Minelab CTX3030 tips, settings, questions

[Silver05]

Checked it. There is a green light on the power and a flashing green above it. It does this all the time but there is no charge in the battery even after and hour or two.
I'll check out ebay. Might be cheaper to get a lithium one from the US or UK. I'll have a look at that also.
I gather from the AA pack you can keep the batteries in it and put the whole pack on the charger...is this correct??
Hope to have it sorted by the time I head off for my trip down the SA coast and over to WA along the bottom.

 

[goldwright]

Mate you cannot charger alkaline batteries with the charger. Leave the Lithium Ion battery on the charger until the green light above the power light stays on not flashing as I believe it would not flash green if there is a problem with the battery and flash red instead. Try leaving it on charge overnight if you have not tried that.

 

[Greenhornet_au]

You can buy the AA holder stuff from Ebay or a dealer, they are a spare part.

I can RECOMMEND Phase Technical an SA dealer

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/profile.php?id=3149

He was a Minelabs employee for years, he is a dealer with their gear and he has great knowledge of the CTX 3030 as well,
I am sure if you call him he will assist you to get the spares you need pronto.

I just got a s/h CTX 3030 for Kato and he has been great with help and info.

 

[Goldpick]

Hi Im new on here hope Im in the right part can someone please help me with the minelab 705 setting for use on the beach thanks it my first time using it

Welcome to the forum, might pay to start a new topic rather than posting in a CTX related topic (more members will read it and hopefully be able to assist).

 

[Westaus]

Agree just leave it on, should do the job? I had an issue with mine, had not used it for a while and had to wait overnight for the charge, but it worked.

http://www.minelab.com/__files/f/90413/GettingStarted.pdf

2. Insert the plug pack (or car charger)
connector into the socket on the charger
unit.
3. Plug the other end of the cable into
the wall (or car socket) and turn on the
switch. Leave the unit to recharge.
The green indicator light will stop flashing
when the battery is fully charged (up to
4 hours).

 

[Silver05]

Ok. Thanks...i'll try that. It would be a unusual for it not to have some sort of charge after a couple of hours. I've never known a battery to do that but I will try it.
Second.....not alkaline batteries in the AA pack...rechargeable.
I'll be down in SA about the end of Feb or start of March so that could be handy.

 

[Heatho]

I've used the AA battery pack and the batteries only last about 4 hours. $180 for a new battery if the old one is shot is not too bad a replacement cost for a $2500 dollar detector. Just my opinion.

 

[Martin]

Yeah $185 for a new battery at miners Den is expensive but it saves stuffing around with batteries that need recharging or changing all the time.

The Minelab 3030 rechargable battery pack lasts about 8 - 10 hours for me which is very good, depending how trashy the areas are. If it's real trashy the battery will last about 4 to 5 hours per charge.

 

[Silver05]

I probably wouldn't mind except I don't trust them really. I have lithium batteries that are years old....it's pretty rubbish to have a $180 battery die so quickly. I have it on the charger and will leave it over night...personally I think it's going to do nothing but I will check it out in the morning. I will have a look at the ebay battery pack.

 

[Silver05]

Well...there you go...pays to listen sometimes doesn't it :lol: ....I plugged it in an left it. It took about 6 hours but the flashing light turned to solid and it appears to have a charge.
All good apparently. I still find it a bit strange that it doesn't get a charge in it in 2 hours but that's how it goes I guess. I looked around evilbay yesterday. I can say that Minelab don't miss you with spare parts. $178 for the charger and $180 for a battery. Suffice to say I will be packing my charger a with a little more care in the future!
My mate bought a GPX 4500 yesterday and we will be mucking around somewhere after the school holidays. looking forward to using mine for a change.
Thanks for the help.

 

[Greenhornet_au]

Could be that the charger doesnt want to do a top up from a dead flat battery, you did say earlier that the battery had nothing in it.
Some chargers will not charge from dead flat at all, some are smart and will charge a little and then cycle a charge until it checks and sees all cells are okay then do a full charge.
Others will know the full details, I just have a bit of an idea.

 

[AngerManagement]

Silver05 If you desperately need a AA Battery pack let me know...

I have a couple and only really need ONE.

PS. Always looking for DEAD CTX battery pack... Have picked up 2 but both had taken a good swim = The internal electronics are fried... And I was after the little board inside LOL...

 

[Silver05]

I would have been interested but it seems all is OK now thanks. I'll have to give it a test run or two to make sure it has a full charge in it I guess. I am going to wait until everyone gets back to work and leaves us alone .

 

[flyrodder]

Well...there you go...pays to listen sometimes doesn't it :lol: ....I plugged it in an left it. It took about 6 hours but the flashing light turned to solid and it appears to have a charge.
All good apparently. I still find it a bit strange that it doesn't get a charge in it in 2 hours but that's how it goes I guess. I looked around evilbay yesterday. I can say that Minelab don't miss you with spare parts. $178 for the charger and $180 for a battery. Suffice to say I will be packing my charger a with a little more care in the future!
My mate bought a GPX 4500 yesterday and we will be mucking around somewhere after the school holidays. looking forward to using mine for a change.
Thanks for the help.

if the battery was completely flat from word go it takes a short while for it to start.A bit like charging completely flat deep cycle batteries it has to start at the bottom n slowly build up to register

 

[Heatho]

My battery has just done exactly the same thing as Silver05's. It ran out while detecting yesterday, then I got home and put it on the charger, one light solid green and one green flashing, looks all good. Checked it about 6 hours later and green light was still flashing, connected it back onto the detector and it had no charge at all, detector started then shutdown...

Will leave it on all day today but this seems really weird, oh well, hopefully won't need a new one.... Will see after today.

 

[AngerManagement]

My battery has just done exactly the same thing as Silver05's. It ran out while detecting yesterday, then I got home and put it on the charger, one light solid green and one green flashing, looks all good. Checked it about 6 hours later and green light was still flashing, connected it back onto the detector and it had no charge at all, detector started then shutdown...

Will leave it on all day today but this seems really weird, oh well, hopefully won't need a new one.... Will see after today.

Please do not dump it

I have a water damaged one, and need the internal pcb to get it running

Problem with making your own, is getting quality batteries at the right price. Most of the crap off e-bay is miss marked so not the capacity you think and local suppliers are so expensive = Get a new one with warranty..

$180 and get the ML Kit that has new o-rings and a New style Battery pack and warranty

 

[B5MECH]

Could it be a charger problem maybe? will the gp or the sdc series batteries fit in it? maybe try charging one of them up to cancel out if it is the battery or the charger

 

[Heatho]

My battery has just done exactly the same thing as Silver05's. It ran out while detecting yesterday, then I got home and put it on the charger, one light solid green and one green flashing, looks all good. Checked it about 6 hours later and green light was still flashing, connected it back onto the detector and it had no charge at all, detector started then shutdown...

Will leave it on all day today but this seems really weird, oh well, hopefully won't need a new one.... Will see after today.

Please do not dump it

I have a water damaged one, and need the internal pcb to get it running

Problem with making your own, is getting quality batteries at the right price. Most of the crap off e-bay is miss marked so not the capacity you think and local suppliers are so expensive = Get a new one with warranty..

$180 and get the ML Kit that has new o-rings and a New style Battery pack and warranty

I had you in mind after your previous post AM, you can have the old one no probs. Just PM me your details and I'll send it up to you.

Cheers

Hey B5, totally different proprietry battery system for the CTX, I tried the car charger in case it was the transformer. Anyway I've got the new one charging, I'll know soon enough whether it is the batteryu or not, 99% sure it's the battery, so was minelab.

 

[goldwright]

http://md-hunter.com/coiltek-14x9-dd-for-minelab-ctx-3030-new-2017/

Dont know whether or not this has been posted yet but I really like the look of this new coil. More ground coverage so when gridding you can take bigger steps but only narrow so should still separate.. No word on release here in OZ yet though.

 

[Heatho]

Nice find mate. Geez they had to go and release that........ Means I'll probably have to buy one.

Have you got a 17x11 coil for your CTX GW? You can near walk at a brisk pace with that.