How To Fix A Loose Disc Switch On A Fisher Gold Bug 2

[Steve Herschbach]

Seems like anyone that uses a Gold Bug 2 much flips that iron disc switch back and forth so much it eventually gets loose. There were also periods when the proper star washer did not get used at the factory, and they got loose real quick!

The fix is easy. There is a large shallow nut that holds the coil connection fitting in place below the battery doors. Remove this nut and washer. Of course the coil must also be disconnected.

Now grab the ground balance knob on the control panel and wiggle until the control panel pops loose in the housing. Pull the control panel and guts carefully out a couple inches. There are wires leading from the circuit board to the battery compartments and threshold knob so take it easy. I usually just pull out far enough to be able to see the nut on the backside of the disc switch inside the control box.

If you look at the iron disc switch on the control panel above you will see the round portion has flat sides. You need a tiny wrench to grab hold of this. There is also a loose nut on the backside (that's why the switch is loose) that you can turn with a tiny wrench or a firm grip with needle nose pliers. If the lock washer is missing you can't add one without desoldering wires, so the best bet is to just add a tiny drop of loctite and firm everything up.

Now reseat the control panel, lining the coil connector up properly with the hole, and reinstall the large washer and nut. Job done!

[Mugsy]

Good information to know, never had that problem yet but it might be just around the corner..

 

Thanks

[LipCa]

I've replaced that switch probably 5 or 6 times on my GB2. They just wear out. The switch that I use was from Radio Shack. (275-664)

It had the nut on the outside so it is easy to tighten.

BTW, the iron id and the "mineral" switch next to it are the same switch.

[californiagold]

Oh yes I remember that problem on my ol gb2 years ago. Had to replace the switch once. Also the battery compartment door would come open once in awhile and 1 of the batteries would fall out. I would be swinging and see a battery on the ground and think wow someone lost a 9v battery. Then discover it was me. Good post for anyone new to a gb2 to watch out for.

[Steve Herschbach]

That is an oddity on the dual battery gold bugs. One battery basically runs the detector and it will actually function with one battery. The other acts as sort of an audio circuit power boost. So old trick was if your bug batteries run real low, swap batteries around and it comes back to life.

[~LARGO~]

Hi Steve and all,

Thanks for the tip on replacing the disc switch on the Fisher Gold Bug 2.

While I have not experienced this particular issue, I did have an issue some time back that I would never have expected on this machine.

The GROUND BALANCE knob fell off, oddly enough.  I looked at the thing, expecting to see if a tiny screw had come off and allowed the knob to become removed.

Nope, it wasn't a screw becoming lost, but rather the ground balance knob over the years, being turned back and forth had been turned far enough in the correct direction apparently, that it had become unscrewed of all things.  Seems to me it had left hand threads, but somehow I did resolve the issue myself.  I don't believe I had ever heard of that condition prior to this time...

Thanks for this forum, it still remains one of my most favorite...! 

Gary / Largo