xt50 problem?:ausflag:

[blowfly1967]

this morning after about an hour's hunting the low battery warning came on.thats okay i was begining to wonder with this set of batteries would give out.i turned of the machine and proceeded to put in fresh batteries.no big deal.the machine would not turn on.made sure the batteries were in the right way,still wouldn't turn on .pull out another fresh pack and put them in .no go!bummer!!and other words not printerble,damn! i'll have to go home.checked the batteries out at home ,there fully charged.replaced one set back into machine,pressed power and it started up like normal.anybody else having problems with these machines .i just got mine a short while back,is it stuffed already?my thoughts are you can't rely on them if this what happens close to home.glad i'm not in the outback with it on a holiday. blowfly.

 

[Mick in Dubbo]

Sounds like a fairly common problem with the X-Terra's, although it's been a while since it's cropped up. Your batteries have most likely compressed the springs. If you are careful, you could very gently tease them out or send it back to Minelab to fix. This cropped up a fair bit when they first came out, I had it happen as well.
The best prevention is to not drop the batteries in vertically, but rather place them in horizontally. This will stop the springs from getting compressed by a battery that has picked up momentum from being dropped in.
Mick Evans.

 

[khouse]

I have had rechargeable batteries check good but open up under load. True I haven't bought any for over 2 years and use Alkalines now. But I haven't had any problems either. So you might try a set of Alkalines?

 

[trueblue]

Blowfly , from what Ive read on the boards I wouldnt leave home without a backup detector , to support the xterra in times of failure as it seems to happen all to often

 

[Boris]

Blowfly , from what Ive read on the boards I wouldnt leave home without a backup detector , to support the xterra in times of failure as it seems to happen all to often

Honestly for some reason I have not heard to many failures on the X-50, at least not like the X-70, I have no idea why this would be maybe just a numbers thing because the X-70 outsels the X-50 by quite a margin. I just got mine back here about a week ago, I am happy to have it back because it is one great machine to hunt with.

 

[I a thr]

I agree with Mick. Had it happen on my 70 and did tease the spring back a bit an no more problem. I even would go as far as when transporting the detector to lay the detector with the battery door down as to not let the batteries bounce on the spring while transporting in a vehicle. Just a thought.
Bill

 

[Digger]

I think you are exagerating the extent of the "problem", trueblue. Granted, we would all like to think that every detector built would perform flawlessly for years and years. But when humans interface with electronics, that ain't going to happen. There has been some discussion on this board, in the past, concerning a detector shutting off or not powering up. But it is my understanding that issue was resolved by Minelab, early on. In short, the battery spring specs initially provided to Minelab were found to have less tolerance than some battery manufactures incorporated. So Minelab re-engineered the springs to accomodate those (shorter) batteries. This issue was (and is) being resolved by Minelab, at no charge to the original owner. If it happens to someone who didn't buy the detector new, and it isn't due to neglect, I would imagine Minelab would fix it for no charge as well. I would suggest to blowfly1967 that he contact the dealer he purchased it from and incorporate the dealer's assistance in getting his issue resolved. If, instead, he purchased it used, contact Minelab for further action. Some users have been able to resolve the issue themselves, by simply putting a little tension back in the springs. However, if you are unfamilar with electronics, I would certainly not suggest that.

There are dozens of folks who have been enjoying the X-Terra (and this forum) since it's inception. Others have joined our ranks later. But have taken the time to learn the X-Terra and have become very proficient in it's features and functionality. These are the folks who answer questions with facts, not rumors. It's pretty easy to sit on the sideline and second guess the referee. Just as it is easy to cast judgement on a detector that you are unfamiliar with. Hopefully, trueblue, you aren't getting in the habit of doing that on the X-Terra forum. HH Randy

 

[blowfly1967]

hi digger,i took it out today again and it didn't miss a beat. what happened yesterday ,happened! i don'i drop my batteries in ,i slide them in making sure i have the polarity right.i try to look after this machine. it was bought new and i haven't money to throw around willy nilly every time theres a new kid on the block.i have found a lot of new coin with it since buying it. normally i carry two detectors in the car .see ya hh blowfly

 

[trueblue]

There are dozens of folks who have been enjoying the X-Terra (and this forum) since it's inception. Others have joined our ranks later. But have taken the time to learn the X-Terra and have become very proficient in it's features and functionality. These are the folks who answer questions with facts, not rumors. It's pretty easy to sit on the sideline and second guess the referee. Just as it is easy to cast judgement on a detector that you are unfamiliar with. Hopefully, trueblue, you aren't getting in the habit of doing that on the X-Terra forum. HH Randy

Did I step on your toe's Randy ? well theres no need to hang me on a cross , and Im not totally unfamiliar with the xterra range , who would the referee be ? habit ? are you policing the board Randy ? Im not against the xterra range as you obviously would like to portray me , In fact Im always on the lookout for bargain buy in the xterra range , that said I do belive that they do suffer from start up problems battery spring issues ect as many users post such dramas regularly . My advice to blowfly was just that ..."my democratic opinion"...take a backup machine .....I would .....

 

[mitwes56]

I purchased my xterra 50 used off the classified several years ago. I know it had a rough life before I got it because the pinpoint button was erratic when mashed (gently) sometimes it would go to pinpoint but most of the time it would not and I did notice the bubble under it was flat. I believe the previous owner was one of those that really thought he had to push it with alot of force to make it work(wrong). I called minelab and told them I was not the original owner and I needed to send it in for a button repair. Minelab said , no problem, we will send you a new xterra 50 control head right away and use the box you get the new one in to send us back the old one. They even supplied the shipping labels so I was not out a penny. There was several post , when the xterra's were launched about spring issues but I have not heard anyone complain about that in a very long time.

 

[BarnacleBill]

Did I step on your toe's Randy ?

No he's the Moderator, he's volunteered his time to make sure this forum doesn't devolve into the morass that is typical of the forums in Oz where more heat than light is shed.

well theres no need to hang me on a cross

Looks to me like you are being asked to provide contributions that are positive as opposed to negative.

are you policing the board Randy ?

Why yes, yes he is, because he has volunteered his time to do that.


Im not against the xterra range as you obviously would like to portray me , In fact Im always on the lookout for bargain buy in the xterra range

A fair reading of this post you made on the Garrett forum begs the question:

"wow I find it hard to belive given the price differences of these two detectors that the ACE is gett'n the nod over the xterra givin the xterra 50 sells for AU$895.00 the Ace 250 AU$399.00 an I always thought ya got what payed for that lil Ace must be wolf in sheeps clothing"


that said I do belive that they do suffer from start up problems battery spring issues ect as many users post such dramas regularly

Early production X-Terra's had a spring issue, which if a person buys a used detector may have a problem with. The battery housing was re-designed early on to correct the problem. Looking at the number of topics posted on the forum(3,000+), with 19,000+ replies I'll make a rough guess that I've seen no more than 25 reports of any type of failure. Doing the math it's less than 1% which doesn't take into account operator error or abuse.


My advice to blowfly was just that ..."my democratic opinion"...take a backup machine .....I would .....

This isn't a democracy and there is no freedom of speech here. This is a private forum where members post at the pleasure of the forum owner & moderators.


I've seen very few threads ever removed from this forum or individuals dis-invited to participate. I've never seen a report of a problem with a detector removed, and other members are usually supportive with trying to help anyone with a difficulty. That said, using re-chargeable batteries with a new detector that one is trying to learn is just begging for trouble. The variability & reliability of re-chargeables leaves many possible issues related to the chemistry and charging devices used to charge them. Minelab in the X-Terra manual has provided very specific information related to batteries and their usage. Compared to other manufacturer's manuals it is very informative.

Therefore adding to your sound advice of always having a backup detector no matter what brand/model you're using, I'll add always carry alkaline backup batteries if you're are using re-chargeables.

HH
BarnacleBill

 

[TomB]

Just for the record....I got my X-Terra-70 in January of 08...and I have not had one single problem with it. It has worked like a charm from day one. TomB

 

[mach2]

Well said BB.....! and with that just let me add that yes I did have a problem with my xt70 and Minelab sent me a new control box within a week along with a paid return ticket to send the broken one back. I would also say that probably all the other detectors no doubt has a 1 percent mis-fire problem that Bill spoke about, so the bottom line I guess is what kind of customer service you get when you have a problem. I can assure you that Minelab has one of the best going in that department...i know they proved it!

 

[Digger]

Yes I am. As moderator, policing this forum is one of my duties. As a guest here, you are allowed to post your opinions. And as Moderator, I am allowed to determine when a guest has worn out their welcome. Although I have only deleted one of your posts so far, let me assure you that you are treading on thin ice. Understand this.....the X-Terra forum does not represent a democracy. It is a privately owned forum that is provided (to us) by advertising dollars of the manufacturer and dealers. Those of us who frequent this forum do so in an honest effort to share factual information with others interested in detecting. Particularly with the X-Terras. As far as I know, there are no Minelab dealers actively participating in this forum. Nor have I seen more than a few posts by an employee of Minelab. When someone is having an issue with their technique or detector, many of us make an honest effort to help get it resolved as quickly as possible. We don't work for Minelab. We don't sell Minelabs. And we didn't build it. We're just X-Terra users, trying to help.
In closing, we have very few rules. Those rules have been outlined on several occassions. If you are willing to abide by those rules, you're welcome to participate on the X-Terra forum. If you are not, I will arrange to have your guest pass revoked.