What's wrong with my copper sorter?

[richarca]

Hi everyone,
I recently bought a general production copper/silver coin sorter (see picture). I was really excited to speed up my copper process while saving my eyes too! However, this darn machine has an approx. 10-15% accuracy with picking out the copper. I've adjusted the sensitivity, and all of the other settings in comparison- then set back to the way I received it, but horrible accuracy! Also changed the cleanliness and years of my copper reference coins, but nothing... Do I just have a defective machine? Any recommendations? Thanks!
-Adam

[stlouiscoin]

hmmm... I have the same sorter and have 98%+ accuracy. a couple things I have found that can mess it up:
having piles of coins withing 6" will throw off the magnetic sensor.
do you have a copper coin in the comparitor? I use a copper one, so the zincs fall right through but it has to eject the coppers.
are you feeding coines to fast? mine can do max 2 coins/sec.
also, try feeding all coppers through slowly. sometimes it gets off, and this resets it for me.

[richarca]

Hi, I usually do have some coins lying around closeby. May I ask what sensitivity and settings you use? Also, would you recommend placing a zinc coin in as a reference? I actually haven't done that yet, will try to compare. Do you have a setup that keeps that machine at least 6 inches away from the coins being dropped into containers?

[Engineer]

Hi, I usually do have some coins lying around closeby. May I ask what sensitivity and settings you use? Also, would you recommend placing a zinc coin in as a reference? I actually haven't done that yet, will try to compare. Do you have a setup that keeps that machine at least 6 inches away from the coins being dropped into containers?

I don't have that sorter, but the best way most of us have found to run a ryedale is to use a zinc sample first, and then re-run the coppers with a copper sample. Doing it this way gives you a clean zinc pile, a clean copper pile, and a small mixed pile of foreign stuff and early wheats.

[algae21]

I use one when I'm casually sorting while watching tv and get about 99% accuracy from it (an occassional copper winds up in the zinc side). I'm using a copper in the comparitor.

Here's the best I can tell you on how mine's adjusted. The sensitivity adjustment is phillips slotted with one of the slots having a metal backing. That particular, metal backed, slot is straight vertical (up and down). The timer switch, on the bottom right, is set to 20 ms (short).

Hope it helps.

[algae21]

I just happened to think of this also. I did have a problem one time where everything was going to the zinc bin and I was pretty much convinced the unit was dead. It turned out to be a problem with the power supply. Somehow the connector wouldn't fully seat. So it could also be possible that you have either a bad PS or even a loose wire into the connector.

[richarca]

That could be, algae21. I got so frustrated with it that I would give it a good hit from the bottom onto my bed..it would work for about 3-4 coppers- then stop working right back again. I'm demoralized at the moment b/c I'm trying to get this copper sorter going at a small budget and it's frustrating.

[tedandcam]

I took a bread twister to mine and bent the wire into a half loop at the connector end of the of the power supply cord. Then I used the twister to keep it in place.

Does yours beep when it first gets power? Mine does. If so, then plug it into a power strip and turn the button on the strip off and on to see if its actually a power supply issue. I flip the switch on mine every so often just to hear the beep. Then I know its working properly.

I too get a good 98-99% accuracy. Shoot me a PM if you can't get this resolved. I have an idea for you.

Ted