Minelab SDC2300 Metal Detector

The Minelab SDC2300 metal detector is dynamite on the small gold but you might need to boost the sound of the detector a bit if you are hard of hearing.

The minelab SDC2300 metal detector is a reasonably economical machine that is an essential tool in your armoury to find gold, particularly small gold nuggets close to the coil and small specimen gold that other machines might not have heard. 

But it DOES have some Setbacks and Problems

The Benefits of the Minelab SDC2300 Metal Detector

  • Quick to unpack, turn on and start finding gold.
  • Simple to Start up and Use.
  • Finds the small nuggets and specimens that other detectors miss.
  • Small size you can fold up, store and transport easily in a rucksack or your car.
  • Relatively tough.

The Minelab SDC2300 Metal Detector is Simple to Start Up and Go Detecting

Basically all you need to do is:

  • Set the Sensitivity to 2.
  • Turn the machine on.
  • Do a noise Cancel.
  • Do a Quick Ground Balance.
  • Find Gold.
The First step is to set the Minelab 2300 Sensitivity and turn the Machine on.The First step is to set the Minelab 2300 Sensitivity and turn the Machine on.
Then do a Noise Cancel and Quick Ground Balance on the Minelab 2300. Thats it!.Then do a Noise Cancel and Quick Ground Balance on the Minelab 2300. Thats it!.

Problems with the Minelab SDC2300 Metal Detector

Badly Designed Connector for the Headphones.

The SDC 2300 Headphone Lead connector that Regularly BreaksThe SDC 2300 Headphone Lead connector that Regularly Breaks
Its a 6 Pin ConnectorIts a 6 Pin Connector.
Its a 6 Pin Connector but Curiously there is only 2 leads Connected.Its a 6 Pin Connector but Curiously there is only 2 leads Connected.
Make Sure you Securely Tape your New Lead to the SDC2300 Detector.Make Sure you Securely Tape your New Lead to the SDC2300 Detector.
With the New standard female connector you can add aftermarket speakers, booster and headphones to the SDC 2300 Metal Detector.With the New standard female connector you can add aftermarket speakers, booster and headphones to the SDC 2300 Metal Detector.

I have discussed earlier the problems of hearing the Minelab SDC2300 machine without some form of booster or Headphones connected (see the video earlier on the page).

The major problem is that the connector to the SDC2300 is very fragile and breaks easily - in some case I have heard of it breaking at the first use - Great if you are unaware of this design fault and out the bush.

The other design fault is the headphone lead is too short for average sized people so unless you have taped your lead to the machine it is inevitable that you will get tangled up with the Headphone lead and damage the poorly designed Connector in the 2300.

The connection is waterproof but the machine comes with non waterproof earphones. So why isn't there a standard 1/4 inch female socket provided in the machine for aftermarket boosters and speakers.

You can now get a SDC2300 adapter for the audio output on the SDC2300 which also you can connect to External Speakers or Standard Headphones. These are available from you local detector store in Perth Reeds or Bunbury Propector's Pick.


BE WARNED - if you do not securely lock your Earphone lead down with tape or some other method you WILL damage the connection to the lead eventually.

NO GOOD if you don't have a spare and you are out bush - you will then need to rely on the Machines inbuilt audio which may not be loud enough in windy conditions (and if you are a bit deaf like me!)

Batteries in the Battery compartment loosen and the machine turns itself off and goes through the startup process again (and again!).

This will drive you insane if you don't know what is causing the noises when you first buy the machine.

Some people have fixed this by using a business card wrapped around the batteries in the battery compartment, that stops the batteries from moving and breaking the connection...yeah right, not a very sophisticated solution.

Solution to the Minelab SDC2300 - Loose Battery Problem

Minelab sell a battery pack with larger Positive terminal and a Li-ion battery pack now that overcome this vexing issue.

Not only does it fix the problem but the batteries have a greater capacity and voltage that will give you the edge in power while you are detecting.

You should have a spare set of batteries anyway so pick up a set.

You can get the battery case, batteries and chargers at Prospectors Pick in Bunbury or Reeds Prospecting in Perth 

Minelab SDC2300 Metal Detector Loose Battery problem fix.Minelab SDC2300 Metal Detector Loose Battery problem fix.

Conclusion

We love this machine because it is generating plenty of small gold at our regular detecting spots and apart from the design faults mentioned reckon it is an easy to use, great starter machine that will find your gold, or a detector that you can add to your suite of gold finding tools that will pay for itself.

Minelab SDC2300 User Manual

Here is a link where you can download the Minelab 2300 manuals

You will need a PDF reader to read the Minelab SDC2300 Metal Detector User Manual PDF. If you cannot open the downloaded PDF files then you can download Adobe Reader by left clicking on the icon below.


Return to Gold Prospecting home Page from the Minelab SDC2300 Metal Detector page

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