MK3 Ferret finders have DEBENS gone backwards with finders

[NETS 11]

The reason i say this is i used the MK1 ferret finder 8ft with micro collars and never had any trouble with it in fact i still have it and will never sell it(i may go back to it).I also have the MK3 with the older rectangular battery compartment collars which ive been using the last 4year.This year i have noticed it is miss reading the depth,when a ferrets at 1and half foot down the finder is saying its at 4ft down ,also when the ferret is not moving the led display is saying its moving Example say the ferrets not moving at 6ft on search because i can see it the lights say its moving from 6ft to 5ft to 8ft and back to 6ft like its working a rabbit when in fact i can see the ferret isn't moving.With the MK3 when i first got it i thought this is great i can see if its working a rabbit on led display and i now have 16ft to keep in contact with ferret even if its above ground in thick cover working at speed up the warren and i cant see it i have a good change of finding it especially if working the ferret alone,If you had the old MK1 in this same situation and say the bell on ferret was clogged with clay(as i use bell and collar together)you could lose a ferret for a longer time or maybe for good(never lost one yet touch wood this doest happen)than if you had the extra 16ft,But at least with the Mk1 when you need to dig its on the money were as now with my MK3 the way it is its inaccurate.I know my Mk3 hasn't been dropped,mistreated,soaked in water and has full batteries so this has to be a fault with the box its self as a few others have told me they have had this trouble over time with their MK3 and since ive joined this forum ive read some posts that seems to say the same.So would like to here from people who have encountered this with their MK3 or people who know someone its happened to and what they have done about it.Did they get it fixed,did it go again or did they buy a new one or use an old MK1.

[mhopton 807]

they tend to miss read when batterys are low mate

[Guest norseman]

mines miss reads the depth when locating but i just use a t-bar, apart from that its bang on. i have mk3m and dont know if there is much difference in that and mk3. atb

[reddawn 2,173]

my ferretin partner had 1 less than a year an it needed sent back to get recalibrated, 30 or 35 qid they charged him, works a treat again noo

[NETS 11]

they tend to miss read when batterys are low mate

 

Ive had the same reading with batteries straight from pack in good dates thanks for feed back

[NETS 11]

mines miss reads the depth when locating but i just use a t-bar, apart from that its bang on. i have mk3m and dont know if there is much difference in that and mk3. atb

 

I wouldn't mind so much about miss reading as i use TBAR too to find tunnel, but if mines saying im at 4 when i now its at 1and half foot really that means i can only search to 6ft when i should have 16ft thats why i was thinking of going back to MK1 8ft for time been thanks for reply.

[NETS 11]

my ferretin partner had 1 less than a year an it needed sent back to get recalibrated, 30 or 35 qid they charged him, works a treat again noo

 

Thats good to know i can get it fixed cheap enough.Your friend had his less than a year and they still charged him 30/35 i wonder would mine cost more as its well out of guarantee even if its the same type of fault.I take it was Deben he sent it to ,to get it fixed? nice one for reply

[ferretracer 24]

my ferretin partner had 1 less than a year an it needed sent back to get recalibrated, 30 or 35 qid they charged him, works a treat again noo

 

Thats good to know i can get it fixed cheap enough.Your friend had his less than a year and they still charged him 30/35 i wonder would mine cost more as its well out of guarantee even if its the same type of fault.I take it was Deben he sent it to ,to get it fixed? nice one for reply

 

there pretty good on their repairs as well, touch wood my one has,nt needed to go back(ive said it now) but my mates one did after about a year he sent it back and deben found a pinched wire that had been done in manufacturing and they could my mate had tampered with it in anyway so re-soldered a new wire in tested and sent it back to him no charge at all as it was there fault. to me thats pretty good cos they could have just replaced the wire, re-callibreted it and sent it back and still charged him and he would have been none the wiser.

[albert64 1,882]

i use the mk3m and its bang on the money every time

i change the battery's regularly in collars and reciever

if its mis reading my first thought would be batterys

but if thats not the case i'd be back to deben

[lifelong cumbrian 1,826]

I tried a mk 3, sold it after a couple of weeks, sticking to my mk 1's. The best one i ever had was a bleeper.

[NETS 11]

my ferretin partner had 1 less than a year an it needed sent back to get recalibrated, 30 or 35 qid they charged him, works a treat again noo

 

Thats good to know i can get it fixed cheap enough.Your friend had his less than a year and they still charged him 30/35 i wonder would mine cost more as its well out of guarantee even if its the same type of fault.I take it was Deben he sent it to ,to get it fixed? nice one for reply

 

there pretty good on their repairs as well, touch wood my one has,nt needed to go back(ive said it now) but my mates one did after about a year he sent it back and deben found a pinched wire that had been done in manufacturing and they could my mate had tampered with it in anyway so re-soldered a new wire in tested and sent it back to him no charge at all as it was there fault. to me thats pretty good cos they could have just replaced the wire, re-callibreted it and sent it back and still charged him and he would have been none the wiser.

 

Sounds like their repairs are done well in your case and their decent enough even if their at fault they own up.I think sending it in to get repaired is the answer at least then if anything happens after they've looked at it then they'll fix it free gratis if same thing happens again now i know they're decent,will use Mk1 till i have MK3 back how long did it take till you had yours back from bebens?Thanks for reply

[NETS 11]

i use the mk3m and its bang on the money every time

i change the battery's regularly in collars and reciever

if its mis reading my first thought would be batterys

but if thats not the case i'd be back to deben

 

Thanks

[NETS 11]

I tried a mk 3, sold it after a couple of weeks, sticking to my mk 1's. The best one i ever had was a bleeper.

 

Ive heard a few other lads saying they've tried the MK3 and are sticking with the MK1(knocker box),But if i can get my MK3 fixed right and it says working id be chuffed.Thanks

[Guest vin]

mines deffo out on the depth scale..

 

so is my spare.. So i thought it was just the way they work..If it says 4 ft on locate..its usually about 2-3 foot max. . .which at the end of day is a bonus..Its always pinpoint accurate as in finding it etc etc..its just the gauge doesnt give accurate readings..But I use the tones of the bleeps as an indication.

 

not lost a ferret with one of these on yet.. and done a lot of digging in the last few years.

 

think i might send one of my locators back for fixing and compare it to my other one at home. . . my mates got a mk3 and his gives the same readings as my 2.

 

very confusing... I will say That one thing I have done with my mk3 and thats put some electricians tape over the holes on the front..it quietens it down perfectly.

[2.8 guy 403]

The mark one is so easy to use, my mate has the mk 3 the musical box, i call it

i find it hard to work flipping it about ect, but this year all our kit was stolen and just have my stand by mk1 15 foot box, but no colla for it, my mate tho with the mk3 finds it simple to use and makes it look easy

so was thinking of buying a mk3 set up myself and parting with the mk1 as i think the ones are getting harder to find and too expensive