CTX gasket fail!!

[WildDigger]

Ok who has had their CTX battery gasket fail? Mine just did this morning in the lake!!!! Horrible design flaw in my book!! Every time I have used it in water when I get home I take the battery off check it clean the gasket and groove. When I put it back together I double check it and put rubber bands on the latches if I go in water. Well after about 30 in water this morning all of a sudden it registered no coil detected then shut off. I got out of the water checked connections all tight. Then I popped the battery off and out poured water!!!! I was wondering is it just the battery ruined cause it does not look like water can get past the terminals I will be calling Minelab I guess Monday and complaining and hope they will fix it. Now I am out both detectors as my AT Pro had to be sent in also. I am not a happy camper!!!!!!!

 

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[Fletch88]

I'm sorry to hear that. I would be too for the $$$ of ctx. I would want the seal design bullet proof. Maybe ML will address this issue, since it seems to be a widespread problem from what I'm hearing.

 

[Sandman]

For that kind of $$$$.$$ things have to be designed right. I have dove with the Fisher Labs 1280, CZ-20 and Tiger Shark down to 140 feet with no leaks and these are less than half of the price.

 

[WildDigger]

For that kind of $$$$.$$ things have to be designed right. I have dove with the Fisher Labs 1280, CZ-20 and Tiger Shark down to 140 feet with no leaks and these are less than half of the price.

Heck I never plane in going deeper then few feet. I walk no deeper then chest deep and that puts the control box about a foot and a half. For a 2K detector that is suppose to go to 10ft and it can't handle 2? If the expect you to change the gasket every time they should supply you with at least a thousand of them. They don't coast but about a penny for them to make.

 

[Fletch88]

For that kind of $$$$.$$ things have to be designed right. I have dove with the Fisher Labs 1280, CZ-20 and Tiger Shark down to 140 feet with no leaks and these are less than half of the price.

The Sand/Tiger shark box is very solid and dependable. I never feel like I need to worry about leakage when water hunting. Will be diving with Tiger soon to 30 '.

 

[Sandman]

The Sand/Tiger shark box is very solid and dependable. I never feel like I need to worry about leakage when water hunting. Will be diving with Tiger soon to 30 '.

My Tiger Shark is one of the older ones with inter changeable coils. This makes it more versatile and I am still looking for a Clean Sweep Coil for it again.

 

[GKman]

Hi Wild
That is terrible situation.. I hope that Minelab will reach out and help you with this. As it is finally warming back up around here I plan on getting back in streams with my CTX. Last year I spent a lot of time in them and made all sorts of great finds but that is neither here nor now.
I believe I have only heard of one other guy having his detector flood and that was on another forum, unfortunately I don't recall what the outcome of that situation was. One thing I know for sure is that numerous avid beach water hunters are applying a silicon gasket lube to the seal as added protection. We all can hope that Minelab will come up with an improved design for the next version of the detector.

 

[WildDigger]

There has been a few guys. I have heard of about 10. But I think all of them where saltwater guys. In the fresh lakes I have no wave pressure to worry about.

 

[WildDigger]

Well the CTX is on its way to Minelab and I bought a barely used excal2 from a guy today for a dedicated water machine.

 

[Sandman]

Wild digger, you are gonna like the gold the Excal will find. Also no O rings to worry about.

 

[swcda]

I do not own a CTX but I might have an idea what might be happening to these machines. As an ex pro photographer I used to rent water housings to protect my cameras on various water shoots. Before placing any camera into the housing to get submerged, I always placed the water housing (without my camera in the housing) in the water that I would be photographing in. This gives the gasket time to adjust to the water temp which prevents it from contracting or expanding which causes leaks!

With that being said, is it possible that the gaskets on the CTX are contracting which is why they are leaking? All it would take is warm outside weather and then placing your machine into a cold river for the gasket to contract and a leak to occur.

 

[WildDigger]

That could be.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

As long as you did not turn power back on after discovering the problem it should not have damaged the electronics, the battery compartment is sealed from electronics.

Do know have to be check and be sure gasket is seated properly when closing battery compartment.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[bodayshus]

So, wilddigger, did you get the ctx back from minelab repair shop? What was the resolution and how was the customer service? I'm considering a ctx purchase and would like to have confidence in its use in water. Let us know please!

Sent from my iPad using TreasureNet

 

[WildDigger]

So, wilddigger, did you get the ctx back from minelab repair shop? What was the resolution and how was the customer service? I'm considering a ctx purchase and would like to have confidence in its use in water. Let us know please!

Sent from my iPad using TreasureNet

Not yet. I got a call saying they got it but nothing from the tech guys yet.

 

[cudamark]

Wild digger, you are gonna like the gold the Excal will find. Also no O rings to worry about.

I agree it's a great water machine but it does have "O" rings. One on each end of the control housing tube and one on the battery tube. There is also a flat rubber gasket on the battery to cable connection. They all need to be silicone lubed so they seal and don't leak. You should also check the plastic tubes regularly for cracks. The alky battery pack tubes are very prone to cracking.

 

[GreenMeanie]

Dont forget all the knobs have 3 each if I remember right on the excal LOL.
Any water machine can fail at any time you enter the water do a search and someone will be complaining about any brand you type.
Keep it clean and it should be good to go.
Should they have sealed it and made the battery permanent I don't think so. I think they should of made the battery POD separate like the EXCAL.


CTX 3030 Battery Sealing ? Care and Maintenance | Minelab News
I seen some pics of "so called water failures" that minelab has got back and the seals where full of sand.

I agree it's a great water machine but it does have "O" rings. One on each end of the control housing tube and one on the battery tube. There is also a flat rubber gasket on the battery to cable connection. They all need to be silicone lubed so they seal and don't leak. You should also check the plastic tubes regularly for cracks. The alky battery pack tubes are very prone to cracking.

 

[cudamark]

You're right GreenMeanie, I totally forgot about all the pots!

 

[stasys]

Ok who has had their CTX battery gasket fail? Mine just did this morning in the lake!!!! Horrible design flaw in my book!! Every time I have used it in water when I get home I take the battery off check it clean the gasket and groove. When I put it back together I double check it and put rubber bands on the latches if I go in water. Well after about 30 in water this morning all of a sudden it registered no coil detected then shut off. I got out of the water checked connections all tight. Then I popped the battery off and out poured water!!!! I was wondering is it just the battery ruined cause it does not look like water can get past the terminals I will be calling Minelab I guess Monday and complaining and hope they will fix it. Now I am out both detectors as my AT Pro had to be sent in also. I am not a happy camper!!!!!!!

Minelab should admit CTX is only rain proof and only for land detecting! or Minelab should supply small gnome with bells to live between battery and control housing to check for leaks

 

[GKman]

Minelab should admit CTX is only rain proof and only for land detecting! or Minelab should supply small gnome with bells to live between battery and control housing to check for leaks

I used mine all last summer in streams and didn't experience any leakage. There are guys that wade with it every day at the ocean. Obviously it is waterproof and yes it isn't AS waterproof as the excaliber. It would be interesting to see what is causing some of the failures, be it user derived or by some tolerance fault causing a weaker seal.