Paydirt.co.nz

New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

 

The forum has moved to community.paydirt.co.nz, see you there!

This forum is now an archive to preserve the knowledge and finds posted here.

Minelab repairs?
Stumbler  
Posted : Tuesday, 28 December 2010 10:48:34 AM(UTC)
Stumbler

Rank: Gold Flake

Groups: Registered
Joined: 20/09/2010(UTC)
Posts: 18
Man

Thanks: 3 times
Was thanked: 4 time(s) in 3 post(s)
Hi all

I've had the trusty GP 3500 crap-out, hoped it was just a battery issue, but no... it only makes a distant faint pulsing static noise, no tone etc.
Is there anywhere in NZ to get it looked at?.
I rang Minelab today but no one around just a message service, they may be away till the new year.

Really shattered and hope I'm not without it's use for half of summer!.
The machine didn't get wet or take a knock/fall, so a bit of a mystery.

Still have the GB 2 as back-up but need the Minelab fixed....I'm shattered!, like having a sick friend/relative/pet!.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Stblr
Back to top
goldnugget  
Posted : Tuesday, 28 December 2010 1:39:24 PM(UTC)
goldnugget

Rank: Gold Flake

Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/07/2010(UTC)
Posts: 16
Location: New Zealand

Thanks: 1 times
Was thanked: 11 time(s) in 9 post(s)
G'day Stumbler,
As far as I'm aware, no-one in NZ does. That outfit in ChCh that sells them (can't remember the name offhand) did tell me a year or so ago that if they have any issues with those that they sell, they just send them straight off to Minelab in Oz.

Detecting(?) Solutions (Auckland?) may have someone who can do repairs. I doubt it somehow, but worth a shot.

Cheers,
Rick.
Back to top
goldnugget  
Posted : Tuesday, 28 December 2010 1:40:44 PM(UTC)
goldnugget

Rank: Gold Flake

Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/07/2010(UTC)
Posts: 16
Location: New Zealand

Thanks: 1 times
Was thanked: 11 time(s) in 9 post(s)
Another thought...It's not the coil is it? I presume you've tried another.
Back to top
nzgold  
Posted : Tuesday, 28 December 2010 1:47:03 PM(UTC)
nzgold

Rank: Gold Nugget

Groups: Registered
Joined: 5/08/2010(UTC)
Posts: 97
Location: New Zealand

Thanks: 23 times
Was thanked: 20 time(s) in 19 post(s)
Bugger, Yeah you do have to send it over to Aussie, and I'd say they'd be off of work, and postage will be slow... Not good.
Have a look on the minelab website, and they have the details to contact them, and the address of service centre. Hope you get it back up and running soon!
Cheers
Back to top
Stumbler  
Posted : Wednesday, 29 December 2010 3:46:58 AM(UTC)
Stumbler

Rank: Gold Flake

Groups: Registered
Joined: 20/09/2010(UTC)
Posts: 18
Man

Thanks: 3 times
Was thanked: 4 time(s) in 3 post(s)
Thanks guys

Joy and relief!....I've got it going again, I think it was in the connector of the coil lead, very strange, bit of a mystery. I guess time will tell if there's anything serioiusly wrong with the machine.
Just had the battery lead repaired recently, it's a well used older minelab and things are starting to wear out.
Might send it over to OZ over winter for a tidy-up.

Both Detection Solutions in AK and the place (Skylab something?)in Antigua St Chch offer great service/products etc but as you say Oz is the only place to get a Minelab fixed.

Cheers
Stblr
Back to top
goldnugget  
Posted : Wednesday, 29 December 2010 9:46:48 AM(UTC)
goldnugget

Rank: Gold Flake

Groups: Registered
Joined: 2/07/2010(UTC)
Posts: 16
Location: New Zealand

Thanks: 1 times
Was thanked: 11 time(s) in 9 post(s)
Good to hear Stum! Hopefully things will dry out a little up your way and you can get out there. (Don't forget to post pics! I need a fix as the wife wrote off my 4WD so there I won't be getting out in the sticks these holidays)

Cheers,
Rick.
Back to top
kiwijw  
Posted : Wednesday, 29 December 2010 9:51:09 AM(UTC)
kiwijw

Rank: Gold Ingot

Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,152

Thanks: 92 times
Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)
.

Edited by user Saturday, 9 July 2011 1:52:26 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified
Back to top
Stumbler  
Posted : Wednesday, 29 December 2010 1:59:03 PM(UTC)
Stumbler

Rank: Gold Flake

Groups: Registered
Joined: 20/09/2010(UTC)
Posts: 18
Man

Thanks: 3 times
Was thanked: 4 time(s) in 3 post(s)
Back to a state of depression!
Damn thing has had a relapse!....geeze what a bugger, tried wiggling/shaking/banging everything and still can't find what's wrong, must be a loose wire inside?.

The slight noise it makes is what it sounds like when no coil is connected, same noise with both coils, just a mystery that it fired-up fine, can't replicate it to work again.

Battery and lead fine(recently repaired), coil/s and leads fine, thinking it's somewhere in the control box where the coil lead goes in....so tempting to get out the philips and pull it to bits - but I better not!.

It's got me stumped, I'll check with the guy I got it off and also try to get hold of a Minelab technician(read somewhere Nenad Lonic is the chap to contact).

So now trying it every few hours, swapping leads/coils, wigglinging stuff etc...probably wear something out in my desperate attempts to solve the mystery.

Bummer about your 4WD Rick, hope you get it sorted in time to get out; yeah it was a real downpour Monday night, just got out of the Howard in time that night, the road is was getting cut out badly as we left, could be a bit messy.....the hole we dug will be full of gravel/rocks - and never got scanned thanks to the 3500 quitting on me!.
I'll try work out the photo thing for your fix, but hard to beat some of the inspirational pics from others here, some great shots of nice finds.

Hey JW, I love useing your nosey parker, great tool, goes everywhere. If your gear gets a hard time it means it's getting well used so that's good.
Yeah the power leads get a work out, I'm putting a bit of an alkathene sleeve over the first couple of inches from the battery to try and protect it. I'll post a pic sometime.

Cheers all and update yous when/if I have progress.
Stblr




Back to top
termporary.lost  
Posted : Thursday, 30 December 2010 5:19:59 AM(UTC)
termporary.lost

Rank: Gold Dust

Groups: Registered
Joined: 22/09/2010(UTC)
Posts: 7
Man
Location: termporary.lost

Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 3 post(s)
Not good. not good!!
Back to top
kiwijw  
Posted : Friday, 31 December 2010 2:01:12 PM(UTC)
kiwijw

Rank: Gold Ingot

Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,152

Thanks: 92 times
Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)
.

Edited by user Saturday, 9 July 2011 1:52:51 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified
Back to top
kiwijw  
Posted : Friday, 31 December 2010 5:12:55 PM(UTC)
kiwijw

Rank: Gold Ingot

Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/03/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,152

Thanks: 92 times
Was thanked: 658 time(s) in 324 post(s)
.

Edited by user Saturday, 9 July 2011 1:53:04 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified
Back to top