Vallon VMH3CS Mine Detector

[Ferric Toes]

Help needed guys please. .
My vallon switches on, battery tests correctly then lights 2&3 5&7 10&11 13&14 all come on and stay on..doesn't seem to be anything I can do to get past this...happens in both modes ..
I was going to send it back...bit of course once fitted the bas £€$d coil refuses to come off....arghhhh. .I have the manual on pdf but can find nothing similar in there to help...
Any suggestions most welcome. .
Cheers

Hi Harv,
That fault is listed in the full manual as a AD Converter Overflow. I have one unit that does this and it appears that nothing can be done except by a Vallon service engineer. I would send it back, particularly as it has a coil that wont come off. Best thing is to send it back to the seller.

Eric.

[Harv]

Help needed guys please. .
My vallon switches on, battery tests correctly then lights 2&3 5&7 10&11 13&14 all come on and stay on..doesn't seem to be anything I can do to get past this...happens in both modes ..
I was going to send it back...bit of course once fitted the bas £€$d coil refuses to come off....arghhhh. .I have the manual on pdf but can find nothing similar in there to help...
Any suggestions most welcome. .
Cheers

[Sampler_one]

See manual.

Thanks for your time. Just found a manual today.. Regards.

[chevesne]

See manual.

5. When approaching the test piece to the search head

- the audio signal must increase. - the vibration alarm must be perceptible. - more and more illuminating diodes must be activated. Approx. 7 LEDs must be illuminated when touching the center of search head.

[Sampler_one]

It's winter here in Canada so I am not able to get out and try my new VMH3CS. I managed to do a few air tests for what they are worth but I am unable to figure out the Pinpoint spot on the coil. Could someone tell me where that is located on the coil? Center, back ???
Silly Question I know.. hehe.

[Ferric Toes]

Hi all,

Well, refusing to be defeated I went back out yesterday to try GB again.

I tried a totally different field and it was perfect in normal mode, much to my pleasure!

I also went onto a foreshore I commonly detect on which i have problems with fired bricks. I GB directly over the brick (practically through the hoop) and it silenced it completely. But as mentioned above, luckily the beach is fine so GB on the brick alone did not cause problems!

The two other sites I've tested on are particularly trashy so this might explain why in having trouble.

I know my detector works, I'm just having teething problems.

My aim is to get perfect GB on this one particular field, but it's just not having it.

Also, is there a reason why once I GB the brick out it creeps back in? I imagine it's something to do with my use of the pinpointer but just double checking.

So some good news but some work to be done.

Thanks guys,
James

Hi James, It looks like it might be a learning curve problem, rather than in the detector. Yes, I have noticed that the signal drifts back in after you have GB'd, but this only appears to happen if you hold the coil more or less stationary over the brick and then lift the coil up. A short push on the C button sets it back to the correct no-signal level. Sweeping side to side over the brick, rock. or soil keeps the correct GB.

Balancing in trashy areas can be a problem as any metallic scraps in the ground will invalidate the GB set-up procedure. Always try to GB on a piece of ground that shows no sharp localised signals.

Eric.

[James_LR]

Hi all,

Well, refusing to be defeated I went back out yesterday to try GB again.

I tried a totally different field and it was perfect in normal mode, much to my pleasure!

I also went onto a foreshore I commonly detect on which i have problems with fired bricks. I GB directly over the brick (practically through the hoop) and it silenced it completely. But as mentioned above, luckily the beach is fine so GB on the brick alone did not cause problems!

The two other sites I've tested on are particularly trashy so this might explain why in having trouble.

I know my detector works, I'm just having teething problems.

My aim is to get perfect GB on this one particular field, but it's just not having it.

Also, is there a reason why once I GB the brick out it creeps back in? I imagine it's something to do with my use of the pinpointer but just double checking.

So some good news but some work to be done.

Thanks guys,
James

[kingswood]

As part of my research, I have tested soils and rocks from many countries for magnetic minerals and have not found any as strong as from Australia. Nothing in UK comes close and I believe that your Vallon only gave trouble in one fairly localised area in Western Australia. I have tested the samples you sent me and there are two types of rock which GB at slightly different settings, hence the problem you had.

I can check out James's Vallon if he wishes. I would be interested to see if the GB is faulty, while in normal mode it is OK.

Eric.

Yes, spot on. The Vallon handled almost every area well, except the one spot the rocks came from! Unfortunately, this is the area I am now finding gold in with the GPZ 7000! Strange rocks as even the minelab 2300 would signal on many of them!! The 7000 (in this area) is un-usable in normal ground setting as it does what the Vallon did and signal's on every hot rock, but in difficult mode it only picks up the occasional hot rock....one that was 3 foot deep in solid soil....I thought it was a huge nugget until I got down to it !!! Probably explains why there is gold still there....the older technology that has been over some of it would have really struggled!

[Ferric Toes]

I have had similar days! What I did find was that if I did a GB directly over rocks, then the rest of the ground became noisy....Sure it was able to GB out the rocks, but then it signalled on the ground once I moved away from the rocks. Did you GB over the rock/brick?....This may have then caused it to be out of GB once you started swinging over the ground.

As part of my research, I have tested soils and rocks from many countries for magnetic minerals and have not found any as strong as from Australia. Nothing in UK comes close and I believe that your Vallon only gave trouble in one fairly localised area in Western Australia. I have tested the samples you sent me and there are two types of rock which GB at slightly different settings, hence the problem you had.

I can check out James's Vallon if he wishes. I would be interested to see if the GB is faulty, while in normal mode it is OK.

Eric.

[kingswood]

Hi All,

I have a couple of questions.

Today I took my Vallon out on land for the first time. All I can say is YIKES!! What a different experience to beach use.

I can't seem to GB at all. I took in a shallow river and it kept picking up rocks/bricks (which assume have some metallic content).

In the field, my luck was even worse. Normal, crazy bouncing signals, Mineral, crazy bouncing signals. I tried auto and manual GB.

When I'm on the beach there tends to be a false signal only when I swing to the left but other than that it works perfectly.

Is my detector done for on land?

Many thanks,
James

I have had similar days! What I did find was that if I did a GB directly over rocks, then the rest of the ground became noisy....Sure it was able to GB out the rocks, but then it signalled on the ground once I moved away from the rocks. Did you GB over the rock/brick?....This may have then caused it to be out of GB once you started swinging over the ground.

[Carolina]

James: Just a thought but did you change channels on the VALLON? There are 40 to choose from. Something just does not sound right to me. This is in reference to your land use and GB problems. For the beach with the ping when you swing left try one or two notches down on sensitivity. The VALLON is very deep even below factory default sensitivity.

Carolina

[James_LR]

Cheers Carolina! Yes, I'm expecting end of Jan/early February hopefully. I'm hoping for it to become my main surf machine but I'll definitely keep people posted!

I feel like I've bought into the hype, I just hope it lives up to it!

I'll still use the Vallon on the beach as it seems to work very well. So it's not all a loss!

James

[Carolina]

James: Good luck with the Equinox. I am curious of it's performance for you. My dealer has gone to a training siminar by Minelab this weekend and tells me he will get a firm shipping date. He thinks the end of January. Let me know how the machine works for you please. Sorry about the VALLON.

[James_LR]

Thanks guys.

Yes I've had the manual since I got it. I've tried all steps but it just doesn't seem to settle.

I'm happy enough with its beach performance so I wouldn't be too bothered if it has a GB fault.

I use a scoop but have it over my shoulder whilst I detect.

You win some you lose some I guess.
I have a Minelab Equinox on the way so I might just hang this up in the Arsenal for the time being.

Until next time!

Thanks guys,
James

[Carolina]

James: Do you swing the VALLON with your right hand? What do you use to dig targets on the beach with? Here in the US we use a sand scoop with a long CF handle. We hang the scoop on a loop on the opposite side of the detector about waist high.The VALLON will ping off of the scoop on a swing to the left. Could this be your issue? I usually shorten my swing or throw the scoop over my left shoulder to stop this problem.

Carolina