Jim in Idaho

The good thing is I started early... My warranty is good through September. The bad thing is I started late... This coil was bad from the getgo, and I didn't want to be a finicky customer, so tried to live with it. I should have complained right at the start. No good deed goes unpunished, as they say. Jim

I haven't given up hope yet. Paul at Centreville seems like a good guy, and I'm hopeful he'll get this straightened out. The big problem is there may be no coils that aren't attached to a detector. Not sure what would happen if that was the case. Jim

I gotta tell you guys, it isn't looking good on the warranty front. I called Whites on my falsing GM24K 6 x 10 2 weeks ago. They immediately sent me to Centreville. Paul at Centreville doesn't have the coils. So, he said he'd get in touch with Whites and see what they wanted to do, and call me back. Never heard anything so called Centreville this morning. Paul said to call Whites again, and talk to Todd, if possible. The auto phone answers, and there's no way to talk to Todd, and no choice for warranty service. I left a message for Jack Blanchard (the guy that originally sent me to Centreville with my problem).He has yet to call back. I'm starting to feel like a ping pong ball. Jim

Don't think I haven't thought about that. They'd have to pull one from a completed machine package, and I don't see them doing that. Centreville told me I'd have to send them my coil before they'd send a replacement. That's a big change from the old Whites service. Or maybe they intend to try and repair my coil. Assuming they're not making any coils, that doesn't give much confidence about buying any of their existing inventory of machines. Jim

Thanks, Steve. I ordered a couple. Figured I better get them while they're still available. I may make a li-ion pack for my GM24K. Now, if I could just get my horribly bump-sensitive 6 x 10 replaced, I'd be good-to-go. I've still got through September under warranty, but Centreville doesn't have them. Jim

Is the battery door/holder for the MX7 the same as the GM24K? Jim

I'd say there isn't anywhere near enough thickness of plastic on that. Very thin. They need a more robust connector IMHO. Jim

Centerville Electronics (888-645-6911 Paul) is now the service and warranty company. isn't like the old days notwithstanding the current state of flux. My unit is definitely under warranty, and Whites would have sent a new coil, and asked me to send them the old one. Centerville doesn't have the coils, and said I'd have to send them the old one (I assume so they could, try and repair it. That's OK, but I would be without a10" coil for a couple of weeks, or longer. So, the formerly GREAT customer service may be a thing of the past. We'll see. Jim

The saddest thing about this is another American company gone. This is an ugly trend for the future. Jim

I just got home, and found out. I wonder if the warranty on my GM24k will still be honored. My 6 x10 is falsing on the right side. Has been ever since new. Tried to live with it, but it was really bad in Nevada, and I decided I needed to send it in. I guess it'll be what it'll be. Sure breaks my heart then they're closing. Jim

Give me a removable battery pack. Jim

Yes...up in the mountains I found two copper nuggets last fall. But they were bright copper-colored under the tarnish. And, they were much smaller, and rough.-edged. Jim

OK, guys. The XRF gun said it's 96% copper. A bit over 1% lead. 1/2% nickel about 1% Tin 1% iron 1%manganese If they add up to more than 100% it's because I'm approximating. There was some other trace stuff. I expected the copper to be lower. I also think i screwed up the SG test. I knda thought, when I did that, it was low. Jim

Yup...I have a 3 acre place, and two of it is pasture I rent out. Takes 5 days every 2 weeks to keep it watered, but I have to move the pipe. Also keeping the lawns mowed and watered. So, I can take off for a few days out of every two weeks. That's not bad. Gives me time for research, pickup and camper maintenance, etc. Jim

Once I get caught up on the chores I neglected while prospecting, the first thing I'm going to do is get it shot with an XRF gun if the scrap metal place cooperates. Jim

Don't know. certainly there are probably both on the surface. in fact, the black skin could definitely be malachite, but these are solid metal...not mineral. The metal is harder than brass, but softer than tool steel. It's a copper alloy, with nearly pure copper inclusions, if that helps. Jim

Don't know, Don. You can see pieces of copper embedded in the matrix metal, whatever it is. Jim

I like all the mods I've done. Wouldn't go back to an unmodded SL. Jim

When you charge li-ions to their max voltage of 16.8, they drop to the nominal 3.7 fairly fast...maybe an hour, or a bit more. That nominal voltage lasts for quite awhile....about 4 hours on my TDI SL. But that initial drop from 16 to 14.8 for the pack, requires a little reduction of the Threshold as the voltage drops. Unless there's something wrong with the SAT on my unit. Makes no difference which 4 cell pack I use. Jim

I was down in northern Nevada this week for some nugget hunting. All I found were two large, what appears to be, copper nuggets. But, the interior color is more silvery, or gray, than copper-colored. The nuggets I found last fall down there looked like a bright penny on the interior. These two have a black skin on the outside, and when filed away it shows a metallic gray. No attraction to a super magnet. They were both down about 10", and the small one was under a large rock. They were about 300 yards apart in the same drywash. The exposed metal leaves a coppery streak. The black skin leaves a dark gray, or nearly black streak. No way to get a specific gravity...my gem scale doesn't go high enough. Both were found the same morning with my TDI SL, with MJ 8 x12 FM. Weak, but repeatable signal. had to drag a 16" rock off the small one. Appreciate any help. Jim

My buddy, Dave, suggested the guy is probably going to write a book on the treasure hunt, which makes sense...might as well make few more bucks...LOL So, it may be awhile before we know where it was located, unfortunately. Jim

The internal mods are the ones recommended by Reg Sniff, and have been explained in many threads. The first is changing a pair of filter capacitors to make the SL less sensitive to the sweep speed. The other is removing one capacitor, and two diodes, and putting a jumper across two legs of one of the diodes. I don't have time to get into the details this morning...I'm headed out of town. But somebody may be able to direct you to the location of the details on the mods. The second mod has been done by the factory on all SL's made since 2015, I think. Including the tan version. Jim🙂

Congrats, Jeff! If you can, get yourself a copy of Jeff Foster's book "Digging Deeper With the DFX". Tells you all you need to know about using the DFX. Jim

I like the target sound on my GM3 the best, but not sure I'd want to go back to manual GB, except on my backup machine. The GM24K has spoiled me. I'm heading to Nevada next week, and plan on getting some time on the GM3...after the serious detecting with the modified TDI SL, and the GM24K. Jim

Man, what awesome finds! Nice work! Jim