Fisher COIN STRIKE User manual

COIN STRIKE
Operating Manual
Target I.D. Metal Detector
FISHER RESEARCH LABORATORY
NEW!

CONTENTS
About Your Detector .............................................................pg. 1
Setting Up ................................................................................ pg. 2
Body/Chest Mounting............................................................. pg. 5
Control Panel .......................................................................... pg. 6
Quick Start Guide.................................................................... pg. 10
4 Tone Audio System .............................................................. pg. 11
LCD Identification Sysytem..................................................... pg. 12
Precsion Visual Pinpointing .................................................... pg. 13
Ground Balancing/Tracking .................................................. pg. 14
FisherTrak AFS©........................................................................ pg. 15
Wet Sand Beach Hunting........................................................ pg. 16
Setting Memory Control ......................................................... pg. 17
Additional Features ................................................................ pg. 18
Searching ................................................................................ pg. 19
Battery Replacement.............................................................. pg. 21
Target Recovery ..................................................................... pg. 22
Maintenance .......................................................................... pg. 23
Treasure Hunter’s Code of Ethics........................................... pg. 23
Specifications.......................................................................... pg. 24

1
ABOUT YOUR DETECTOR
The I.D. detector of the future is here! The Fisher Coin Strike brings
you a new level of performance and features that include fast
automatic ground tracking, a precision auto ground balance
system, four-tone ID system, programmability and our new D.P.A.
(Digital Phase Analysis) technology.
Throughoutthisoperations manual,weare goingtoexplain toyou
the controls and LCD Display Panel of the new Coin Strike as well
as give you a few tips to get you hunting. As with any new
detector, we strongly encourage that you read the entire
operationsmanual andcall your local dealer withany questions.
The Coin Strike control panel and LCD display is designed to give
you constantcontrolreadout. Inaddition,theCoin Strikeprovides
a 4-tone audio system to give you more target information.
The rest is up to you. You’ve got the right detector, but you’ll
have to decide where to search and then put in a lot of long,
hard hours searching. And, of course, you’re going to have to
learn your Coin Strike, read this instruction manual carefully and
practiceoften.Dropus alineifyou haveanyquestions,comments
or exciting hunting stories. In the meantime . . .
HappyHunting!
FisherResearch Laboratory

2
SETTING UP
Your Fisher Coin Strike is built to last for years. However, it's a
sophisticated electronic instrument containing state-of-the-art
components. Handle it carefully, care for it regularly, and it will
give you years of dependable service. The Coin Strike requires
little assembly.
1. Unpack your Coin Strike carefully and save the
carton: it may come in handy if you ever have to
return the instrument for service.
2. Slip the lower stem into the middle stem.
3. Adjust the stem length and coil angle so that the
search coil rests flat on the ground about 6 to 12
inches in front of and slightly to the right of your right
foot (to the left of your left foot for left handers).
Yourarmshouldbestraightandrelaxed,thegripheld
loosely(see drawingonnext page).The stemlength
is adjusted by loosening the lower lock nut and
allowing the spring clip to snap into one of the
Lower
lock nut
Center
stem section
Adjustable,
fiberglass
filled, nylon
lower stem
Upper
lock nut
Search
coilcable
Control
housing
Touchpads
Padded
Armrest Foam
hand grip
Nylon wing nut
(with replaceable
Duro-Neoprene
bushings)
Upperstem
8” Spider Coil

3
holes in the center stem. The coil angle is adjusted
by loosening the nylon wing nut on top of the
searchcoil.
NOTE: Remember, the longer the shaft, the more you'll have to
bend your elbow to keep the coil off the ground and the sooner
your arm will get tired. The Coin Strike is balanced for comfortable
searching in a tight semicircle around the front of the operator.
4. With the stem length properly adjusted, wrap
the search coil cable snugly around the lower
stem and the center section. Leave just enough
slack near the coil to allow it to be tilted
completely backward and forward.
NOTE: A loose cable near the search coil may cause false signals,
but don't wrap it so tightly that it pulls against the housing or the
coil.
Adjust the stem length and coil angle so the coil rests flat on the ground about 6 to 12
inches in front of your foot. Move into your "search" position by leaning slightly and
raising the coil about 2 inches off the ground. This should put the coil about 12 to 18
inches in front of your lead foot.
TRACK
AUTO
GROUND
P/P
MEM
ALL
METAL
DISC
MENU
LIGHT
M- SCOPE
POWER
HEADPHONES
OO
DISC
SENS
THRESH
VOLUME
DISC
0
2
46
8
10 0
2
46
8
10
0
2
46
8
10
0
2
46
8
10
FOIL
NICKEL
TABS
ZINC
SETTING UP

4
SETTING UP
5. Reconnect the coil cable to the control housing.
Be careful not to cross thread it and make sure it’s
snug, but hand tightened only.
6. With the shaft length and coil angle properly
adjusted, you should be able to move into your
search position by leaning forward very slightly and
raising the angle so the coil rests flat on the ground
about 6 to 12 inches in front of your arm.
7. (When using optional headphones) Plug into the
headphones jack on the control panel.

5
1. Disconnect the cable from the control housing
and unwind all but the last 12 inches or so from the
stem. Secure the lower end of the cable with a
Velcro strap at least 12 inches up from the coil.
2. Remove the control housing from the pistol grip
by holding the grip with one hand and sliding the
housing toward you with the other hand.
3. Attach the belt clip to the control housing by
slipping it over the brass posts on the bottom of the
control housing and pulling it toward the control
panel to lock it in place.
4. Reconnect the cable to the control housing.
5. Thecontrolhousingcanthenbemountedonyour
belt or on the optional Fisher Chest Harness.
It is especially important that the cable connector be installed
tightly to prevent false signals during body-mount use. Tight, but
never tightened with anything but your hands.
BODY/CHEST MOUNT

CONTROL PANEL
6
The Coin Strike control panel is an all new digital I/O System. The
LCDDisplayprovides youwitha constantcontrolreadout showing
you all of your current settings, much like the knobs of an older -
style metal detector.
1. The POWER button turns the unit ON and OFF. One of the first
thingsyouwillnoticewhenyouturnonyourCoinStrikeisthebattery
level display. Fresh batteries will show 9 volts; when the battery
level is down to 6 volts, you have about an hour of battery life left.
The detector will not turn on if the search coil is not properly
connected. This can prove to be a timesaving safeguard.
2. The LIGHT button enables you to use your back light for hunting
indim lightsituations.
3. The MENU button enables you to enter the “menu mode”, in
which you can adjust any of seven controls with the UP/DOWN
arrowbuttons: theiron discriminationlevel, thethreshold level,the
sensitivity level, a wet sand “salt” mode, the volume level, four
independent disc. notches, and the saving or recall of 4 control
setups(includingafactory presetmode)withour memoryfeature.
Notice that when the MENU button is pushed, the active control
blinks — this is the control that can be adjusted with the UP or
DOWN arrow buttons. To move to the next control, just press the
MENU button again. When you have all your settings completed,
press the P/P (MEM) button to return to the search mode.
TRACK
AUTO
GROUND
P/P
MEM
ALL
METAL
DISC
MENU
LIGHT
M- SCOPE
POWER
HEADPHONES
OO
DISC
SENS
THRESH
VOLUME
DISC
0
2
46
8
10 0
2
46
8
10
0
2
46
8
10
0
2
46
8
10
FOIL
NICKEL
TABS
ZINC

7
a. Whenin theMENU mode,the Iron DISCcontrol
can be varied from 0 to 99 with the UP and DOWN
arrowbuttons. A 0discrimination settingwill allowall
metalstoactivatethetone;a 99discriminationsetting
fully discriminates out most iron targets, allowing only
nonferrous objects to activate the tone I.D. in Disc
mode.When hunting, you will choose an optimal
discriminationsetting between0 and 99that allows
you to ignore most of the iron trash in your hunting
area,withoutgiving upanygood targets. Alsonotice
that the constant control readout shows you
approximatesettingsatalltimeswithagraphicalicon,
whether you are in the MENU mode or the search
mode.
b. The THRESHOLD control is best understood as
settinga“trigger”pointfor receivedsignalstoexceed
(and be acknowledged) or fall short of (and be
ignored). This control can be adjusted with the arrow
buttons between -99 (higher trigger = less excitable)
and +4 (low trigger = more excitable). There are a
couple of considerations in choosing a threshold
setting: 1) If you prefer to have an audio threshold
tonepresentwhilehunting,choose asettingbetween
0and +4. This willallow your Coin Strike to react tothe
tiniest targets in a low mineralization environment. 2)
However, if you plan to utilize the fast automatic
ground tracking feature of the Coin Strike, set the
threshold to a -5 or -10 setting for stable tracking
performance (and even lower in harshly mineralized
soils).
c. The SENSITIVITY control can be varied from a setting
of 0 to a maximum of 10 with the arrow buttons when
the SENS icon is flashing. As with most detectors, set
the sensitivity higher for best depth performance in
soilsthatarelowinmineralization. Asthemineralization
getsworse,lowerthesensitivitysettingas needed. We
recommend a sensitivity setting of 4 or lower for the
moststableperformanceif the fastautomaticground
tracking is enabled. Please note that a SENS setting
of 0 or 1 will still yield excellent results.
CONTROL PANEL

8
d. The SALT mode can be activated or turned off with
the Auto Ground button. While in the MENU, when
the two-digit display shows “SO”, the SALT mode is
off. Use this setting for all hunting conditions except
wetsand (beaches)with saltcontent andNO black
sand (magnetic soil). Press and release the Auto
Ground button to toggle the SALT mode on (display
will show “S1”). Press and release again to toggle it
off. For more beach hunting tips, see the WET SAND
HUNTING section.
e. The VOLUME can be adjusted and listened to when
the VOLUME icon is flashing by using the UP and
DOWNarrow buttons.
f. The NOTCH Discrimination (“no” on the two digit
display in the MENU) can be adjusted as follows:
1. The UP/DOWN arrow buttons will allow you to
choose which NOTCH category to alter.
2. Once you have chosen which category to
change (FOIL, NICKEL, TABS, or ZINC), pushing and
releasing the ALL METAL/DISC button turns the
NOTCH filter ON or OFF.
- If the square next to the chosen category
blinks quickly (on more than off) that target
willbeaccepted.
- If the square next to the chosen category
blinksslowly(off morethan on)thattarget will
be rejected.
- When in the SEARCH mode, if the square is
ON, the target is accepted; if the square is
OFF, the target is rejected.
Remember, to exit the MENU mode at any time, simply press the
P/P (MEM) button to return to the SEARCH mode
4. The AUTO GROUND button enables you to achieve a precision
groundbalancewithonetouch.AutoGroundBalanceisexplained
in more detail on page 15. This button also toggles the SALT mode
on or off while in MENU.
CONTROL PANEL

9
CONTROL PANEL
5. The P/P (MEM) button is used return to the search mode after
youset allyour current settingswhen itis pushedand released. As
mentioned above, it is also used in Memory mode. If the P/P
button is pushed and held while hunting, the Precision Visual
PinpointMode willbe activated.
6. The TRACK button activates the Fisher Track AFS©- Adaptive
Feedback System. This fast auto-ground tracking system, enables
you to adapt to changing ground conditions without giving up
the ability to detect targets!
7. The ALL METAL/DISC button enables you to toggle between
two operating modes: a “true” all metal detecting mode or, with
anadvanceddiscriminationsystemactivated.WhenintheNOTCH
discrimination MENU, the button is used to activate or turn off the
FOIL, NICKEL, TABS and ZINC disc. notches. When in the search
mode, this button can be pushed and held to activate or turn off
the numeric I.D. averaging.

10
QUICK START GUIDE
We strongly encourage you to thoroughly read and understand
everything in this operation manual prior to using your new Fisher
CoinStrike. Thiswillenableyoutoobtaintheoptimumperformance
when you detect. However, we can provide a few quick
suggestions that can help you get started. To begin hunting with
your new Coin Strike, you will at least need to be familiar with the
controlpanel (seepage 6).
1. TurnONtheCoinStrikebypressingandreleasingthePOWER
button.
2. Push and release the MENU button. Push this button
repeatedly until the MEM icon flashes. Then, press the UP
arrow button until the two-digit display shows “FP” (factory
preset).Finally, pushand releasethe P/P(MEM) button.This
will set the Coin Strike as follows:
Iron Disc = 99
Threshold = 0
Sensitivity = 7
Salt Mode OFF
Volume = 10
NotchDisc: EliminateFoil and Tabs
These factory present settings are a good start for COINS
only hunting.
3. Lower the search coil to the ground in an area completely
void of metal. Next, press the AUTO GROUND button and
holditforabout2 seconds.Then,whilestillholdingthe AUTO
GROUND button down, lift the coil about 6 inches off the
ground, hold for a second, and release the button. The
Coin Strike will give you a brief tone to let you know the
groundbalance hasbeen achieved.
4. Begin your search, using the method described on
page 19.
5. Ifyouprefer tohuntusing our advancedFisherTracksystem,
orotheradvancedfeatures (suchasthe saltmode),please
refer to this operation manual.

4 TONE AUDIO SYSTEM
11
The four-tone audio system provides you with more information
per sweep, acting as a target I.D. system in the “discrimination”
mode. While sweeping the Coin Strike search coil over a target,
you will hear one of four tones:
LOW TONE = Iron objects (ferrous)
LOW/MID TONE = Foil, Nickel, Round Tabs
MID/HIGH TONE = Square Tabs, Zinc Pennies
HIGH TONE = Copper, Clad, Silver Coins
If a bell tone audio is heard, accompanied by an
“OL” on the LCD, the coil has encountered a larger
or shallow target and the search coil must be lifted
to avoid overload and inaccurate I.D.
When hunting in the ALL Metal mode, a single tone
will be heard for any metal object the coil is swept
over. This mode responds much like the “auto tune”
mode of previous detectors.

LCD IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM
The LCD will also show you an indication of the type of target you
have found, in conjunction with the audio tones, by showing you
a number preceded by a “-” or “+” sign. The target identification
system works as follows:
When in either search mode (ALL METAL or DISC), a target
willproduce anumber between0 and 99indicating target
type.
In addition, the - or + sign in front of the number
indicates whether the target is ferrous in nature (an iron
target) / or nonferrous (a non-iron target).
The target I.D. numbers correspond to the following target
types:
All negative (-) numbers: Iron
+0 to +8: Foil
+9 to +11: Nickel
+17 to +18: SquareTab
+20 to +22: ZincPennies
+28 to +30: Cooperpennies, dimes
+30 to +34: Quarters
+34 to +51: High conductive coins
(silver)
+60 an up: Various hot rocks
Remember, this Numeric I.D. system is activated in either
the All-Metal or Disc. modes (although the 4-tone audio
I.D. is only active in the Disc. mode).
Also, the iron discriminator and disc. notches can silence
the audio for certain targets, but the two-digit I.D. will
always reveal the target identity.
12 12

Precision Visual Pinpointing
When the P/P button is pushed and held, the non-
motion pinpoint mode is activated. This pinpoint mode may be
familiar in some ways (when the target is approached, the audio
intensity increases), but different in others (the digital numeric
indicator). The two digit (0-99) LCD will help you to accurately
pinpoint your target by increasing in value as the center of the
target is approached. This gives you much more resolution in
pinpointing than a “depth estimation” system, and allows you to
characterize size, shape, and location of your target better.
13

14
GROUND BALANCING/TRACKING
The Coin Strike offers three options for handling the soil
mineralizationyoumayencounter. Ournewauto-groundbalance
systemandourFisherTrakgroundtrackingsystemaremadepossible
by our AFS©(Adaptive Feedback System) technology.
AUTO GROUND BALANCE:
Theprecisionautomaticgroundbalancesystemwillprovideground
balance accuracy that exceeds any setting achieved manually.
The procedure is quite simple: After you have set up your controls
and are back in the search mode, lower the search coil to the
groundin anarea completelyvoid ofmetal. Next,press theAUTO
GROUND button and hold it for about 2 seconds. Then, while still
holdingtheAUTOGROUNDbuttondown,liftthecoilabout6inches
off the ground, hold for a second, and release the button. The
Coin Strike will give you a brief tone to let you know the ground
balance has been achieved. This procedure can be repeated
at any time, as you change your settings or ground conditions
change. It is fast and accurate.

FISHERTRAK AFS©
“FisherTRAK©” FAST AUTO-GROUND TRACKING:
To take advantage of the fast auto-ground tracking system of
the Coin Strike, start by using the automatic ground balance
procedure just described. Then, simply press the TRACK button
on the panel to allow the Coin Strike to automatically adjust to
changing ground conditions. Notice that the “TRACK” icon will
be active on the display when the tracking system is ON. The
Coin Strike system provides a superior tracking system that will
“track” only on mineralized soils and hot rocks — not on actual
targets themselves.
Also, note that the unit can be auto-ground balanced at any
time while in the tracking mode for faster, easier hunting. This can
be done by lowering the coil to the ground, pausing for about 2
seconds,then liftingthesearch coilabout 6inches andwaiting for
the tone to signal completion of the automatic balancing.
It is very helpful to set the controls of your Coin Strike for the most
stabletracking performance. Ifyouare huntingin mineralizedsoil,
we suggest setting the Threshold control to –5, -10, or even lower.
We also suggest setting the Sensitivity control to 5, 4, or lower. If
you experience unstable tracking performance, please adjust
these controls accordingly. And remember that the Coin Strike
still has excellent performance with these lower settings — you will
recover good targets with smooth, trouble-free operation — use
this to your advantage!
15

WET SAND (BEACH) HUNTING
The Coin Strike allows beach hunters 2 choices for detecting in
wetsand.
1. If hunting in nonmagnetic wet sand (salt water beach
with no black sand), use the SALT mode feature described
on page 8. Be sure to activate the SALT mode (S1) before
you select the THRESHOLD and SENSITIVITY settings, and
before you auto-ground balance the detector.
2. If hunting on wet black sand beaches, better results
are obtained by turning OFF the SALT mode (SO). In
these conditions, adjust the SENS to 3 or lower, and the
THRESH to -10 or lower. Then, auto-ground balance the
detector and turn ON the auto ground tracking system
(Fisher Trak). The tracking system should allow you to
enter and exit the wet, salt sand without false signals if
the SENS and THRESH are set up properly.
16

YournewCoin Strikeprovidesyou with3memory locationstostore
your favorite control settings. These memory locations will store
theIron DISClevel, THRESHOLDlevel, SENSITIVITYlevel, andNOTCH
disc. Please note that the SALT Mode and VOLUME level will not
be stored.
Atthis point, we would also like to remind you that yourCoin Strike
has a last-setting memory feature. This means that the unit will
maintainthecontrolsettings whenitisturnedOFF, savingthesame
settings for you when you turn your Coin Strike back ON (except
for the salt mode; this will always default to salt mode off).
By pressing the MENU button to enter the MENU mode and then
pressing it again until the “MEM” icon begins flashing, you will be
ready to store or recall your settings. Memory address “0” always
containsyourcurrent controlsettings, andisnot alocation tostore
settings for later recall.
STORING SETTINGS:
1. Set the controls (DISC, THRESH, SENS, and NOTCH) by using
the MENU button to select the control, and the UP and
DOWN arrow buttons to set to the desired levels.
2. Once the controls are set, press the MENU button until the
“MEM”icon blinks.
3. Use the UP or DOWN arrow buttons to select the MEM 1,
MEM 2, or MEM 3 storage location.
4. Then, press and hold the P/P MEM button for about 3
seconds. When the settings are stored, an audio tone will
soundand the“MEM” iconwill blink twice. Release the P/P
MEM button and you are in the search mode and ready to
hunt. Inaddition,thesettingsarestoredintheMEMlocation
you chose (1, 2, or 3).
RECALLINGSETTINGS:
1. To recall a stored setting, press the MENU button to enter
theMENUmode, andthenpress itrepeatedlyuntil theMEM
icon is selected.
2. Using the UP or DOWN arrow buttons, select the MEM
location you want to recall.
Then, press the P/P MEM button for only 1 second and release it.
Abriefaudio tonewillsoundand thedetectorwill enterthesearch
mode in the settings you recalled.
Selecting the factory preset (FP) memory setting is described on
page 10.
SETTING MEMORY CONTROL
17

ADDITIONAL FEATURES
AUTOMATIC LOW BATTERY WARNING: TheCoinStrikewillletyou
knowwhenalowbatteryconditionwillbegintoeffectperformance
—the batteries mustbe changedat this time. Whenthe batteries
get too weak, the LCD will show a “LOW BATTERY” warning on the
display. In addition, the audio system will produce a wavering
tone to alert you to the low battery condition.
AUTOMATICSIGNAL OVERLOAD WARNING: TheCoinStrikewill
alertyouto thepresenceof alarge metal objectin closeproximity
to the search coil by sounding off an audio bell tone. This lets you
know that the object is too close to the coil for the 4-tone audio
or LCD systems to accurate identify the object.
“F.A.C.T.©”: Fisher’s new adaptive coil technology allows the
detector electronics to recognize whether the search coil is
properly installed on the detector. The Coin Strike will not turn ON
withoutthe searchcoil connector properlyinstalled to the control
housing.
CONSTANT CONTROL READOUT: Unlike many digital detectors,
theCoin StrikeLCD showsyou thecontrol settingsat alltimes while
in the search mode. The control icons are similar to the knobs of
olderdetectors, constantly showing where thesettings are at one
easy glance. In addition, even more accurate information
regarding the control settings can be obtained by entering the
MENUmode andobserving the two-digitnumber accompanying
each control, showing improved resolution of each control.
LCD BACKLIGHT: The press of a button activates a very efficient
displaybacklight foruse in darksituations.
Numeric I.D. Averaging Function: This is activated (A1) or
deactivated (A) when the ALL/METAL/DISC button is pushed and
held. When ON, the numeric I.D. will be based on cumulative
averagefrom sweepto sweep. When OFF, thenumeric I.D.will be
basedon immediatesweep results.
18