Fisher M-Scope Gold Bug 2 User manual

Gold Bug 2
Operating Manual
Prospector’s Metal Detector
FISHER RESEARCH LABORATORY
QUALITY
Fisher detectors are renowned for their quality.
Each instrument is hand crafted with pride in the Fisher tradition.
PERFORMANCE
Fisher detectors are durable, dependable, and search deeper.
REPUTATION
Fisher produced the rst patented metal detector in 1931. For
over 70 years, the Fisher logo has been a mark of excellence.
5 - YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY
Fisher believes in the products they produce and backs this
belief with a 5 year limited warranty. Warranty may vary outside
the United States. See your dealer for details.
SERVICE
Fisher is committed to providing their valued customers, with
superior service. Each and every instrument is rigidly tested
and carefully inspected during assembly and before shipment.
Should you have any questions or problems, contact:
FISHER RESEARCH LABORATORY
200 West Willmott Road.,
Los Banos, California 93635
Tel [phone] Fax [phone]
www.sherlab.com email:info@sherlab.com
FRL#8707403-J
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CONTENTS
About Your Gold Bug-2............................................................pg. 3
Setting Up..................................................................................pg. 6
Hipmounting..............................................................................pg. 7
Control Panel ............................................................................pg. 8
Mode and Mineralization Switches ........................................pg. 10
Mode and Mineralization Switch Selection ...........................pg. 12
Turn On Procedure....................................................................pg. 14
Ground Reject Procedure........................................................pg. 15
Searching..................................................................................pg. 17
Pinpointing ................................................................................pg. 19
Target Recovery .......................................................................pg. 20
False Signals..............................................................................pg. 23
Operating Tips...........................................................................pg. 25
Coin Shooting, Beach and Relic Hunting...............................pg. 26
Battery Replacement...............................................................pg. 26
Maintenance ............................................................................pg. 27
Treasure Hunters’ Code of Ethics ............................................pg. 28
Where to Use Your Gold Bug-2 in the U.S...............................pg. 29
Specications ...........................................................................pg. 30
31
Notes:
1. Subject to improvement or modication without notice.
2. Approximate.
3. Voltage Controlled Oscillator. Volume and frequency increase as
target is approached.
4. The Gold Bug-2 is a “motion” detector. The search coil must be
moving at least slightly to detect a target.
5. Electro-Static Insulated to eliminate certain types of false signals.
SPECIFICATIONS
Fisher Research Laboratory does not warrant suitability to specic use. Fisher Research
Laboratory shall in no event be liable for any direct, incidental, consequential or indirect
damages.
Shielding .............. 100% ESI Coverage 5
Interchangeable...............................Yes
Waterproof ........................................Yes
Cable Length................................7 feet
Handle Mount / Hip Mount Convertible..................................... Yes
Built-in Arm Rest and Detector Stand .........................................Yes
Batteries ............................Type...............................(2) 9V Transistor
Life-Carbon Zinc 2.............. 10-20 hours
Life-Alkaline 2...................... 25-35 hours
Nicads 2................................. 5-10 hours
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ABOUT YOUR DETECTOR
The Fisher Gold Bug, the predecessor to the Gold Bug-2, was
designedand engineeredbyFisherengineersfrom the groundup
for the sole purpose of nding gold nuggets small gold nuggets,
large gold nuggets, deep gold nuggets and gold nuggets in
highly mineralized soil. Almost overnight, the Gold Bug became
the standard against which all other gold-hunting detectors were
compared.
The next generation Gold Bug, the Gold Bug-2, is not meant
to be a replacement for the original Gold Bug. Your Gold Bug-2
offers many of the successful features of the Gold Bug as well as
some new features, making it a distinctly different detector, but
still designed for the sole purpose of nding gold nuggets.
The rst and foremost of these new features is the operating
frequency of the Gold Bug-2 – 71 kHz. This ultra-high operating
frequency is extremely sensitive to small gold nuggets, and it
also offers a side benet. Because the Gold Bug-2 operates at a
differentfrequency,it canbeoperatednearanoriginalGoldBug
without interference.
Also, a new mineralization switch on the Gold Bug-2 can be set
for high, normal and low mineralization ground conditions. When
set for high mineralization, this new circuitry allows prospectors to
hunt in areas previously off-limits due to high ground mineralization
or numerous hot rocks. Although the original Gold Bug is known
for nding small nuggets in highly mineralized soil, the Gold Bug-
2 will set new standards for both size and depth under many soil
conditions.
Iron discrimination is another new feature. In the IRON DISC
mode, you can identify hot rocks and small trash items like iron
nails and other ferrous trash before digging them. Use this mode
in extremely trashy areas to check a target for its iron content.
3
30
SPECIFICATIONS 1
Length 2...........................Extended ..........................................53”
Collapsed..........................................40”
Weight 2............................Complete ....................................2.9 lbs.
Control Housing...........................1.0 lbs.
Handle and Coil.......................... 1.9 lbs.
Frequency.........................LF Search..................................71.01 kHz
Response .................................... (VCO)3
Operating Modes.............1. All-metal Autotune (Normal) 4
2. All-metal Autotune (Audio Boost)4
3. Iron Discrimination 4
Mineralization Settings.....1. High Mineral
(attenuated, fast autotune)
2. Normal Mineral (fast autotune)
3.Low Mineral
(gain boosted, slow autotune)
Ground Adjustment ........Manual,16-turn, vernier dual-shaft,
precision potentiometer
Control Housing ...............Dust, Moisture Resistant....................Yes
Audio Output ...................Speaker................2” Moisture Resistant
Headphone Jack............................1/4”
stereo/mono
Manual Threshold Tuning .................. Located on rear of housing,
effective in all-metal, autotune modes
Search Coil .......................Type .......................Elliptical, Co-Planar
Size............................ 10” X 5” standard,
other sizes available
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4
ABOUT YOUR DETECTOR
An audio boost mode, another new feature of the Gold Bug-2,
makes it easier to nd smaller nuggets at greater depths. Already a
successfulandprovenfeatureoftheFisherQuickSilverlineoflandand
underwaterdetectors,theaudioboostmodeautomaticallyincreases
thevolumeofanyfaintsignal,suchasasmallordeepgoldnugget.It
does this without increasing the volume of larger, shallower targets .
Here are some other features of the Gold Bug-2:
• Dust and moisture resistant control box.
• Removable control housing that mounts on your hip and
reduces the weight on your arm.
• Drop-in battery compartments for easy battery
replacement.
• An elliptical, 10-inch, shielded search coil that’s lighter,
covers more ground and gets into tighter places than a
circular coil.
• Optional 6.5- and 14-inch elliptical search coils.
• Lightweight design, only 2.9 lbs. with cushioned arm rest
and foam-grip handle.
• Built-in detector stand.
• Dual-knob, coarse/ne, manual ground-adjust control.
• Double-locking, berglass-reinforced, nylon lower stem.
• Quartz-crystal locked electronics.
• Built-in Fisher quality backed by 70years of engineering
excellence.
The rest is up to you. You’ve got the right detector, but you’ll have
todecidewhere to search andthenputinalotoflong, hardhours
searching. And, of course, you’re going to have to learn your Gold
Bug-2, read this instruction manual carefully and practice often.
Drop us a line if you have any questions, comments or exciting gold
nugget stories. In the meantime . . .
Happy Hunting!
Fisher Research Laboratory 29
Where To Use Your Metal Detector In The U.S.
National Forest and Federal Lands—Metal detecting is allowed
only by special permit acquired from the federal government.
Each area has a district ofce.
Corps of Engineers, Lakes, Shorelines and Lands—Permission has
been granted only on predisturbed sites, such as beaches and
attached swimming areas. New Corps lakes and lands must be
okayed by the main ofce of the Army Corps of Engineers. Each
area has a district ofce.
State Parks and Lands—Some state parks are open to metal
detecting, but some are not. Always check with the park ranger
before attempting to use your detector.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lands—Someareasare open
for metal detecting, and some are not. Always check with the
district ofce.
City or County Park Lands—Most are open to metal detecting
unless notice is given by a sign or city ordinance. When in doubt,
always check with the City’s Parks and Recreation Department.
Public School Grounds—Most are open to metal detecting unless
notice is given by a sign, city ordinance, law enforcement ofcial,
or school employee. You should always check with the school
ofce rst.
Privately Owned Lands (Private Property)—Permission is required
and it is always best to have the permission in writing.
Historically MarkedLandsorSites—Metaldetectingisnotallowed.
Don’t even think about it.
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Padded arm rest
Detector stand
Foam grip
Drop-in battery
compartments
Anodized aluminum
upper stem
Snap button
7-foot search
coil cable
Lock nut
Nylon wing nut
Waterproof, ESI-shielded,
elliptical search coil
Velcro®
straps
Adjustable, ABS,
berglass-reinforced,
nylon lower stem
Threshold
control
Cable
connector
5
ABOUT YOUR DETECTOR
Figure 1. Gold bug-2
28
TREASURE HUNTERS’ CODE OF ETHICS
LETS PRESERVE OUR TREASURED SPORT!
Laws governing the use of metal detectors are becoming
more and more common. In many countries, the use of metal
detectors is illegal or severely restricted. Don’t let this happen in
your area.
ALWAYS get permission to hunt on private property.
ALWAYS leave a site cleaner than you found it. Take at least
some trash with you or, if you can, take it all.
ALWAYS ll in your holes neatly whether you’re in a city park
or remote wildernessness. Leave the land as it was before you
disturbed it.
ALWAYS obey all laws relating to Treasure Hunting.
ALWAYS return valuable property if you can locate the original
owner.
ALWAYS do whatever you can to give the hobby of Treasure
Hunting the good image it needs and deserves.
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6
SETTING UP
The Gold Bug-2 comes to you just about ready to use. There are
only three steps required: sliding the lower stem into the upper
stem,connectingtheloopcoiltothecontrolhousingandadjusting
the angle of the search coil. Take a look at page 3 and familiarize
yourself with the parts of the Gold Bug-2 before proceeding.
1. Unpack your new Gold Bug-2 carefully. Save the
carton and inserts – they may come in handy for
future storage or shipment.
2.Slipthelowerstemintotheupperstem(seeprevious
page for Gold Bug-2 diagram).
3. Adjust the stem length and coil
angle so that the search coil rests
at on the ground about 6 inches
in front of, and slightly to the right
of, your right foot (for left handers,
totheleftofyourleft foot).Yourarm
should be straight and relaxed with
your grip held loosely.
REMEMBER: THE LONGER THE SHAFT,
THE MORE YOU WILL HAVE TO BEND
YOUR ELBOW AND THE SOONER YOUR
ARM WILL GET TIRED. THE GOLD BUG-
2 IS BALANCED FOR COMFORTABLE
SEARCHING IN A TIGHT SEMICIRCLE IN
FRONT OF THE OPERATOR.
4. Tighten the lock nut and the nylon
wing nut on the search coil.
5. With the stem length properly
adjusted, wrap the loop cable
tightly around the upper stem and
secure it with the two Velcro straps.
Connect the cable connector to
the control housing.
27
MAINTENANCE
Your Gold Bug-2 doesn’t require a lot of care but there are a few
things you should do to keep it in peak operating condition.
1. If you’re not going to be using it for awhile, take
the batteries out. Acid damage cause by leaking
batteries can be severe.
2. Avoid extreme temperatures. Don’t leave it inside
a closed car sitting in the sun. Even worse, the trunk
of a car.
3. If you “scrub” the search coil on the ground, you’ll
eventually wear through the bottom. Replacement
coilsareexpensive.Instead,investin aninexpensive
coil cover.
4. Although the Gold Bug-2 control housing is moisture
and dust resistant, it’s a good idea to put a plastic
bag or the optional “rain cover” over the control
housing if you’re hunting in the rain.
5. Keep your Gold Bug-2 dry and clean. Wipe off the
lower stem before sliding it into the upper stem, and
keep the lock nut free of sand and dirt.
BATTERY REPLACEMENT
Your Gold Bug-2 operates on two 9V batteries that drop into
compartments at the rear of the control housing. Snapping the
door latch in place makes the battery connection.
Figure 13.
Figure 2.
Adjust the stem length and coil
angle resting the search coil
at on the ground and about 6
inches in front of your right foot
(left foot for left-handers).
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7
Your Gold Bug-2 is light and extremely well balanced; however, if
you’re going to be swinging it for more than a few hours, you may
want to “hipmount” it by removing the control box and strapping
it to your waist. Follow this procedure:
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. CAUTION:
MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE ENOUGH
SLACK AT THE SEARCH COIL
2. Slide the control housing off the
handle by holding the hand grip
with one hand and pulling the
housing toward you with the other
hand.
3.Reconnectthecabletothe control
housing.NOTE:Itisespeciallyimportant
that the cable connector be installed
tightly to prevent false signals during
hipmount use. Never tightened with
anything but your hands.
HIPMOUNTING
CAUTION: MAKE SURE THE CABLE IS NOT PULLED TIGHT AT THE
CONTROL HOUSING AND THAT YOU HAVE ENOUGH SLACK AT
THE SEARCH COIL TO ADJUST IT AT ANY ANGLE.
6. With the shaft length and coil angle properly adjusted,
you should be able to move into your “search” position
(as shown on page 4) by leaning forward very slightly and
raisingyourarm (still straight)untilthe searchcoilisabout
2 inches above the ground and 12 inches in front of your
foot.Thesearchcoilshouldbeparalleltothegroundand
may have to be slightly readjusted at this point.
7.Ifthearmrestistoowideornarrow,youmaybenditslightly
inward or outward to meet your exact requirements.
SETTING UP
The Gold Bug-2 control housing
can be hipmounted to reduce
weight on the stem and create
nearlyeffortless hunting.Beltloops
are provided on the underside of
the control housing.
Figure 3.
26
BATTERY REPLACEMENT
Two 9V transistor batteries are located in separate compartments
at the rear of the Gold Bug-2 control housing. We recommend
using name-brand alkaline batteries, which usually give 25-35
hoursof life. Lithiumbatteriesmay last twiceaslong but costmore
than twice as much. Nickel cadmium rechargeables give out
after about 7 hours. Carbon-zinc batteries may last half as long
as alkalines, at best.
1. To replace the batteries, open the battery
compartment by gently pressing down on the
battery door latches. The doors are tethered with
short, nylon string. Do not attempt to completely
remove them.
2. Tilt the housing gently, and the batteries will slide out.
3. Insert the new batteries. Make sure the contact end
goes in rst and you match the polarity markings on
the control housing.
4. To close, simply hook the lower edge of the battery
door over the inside of the battery compartment
and gently push it shut.
5. Push the latch up to make sure it has snapped in
place.
COIN SHOOTING, BEACH AND RELIC HUNTING
There’s no reason why you can’t use your Gold Bug-2 for “coin-
shooting” in parks, relic hunting old town sites or hunting on the
beach. True, the Gold Bug-2 was designed for prospecting, but
it’s also suitable for Treasure Hunting. Like most coin-shooting and
relic hunting machines, the Gold Bug-2’s iron discrimination mode
can be used to lter out trash targets in areas where relics and
coins are normally found.
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8
CONTROL PANEL
1. SENS: This knob adjusts the Gold Bug-2’s sensitivity
to targets, and it doubles as a battery tester. By
increasing the sensitivity, you can detect smaller
and deeper targets, however, you’ll also pick up
more false signals in mineralized soil or in areas of
electrical interference. The sensitivity control can
also be decreased to cut down on “ground chatter”
4.Put your belt through the slots on the
underside of the housing.
5. Left handers should wear the
housing on their right hip and right
handers on their left hip.
To remove the control housing
from the stem, grasp the top of the
control box rmly and pull it directly
toward the arm rest while holding
the Gold Bug-2 handle.
NOTE: if you’re working in shallow water,
you may want to strap the control housing
on your chest in a heavy plastic bag, and
seal it tightly around the cable.
HIPMOUNTING
Figure 5.
25
OPERATING TIPS
1. We’ve already said it, but it bears repeating: take your
time,overlapyoursweeps,keepyourcoilclosetothe
ground, recheck your ground adjustment often.
2. Use good headphones: Your Gold Bug-2 will detect
small, deep nuggets other detectors have missed.
But to hear the very faintest targets, you’ll need
headphones.
3. Buryasmallnuggetandcheckitatdifferent depths,
sensitivitylevelsandineachmineralizationandmode
setting. Pay close attention to the nugget’s response
compared to the response of hot rocks, nails and
other targets. Take a small nugget with you and do
the same thing when searching in unfamiliar soil.
4. Practice. The Gold Bug-2 is easy to use, and it’s highly
sensitive to gold. But you still have to learn how to
use it. Read this instruction manual thoroughly and
use your Gold Bug-2 often. You’ll develop your own
special techniques for optimum performance in the
type of soil you’re searching. Whatever works best for
you is right, but you’ll have to put in hours of searching
to really know what “right” is.
5. Research.Spendmoretimedecidingwheretosearch.
The odds are in your favor if you look where gold
has already been found. If you know of a spot that’s
yieldednuggetstootherdetectorusers,buthasbeen
“hunted out,” that’s Gold Bug-2 territory. Chances are
you’ll nd the small or deep ones they missed.
Figure 4.
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9
and/or electrical interference. Settings less than 5
should not be used unless you have already tried
switching to a higher mineralization setting. In the
extreme counterclockwise position, the SENS control
doubles as a battery tester. A loud tone indicates
good batteries, and a faint tone tells you it’s time to
change the batteries.
2. MODE: This is a three-position toggle switch that
can be set to IRON DISC, NORMAL or AUDIO BOOST.
(See the next section, “Mode and Mineralization
Switches,” for details.)
3. MINERALIZATION: This three-position toggle switch has
settings for varying levels of ground mineralization:
HIGH, NORMAL and LOW. (See next section, “Mode
and Mineralization Switches,” for details.)
4. HEADPHONES: This jack accepts most stereo and
mono headphones with 1/4-inch plugs. When using
headphones with a stereo/mono switch, put the
stereo/mono switch in the stereo position. Although
your Gold Bug-2 is equipped with a dust and moisture
resistant speaker, we recommend that you always
wear headphones while hunting to maximize the
number of targets you hear. Furthermore, we
recommend our Fisher Phones, which enhance faint-
target response by blocking out unwanted external
noises, such as wind and vehicle sounds. To plug
in your headphones, unplug the detachable seal
and plug in your headphone jack. When not using
headphones, be sure to keep the seal plugged into
the HEADPHONES jack to keep dust and moisture out
of the control housing.
5. VOLUME: This knob turns the power on and adjusts
the signal-response volume. If you’re wearing
headphones with independent volume controls,
set your Gold Bug-2 VOLUME control to 10 and
decreasethevolumeofyourearphonecontrolstoa
CONTROL PANEL
4. Junk: Nails, pull tabs, beer cans, etc. The Gold Bug-2
was designed for extreme sensitivity to small bits of
gold. That means it’s also extremely sensitive to small
bits of ferrous metal.
Solution: Hunt in the NORMAL MODE, but use the
IRON DISC Mode to check targets to see if they’re
ferrous. Fortunately, there’s not much junk in
nugget country, and with practice you’ll be able to
recognize a lot of it. Nails, for example, will respond
with two beeps across the length of the nail (end
to end), but only one beep when the search coil is
swept at right angles to the length of the nail. Also,
most trash is shallow and comes in bigger sizes than
nuggets. Hence, it will sound different, especially
in the AUTO TUNE MODE. Trash will sound off over a
larger area of the coil, the tone will be louder and
the pitch will increase more, starting out at a low
beep and increasing to a loud signal.
5. Digging Tool: If you’re carrying a digging tool in one
hand, your Gold Bug-2 may sound off each time you
swing the coil beneath it.
Solution: Hold the digging tool behind your back or
up above your waist.
24
FALSE SIGNAL
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10
CONTROL PANEL
MODE AND MINERALIZATION SWITCHES
The mode switch on your
Gold Bug-2 offers three different
operating modes: IRON DISC,
NORMAL and AUDIO BOOST.
Each mode offers its own
advantages and disadvan-
tages in any given situation.
It’s up to you to nd the right
setting for each of the ground
conditions you encounter.
Regardless of the MODE or
MINERALIZATION settings, your
Gold Bug-2 always operates in
a motion mode, meaning the
search coil must be in motion to
detect a target.
comfortable level. This will ensure the hottest-possible
signal from your Gold Bug-2.
6. GROUND REJECT: This dual-knob control is used
to electronically tune the search coil to prevailing
ground-mineralization conditions. The small knob
on top only makes one revolution and is used for
coarse adjustments. It has 25 xed positions. The
large knob on the bottom is for ne-tune adjustments
and is capable of 16 turns and an innite number
of positions.
7. THRESHOLD: This metal shaft is located on the rear
of the control housing. It’s purposely small and out
of the way to avoid accidental adjustment. The
threshold control adjusts the level of your threshold
tone, which is set to a continuous, faint tone.
23
FALSE SIGNALS
A false signal occures when something that shouldn’t sound like
a good target sounds like one. For example, the Gold Bug-2 may
detect metal in your boots if you swing your search coil too close
to your feet. Here’s some other sources of false signals, and here’s
what to do about them.
1. Hot Rocks: Mineralized rocks that respond like
metal.
Solutions: Most hot rocks seem to be on top of the
ground, so you can just kick them out of the way and
recheck the ground beneath them. The Gold Bug-2 will
ignoresomehotrocks.Certainothertypesofhotrocks
have their own distinctive sound, which you’ll learn
to recognize. Or you can “tune-out” most hot rocks
in the air or on the ground by adjusting the GROUND
REJECT knob right over the rock. If it’s a nugget, you
won’t be able to tune it out unless it’s very small. Many
strong hot-rock signals will disappear rapidly when you
lower the sensitivity level, whereas a strong nugget
signalwilljustget weaker. Ofcourse, the bestway to
check a possible hot rock is to ip your mode switch
into “IRON DISC.”
2. Highly Mineralized Soil: Unfortunately,thisis where
most nuggets are found. The Gold Bug-2 will handle
all but the very worst soil.
Solutions: Switch to the HIGH mineralization setting.
Ground adjust very carefully and often. Lower the
sensitivity.Groundadjusttoaheightjusthighenough
to eliminate most false signals and adjust your stem
length to sweep at that height.
3. Dissolved Salts: On a wet ocean beach or moist
inland soil.
Solutions: Same as highly mineralized soil.
Figure 6.
The two toggle switches on your Gold Bug-2
enable you to search in just about any kind
of ground condition. The trick is learning
whichcombinationofsettingsisrightforeach
ground condition.
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