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Bad SDC 2300?


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Hi there fellow yella hunters, ive been prospecting for gold & gems for about 5yrs now in nth nsw.Have mostly been alluvial working with sluice & pan.Found some ok gold, enough to keep me interested.Thought i wld step up to a detector to enter a new & exciting chapter in my prospecting journey.Ended up buying a brand new sdc 2300, i was so excited & proud of my new acquisition.As soon as i unboxed it i had an uneasy feeling with all the screaching & wailing as soon as i switched it on.I persisted with all the best advice & did get it to settle.I am on my second detecting trip & i have had to go home early because the detector seems to have a mind of its own.Last trip was the same although i persisted for 10days trying to make sense of the machine.Overall i wld say this detector works effectively for around less than 10% of the time.Extremely disappointing performance from a $ 4000 detector.Im not trying to poo bag the machine but so far its been almost completely unusable.Im offering this advice to any wld be purchasers to be carefull in deciding on this machine.It has been extremely frustrating & a complete waste of time & money.I have travelled over 2500ks, spent thousands of dollars & now im sitting on the side of the road, in the middle of nowhere with a bruised ego, empty wallet & so far .2 gram nugg.Buyer beware.

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1 hour ago, Not happy jan said:

.Buyer beware.

On the flip side....  I love my SDC with NO problems whatsoever!  Only real problem is finding cleaner locations with minimal trash where I can use my valuable time efficiently by not digging too much deeper trash with a PI machine...but trashy locations and small gold is what my Goldmonster takes care of......JMO.

Sorry you had issues with yours....

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Thanks for the reply one guy, have been on the phone all afternoon to fellow detectorists, sdc owners, gpx operators & Z men alike.Getting mixed replys.Mate was out on last trip & he has 4500 gpx , he saw my sdc flipping out day after day & he agreed that my machine was almost totally unusable, punctuated by suitable colorful language.Another mate has sdc2300 & gpz 7000, he has told me about the same random performance although nowhere near as profound as my experience.He went to tibboburra detecting in a group & there were 3 sdc's in the group , one of which totally spacked out for the whole time.Other sdc detectors working fine but one bloke (not me) had to sit back & watch everyone else pull nuggets.The sister of another prospector mate has the sdc 2300 as well & he saw that detector spacking out as well.She was furious & apparently tore the supplier a "new one' over the phone & was hell bent on getting a full refund.Another bloke she knows also has sdc & "fixed" the problem with a thin wrap of electrical tape around the batteries.Apparently the battery is not disconecting the power supply enough to initiate a2 resart of the detector but apparently the bad conection is preventing the detector from setting itself properly.Will try this tommorow & see if it fixes the problem.Either way, on face value, the problems i have heard of do not go hand in hand with a $ 4000 detector.I have stayed close to the goldfeild tonight & will try 2 salvage my sanity 2morrow with another effort.Either way i am definitely returning the machine for a refund, the product is absolutely defective & unacceptable. I feel like i have been ripped off.Just saying.

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Hi NHJ, welcome to the forum. 

The performance of the SDC 2300 is generally very good and generally they are extremely easy to use.  However, as with all products, there can be some lemons.  Unfortunately you might have one of them.  A phone call to your supplier and have it replaced under warranty would seem in order. 

Yes, there has also been a known issue with the SDC's and the batteries not quite sitting 'tight' against the connections.  Generally 1-2 wraps with electrical tape will fix it.  Minelab have addressed the issue with the 'updated' version of the SDC that has just been released in the past month or so.  

To say 'buyer beware' is an overstatement.   Most SDC's work perfectly well and are a brilliant machine for fine gold and hot ground.  I've owned one and my father in law, brother in law and a good mate all currently own SDC's and have had no issues.  

Unfortunately, unless it is the battery issue, it sounds like yours may be defective and really things like that should not make it out of the factory - but it does happen.  If you do need to take it back to your supplier I would personally get a replacement and give it another go.   Definitely worth giving the SDC a second chance  👍

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The problem you heard of does actually go hand in hand with a $4000 metal detector. The loose battery issue has existed since the SDC came out and is well known to most people. Any knowledgeable dealer I would certainly expect should know about it. The issue has been addressed in the latest SDC model via a new rechargeable battery set that supplies a better fit. Apparently you have the older model without the new battery setup?

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10 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

The problem you heard of does actually go hand in hand with a $4000 metal detector. The loose battery issue has existed since the SDC came out and is well known to most people. Any knowledgeable dealer I would certainly expect should know about it. The issue has been addressed in the latest SDC model via a new rechargeable battery set that supplies a better fit. Apparently you have the older model without the new battery setup?

I'm sorry I completely forgot about the battery issue and didn't have the mind to associate that with your possible problem Not Happy Jan?  I also had the battery issue and like you, I thought I had a bad machine until these folks here set me straight on the loose battery issues with the sdc.  Rob A. mentioned a tip to fix this... take a peice of cardboard and slip it in between the top 2 batteries and it will wedge them tighter and problem solved!!!!  That trick has been working fine for me ever since I first tried it.....Got another 5-6 nuggies today with the sdc....!!!!!

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Thanks for the positive feedback North west.Im glad 2 hear so many good reports about the sdc because i really had my heart set on that detector.Ive been out 2day again & i do not have any better news to report on its performance.I have been very patient & persistent in finding a solution however i am certain now that this particular unit is faulty.I will contact the dealer 2morrow & minelab direct & see what they can do to remedy the problem.I took several videos today of the sdc in full nosedive , crash & burn mode for future reference shld i need to upload to YouTube for all the world to see.Interesting viewing indeed.I am suitably agitated @ the moment and my advice to any wld be prospector wld be to thoroughly check your machine b4 you head out prospecting.Probably take a new detecor out @ least half a dozen times near home for testing b4 you go fueling up & traveling thousands of miles.Still very disapointing.Nothing can change that fact.Thanks.😕.

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Hi Steve, thanks for the feedback.I bought the detector, brand new 2 months ago so not sure if its the new model or not.I'll keep you all posted on the outcome, i have vented my frustration & appreciate the support & feedback from your fourum members.Its been a cool adventure so far, checking out all the old mines & workings, it has opened my mind 2 a history i have only read about, now with 1st hand experience I can appreciate the history of gold prospecting in the olden days. Apart from the issues i have had with my sdc it has been a rewarding journey.Good luck,& full pockets.👍

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Hello fellow fourumers & thank u for your advice.Update...I contacted minelab today & they were really helpful & said not to worry or stress, they will get it sorted.Also contacted the dealer , Justin from lost treasures , in brisbane, he was really helpful also & is a gr8 bloke to deal with.So keen 2 get back on the horse & rustle up some goodies.Gr8 fourum overall, good topics & enjoy reading.Thanks👍.

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  • 1 month later...

Hello fourumers & hope you are well.Update on the sdc issue.Sent back to minelab with a quick turnaround, they replaced the circuit boards & were very professional & took the time to explain the issues which were identified & acknowledged.The problems i had with this machine were driving me insane & thats putting it mildly.          I have learnt that this detector is very sensitive & possesses capabilities that others dont even come close to.In appreciating this fact i acknowledge that any little issue can put the whole thing out of whack. Minelab fixed the issue & the detector it humming like a bird now.Pefect.If you ever have a problem, dont stress, they provide excelent back up service.Thanks again to forum & minelab.

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