Searching in water

[mwaynebennett]

There is a small lake near my home that used to have a sawmill on it. I can wade out perhaps 40' and the water is perhaps 40" deep. Have any of you ever disconnected the control box from your BH MD and used the coil in 40" + deep water? I want to search the shallow parts of the lake but want to ensure that the electronics don't get damaged.

Thanks,

Mark
Elite 2200

 

[drummerman]

I don't think that's recommenced. Even though the BH search coils are water proof, BH only says that it's search coils can be used in about 1 foot of water. Water pressure even past 3 feet could cause water to be forced into the search coil through where the cable enters the coil. If you look, it's not water-tight. It may damage the search coil.

 

[mwaynebennett]

I just sent a query to the "expert" at BH. I'll post the answer.

 

[drummerman]

Thanks. I would like to know that also.

 

[mts]

I have a tracker IV and I just got back from Treasure Island Florida where I spent some time in waist deep sea water. I disconnected the control box from the stick and hung it around my upper waist. This gave me another 12 inches or so of reach. I was probably up to about waist deep at times. Luckily, there we no real waves to speak of since this was in the gulf. A lady had lost her ring a couple of days earlier and I was trying to find it for her. No such luck unfortunately.

What I can tell you is that I just got the unit out for the first time since the trip yesterday and it was acting a little flaky. It's hard to say whether or not I got water in the coil but I would not be surprised to find out that I did. It chatters quite a bit now so I'll have to figure out what is going on. Needless to say I think Drummerman has the right idea. A foot or so of water is probably fine. But waist deep like I was doing is probably not recommended.

 

[mwaynebennett]

Here is the answer I got from BH:

"The maximum depth you could submerge the detector would be 32

 

[drummerman]

Mark

Thanks for checking on that. I just might try searching around the beach area up at my in-laws lake.

Good luck on your search.

 

[GoGoGopher]

I have had the Land Star at a local beach, but only hunted right along the edge of the water (no deeper than a foot). It does strike me now, that after that hunt, is when the detector started acting up...maybe I got water in the coil and it shorted out...Well, anyways, It is back at First Texas as I type this, and hopefully will come back to me working 100% again...

HH,