3300 radio shack

[tabsrus]

It seems the longer I use the 3300 in the day the more crazy signals it gives at one point it hits targets everytime I put it to the ground........... the batteries are ok... I can turn it off and back on and it will do fine for a few minutes but after taht it starts hitting everywhere again........... What to do?

 

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[diggummup]

Need more info.How long have you been using the 3300? Are you using it in an area that your used to, as far as the soil mineralization goes? Are you using it near another vlf detector? Are you sure the batteries are fitting in tight? They may be good but they may be loose fitting,which will cause erratic beeping.Have you tried decreasing the sensitivity a little? Have you tried manual ground balancing? Are you using it near saltwater?

 

[tabsrus]

in my back yard havent checked the fit on the batteries not near salt water and I have a better chance at hitting the lottery than setting the ground balance on this machine, have had it about two months. when its acting right its fine its actually pretty good and dead on

 

[hollowpointred]

I have a better chance at hitting the lottery than setting the ground balance on this machine,

do you mean that you dont know how to set the gb? if not i would make it a point to learn. it sounds to me like thats what your problem might be.

 

[warsawdaddy]

Is there any underground or overhead cables(power lines)?

 

[tabsrus]

yes I have power lines overhead

 

[diggummup]

yes I have power lines overhead

That could be a problem.I know it is for me.I have some powerlines in my backyard and I have to go to the sideyard away from them to keep the machine from acting up.
Also,I use mine at the beach sometimes and I was getting alot of erratic beeping once,I thought it was the batteries even though they registered as good on the machine.I put a little piece of thin carboard behind the bottom of the batteries and it got rid of the constant beeping.You gotta pull the battery and kind of slide it in at the same time between the plastic stop and the base of the battery.
If you can't manual ground balance,try reducing the sensitivity a notch or two.I can't figure out the ground balance either,but that may be because i'm always trying to set it at the beach,in wet salt sand. That's the only place I have a problem with "ghost signals" though so thats the only place I ever try messing with it.

 

[tabsrus]

I'll try that... It's good to know that you can use this detector at the beach. Are you doing anything special to use it at the beach besides working on the ground balance and turning down the sensitivity??

 

[diggummup]

You can use it at the beach but it's not really a good beach detector,it's okay in the dry sand.I have to turn down the sesitivity quite a bit to get it to work in wet sand.As I said,that's the only place I have problems with erratic beeping or "ghost" signals.Also,I haven't been able to ground balance it there with any efficiency,no matter what I do.Until I get the money for a decent beach detector,i'm stuck with it so it's all I got.I haven't had a problem in freshwater lakes.

 

[Sandman]

Sometimes this unstable condition in BH's and all other VLF's is caused by a bad battery or bad connection. Also transformers near by or any electrical interference. At one location where I had to find a lost ring I couldn't get my machine to steady down. Then I realized he had a security system buried at the property lines.

Most detectors won't handle the wet sand because of the different salt content all over the wet sand. Add to this some black sand and you have a crazy acting machine. You either need to stay in the dry sand or wet and adjust for it. Get to near the water and it goes crazy again. A salt mode is needed or a Minelab with BBS.

 

[tabsrus]

I have a question I was out in the woods at an old civil war fort and I got alot of iron readings especially around tree roots, what is this it seemed like everytime my detector hit the ground it said iron I did find a horseshoe and some old chain but they were pretty close to the surface I think the 3300 has issues with continually reading iron I wnat a new detector but I cant spend alot of money I love relic hunting any suggestions?

 

[Blind.In.Texas]

When I get lots of random tones I cut the sensitivity until it quiets down. On two bars of sensitivity I have dug a dime at 6" on a sand and clay ball field. When I turn the sense all the up I swing the machine and turn the ground balance all the way up slowly until the randoms disappear. If I still get random high tones I start all over minus one sense bar. I repeat this until I have the desired sense setting and GB together. Seems like a nuisance, but, if you are hunting items that are deep, I suggest giving it a shot. Can't hurt anything.

Also, remember those settings for each of your regular hunting spots, to get the day started. Seems to work for me a bit.