I pretty much split time with my Etrac now with it. I think it's amazing BUT a lot different than other detectors too.

Chatty? ...I'd guess a few things:
-are you running the sensitivity on all bars? It's a HOT detector and will pick up slight and deep metal when run hot, and can make it sound chatty. I run mine 2 bars down from max and still hit deep.
-running all metal mode? that can boost the chatty up for sure
-you got the iron setting turn on or not notched out? iron can make it chatty for sure mixed with all those good signals.
-you in a highyl mineralized area? that will make it chatty.

just a few ideas, cause I bet it's how you have it set up, like people said here....

I actually run mine in the Pro-Mode, All-Metal, and Iron Audio=ON, and YES, it is chatty, BUT it sure picks out the coins and good targets from the other crap in the ground and it's lightning quick! I listen for that slight 'high' hit in the middle of all the chattiness.... I go over it slower from a few angles.... if it keep a VDI number jumping within about 4-5?, I dig it for sure and BANG! treasure!.... if the VDI jumps around greatly or is just good from one angle?, I debate whether to dig it....

When my GF runs the AT-Pro, she HATES have it even the slight bit chatty. She runs STANDARD MODE, SENS =2 bars down from max, Iron Audio=OFF, and COINS MODE and it's really really really a lot quieter, but it does not take advantage of the full potential of the detector... makes it like an ACE 350 on steroids, basically...

Who knows tho? you could have a bad-out-of-box, maybe? air test it with targets or plant some in the ground with some junk to run some testing...

I bought the AT Pro as a back-up to my ETrac, for those rainy days, and I seem to go to it more and more as it's an amazing machine, and if you have it set right and know the sounds and what to look for, you can run with almost anything out there, and the AT Pro runs at the 15 KHZ which is great for gold (the AT Gold runs only 3 higher at 18 KHZ)...

 

[firstring]

I've had my AT Pro for just a few months and love it. I have found it to be extremely user friendly. I might have missed it, did you say you watched the training videos put out by Garrett regarding the AT Pro or thoroughly read the owner's manual? If you bought from the dealer, did you have him help you set it up and take it for a test drive? Please don't get me wrong, however, there could be other reasons why your machine is doing what it is doing besides a faulty machine. One thing I found out early on was, just as GoVidGo explained, that adjusting the sensitivity a little lower makes it run very smooth. Don't give up on it, it will serve you well.

 

[BJ in Okla.]

I have 2 AT Pro's and they work the same....
I have had 2 bad coils,, a 4.5" super sniper and a 8.5 x 11" stock coil that did what you are talking about.....

Also, a friend with a ATpro had the same problems,,,,we checked it out,,,it was not the coils,,, something in the control box.
She called Garrett and the gal on the phone,, said to do a reset,,,,she said that we need to do a reset everytime we change coils or battery's,,,,Why ???
We did so many reset's,, that did not help...
That AT pro is at Garrett for repair....

If you call Garrett,,1-800-527-4011,,ask for Brad,,, I have had my best luck with him....
The AT Pro is a good unit,, don't give up on it....
Try it at several places,, make sure its not EMI,,,,we did that to...

Most places,,,I run mine in Pro mode,,Custom,,and nothing notched out,,,Iron disc at 32,, iron audio on,,,sens at max,,,GB right on,,,83 to 73...
It may be a little noisey,,,but, I like it that way...
Good luck..

 

[mburnett17055]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I think I might have jumped the gun a little, I admit I have not used the AT Pro enough yet.
I am going to give it some more time. I do think from all that I have read that the AT Pro is a good machine.


Thanks again!!!

Mike

 

[Big Boys Hobbies]

It is a GREAT machine. The 5x8 Coil makes it come alive! Brad does not work at Garrett any longer. Got a job somewhere else.

 

[BJ in Okla.]

Hi Bart,,,
I hate to hear that Brad does not work at Garrett anymore,,,,,there is a Mira that does the repair,, but I have not been able to talk to her,
and she don't return phone calls....
Bj

 

[Big Boys Hobbies]

Hi Bart,,,
I hate to hear that Brad does not work at Garrett anymore,,,,,there is a Mira that does the repair,, but I have not been able to talk to her,
and she don't return phone calls....
Bj

Ask for Sue, tell her I sent you. Nice lady!

 

[Sailorman]

Sue took good care of me the one time I needed service!

 

[BJ in Okla.]

Hi Bart,,,
I hate to hear that Brad does not work at Garrett anymore,,,,,there is a Mira that does the repair,, but I have not been able to talk to her,
and she don't return phone calls....
Bj

Ask for Sue, tell her I sent you. Nice lady!

I have talked to Sue,Hilda,Mary, and Brad,, they were all nice...
Bj

 

[sparkster]

From all of the great replies sounds like you came to the right place to assist you.

I have talked extensively with sue at Garrett. She will get you help if you call.

Why not contact your dealer, drive over there and see if a coil swap fixes your problem.

I have had my prp a year and a half. If I run iron audio mine sounds very chatty to me. I would

Recommend that you crawl before you walk. Try running in pro mode, no iron audio. Ground balance on some clear ground

Run 2 bars below max on sensitivity. Throw some coins on the clear ground and see what happens.

Your AT Pro should run smooth not chatty and give you great reads on the coins. If still chatty call

Garrett and ship it.

 

[khouse]

Something else to check - Make sure your coil cable isn't loose where it can jiggle when you sweep. This can give you some falsing. I run my coil wires strait up and velcro strap it every 8 inches or so. This keeps it tight to the shaft. If your cable wiggles the coil will pick that movement up and beep.

 

[viking rich]

Defo don't use the detector with iron audio turned on if your new like me all the cracking will put you off it takes bit time before we will be able to use it that way and pick out the good targets from all the junk n iron witch is what that mode is designed for so inless ur detecting a field like that its not needed any ways normal pro mode will work find the at is brilliant if you run it in pro mode but then every time u get a real good signal switch the iron audio button on go over again if its still strong signal dig it but if its now changed to a more crackling sound its more then likely junk

 

[senda]

I have 2 AT Pro's and they work the same....
I have had 2 bad coils,, a 4.5" super sniper and a 8.5 x 11" stock coil that did what you are talking about.....

Also, a friend with a ATpro had the same problems,,,,we checked it out,,,it was not the coils,,, something in the control box.
She called Garrett and the gal on the phone,, said to do a reset,,,,she said that we need to do a reset everytime we change coils or battery's,,,,Why ???
We did so many reset's,, that did not help...
That AT pro is at Garrett for repair....

If you call Garrett,,1-800-527-4011,,ask for Brad,,, I have had my best luck with him....
The AT Pro is a good unit,, don't give up on it....
Try it at several places,, make sure its not EMI,,,,we did that to...

Most places,,,I run mine in Pro mode,,Custom,,and nothing notched out,,,Iron disc at 32,, iron audio on,,,sens at max,,,GB right on,,,83 to 73...
It may be a little noisey,,,but, I like it that way...
Good luck..

i think like BJ, absolutly

 

[BJ in Okla.]

make sure the coil connector is seated all the way in....
Once I get my connector started,,, I take the connector and move it around some,,,then tighten the nut some more,, and do this until I can not tighten the nut anymore.
You can then back off the nut,,,and you should not see any O-Ring,, and it is seated,,,,then tighten nut again....
Sometimes I can push the connector all the way in,,,but sometimes, it will try to push the O-Ring out of its grove.....I think this is caused by a dry O-Ring...
Be care full not to snap the control box off the shaft.....
Bj