Whites Classic, II, III, ID, and IDX Modifications

[Maynard]

After spending some time with Surfmaster I noticed it is a bit deeper after the resistor swop. I will be adding the pots. I just got a ML Excalibur that has been taking up my spare time. It also has a hard time on the same small gold piece, a thin cross I found with a BH of all machines. It's a shame the Surfmaster is single tone. I think if I was to replace another Surfmaster II PCB I would use a Coinmaster Classic II control board and mod it with Bills technique. Great mods for an old machine. Thanks again.

[jfais1717]

alright... i reconfigured the GB pot and now it is working well... the only issue is the GB doesnt seam to stay... I can set it on noise cancellation mode and the GB does seam to stay... but when i have it where i can hear the threshhold, it doesnt seam to work. maybe im special and this is the way it is?

[Maynard]

Well, I removed the 470k from r24 and added the 2.2meg. I also added the 51 ohm to r7. I had the 100 ohm and that was all I did because it is the Surfmaster II. At first I thought I may have lost a little sensitivity and depth. After playing with it a bit I haven't noticed much a difference.

After adding the 2.2 meg resistor I checked its performance definitely lost depth and sensitivity. After the r7 swop I got it back. I am curious what the changes would or should do.

I have a small gold piece that I have been using to see if it hits better but it seems the same. The only real difference I noticed is that it now has a good chatter with the sensitivity way up. It didn't chatter as much on the bench before the changes even with the sens up.

I did get the pots but I wasn't planning on adding them until up the road when I get the correct tap to do the threads on the case. I also have the shaft seals so I should be able to add them.

It seems like if it didn't chatter as much now, I would have gained some depth and sensitivity to smaller targets. An adjustment perhaps? Unfortunately this MD was a basket case when I got it so I am not sure what it could do. I gave it a new control board, new 950 coil, I even had to make new water proof headphones for it. Someone put it away flooded with salt water. It’s been fun getting it going. Thanks for your help and thanks Mr Bill for sharing your mods.

Does this sound like it was a success or is something off? Perhaps I was expecting too much.

[jfais1717]

Thankyou TH'r... I completely missed that... I was even looking right at the traces trying to figure that out.... Thanks again

[TH'r]

I just performed all of these mods. I am a retired navy electronics technician.

When connecting the ground balance pot, I just connected it like the original trimmer. I'm not sure if this is correct and I have been unBle to locate any images or references on how the wires connect to the pot. I did see in Mr bills original post that he only used 2 wires...

Can anyone shed some light on this for me please?

Use two wires. look carefully at the Picts on post 17. The VR-1 wiper and resistive element are joined at the board at one end. Then when you run three wires to the new pot this is not an equivalent circuit.

[TH'r]

That is a frequency adjustment, not the same as ground balance (seems to have some kind of aftermarket label). Ground balance on this detector is fractory adjusted at VR-1.

Supposed to be a reply to #48

[TH'r]

That is a frequency adjustment, not the same as ground balance (seems to have some kind of aftermarket label). Ground balance on this detector is fractory adjusted at VR-1.

[jfais1717]

I just performed all of these mods. I am a retired navy electronics technician.

When connecting the ground balance pot, I just connected it like the original trimmer. I'm not sure if this is correct and I have been unBle to locate any images or references on how the wires connect to the pot. I did see in Mr bills original post that he only used 2 wires...

Can anyone shed some light on this for me please?

[kt315]

honestly I am not in course... but may be same like for IDX I told here as schematics are similar
http://www.geotech1.com/forums/showthread.php?18925-White-s-IDX-Pro-PCB-and-mods&highlight=IDX

Mr Bill has been asked did answer me that it is not his mod I told about.

[Maynard]

Yes, I figured that out. Thank you for the reply. I have two control boards the one I was looking at was 505-0170-A. The new old stock one I am using is labeled with the -B. I do not know if that makes it a plus. Both boards are similar.

I will have to reread the thread again. Do you know which of the mods Bill would do to the Surfmaster II? I don't think it got all of them but obviously I do not know. I am compiling my shopping list now and noting the locations. This is great. Thank you.

[kt315]

Surfmaster II and Coinmaster Classic II use same PCB marked like as '505-0170-B'. we discussed on this... but difference of Surfmaster II Plus is unknown, no photos for the comparison...

[Maynard]

I have read that Mr. Bill used to do his mods to the Surfmaster II. The VLF machine with the standard 9.5” 6.5 khz stickered as “amphibian” coil.

I have one and do not see it in the lineup of supported machines for the mod. I emailed Bill a week or more ago and I am not sure if the email address was still in use or if he responds so I will ask here.

Mr. Bill or anyone knowledgeable can you tell me if the modifications are the same for this machine. I understand that adding external pots would be a chore on a waterproof machine but the depth and sensibility is less than I expected.

I had to replace the coil. I got a brand new one and figured while I am soldering on it this would be the time to do the mods. Interesting that the coil was slightly different it is a 950 style coil with yellow and blue stickers not the older 9.5 blue max types with the yellow and blue Amphibian sticker like it originally had. I purchased the coil from a genuine Whites repair person who sold it is an “Amphibian”. Perhaps Whites changed them at some point. It works; I was just surprised it was different.

I know they had a surfmaster II and a surfmaster II plus. Both VLF Does anyone know the difference?

It is also I little quieter than I expected. I don’t think it would be heard at the beach over the serf. I know this isn’t meant for saltwater I am just saying that to give you an idea of how quiet it is. It has three blue pots on the board but I don’t think volume is one of them.

Thank you for any help in advance. I can’t wait to get out to my local lakes with it.

[rider]

you mean,that are factory conversions for heavy soils...??? and no need for europe ?

Has anyone the schematic ??

[kt315]

http://www.thetreasuredepot.com/cgi-bin/bbs62x/fisher_config.pl?md=read;id=16392

My old friend is the one who wrapped his White's detector around a tree and ran his bayonette right through it's ten-ringer and mailed it to the factory saying "I killed it". They sent him a new one with modifications for bad ground..
--
is this you ask?

[rider]

in a classic sl opened found two conversions. Two small pcb. One was painted black. Does anyone know what they are doing ?
Has anyone the schematic ?