Fisher CZ-7a PRO Quicksilver User manual

CZ-7a PRO Quicksilver
Operating Manual
Deep Search, Body Mount, Target I.D. Metal Detector
FISHER RESEARCH LABORATORY

CONTENTS
About Your Detector .............................................................pg. 1
Setting Up................................................................................pg. 5
Body Mounting ...................................................................... pg. 8
Turn-On-And-Go “Preset” Operation.................................. pg. 9
Control Panel .........................................................................pg. 11
Turn-On Procedure................................................................ pg. 16
Ground Balancing.................................................................pg. 17
Pushbutton ..............................................................................pg. 18
Bobbing .................................................................................. pg. 19
Search Modes........................................................................pg. 22
Autotune .................................................................................pg. 22
Target-I.D. ...............................................................................pg. 23
Audio Response Chart .......................................................... pg. 25
Searching ...............................................................................pg. 28
Pinpointing/Depth Reading .................................................pg. 31
Target Identification ..............................................................pg. 32
Target Recovery ....................................................................pg. 34
Recovery Tools ...................................................................... pg. 34
False Signals ........................................................................... pg. 35
Operating Tips........................................................................pg. 39
Battery Replacement............................................................pg. 42
Maintenance .........................................................................pg. 43
Specifications ........................................................................pg. 44

1
ABOUT YOUR DETECTOR
Your CZ-7a Pro is an extremely advanced and sophisticated
instrument. It combines deep seeking, microprocessor, target-
I.D. technology with user friendly controls and a very rugged
and unique body-mount control housing.
1. Easy to Use: Just set the ground-balance knob
on the red 5, push the "PRESET' touch pad and
you're ready to start searching in a "coins only"
mode. For maximum performance, you can easily
adjust the CZ-7a Pro for your own specific
situation. Ground balancing and fine tuning with
the touch pads is quick and simple.
2. Tactile Feedback Touch-Pad Controls: Raised
touch pads give a positive click when pressed.
Unlike many touch pads, you know when you're
touching them-without looking; and you know
when you've entered a command.
3. Liquid Crystal Display with Back-Light: A large
liquid-crystal display gives you quick and
accurate information about the target, operating
mode and battery condition. Use this function
sparingly as it will significantly reduce battery life.
4. Notch Discrimination: You can selectively
ignore or accept any combination of seven
small-target classifications: iron, round pull tabs,
rectangular pull tabs, foil, zinc pennies, nickels
and a category including copper pennies and
other U.S. clad and silver coins.
5. Visual Target ID.: A microprocessor-controlled
display registers one of seven small-target
categories. When the powerful, dual-frequency
CZ-7a Pro classification system makes an
identification, a marker appears on the LCD
under the appropriate target-category icon. If
identification is difficult due to irregular size,
conductivity or depth, the CZ-7a Pro will alert you
by jumping back and forth between the two
most likely categories.

2
6. 3-Tone Target l.D.: A low tone for iron; a mid-
tone for pull tabs, foil and most gold rings; and a
high tone for U.S. coins, silver rings and some gold
rings.
7. Target Separation: It's a sad-but-true fact that
most gold rings, pull tabs, foil and nickels fall into
the same conductivity range, meaning that a
detector user has to dig a lot of trash to find rings
and nickels. But the CZ-7a Pro separates the
nickels from the trash and even separates the
tabs from the foil so the ring hunter can
determine just how much trash he's willing to put
up with. For example, in an area heavily infested
with nails and foil, you can set the CZ-7a Pro to
ignore iron and foil and still dig nickels, other
coins and all gold rings falling into the nickel and
pull-tab categories.
8. Silent-Search, Slow-Motion Target LD. Mode:
No threshold tone; no chatter. The audio and
visual target ID. circuits ignore everything you've
"notched" out. For example, if you've notched
out iron targets, you'll never hear the low "iron"
tone, and you'll never see a marker under the
iron icon.
9. All-Metal Autotune Mode: Hot, smooth
running, wide-scan search mode for all-metal
treasure hunting and prospecting.
10. Pushbutton VCO Pinpointing and Depth
Reading: Push the PINPOINT touch pad and the
CZ-7a Pro operating mode changes to no motion.
The search coil doesn't have to be moving to
locate a target. The signal tone increases in pitch
and volume as the center of the coil approaches
the target. Target depth is displayed in inches.
11. Touch-Pad Ground Balancing: Just press the
pinpoint touch pad and lower the coil to the
ground. Then set the ground control just below
the audio tone and you are precisely tuned for
on-site conditions.
ABOUT YOUR DETECTOR

3
12. Depth: Patented Fourier Domain Signal
Analysis. Two deep-seeking, ground -
compensating VLF signals (one at 5 kHz and one
at 15 kHz) provide twice as much target
information for accurate analysis and
identification.
13. Faint-Target Audio Boost: The lower range of
the volume control of the CZ-7a Pro is like any
other that you've used. But as you increase the
volume above mid range, strong target sounds
remain at a fixed volume while faint, deep-target
sounds continue to get louder.
14. Big-Target Alert: Ordinary detector circuits
overload on large, shallow targets, identifying
them as good targets. But not the CZ-7a Pro. A
distinctive belt tone immediately warns you that
the target signal is too strong to identify.
15. Wet Sand Operation: Just press the NORM/
SALT touch pad, reset the ground control and you
can search wet salt-sand like nobody's business.
In fact, you can submerge the coil for shallow
saltwater beachcombing.
16. Splashproof, Rainproof, Dustproof: The control
housing is sealed and the battery compartments
have their own gaskets. The search coil is
submersible. The cable connector and
headphone jack (when the phone plug is
inserted) are splashproof. The CZ-7a Pro is not
submersible, but rain and dust are no problem,
and the speaker is splashproof.
17. Drop-In Batteries: No wires, no clip, no hassle.
Just drop in two 9volt transistor batteries.
18. Constant Battery Monitor: You always know
the condition of your CZ-7a Pro batteries. Three
bars on the Liquid Crystal Display indicate fully
charged batteries. Two bars means they're about
half gone, and one bar means it's time to replace
them.
ABOUT YOUR DETECTOR

4
19. Adjustable, Double-Locking Lower Stem:
Fiber glass reinforced nylon stem with a steel
spring clip to keep it in perfect alignment and a
positive grip injection-molded ABS lock nut.
20. Balanced and Comfortable: The universal
arm rest detector stand along with Fisher's "S"
handle design and pistol-grip mounted control
housing give the CZ 7a Pro superior balance and
maximum comfort.
21. Spider Coils: Your choice of an all-purpose, 8-
inch Spider coil or a deep-seeking 10 1/2-inch
Spider coil. They're light, tough and have open
centers for accurate pinpointing. The hot, little 5-
inch coil is great for extremely trashy areas, tight
spots or highly mineralized ground.
22. Three-Piece Breakdown: The CZ-7a Pro
breaks down to fit into an optional carrying case
not much bigger than a briefcase and small
enough for most airline carry-on luggage.
23. Last-Setting Turn-On Memory: When you turn
your CZ-7a Pro on, it automatically sets the
Sensitivity, Volume, Notch and Mode exactly as
they were when you turned it off (even if the
batteries have been removed!). Note that no
battery drain is required to retain your last settings
in memory.
24. Body Mount or Handle Mount: Just slide the
control housing off the handle grip, snap on the
belt loop and put it on your belt. What's left is so
light it will feel like part of your arm.
Read this instruction manual thoroughly, practice often and
you're in for some exciting treasure hunting. Drop us a line if
you have any questions, comments or good finds to tell us
about. In the meantime. . .
Happy Hunting,
FISHER RESEARCH LABORATORY
ABOUT YOUR DETECTOR

5
SETTING UP
Your Fisher CZ-7a Pro QuickSilver 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
CZ-7a Pro requires little assembly.
1. Unpack your CZ-7a Pro 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 upper 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). Your arm should be straight and
relaxed, the grip held loosely (see drawing on
next page). The stem length is adjusted by
loosening the lower lock nut and allowing the
8-inch Spider
search coil
Liquid
crystal
display
Lower
lock nut
Center
stem section
Adjustable,
fiberglass
filled, nylon
lower stem
Upper
lock nut
Search
coil cable
Control
housing
Touch pads
Padded
Armrest
Foam
hand grip
Nylon wing nut
(with
replaceable
Duro-Neoprene
bushings)
Upper stem

6
spring clip to snap into one of the holes in the
center stem. The coil angle is adjusted by
loosening the nylon wing nut on top of the
search coil.
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 CZ-7a Pro 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.
SETTING UP
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.

7
5. Reconnect the coil cable to the control
housing. Be careful not to cross thread it and
make sure it's snug, but hand tighten 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 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 the headphones into the HEADPHONES jack
on the control panel.
SETTING UP

BODY MOUNTING
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 wilth the other hand.
3. Attach the belt loop 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. The control housing can then be mounted on
your belt or on the optional Fisher Chest Harness,
which is especially useful for shallow water
hunting.
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.
For belt mounting, left handers should wear the housing on their right hip and
right handers should wear it on their left hip.
8

TURN-ON-AND-GO ‘PRESET’ OPERATION
Your CZ-7a Pro Quicksilver is fairly simple to operate, especially
when compared to other target-I. D. machines. Even so, we
strongly recommend that you read this entire manual. You'll be
able to tune your CZ-7a Pro to your specific needs and ground
conditions. And if you have a good understanding of how to
ground balance and why, you'll find more.
But if you just can't wait any longer, and you're an
experienced detector user, here's some quick instructions to
get you going:
1. If using optional headphones: Plug your
headphones into the jack on the control panel
and put them around your neck.
2. Turn the power on by rotating the the
GROUND BALANCE knob clockwise to the red 5.
3. Press and release the PRESET touch pad.
4. Your CZ-7a Pro is now in a "coins-only" mode,
preset at the factory to accept U.S. coins and
reject small ferrous and aluminum trash.
5. You are ready to begin your search at this
point, but first, if using optional headphones, put
them on and pass the coil over a large target. If
the response is too loud or not loud enough,
adjust the volume by pressing and releasing the
VOL touch pad and pressing the left/right arrows
touch pads. Press and release the SEARCH/
PINPOINT pad to exit the Volume function and
activate the Search mode.
6. As you begin your search, keep in mind that
the GROUND BALANCE setting of 5 may not be
To use the turn-on-and-go
feature of your CZ-7a Pro,
turn the GROUND BALANCE
knob to the red 5 preset
mark and touch and hold
the PRESET touch pad.
9

optimum for the ground you're searching, and
that's why your sensitivity is set relatively low-to
minimize false signals caused by ground
mineralization.
7. Travel slowly, overlap your sweeps and keep
the search coil moving. Remember, you're in a
"motion" search mode, and the coil must be
moving at least slightly to detect a target.
8. When you get a good, repeatable signal,
pinpoint the target by placing the coil on the
ground away from the target, pressing and
holding the SEARCH/ PINPOINT pad and then
bringing the coil back over the target.
9. Once you've pinpointed the target, note the
approximate depth reading on the LCD, then
identify the target by releasing the pinpoint
button and moving the coil side to side in short
strokes over the target. A cursor will lock under
the appropriate target classification.
TURN-ON-AND-GO ‘PRESET’ OPERATION
10

CONTROL PANEL
GROUND BALANCE, ON/OFF: This knob turns the unit
on and off and compensates for ground
mineralization when used in conjunction with the
SEARCH/PINPOINT touch pad. (See p. 17 for more on
Ground Balancing). 5 is the preset (red) position.
When the power is turned on, the volume, sensitivity, notch
and made functions are automatically set at the same levels
they were when last turned off (this is true even if the batteries
have been replaced.)
LIGHT: When pressed momentarily and released, the LCD
is backlit for night searching. Press and release to turn off.
*Use this function sparingly as it will significantly reduce
battery life.
VOL: Press and hold until the numbers 0-10, a row of
cursors and the abbreviated word "VOL" appear.
Adjust the volume by using the left-right arrow touch
pads. Volume is gradually increased from settings 0 to 4. From 6
to 10, the faint-target audio boost function becomes active;
loud target response remains constant while faint, weak
Note that the touch pads are slightly raised so that you can
actually feel them. When you press these custom touch pads
you can feel and hear a definite "click (so you know the
switch has been activated).
The CZ-7a Pro
control panel
features a
manual, analog
knob for ground
balance and 10
custom,
microprocessor
controlled touch
pads for all other
functions.
11

targets continue to get louder. Exit the volume function by
momentarily pressing and releasing the SEARCH/PINPOINT
touch pad.*
NORM/SALT: Press momentarily and release to
select either the NORM or SALT mode. A cursor will
remain above the appropriate mode name
(NORMAL or SALT). Use the SALT mode when beach
hunting on wet sand.
AUTO 5 AUTO/I.D.: Press momentarily and release to
change from the Autotune mode to the Target I.D.
mode or vice versa (this should take less than a
second). A cursor will let you know which mode
you are in. (See p. 17 for more on the Autotune mode.)
SENS: Press and hold until the numbers 0-10, a row
of cursors and "SENS" appear. Adjust sensitivity as
you did the volume above. Exit the sensitivity
function by momentarily pressing and releasing the
SEARCH/PINPOINT pad.*
PRESET: When this pad is pressed and held
momentarily, the CZ-7a Pro defaults to the factory
preset control settings:
LCD when SENS
pad has been
pushed and
sensitivity is set to
8 using the Arrow
touch pads.
LCD when VOL
pad has been
pressed and
volume is set to 6
using Arrow
touch pads.
Factory preset
control settings
on LCD when
PRESET pad has
been pushed.
CONTROL PANEL
0 2 4 6 8 10SENS
0 2 4 6 8 10 VOL
12

When searching in the PRESET
mode, you can set the
GROUND BALANCE knob to
the red 5 or you can adjust it in
accordance with the ground
balancing procedure.
VOL = 6
NORM/SALT - NORM
AUTO/I.D. = I.D.
SENS = 4
Notch Discrimination =
accepts - coins only
*You can checkyourVolumeand Sensitivitylevelsbypassing the
search coil over targets while in either the VOLUME or SENSITIVITY
modes. Be sure to press and release the SEARCH pad, however,
whenyouareready to beginyouractualsearch.
LCD in NOTCH
mode rejecting
iron, pull tabs
and foil and
accepting coins.
Notice the cursor
under the Zinc
penny notch
marker.
CAUTION: If you press the PRESET pad by mistake, there is no
indication on the LCD to alert you to the fact that you may
have changed your volume, modes, sensitivity and notch
settings.
NOTCH: Press and hold the NOTCH pad until you see
a cursor appear below the row of target icons.
Accept or reject target categories by moving the
cursor back and forth beneath the target icons
with the left-right arrow touch pads and pressing NOTCH when
the cursor is below the selected target. A visible marker
means the target will be accepted. When NOTCH is pressed
and the cursor is below a marker, the marker will disappear
and the target will be rejected. If the NOTCH pad is pressed
below a target with no marker, the marker will appear and
the target will be accepted. Exit the NOTCH function by
pressing and releasing the SEARCH/PINPOINT pad. To check
your notch settings over actual targets, make sure you're in
CONTROL PANEL
13

the I.D. and SEARCH/PINPOINT modes.
LEFT-RIGHT ARROWS: These Arrow touch pads
are used in conjunction with the VOL, SENS and
NOTCH functions. Adjustments are made by first
pressing a function pad, and then pressing the appropriate
Arrow pad, which moves the cursor left or right one space
across the LCD. When in the Notch function, the cursor is
positioned below the appropriate icon to accept or reject
that category of target. Use the Arrow pads to also adjust the
volume and sensitivity. For these functions, a bar graph
appears on the LCD and the Arrow pads increase or
decrease the value.
SEARCH/PINPOINT: Press and release this pad to get
out of the Volume, Sensitivity and Notch functions.
You must do this if you are in one of these functions
(VOL, for example) and you want to get into
another function (NOTCH, for example). Pressing and releasing
this pad also puts you into the SEARCH/ PINPOINT mode when
you're ready to start hunting.
HEADPHONES: 1/4-inch jack for most stereo headphones.
When not in use, always keep the captive phone-jack plug
(not shown) fully inserted to keep out dust and moisture. The
control housing is not weatherproof unless a headphone jack
or the phone jack plug is in place.
LCD in SEARCH
mode identifying
a silver or copper
coin.
When in the SEARCH mode, the LCD displays the following as
indicated by separate markers:
1. Probable target l.D. (when in the I.D. mode)
2. NORMAL or SALT mode operation.
CONTROL PANEL
1
2
3
14

When pressed and held, the SEARCH/PINPOINT pad also can
be used for pinpointing, depth reading and ground balancing.
However, when pinpointing or depth reading, the SEARCH/
PINPOINT pad must be held just a little bit longer than the
other pads (maybe half a second longer) before it goes into
action. For depth reading, hold the search coil on the ground,
away from the target, then press and hold the SEARCH/
PINPOINT pad until the numbers 0-10 appear on the LCD along
with a marker and the word "INCHES." Then you can pinpoint
and/or depth read by continuing to press the SEARCH/
PINPOINT pad and moving the search coil back over the
target. The approximate depth in inches is indicated by the
position of the markers over the numbers. When pressed and
held, the SEARCH/PINPOINT pad puts the CZ-7a Pro into a "no-
motion" mode for easy pinpointing (the search coil doesn't
need to be moving to detect a target).
CONTROL PANEL
LCD in PINPOINT
mode when
SEARCH/
PINPOINT pad is
pressed and
held.
According to
the LCD,
the target is
approximately 8
inches deep.
0 2 4 6 8 10INCHES
3. Autotune or Target I.D. made
4. BATTERY condition. Three markers indicate a full
or near-full charge. Two markers indicate the
batteries have some hours on them but are still
OK. One or no markers mean that it's time to
change batteries.
15

TURN ON PROCEDURE
1. (optional) Adjust your headset volume controls
to minimum, and plug the headphone jack into
the CZ-7a Pro control panel. Leave the headset
around your neck for now.
2. When you first turn the power on, you will
probably notice a momentary display on the
LCD. This is normal for the CZ-7a Pro. Set your
controls as follows:
3. (optional) Put your headset on and gradually
increase the CZ-7a Pro volume to a comfortable
level when the coil is passed over a large,
shallow target.
NOTE: If your headset has volume controls, first adjust your
headset volume controls to minimum and the CZ-7a Pro
volume to maximum. Then gradually increase the headset
controls to a comfortable level when the coil is passed over a
target. Note that small, deep targets now respond with the
same loud zap as large, shallow targets. To defeat the faint-
target, audio boost feature, adjust the CZ-7a Pro volume to 4
or lower.
GROUND BALANCE = 10
AUTO/I.D. = I.D. for normal use in target I.D. mode.
(use AUTO mode for deep search, all-metal, autotune mode)
SENS = 10
VOLUME = 0
NORM/SALT = NORM for normal search areas (use SALT
mode for wet sand hunting)
16

GROUND BALANCING
Metal detectors like the CZ-7a Pro operate by generating
an electromagnetic field from the search coil into the ground.
When this field surrounds a metallic object, it becomes
distorted and the distortion is recognized as a target by the CZ-
7a Pro electronic circuitry.
Ground mineralization can also distort a search coil's
electromagnetic field, and a detector may respond to ground
minerals just as it would to a real target. You can minimize
these "false signals by ground balancing the CZ-7a Pro circuitry
so it will ignore most ground mineralization.
When your CZ-7a Pro Quicksilver is properly "ground
balanced," it will have only a minimal response to ground
mineralization. Precise adjustment of the GROUND BALANCE
control is critical for optimum performance. The higher the
degree of ground mineralization or the higher the sensitivity
setting, the more critical it is to have your machine properly
ground balanced. Once you adjust the ground balance in
either the Autotune mode or Target-LD. mode, you can switch
back and forth between the two modes without resetting,
unless you increase the sensitivity level or go from dry sand to
wet sand or vice versa. You should also recheck your ground
balance setting occasionally as you search because ground
conditions often change within a few feet.
The audio target response of the CZ-7a Pro is loud, sharp and abrupt. Be
sure to set the VOL touch pad to 0 before turning on your CZ-7a Pro while
wearing the headphones.
17

If you have difficulty ground balancing, try reducing your
sensitivity level or moving to another spot just in case you are
over a buried piece of metal. In some areas of high ground
mineralization you may not be able to use the pushbutton
method.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you body mount your CZ-7a Pro,
you'll find that the "Bobbing" method is the easier of
the following two ground balancing methods.
"Pushbutton"Ground Balance Method
This will probably be your method of choice unless you have
body mounted your CZ-7a Pro or you are in highly mineralized
ground. It's fast, easy and accurate. You can use this method
in either the Autotune or Target LD. mode.
1. With your controls set as in the "Turn-On"
procedure (See page 9/GROUND BALANCE
control at 10), hold your search coil parallel to
the ground and 6 to 12 inches off the ground.
2. Make sure you're at least 3 feet away from
any metal objects.lower the coil to the ground.
Keep your thumb on the SEARCH/PINPOINT
button, and with your other hand, rotate the
GROUND control counterclockwise (starting at
10) until you hear an audio tone. Then back off to
the exact point where the tone disappears.
Release the SEARCH/PINPOINT touch pad and
you're ground balanced and ready to search.
3. Always ground balance your CZ-7a Pro in the
areas you intend to search.
NOTES: 1. If you get an audio response as you first lower
the coil with the GROUND BALANCE knob at 10,
GROUND BALANCING
18