Detector Metal

AM 9:42 2000 26, July Wednesday,

?? Features

With your RadioShack Metal Detector, you can hunt for coins, relics, jewelry, gold, and silver just about anywhere. The Metal Detec- tor is versatile and easy to use. Its features include:

Three-Tone Audio Discrimination ??? sounds distinctive tones for different types of metals, to make target identification easier.

Analog Meter??? shows the probable type of metal being detected.

Auto Tune ??? lets you tune your detector quickly for accuracy.

Arm Support ??? lets you carry and operate your detector comfortably.

Waterproof Search Coil ??? lets you use the detector to search under water. (The search coil is waterproof, but the detector???s control housing is not waterproof.)

Adjustable Stem ??? lets you adjust the de- tector???s length for comfortable use.

Headphone Jack ??? lets you connect head- phones (not supplied) to the detector.

Low Battery Indicator ??? lets you know when it is time to replace the batteries.

TREASURE HUNTER???S

CODE OF ETHICS

All treasure hunters might be judged by the example you set. Here are a few basic rules you should follow while using your detector.

???Always get permission before searching any site.

???Respect the rights and property of oth- ers.

???Observe all national, state, and local laws while treasure hunting.

???Never destroy historical or archaeologi- cal treasures. If you are not sure about an object you have found, contact a museum or historical society in your area.

???Leave the land and vegetation as it was. Fill in any holes you dig.

???Use your detector only in safe areas.

???Dispose of any junk you find, only in approved areas. Do not leave it for the next treasure hunter to find.

?? Preparation

ASSEMBLING THE

DETECTOR

Assembling your detector is easy and re- quires no special tools. Just follow these steps.

1. Turn the stem???s lock nut clockwise until it loosens.

2. Lengthen or shorten the stem so when you stand upright with the detector in your hand, the search coil is level with and about 1/2 to 2 inches above the ground with your arm relaxed at your side.

3. Turn the stem???s lock nut counter-clockwise to lock it in place.

4. Unscrew the knobs on the search coil and remove the knobs and connec- tor. Insert the stem

and align the holes on the search coil bracket and the stem.

Push the connector through the holes, then replace and tighten the knobs.

5.Wind the search coil cable around the stem. Leave enough slack in the cable to let you adjust the search coil when you are hunting on uneven ground.

6.Insert the search coil???s plug into the search coil jack on the detector???s control

housing so the pins on the plug are aligned with the holes in the jack.

Cautions:

???The search coil???s plug fits into the connector only one way. Do not force the plug or you could damage it.

???To disconnect the search coil???s cable from the detector, grasp the plug and pull it out of the connector. Never pull on the cable.

7.Loosen the knob at the search coil???s end, then adjust the search coil to the desired angle. (The search coil should be parallel with the ground.) Tighten the knob just enough to keep the search coil from rotating or wobbling.

Caution: Do not overtighten the search coil or use tools such as pliers to tighten it.

8.Loosen the knob at the base of the han- dle, insert the arm support, and tighten the knob.

INSTALLING BATTERIES

Your detector requires two 9V alkaline bat- teries (not supplied) for power. For the best performance and longest life, we recom- mend RadioShack alkaline batteries.

Cautions:

???Use only fresh batteries of the required size and recommended type.

???Do not mix old and new batteries, differ- ent types of batteries (standard, alka- line, or rechargeable), or rechargeable batteries of different capacities.

1.If the detector is on, turn MODE to OFF.

Note: When you turn the mode switch to OFF, the LOW BATT indicator flashes once.

2.Press the right battery compartment cover???s tab and slide the cover off in the direction of the arrow.

3.Place a 9-volt battery into the battery compartment on top of the ribbon, matching the polarity symbols (+ and ???) marked inside.

4.Replace the right battery compartment cover.

5.Press the left battery compartment cover???s tab and slide the cover off in the direction of the arrow.

6.Place a 9-volt battery into the battery compartment on top of the ribbon, matching the polarity symbols (+ and ???) marked inside.

7.Replace the left battery compartment cover.

Warning: Dispose of old batteries promptly and properly. Do not burn or bury them.

Caution: If you do not plan to use the detec- tor for a week or more, remove the batteries. Batteries can leak chemicals that can de- stroy electronic parts.

Notes:

???For better life, exchange the two batter- ies periodically.

???You can extend battery life by using headphones, which require less power than the built-in speaker. See ???Using Headphones.???

If the LOW BATT indicator lights during nor- mal use or the detector does not function properly, replace the batteries. If it still does not function properly, you might need to re- set the detector.

USING HEADPHONES

You can connect a pair of stereo head- phones (not supplied) to the detector so you can listen to it privately. Using headphones also saves battery power and makes it easier to identify subtle changes in the sounds you hear, for better detection results. Your local RadioShack store has a wide selection of headphones.

To connect head- phones to the de- tector, insert the

ternal speaker disconnects when you con- nect headphones.

Listening Safely

To protect your hearing, follow these guide- lines when you use headphones.

???Set the volume to the lowest setting before you begin listening. After you begin listening, adjust the volume to a comfortable level.

???Do not listen at extremely high volume levels. Extended high-volume listening can lead to permanent hearing loss.

???Once you set the volume, do not increase it. Over time, your ears adapt to the volume level, so a volume level that does not cause discomfort might still damage your hearing.

Traffic Safety

Do not wear headphones while operating a motor vehicle or riding a bicycle. This can create a traffic hazard and could be illegal in some areas.

Even though some headphones let you hear some outside sounds when listening at nor- mal volume levels, they still can present a traffic hazard.

MODE ??? lets you select from OFF, VLF, TR1, TR2. (See ???Turn- ing On the Detector??? on Page 7.)

GROUND ??? compensates for false signals from mineralized soil. (See ???Adjusting Ground??? on Page 9.)

VOLUME ??? lets you adjust the volume of alert tones.

DISCRIMINATION ??? lets you ad- just the metal detector???s ability to distinguish between different types of metal. (See ???Adjusting Discrimination??? on Page 9.)

Analog Meter

LOW BATT Indicator

SENSITIVITY ??? lets you adjust

the detection depth. (See ???Ad- justing Sensitivity??? on Page 9.)

TUNING ??? adjusts the balance between the receiver and trans- mitter. (See ???Tuning the Detec- tor??? on Page 7.)

?? Operation

Your RadioShack Metal Detector distinguish- es between ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Ferrous metals contain iron, while non- ferrous metals such as gold, silver, copper, platinum, aluminum, lead, and zinc do not.

When the detector senses a metallic object, the meter reading changes and the detector sounds one of three tones. The tone de- pends on what metal is detected. The higher the tone???s pitch, the stronger the detection.

PREPARING THE

DETECTOR

Turning On the Detector

Hold the detector in a comfortable position, then rotate MODE to the desired position.

VLF (Very Low Frequency) ??? to adjust TUNE and GROUND. (See ???Adjusting Ground??? on Page 9 and ???Tuning the Detector??? below.)

??? to detect extreme differ- ences in metals, such as iron and gold. The difference between iron and gold shows on the meter (iron in the ferrous section, gold in the non-ferrous section).

TR2 (Transmit 2) ??? to detect finer distinctions between metals, such as aluminum and gold (see ???Adjusting Discrimination??? on Page 9).

Tuning the Detector

TUNE fine-tunes the balance between the de- tector???s receiver and transmitter circuitry to provide consistent pointer and tone indica- tions. Follow these steps to set TUNE.

1.Rotate VOLUME to the 10 o???clock posi- tion.

2.Set MODE to VLF.

3.Set GROUND, DISCRIMINATION, and

SENSITIVITY to mid-range.

4.Hold the search coil at least 1 foot away from the ground and any metal object, hold down the red button on the handle and slowly rotate TUNE until the analog meter pointer resets at or near 0.

As you search, you can fine-tune the detec- tor using the other controls (see ???Fine-Tuning the Detector??? on Page 9).

Note: Press the red button on the handle at any time during operation to automatically re- turn the pointer to the center of the analog meter.

TESTING AND USING THE

DETECTOR

To learn how the detector reacts to different metals, you should test it before you use it the first time. You can test the detector in- doors or outdoors.

Indoor Testing

1.Remove any watches, rings, or other metal jewelry you are wearing, then place the detector on a wooden or plas- tic table.

2.Adjust the search coil???s angle so the flat part faces the ceiling.

Note: Never test the detector on a floor inside a building. Most buildings have metal of some kind in the floor, which might interfere with the objects you are testing or mask the signal completely.

3.Set MODE to TR1.

4.Move a sample of the material you want the detector to find (such as a gold ring

or a coin) about 2 inches above the search coil.

Notes:

???The search coil will not detect without motion. You must move the object since you are not sweeping with the detector at this time.

???If you are using a coin, the detector detects it more easily if you hold it so a flat side (not the edge) is parallel with the flat side of the search coil.

If the detector detects the material, the point- er moves to FERROUS or

while the detector determines the type of metal it is detecting. If it detects non-ferrous metal, it also sounds a tone.

If the detector does not detect the material, check the LOW BATT indicator and verify that the search coil is properly connected. Al- so, you might need to fine-tune the detector See ???Fine-Tuning the Detector??? on Page 9

Outdoor Testing and Use

1.Find an area on the ground outside where there is no metal.

2.Place a sample of material you want the detector to find (such as a gold ring or a coin) on the ground. (If you are using valuable metal such as gold to test the detector, mark the area where you place the item, to help you find it later. Do not place it in tall grass or weeds.)

3.Set MODE to TR1.

4.While holding the search coil level about 1???2 inches above the ground, slowly move the search coil over the area where you placed the sample, sweeping the search coil in a side-to-side motion.

Search Coil Sweeping Hints:

???Never sweep the search coil as if it were a pendulum. Raising the search coil while sweeping or at the end of a sweep causes false readings.

???Sweep slowly; hurrying makes you miss targets.

If the detector detects the item, it sounds a tone and the pointer moves to the type of metal it found. When you detect metal, switch MODE TR1 to TR2 to deter- mine the quality of the metal.

If the detector does not detect the mate- rial, make sure you are moving the search coil correctly.

Notes:

???The detector responds with a strong signal when it detects most valuable metal objects. If a signal does not repeat after you sweep the search coil over the target a few times, the target is probably junk metal.

???False signals can be caused by areas containing large amounts of trash, electrical interference, or large irregu- lar pieces of junk metal. False signals are usually broken or non-repeatable.

5.Try finding other metal in the area. When you find a metal item, wait a few seconds after the tone stops before con- tinuing to allow the detector time to reset (or, press the red button on the handle to return the pointer to the center of the analog meter).

FINE-TUNING THE

DETECTOR

After you become familiar with how your de- tector works, you can fine-tune it to make it less sensitive to interference and more se- lective in what it finds.

Adjusting Sensitivity

To adjust the search coil???s ability to detect objects at different depths in the soil, rotate

SENSITIVITY between MIN and MAX. For maximum detection depth, leave SENSITIVI- TY set as high as possible. If the detector makes a ???chattering??? noise, decrease SENSI- TIVITY until the chatter stops.

Adjusting Ground

Setting GROUND takes a little time, but is crit- ical for accurate operation. GROUND tunes out false signals from mineralized soil. Fol- low these steps to set GROUND.

1.Set MODE to VLF and lower the search coil to 1/2 to 2 inches above the ground.

2.If the pointer swings to the right (Non- ferrous), turn GROUND to NORMAL. If the pointer swings to left (Ferrous), turn

GROUND to BASALT.

3.Raise the search coil about 1 foot from the ground and press the red button on the handle. The pointer returns to the center.

4.Repeat Steps 1???3 until the pointer stays close to the center each time you lower the search coil to the ground.

After you set GROUND, the detector is set for the soil type at that particular site. Do not re- set it until you use the detector at a different site.

Adjusting Discrimination

Discrimination is the detector???s ability to dif- ferentiate between types of metal. The de- tector???s DISCRIMINATION setting determines whether the detector will distinguish between different types of ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

If MODE is set to TR2, start with DISCRIMINA- TION set to mid-range. While you use the de- tector, adjust DISCRIMINATION to the best position. As you set DISCRIMINATION higher, the detector becomes more sensitive to the differences between large aluminum and gold pieces, for example, but some small valuable pieces, such as coins and small rings, might be overlooked.

As you set DISCRIMINATION to higher levels, the detector first does not detect small piec- es of silver paper, then thick foil, and finally metal objects like pull tabs from aluminum cans.

Note: Each time you use the detector in a different area, you must readjust

NATION. Each search location presents new challenges.

FALSE SIGNALS

Because your detector is extremely sensi- tive, trash-induced signals and other sources of interference might cause signals that seem confusing. The key to handling these types of signals is to dig for only those tar- gets that emit a strong, repeatable signal. As you sweep the search coil back and forth over the ground, learn to recognize the differ- ence between signals that occur at random and signals are stable and repeatable.

To reduce false signals when searching ar- eas containing large amounts of trash, scan only a small area at a time using slow, short overlapping sweeps.

DETECTION HINTS

No detector is 100 percent accurate. Various conditions influence metal detection. The de- tector???s reaction depends on a number of factors:

???the angle at which the object rests in the ground

???the depth of the object

???the amount of iron in the object

???the size of the object

PINPOINTING A TARGET

Accurately pinpointing a target makes dig- ging it up easier. This takes practice, and we suggest you practice finding and digging up small metal objects on your own property be- fore you search other locations.

Sometimes, targets are difficult to accurately locate due to the sweep direction. Try chang- ing your sweep direction to pinpoint a target.

1.When the detector locates a buried tar- get, continue sweeping the search coil over the target, in a narrowing side-to- side motion.

2.Make a visual note of the exact spot on the ground where the detector beeps.

3.Stop the search coil directly over this spot on the ground. Then move the search coil straight away from you and straight back toward you a couple of times.

4.Make a visual note of the exact spot on the ground where the detector beeps.

5.Repeat Steps 1???3 at a right angle to the original searchline, making an ???X??? pat- tern. The target will be directly below the ???X??? at the point of the loudest response.

Notes:

???If trash in an area is so heavy that you get false signals, slow your sweep speed and use shorter sweeps.

???Recently buried coins might not respond the same as coins buried for a long period of time because of oxidation.

???Some nails, nuts, bolts, and other iron objects (such as old bottle caps) oxidize and create a ???halo??? effect. A halo effect is caused by a mixture of natural ele- ments in the ground and the oxidation created by different metals. Because of the metal mixtures, target signals might not be in a ???fixed??? position. This effect makes these objects very hard to detect accurately. (See ???Fine-Tuning the Detec- tor??? on Page 9.)

Keep the metal detector dry; if it gets wet, wipe it dry immediately. Use and store the metal detector only in normal temperature environments. Handle the metal detector carefully; do not drop it. Keep the metal de- tector away from dust and dirt, and wipe it with a damp cloth occasionally to keep it looking new.

Modifying or tampering with the metal detec- tor???s internal components can cause a mal- function and might invalidate its warranty. If

your metal detector is not performing as it should, take it to your local RadioShack store for assistance.

The search coil supplied with the detector is waterproof and can be submerged in either fresh or salt water. However, do not let water enter the detector???s control housing. After us- ing the search coil in salt water, rinse it with fresh water to prevent corrosion of the metal parts.