Taking the control box off the Explorer -HELP!

[Pinpoint]

Does anyone know how to slip the control box off the upper shaft of the minelab explorer? I have an Explorer SE myself, I would think it's the same for all versions of Explorers.

I would at least like to know how it's attached, ie is it glued on? or is there some type locking mechanism?

For those who have never tried taking it off will not know what I'm talking about, it's more difficult than it should be!!!

[keith777]

I have heard that in the later stages of production and in some instances of repair Minelab had taken to bonding the control box to the battery box shell with what could be super glue.
i came across this picture of an explorer se stripped down

[Pinpoint]

My first thought when seeing that pic- HOW DID THEY DO THAT?

Thanks, if anything it shows me that it can be done. Where did you hear that about the bonding?

[keith777]

i was given some instructions a wile back for stripping down a explorer, can't remember who off but this is what i was sent......


So firstly, you don't have to remove the control box off the upper battery pod/handle stem . That stays on. Taking the control box of the stem is usually done for reasons other than servicing the inside of the Explorer generation of detectors(Quarto included).

If youre sure it's the front control panel harness you might just want to simply get hold of a new one from Minelab. They or one of their dealers should sell you one.

It might be better to send the detector into Minelab to do this and I would recommend you do.

So be it on on your own head if you proceed with my instructions.

Remove the BATTERY.

Those four screws need to be removed and the front panel pulls away. Be VERY careful here.

Before are after the above procedure, I suggest you wrap the battery pod in some cloth and gently but firmly hold it in a vice in a clean well lighten area.

Occasionally earth your self or at least touch an earth to discharge static.

There are three PCB's. These are all attach to each other to the front panel. The first is the power supply. It is held in place by two sets of thin gold pins that need to be gently separated and held aside safely, out of the way but still attached to all the wires. I use tape to do this. In fact I usually wrap this up in a protective cover of bubble wrap. No cutting or de soldering required.............for now.

The next PCB requires you to do the same. CAREFUL TO NOT BEND ANY OF THE GOLD PINS ON ANY OF THE PCB's. PRY AND PULL AWAY EVENLY.

This is where you will find the push in place ribbon connector that attaches the control panel buttons to its relevant connections. This connector is not robust and must be removed and handle with care. You simply pull it out of it's slot.

The third PCB, the one that has the LCD mounted to it, has to be removed from it's plastic clips that are again part of the plastic front control panel.

They are prone to breaking IF over stretched. So, pry them aside with even gentle pressure and that PCB is free standing. Put it safely aside.

This will leave you with what is an inaccessible non user servicable plastic control face panel with that ribbon wire hanging out of it.

The control panels buttons are a series of thin metal buttons that look like miniature dinner plates, two different sized ones and are the push down conductors of momentary switches. They are held down in precise locations by a very well stuck on Mylar. Ther are some extra vacant button positions that are a mystery as they are there for any future or past or other model use.( maybe they were put in by mistake)

If you succeed in removing this front Mylar transfer you'll end up doing so by putting the front control panel under duress unless you are extremely slow and careful to try and peel it off and even then, that might not save it. I suspect they must use a set jig and template for such precise assembly.The glue that is used hold that thin plastic firmly in place.

The Mylar film might peel off with some heat from a hair dryer but even that may not allow an easy removal without losing the position of those miniature metal dinner plates".

I forgot to mention though. You do not have to separate PCB1 and PCB2 to access the LCD PCB. You can keep those two together to get to the LCD board and remove it still attached to the control box front. That flat ribbon harness is actually part of a flexible PCB which is the base of the push button switches. Its place and glued in first to the white fascia of the control box front panel just prior to the Mylar transfer switch reference, the external part our finger push down onto , being glued on.
The tracks on this flexible plastic material are the conducting tracks and are not actually wires off the switch to the circuit boards as we would normally think. They are actually printed on the flexible plastic that gets pushed into that specialized connector on the middle PCB. Very difficult if not impossible to repair


The cam lock pin needs to be pushed out and that section needs to be dis-assembled.

I was told that in the later stages of production and in some instances of repair Minelab had taken to bonding the control box to the battery box shell with what could be super glue. Its mentioned in other past posts. This bonding of the control box to the split battery pod shell is super glue (then MAYBE injecting small amounts of acetate with a hypodermic needle or directing the flow of acetate to go between into the part where the control box meets the split shell might assist.
You would need to put the battery door end facing skyward and let gravity and time do the work with the acetate. Don't be too liberal with applying to much acetate but at the same time put in enough to dissolve the super glue. In the past there have been other efforts posted on how to remove the Explorer control box housing that have been glue in. Those actions in my opinion were a little drastic but if youre not to worried about it then you'll see what's possible.
Once you have managed to make this control box become un stuck you SHOULD be able to pry it of with a little(or a lot) of gentle persuasion.

[Pinpoint]

Well, thanks for your post, but I'm affraid it's too late.

Originaly my explorer would not work and I couldn't afford to get it fixed. It wasn't a coil problem but I knew it was the connection somewhere in the upper shaft. After trying to have a look, it doesn't work in a different way. When I switch it on it imediately makes that sound when the battery dies, and turns itself off, even when there's enough battery power. I think it's because I took the PCB off the LCD PCB, pulling the pins off one another must have erased part of the software. I put everything back properly.

Either way, it didn't work before (which is why I took the risk) and it doesn't work now.