Radio shack 63-3011 User manual

Three-Mode Discriminator

Metal Detector

Cat. No. 63-3011

OWNER’S MANUAL

Please read before using this equipment

with Analog

Signal-Strength Meter

FEATURES

With your RadioShack Three-Mode

Discriminator Metal Detector with

Analog Signal-Strength Meter, you

can hunt for coins, jewelry, gold, and

silver, just about anywhere. The

detector is designed to be versatile

and easy to use.

Loaded with features but simple to

operate, the detector lets you locate

and identify all types of metals with

pinpoint accuracy. It can distinguish

between different types of metals

and “tune out” the ones you don’t

want to search for.

The detector’s features include:

Easy-to-Read Viewmeter -- lets

you quickly see the strength of an

indication when the detector finds

metal.

Target Mode Control -- lets you

easily select the detector’s

operation modes.

Waterproof 7-Inch Searchcoil -- lets

you use the searchcoil under water,

and use the detector in just about any

type of weather.

Built-In Speaker -- lets you use the

detector without headphones.

Headphone Jack -- lets you connect

headphones with a 1/4 inch plug (not

supplied) to the detector.

Discrimination and Tone Control --

lets you adjust the detector’s

discrimination and adjust the tone it

sounds. This lets you set the detector so

you can quickly tell when it has found

the type of metal you are searching for,

and automatically ignore junk metal

while you search.

Two-Tone Audio Discrimination --

sounds distinctive tones for different

types of metals, to make target

identification easier.

Low Battery Indicator -- lets you know

when it is time to replace the batteries.

S-Rod Handle with Arm Cup -- lets you

comfortably hold and use the detector

for long periods.

Automatic Tuning and Ground

Balancing -- let you quickly use the

detector without time-consuming

adjustments.

Sensitivity Control -- turns on the

detector and lets you adjust its

sensitivity.

Note: Your metal detector requires two

9-volt alkaline batteries (not included)

for operation.

RadioShack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation

OPTIONAL ACCESSORY

The 7-inch searchcoil supplied with

your detector efficiently finds deeply-

buried objects, and is ideal for

general use.

However, if you are looking for tiny

objects (coin-sized and smaller) that

are not buried too deeply, a 4-inch

searchcoil (such as RadioShack Cat.

No. 63-3014, not supplied) might

work better for you.

This searchcoil is highly sensitive

and offers superior performance

when hunting for small objects such

as gold nuggets or small pieces of

jewelry, or when hunting in

mineralized or highly trashy areas.

Because of its smaller size, it has a

narrower detection field and is less

susceptible to interference from junk

metal. This makes it better able to

isolate precious metals in these

areas.

CONTENTS

Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Assembling the Detector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Installing Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Using Headphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Traffic Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Understanding the Detector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Viewmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

SENSITIVITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

DISC/ALL METAL/TONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

DISC/TONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Testing the Detector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Holding the Detector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Using the Detector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Fine-Tuning the Detector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Adjusting SENSITIVITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Adjusting DISC/TONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Pinpointing a Target . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

False Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Care and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Treasure Hunter’s Code of Ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

PREPARATION

Assembling your Detector is

easy and requires no special

tools. Just follow these

steps:

1.Loosely attach the

searchcoil to the lower

stem using the supplied

bolt and knurled knob.

Do not tighten the bolt and knob

yet.

2.While holding down the button

on the top of the lower stem,

slide the lower stem tube into the

upper stem tube.

3. Adjust the stem to a length that

lets you comfortably stand

upright. The stem should be long

enough to let you comfortably

hold the detector so the

searchcoil is level to the ground

and about 1/2 to 2 inches above

the ground with your arm relaxed

at your side.

4. Adjust the searchcoil to the

desired position, then tighten it

by turning the bolt and knob in

opposite directions until they

stop.

Caution:

Do not overtighten

the searchcoil or use tools such

as pliers to tighten it.

5. Wind the searchcoil’s cable

around the stem. Leave enough

stack in the cable to let you

adjust the searchcoil when you

are hunting on uneven ground.

6. Insert the searchcoil’s plug into

the matching connector on the

detector’s control housing. Make

sure the pins on the plug align

with the holes in the connector.

ASSEMBLING THE

DETECTOR

Lower

Stem

Connector on back of

control housing

Bottom view

Upper

Stem

Caution:

• The searchcoil’s plug fits into the

connector only one way. Do not

force it.

• To disconnect the searchcoil’s

cable form the detector, grasp

the plug and pull it out of the

connector. Never pull on the

cable.

INSTALLING BATTERIES

You must use two 9-volt alkaline

batteries (such as Cat. No. 23-553)

to power your detector.

Cautions:

•Use only fresh batteries of the

required size and type.

•Do not mix old and new batteries

or different types of batteries

(standard or alkaline)

1. If the detector is on, turn it off by

turning SENSITIVITY on the front

panel fully counterclockwise

toward OFF/POWER until it clicks.

2. While holding down the release

clip on the right side of the battery

compartment door, lift off the door.

Snap a 9-volt battery onto each

battery terminal, then slide the

batteries inside the compartment.

Carefully insert the tabs on the

battery compartment door into the

slots on the detector, then press in

on the door until it clicks to close it.

LOW BAT on the front of the detector

flashes once when you turn off the

detector.

If LOW BAT lights during normal use

or the detector sounds a long

continuous tone or does not function

properly, replace both batteries.

Cautions:

• If you do not plan to use the

detector for a week or more,

remove the batteries. Batteries

can leak chemicals that can

destroy electronic parts.

•

Dispose of old batteries promptly and

properly. Do not burn or bury them.

First Battery

Second Battery

First Battery

terminals

facing in

Second Battery

terminals

facing out

Release

Clip

Low Battery

USING HEADPHONES

You can connect a pair of stereo

headphones (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 Radio Shack Store

has a wide selection of headphones.

To connect headphones to the

detector, insert the headphone’s 1/4-

inch (6.35 mm) plug into

HEADPHONE on the front panel.

The detector’s internal speaker

disconnects when you connect

headphones.

Notes:

• Mono headphones do not work

with the detector unless you

connect a mono-to-stereo adapter

such as Cat. No. 274-1520 (not

supplied) between the headphone

jack and the detector.

• You cannot use the detector to

adjust the headphone’s volume.

• This device is to be used with

interconnecting cables/head-

phone cables shorter than three

meters.

Traffic Safety

Do not wear headphones while

operating your detector near high

traffic areas.

Even though some headphones let

you hear some outside sounds when

listening at normal volume levels, they

still can present a traffic hazard.

Headphone

OPERATION

Your RadioShack Three-Mode

Discriminator Metal Detector with

Analog Signal-Strength Meter is a

“motion” detector. This means that

you must move the searchcoil

slightly to detect the presence of

metal (see “Pinpointing a Target” on

page 12) The motion required is

slight, and pinpointing targets is very

easy as long as the metal is under

the searchcoil and the searchcoil is

moving.

Viewmeter

The detector’s viewmeter is on the

front of the control housing. The

meter’s needle swings to the right

when an object is detected.

SENSITIVITY

Use this control to turn the detector

on or off and increase or decrease

the detector’s sensitivity at an

operational setting.

DISC/ALL METAL/TONE

This control lets you select any of the

detector’s three operating modes.

DISC - at this setting, the detector

automatically rejects iron and can be

adjusted to reject most trash items.

The detector sounds a unique tone

when it detects metal.

ALL METAL - at this setting, the

detector sounds a single tone when

it detects any type of metal.

TONE - at this setting, the detector

automatically rejects iron and

sounds 2 unique tones when it

detects metal and DISC/TONE has

been properly adjusted (see

“Adjusting DISC/TONE” on page 12)

DISC/TONE

This control is for adjusting the

discrimination when DISC/ALL

METAL/TONE is set to DISC or

TONE (see “Adjusting DISC/TONE”

on page 12).

UNDERSTANDING THE DETECTOR

DISC/ALL METAL/TONE

TESTING THE

DETECTOR

To learn how the detector reacts to

different metals, you should test it

before you use it the first time.

1. Turn on the detector by turning

SENSITIVITY clockwise until it

clicks. The detector beeps and the

viewmeter’s needle swings to the

right, then returns to the left.

2. Adjust SENSITIVITY until it is

about halfway between OFF and

HIGH.

3. Set DISC/ALL METAL/TONE to

the desired setting (see

“DISC/ALL METAL/TONE” on

page 8).

4. Lay the detector on a wooden or

plastic table, then remove any

watches, rings, or metal jewelry

you are wearing.

Note: Never test the detector on a

floor inside a building. Most

buildings have metal of some kind

in the floor, which will interfere with

the objects you are testing, or

mask the signal completely.

5. Adjust the searchcoil so the flat

part points toward the ceiling.

6. Make sure the detector is set to

detect the type of metal you are

using to test it (see “Adjusting

DISC/TONE” on Page 12).

7. Slowly move a sample of the

material you want the detector to

find (such as a gold ring or a coin)

side-to-side 1-2 inches above the

face of the searchcoil.

Note: If you are using a coin, the

detector will detect it more easily if

you hold it so a flat side (not the

edge) is parallel with the flat side

of the searchcoil.

If the detector detects the material,

it sounds a tone and the

viewmeter’s needle swings to the

right.

If the detector does not detect the

material, make sure DISC/ALL

METAL/TONE is correctly set for

the type of metal you are

searching for, then repeat this

step.

HOLDING THE

DETECTOR

Stand with your arm

extended only slightly

in front of your body.

Do not bend or

stoop, but stand in

an upright posi-

tion that is

comfortable.

Hold the detector so the searchcoil

is about 1-2 inches above the

ground. Then adjust the searchcoil

so it is parallel to the ground.

USING THE DETECTOR

1. Turn on the detector by turning SEN-

SITIVITY clockwise until it clicks.

Thedetectorbeepsandtheviewme-

ter’s needle swings to the right, then

returns to the left.

2. Adjust SENSITIVITY until it is about

halfway between OFF and HIGH.

3. Set DISC/ALL METAL/TONE to the

desired setting (see “DISC/ALL

METAL/TONE” on page 8).

4. Find an area of ground where there

is no metal.

5. Place a sample of the 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 placed the item, to

help you find it later. Do not place it

in tall grass or weeds).

6. While holding the searchcoil level to

the ground, about 1-2 inches above

the surface, slowly move it over the

area where you placed the sample,

sweeping in a side-to-side motion.

Never sweep the searchcoil as if it were

a pendulum. Raising the searchcoil

while sweeping or at the end of a

sweep will cause false readings. And

sweep slowly -- hurrying will cause you

to miss targets.

If DISC/ALL METAL/TONE is set to

TONE and DISC/TONE has been

properly adjusted (see “Adjusting

DISC/TONE” on Page 12), the detector

sounds a unique audio tone for each of

three categories of metal. This makes it

easier to identify the type of metal being

detected.

Right

Wrong

TONE MODE AUDIO RESPONSES

RESPONSE

Iron & Steel

LOW

TONE

Gold & Nickel

BROKEN

TONE

Old & New Pull Tabs

HIGH

TONE

Copper, Silver & Brass

As shown here, the detector sounds a

low tone when it detects small gold

objects and nickels, a broken tone when

it detects most pull tabs and some gold

and zinc, and a high tone when it detects

copper, silver, and brass.

If DISC/ALL METAL/TONE is set to

TONE and DISC/TONE has been

properly adjusted, the detector sounds

a unique audio tone for items such as

bottle caps, zinc, pennies, and pull tabs.

Note: Since these indications are

approximations, the detector might

not have actually found the item it

indicates. The indicators are only

references to help you decide if an

item is worth investigating.

If the detector does not detect the

item you placed on the ground, make

sure DISC/ALL METAL/TONE is

correctly set for the type of metal you

are searching for (see “DISC/ALL

METAL/TONE” on Page 8), then

repeat this step. Also, make sure you

are moving the searchcoil correctly.

Notes:

• The detector responds with a strong

signal when it detects most valuable

metal objects. If a signal is broken or

does not repeat after you sweep the

searchcoil over the target a few times,

the target is probably junk metal.

• False signals can be caused by

trashy ground, electrical interference,

or large oddly-shaped pieces of junk

metal.

7. Tryfindingothermetalinthearea. When

you find a metal item, wait a few seconds

after the tone stops before continuing, to

allow the detector time to reset.

FINE-TUNING THE

DETECTOR

After you become familiar with how your

detector works, you can fine-tune it to

make it less sensitive to interference and

more selective in what it finds. For

example, you can set it so it ignores most

junk metal such as pull tabs or bottle

caps, but still registers silver and copper

coins.

Adjusting SENSITIVITY

For maximum detection depth, always

adjust SENSITIVITY as high as possible

while using the detector. But broadcast

antennas and power lines can cause the

detector to indicate false signals and

operate erratically. Adjust SENSITIVITY

lower to help reduce or eliminate these

false signals.

Turn SENSITIVITY clockwise to increase

it, or counterclockwise to reduce it.

Notes:

•SENSITIVITY also turns the

detector on and off.

• If you set the detector’s sensitivity

too high, the detector might sound

false tones.

Adjusting DISC/TONE

Discrimination is the detector’s ability

to differentiate between types of

metal and either find or ignore them.

DISC/TONE adjusts the detector’s

discrimination.

When DISC/ALL METAL/TONE is

set to DISC, adjust DISC/TONE so

the tab is pointing straight up and

slightly clockwise (toward HIGH) to

set the detector to ignore items such

as bottle caps, zinc pennies, nickels,

small gold items, and pull tabs, while

still detecting items such as silver and

copper coins. Or, when DISC/ALL

METAL/TONE is set to TONE, adjust

DISC/TONE counterclockwise

(toward LOW) to find all such items.

Note:

• Adjusting DISC/TONE has no effect

while DISC/ALL METAL/TONE is

set to ALL METAL.

• If you set DISC/ALL METAL/TONE

to TONE then set the detector’s

discrimination to high, the detector

will not detect gold items and

nickels.

PINPOINTING A TARGET

Accurately pinpointing a target while

detecting makes digging it up easier.

Accurately pinpointing small metal

objects takes practice. We suggest

that you practice finding and digging up

small metal objects on your own

property before you search other

locations.

Follow these steps to pinpoint a target.

1. When the detector detects a

buried target, continue sweeping

the searchcoil 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 searchcoil directly over

this spot on the ground. Then

move the searchcoil straight

forward 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. If necessary, “X” the target at

different angles to zero in on the

exact spot on the ground where

the detector beeps.

Note: The detector beeps just as the

center of the searchcoil passes

directly over the buried target.

If you have difficulty pinpointing very

strong signals, try lifting the

searchcoil high off the ground until a

weaker but more concise signal is

heard. For very weak signals, move

the coil in short quick sweeps close to

the ground.

FALSE SIGNALS

Your detector is extremely sensitive,

and will detect even deeply-buried

metal. Because of this, 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 targets that emit a strong,

repeatable signal. As you sweep the

searchcoil back and forth over the

ground, learn to recognize the

difference between signals that occur

at random and signals that are stable

and repeatable.

To reduce false signals when

searching very trashy ground, scan

only a small area at a time using slow,

short overlapping sweeps. To help

prevent erratic signals and pinpoint

targets in trashy areas, try a smaller

searchcoil (see “Optional accessory”

on Page 3).