This guide will help you determine when your detector really needs servicing and needs to be sent to one of our White's Authorized Service Centers or when there is something you can do yourself as a user.

1. My detector will not start up. What should I do?

2. I charged my Nicad several weeks ago and when I went out to hunt today my battery voltage started getting low. Is my battery bad?

3. I own an under water detector and I was out hunting today and somehow didn't get my lid on correctly and now my detector is full of water. What should I do?

4. I know my detector needs servicing. Won't I get better service just sending it back to the Factory?

5. Where do I find my closest service center?

6. I own a detector that has a standard meter and needle sticks about half way up. Is it broken?

7. I bought a new pair of headphones today and when I plugged them into my detector I only get sound out of one side. What's wrong?

8. I was hunting on the beach and when I ground balance the detector I get an error saying not able to balance. Is my detector broken and need servicing?

9. I turned my detector on today and my menu of screen started to scroll. What's wrong?

1. My detector will not start up. What should I do? [Top of page]

Check the batteries. If you are using a C-Cell holder, make sure the batteries are new and not corroded. You can obtain a battery tester at most hardware stores. Make sure your battery holder is clean and the contacts where the batteries are touching are clean. Also, the battery contact springs on the detector sometimes get dirty and need to be cleaned.

2. I charged my Nicad several weeks ago and when I went out to hunt today my battery voltage started getting low. Is my battery bad? [Top of page]

Not necessarily. After charging a Nicad, the voltage will tend to drain down over time. The best idea is to charge the Nicad the day before you are going to hunt. That way you will know you have a good charge.

3. I own an under water detector and I was out hunting today and somehow didn't get my lid on correctly and now my detector is full of water. What should I do? [Top of page]

Water can be very damaging to any electronics. Salt water can damage a unit in just several days time. First, remove the lid and the cover that holds the electronics. The cover can be taken off carefully with a small flat tip screwdriver. Flush the detector completely with water, especially if it has been exposed to salt water. Then dry as much of the unit as you can with a towel. Use a hair dryer at a low setting to dry any remaining water. Just be careful not to get the hair dryer too close where it starts to melt or damage the electronics.

4. I know my detector needs servicing. Won't I get better service just sending it back to the Factory?
 [Top of page]

All of our White's Authorized Service Centers are highly trained technicians. Most of them have many years experience repairing White's detectors. The service centers are informed immediately of any upgrades or changes to circuits. Many times mailing it to your local service center will save you on shipping costs alone.

5. Where do I find my closest service center? [Top of page]

Just go to the link at the bottom of this page. This will guide you to the closest service center.

6. I own a detector that has a standard meter and needle sticks about half way up. Is it broken?
 [Top of page]

Maybe not. There are times when the meter will get a static charge buildup and will cause this to happen. Just use a damp soapy cloth and wipe over the meter. This will remove any static charge on the meter.

7. I bought a new pair of headphones today and when I plugged them into my detector I only get sound out of one side. What's wrong? [Top of page]

Some detectors have a mono phone jack and will cause this to happen. If your headphones have stereo/mono switch, just move the switch over to mono.

8. I was hunting on the beach and when I ground balance the detector I get an error saying not able to balance. Is my detector broken and need servicing? [Top of page]

In some areas of the country there are not enough minerals in the ground, especially at the beach, for the detector to balance to. So the detector will ground to the default setting. This is normal. You will notice once you hunt inland the detector will ground balance normally.

9. I turned my detector on today and my menu of screen started to scroll. What's wrong? [Top of page]

We get many calls each year with this question. Your toggle is in the lock position. Just return the toggle switch on the handle to the center position and the scrolling will stop.