Whites 5500D series 3

[Gumpa]

I am new to this. Just got a used Whites 5500 D series 3 from neighbor today. Downloaded manual. Opening the battery box was so difficult I worried I was going to break it! Is this normal? I had to get fingernails in the gap and actually pry it open to allow the little slots to get the pins lined up and out. Luckily old batteries not corroded (4 C's). Too cold to do anything outside yet. Found this site, and thought I'd join. Any advice would be great.

 

[ArizFlash]

I believe the 5000D Series 3 was from the early to mid 80's. It is a decent detector but coils are getting hard to find. Put some oil on the hinge and oleen and close it a few times. It should loosen up.

Have fun. You will need set of headphones and a good digger.

 

[TabWhisperer]

When learning it I recommend sticking with the presets marked with a triangle and GEB/Disc mode until you start getting the hang of it. Ground balancing is key. It is a little odd on these models. I remember the machine making a distinct bloop sound on good targets like silver jewelry. It's been a long time. The meter will typically lock on good stuff and deflect a lot on bad targets. Try to figure out what you think you are hitting and then dig it to see if you are right.