Problem with my at max

[ch1p]

I had this problem with every hole I dug yesterday, retrieve find, double check the hole only to get a banging signal that made me dig down even more incase of a second target. Resulting in two foot deep holes still getting a banging signal but no target to be found.

I got so sick of it, so I dug a hole in an area where I had no signal at all before digging, scanned the hole to get, you guessed it a banging signal. Which told me my metal detector was also a hole detector and a very good one at that.
So from Then on I still checked my hole after but did not bother to dig further. Shame as who knows what I might have left in the holes once digging the multitude of .22 bullets and shottie primers I dug yesterday .

I also spotted another max user in the field and explained my predicament and asked him if he had the same problem, he said “no, never”.
So in front of him I dug a hole again where I proved before hand there was no signal, waved my detector over it and he could hear the high tones ringing out from my headphones from where he was standing six foot away. He said “you should send that back under guarantee” I then asked him if he minded swinging his detector over the empty hole for my benefit which he did, beep beep. “Sugar” he said (or words to that effect) “same problem as you”.

So I thanked him and off I walked feeling slightly better that it was not just a problem with my unit at the expense of sowing a seed of doubt in the mind of another at max user.

Anyone else have this problem

 

[John-Edmonton]

Turn your sensitivity down. What you experienced was:

It was sounding off on the difference of mineralization......in the soil, then a change in the dead space (hole)

or

Some old piece of iron that had totally dissolved to rust. What you experienced is common with all makes of detectors. Your machine is fine and doing what it should be doing.

 

[ch1p]

Hi John, it was defiantly sounding off on empty holes as I asked someone else passing (I was at a rally) who had a safari or etrac if he would check one of my holes I was in the middle of digging half way to China due to a banging signal I was getting. He waved his detector over it and said he was getting nothing, no signal.

I did eventually knock down six bars of sensitivity to two bars to negate the problem but that seriously compromised the detectors effective depth.
I must say it really spoilt my days detecting and I went home earlier than I would have liked due to being peeved.
The one thing I did not try was to run in negative threshold to see if that would help.

 

[dan b]

Read my post about ATMax first impressions. You might have a bad coil. If you shake the detector side to side in the air does it sound off? I noticed the ATMax doesn’t ship with a Velcro strap to hold the coil tight to the shaft. Is your cable moving as you swing side to side? Do you have another coil to try? I was fortune enough to have other coils to test and that’s how I figured it out right away.

 

[ch1p]

Hi Dan, I read your post. Glad you are having a positive experience with your max and Garrett came through for you.
I have only been out twice with my max for 5 hours each time. The first time out (with the original coil)I had the same problem with the detectior falsing over holes. So due to the fact I am really pleased with the Nel thunder coil I have on my at pro I went and ordered a Nel hunter coil for my at max hoping this may help with the problem, but no such luck. Still gives a belting tone over an empty hole.

I am a little disappointed as I could have bought a Makro kruzer or the lorded equinox but chose to stick with Garrett as I really like and rate them. Many times in the past with the pro i have found more than one item in a hole (normally a bunch of junk) but if the detector is going to give a signal over a hole wether there is treasure in it or it’s empty it means you are digging blind the moment you put your spade in the ground. So you have two choices to dig every hole unnecessarily ( more often than not) deep and check with the pointer to be sure or fill in holes that you can’t be sure have surrendered all there is to be found.

Not having confidence in your detector is a surefire way of spoiling a days hunting.
And as I don’t have any permissions all my hunting involves rally’s that are atleast a 3hr round trip plus £50 in fuel and entry fee.

 

[Joe6112]

I took my new max out for the first time Saturday. I noticed that mine would show a great signal if i hit a small sappling growing, then I noticed if i just tapped the shaft it would show a 90ish signal.

 

[dan b]

I took my new max out for the first time Saturday. I noticed that mine would show a great signal if i hit a small sappling growing, then I noticed if i just tapped the shaft it would show a 90ish signal.

Sounds like that issue I had with the original coil. It doesn't do that with my ATPro coil.

 

[dan b]

I am a little disappointed as I could have bought a Makro kruzer or the lorded equinox but chose to stick with Garrett as I really like and rate them.

Send Garrett an e-mail, or call them. They will help you. Part of what you purchased is awesome support. Don't be afraid to use it.

 

[Joe6112]

going to shoot garrett an email asking about it. I also noticed the signals I was getting were very choppy with shallow items. Probably just a steep learning curve for me but want to be sure its operating properly as well.

 

[Joe6112]

Email sent 3 days ago, no reply....

 

[dan b]

That's strange. It never takes them more than a day to get back to me. Maybe try calling.