9x14 Coiltek Blitz Noise

[nevada brian]

I have a 9x14 Coiltek Blitz coil that I have used for over two years now on my 5000. Just recently and all of a sudden the coil started making a lot of noise to the point I can't even hear targets in the ground and it does ground balance. It doesn't matter if the coil is stationary or moving. When I move the cable that screws into the control box it makes the same noise, but the machine will make the same noise on its own when the coil is stationary and the cable is not being moved. The noise is intermittent to almost constant and it sounds like noisy ground with threshold spikes. I switched to another coil and no noise, so I know it's not my machine. Has anyone had this similar problem? Maybe a loose wire near the plug???

Thank you,

Brian

[McGator]

I've heard the wire in the coils have come loose and have caused problems. I believed they have only masking tape securing them. Wires do come loose in the connectors. There are others on this forum well versed in this and there maybe a post in the archives. Good Luck on it!!

[Ridge Runner]

Hi Brian

Over time your coil has been moved at different angles and like anything if you bend it long enough it's going to brake. The weak point is at where the cable goes into the coil. I've fixed other coils with the same trouble but never on the one you have. The thing is it can be fixed. When you come off the coil with the cable it's best to have a fair size loop before going to the shaft.. The shorter the loop then more stress at the point the cable and coil come together.

Chuck Anders

[FlakMagnet]

It could be the coil cable where it enters the coil, as Chuck says,

but;

Sadly, this is a pretty well-known problem with Coiltek. I have taken these coils apart

and seen first hand the incredibly cheap and sloppy construction techniques they use;

masking tape holding the wire wrapping inside the coil...tape that becomes

brittle over (a rather short), time and simply does not hold the windings in place any more.

Once the tape does not hold the wire in place, the wire hits the inside edge of the coil

and produces the false signals you are hearing.

Other coil manufacturers do not have this problem

Coiltek, in spite of multiple complaints about this method of construction

and dispite their claims to the contrary, seem not to have changed their ways.

Also if you do a Google search for 'coil cable stabilizers', you will find

a wealth of information about how to stop falsing at the point where the coil cable

connects to the detector box...hope Rob does not mind - here is a link to a thread

on another forum about this very common problem

http://www.nuggetshooter.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=18252

This is something that Minelab should have fixed long ago

but has chosen not to for some unfathomable reason.

[wes]

I also had this issue with the same coil. Problem was like Flak stated. If its out of warranty, you can cut it open and reglue the small wire with graphite glue. Also make sure the foam body is still glued securely in place.

Other problems I have had that cause this are:

Bad plug, as the contacts wear or get corroded

cable wears at flex point like Chuck said

water in coil

and the loose inner wire that is secured with masking tape. Heat can be a cause of the tape coming unsecured.

[FlakMagnet]

Here is the thing:

why should a customer have to even worry about an expensive coil

having to be cut open and repaired by the owner?

I have no patience with this way of doing of business.

Coiltek has been shown multiple times by a long list of reputable people,

that their coils do not hold up under normal detecting conditions and they still do not change their construction methods.

This is the reason I will never buy a Coiltek coil again.

[Roo]

Yeah, sometimes too the pins connectors on the coil plug come further apart than they should be to make a good contact. You could get a needle or something fine like that and push them closer together so they contact better. They often come further apart if you change coils a lot, then it gets noisy.

Seen that happen. Also saw once a guys coil that had so much mineralised dirt under the coil cover that it made it noisy, just cleaned it out and presto, noise gone. But that case was pretty extreme. Sometimes too if you change coils a lot you wear off the gold coating on the machine end of the connection, control box. Iv seen that a bit, new coil connector end on the control box and was fixed. Some things to look at.

[wes]

My coil went out just after the warranty expired. I was pretty bummed to say the least, as I had traded a half oz of gold for it!

For what we have to pay for coils, it sure would be nice if they made these things to last.