Treasure Cove Sand & Surf TC-1013 User manual

Treasure Cove Metal Detector
Sand & Surf TC-1013
OWNER’S MANUAL
www.Treasure-Cove.com
805-288-5735
Manual revised 08-06-2013

2
ˆ
Contents
Features .................................................................................................................................. 3
Treasure Hunter’s Code of Ethics ..................................................................................... 3
Preparation ............................................................................................................................. 4
Assembling the Detector ................................................................................................... 4
Installing Batteries ............................................................................................................. 4
Using Headphones ............................................................................................................ 5
Listening Safely ......................................................................................................... 5
Traffic Safety .............................................................................................................. 6
A Quick Look at Your Metal Detector ................................................................................... 6
Operation ................................................................................................................................ 7
Preparing the Detector ...................................................................................................... 7
Turning On the Detector ............................................................................................ 7
Tuning the Detector ................................................................................................... 7
Testing and Using the Detector ......................................................................................... 7
Indoor Testing ............................................................................................................ 7
Outdoor Testing and Use ........................................................................................... 8
Fine-Tuning the Detector .................................................................................................. 9
Adjusting Sensitivity ................................................................................................... 9
Adjusting Ground ....................................................................................................... 9
Adjusting Discrimination ............................................................................................. 9
False Signals ..................................................................................................................... 9
Detection Hints ................................................................................................................ 10
Pinpointing a Target ........................................................................................................ 10
Troubleshooting ................................................................................................................... 11
Care ....................................................................................................................................... 11
©2013 Treasure Cove Products.
All Rights Reserved.

3
Features
ˆ
Features
With your 7& Metal Detector, you
can hunt for coins, relics, jewelry, gold, and
silver just about anywhere. The Metal Detec-
tor is versatile and easy to use. Its features
include:
Three-Tone Audio Discrimination —
sounds distinctive tones for different types of
metals, to make target identification easier.
Analog Meter— shows the probable type of
metal being detected.
Auto Tune — lets you tune your detector
quickly for accuracy.
Arm Support —lets you carry and operate
your detector comfortably.
Waterproof Search Coil — lets you use the
detector to search under water. (The search
coil is waterproof, but the detector’s control
housing is not waterproof.)
Adjustable Stem — lets you adjust the de-
tector’s length for comfortable use.
Headphone Jack — lets you connect head-
phones (not supplied) to the detector.
Low Battery Indicator — lets you know
when it is time to replace the batteries.
TREASURE HUNTER’S
CODE OF ETHICS
All treasure hunters might be judged by the
example you set. Here are a few basic rules
you should follow while using your detector.
• Always get permission before searching
any site.
• Respect the rights and property of oth-
ers.
• Observe all national, state, and local
laws while treasure hunting.
• Never destroy historical or archaeologi-
cal treasures. If you are not sure about
an object you have found, contact a
museum or historical society in your
area.
• Leave the land and vegetation as it was.
Fill in any holes you dig.
• Use your detector only in safe areas.
• Dispose of any junk you find, only in
approved areas. Do not leave it for the
next treasure hunter to find.

4Preparation
ˆ
Preparation
ASSEMBLING THE
DETECTOR
Assembling your detector is easy and re-
quires no special tools. Just follow these
steps.
1. Turn the stem’s lock
nut clockwise until it
loosens.
2. Lengthen or shorten
the stem so when
you stand upright
with the detector in
your hand, the search
coil is level with and
about 1/2to 2 inches
above the ground
with your arm relaxed
at your side.
3. Turn the stem’s lock
nut counter-clockwise
to lock it in place.
4. Unscrew the knobs
on the search coil
and remove the
knobs and connec-
tor. Insert the stem
and align the holes
on the search coil
bracket and the stem.
Push the connector through the holes,
then replace and tighten the knobs.
5. Wind the search coil cable around the
stem. Leave enough slack in the cable
to let you adjust the search coil when
you are hunting on uneven ground.
6. Insert the search coil’s plug into the
search coil jack on the detector’s control
housing so the pins on the plug are
aligned with the holes in the jack.
Cautions:
• The search coil’s plug fits into the
connector only one way. Do not force
the plug or you could damage it.
• To disconnect the search coil’s cable
from the detector, grasp the plug and
pull it out of the connector. Never pull
on the cable.
7. Loosen the knob at the search coil’s
end, then adjust the search coil to the
desired angle. (The search coil should
be parallel with the ground.) Tighten the
knob just enough to keep the search coil
from rotating or wobbling.
Caution: Do not overtighten the search
coil or use tools such as pliers to tighten
it.
8. Loosen the knob at the base of the han-
dle, insert the arm support, and tighten
the knob.
INSTALLING BATTERIES
Your detector requires two 9V alkaline bat-
teries (not supplied) for power. For the best
performance and longest life, DOZD\VXVH
IUHVKalkaline batteries.
Cautions:
• Use only fresh batteries of the required
size and recommended type.
• Do not mix old and new batteries, differ-
ent types of batteries (standard, alka-
line, or rechargeable), or rechargeable
batteries of different capacities.
Lock Nut
Stem
Search
Coil
Knobs
Arm
Support

5
Preparation
1. If the detector is on, turn MODE to OFF.
Note: When you turn the mode switch to
OFF, the LOW BATT indicator flashes
once.
2. Press the right battery compartment
cover’s tab and slide the cover off in the
direction of the arrow.
3. Place a 9-volt battery into the battery
compartment on top of the ribbon,
matching the polarity symbols (+ and –)
marked inside.
4. Replace the right battery compartment
cover.
5. Press the left battery compartment
cover’s tab and slide the cover off in the
direction of the arrow.
6. Place a 9-volt battery into the battery
compartment on top of the ribbon,
matching the polarity symbols (+ and –)
marked inside.
7. Replace the left battery compartment
cover.
Warning:
Dispose of old batteries promptly
and properly. Do not burn or bury them.
Caution: If you do not plan to use the detec-
tor for a week or more, remove the batteries.
Batteries can leak chemicals that can de-
stroy electronic parts.
Notes:
• For better life, exchange the two batter-
ies periodically.
• You can extend battery life by using
headphones, which require less power
than the built-in speaker. See “Using
Headphones.”
If the LOW BATT indicator lights during nor-
mal use or the detector does not function
properly, replace the batteries. If it still does
not function properly, you might need to re-
set the detector.
USING HEADPHONES
You can connect a pair of stereo head-
phones (not supplied) to the detector so you
can listen to it privately. Using headphones
also saves battery power and makes it easier
to identify subtle changes in the sounds you
hear, for better detection results. 
To connect head-
phones to the de-
tector, insert the
headphones’ 1/8-
inch plug into the
PHONE jack on the
side of the control
housing.
The detector’s in-
ternal speaker disconnects when you con-
nect headphones.
Listening Safely
To protect your hearing, follow these guide-
lines when you use headphones.
• Set the volume to the lowest setting
before you begin listening. After you
begin listening, adjust the volume to a
comfortable level.
PHONE
Jack

6A Quick Look at Your Metal Detector
• Do not listen at extremely high volume
levels. Extended high-volume listening
can lead to permanent hearing loss.
• Once you set the volume, do not
increase it. Over time, your ears adapt
to the volume level, so a volume level
that does not cause discomfort might
still damage your hearing.
Traffic Safety
Do not wear headphones while operating a
motor vehicle or riding a bicycle. This can
create a traffic hazard and could be illegal in
some areas.
Even though some headphones let you hear
some outside sounds when listening at nor-
mal volume levels, they still can present a
traffic hazard.
ˆ
A Quick Look at Your Metal Detector
MODE — lets you select from
OFF, VLF, TR1, TR2. (See “Turn-
ing On the Detector” on Page 7.)
GROUND — compensates for
false signals from mineralized
soil. (See “Adjusting Ground”
on Page 9.)
VOLUME — lets you adjust the
volume of alert tones.
DISCRIMINATION — lets you ad-
just the metal detector’s ability
to distinguish between different
types of metal. (See “Adjusting
Discrimination” on Page 9.)
SENSITIVITY — lets you adjust
the detection depth. (See “Ad-
justing Sensitivity” on Page 9.)
TUNING — adjusts the balance
between the receiver and trans-
mitter. (See “Tuning the Detec-
tor” on Page 7.)
LOW BATT Indicator
Analog Meter

7
Operation
ˆ
Operation
Your 7UHDVXUH&RYH Petal Getector distinguish-
es between ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
Ferrous metals contain iron, while non-
ferrous metals such as gold, silver, copper,
platinum, aluminum, lead, and zinc do not.
When the detector senses a metallic object,
the meter reading changes and the detector
sounds one of three tones. The tone de-
pends on what metal is detected. The higher
the tone’s pitch, the stronger the detection.
PREPARING THE
DETECTOR
Turning On the Detector
Hold the detector in a comfortable position,
then rotate MODE to the desired position.
VLF (Very Low Frequency) — to adjust TUNE
and GROUND. (See “Adjusting Ground” on
Page 9 and “Tuning the Detector” below.)
TR1 (Transmit 1) — to detect extreme differ-
ences in metals, such as iron and gold. The
difference between iron and gold shows on
the meter (iron in the ferrous section, gold in
the non-ferrous section).
TR2 (Transmit 2) — to detect finer distinctions
between metals, such as aluminum and gold
(see “Adjusting Discrimination” on Page 9).
Tuning the Detector
TUNE fine-tunes the balance between the de-
tector’s receiver and transmitter circuitry to
provide consistent pointer and tone indica-
tions. Follow these steps to set TUNE.
1. Rotate VOLUME to the 10 o’clock posi-
tion.
2. Set MODE to VLF.
3. Set GROUND, DISCRIMINATION, and
SENSITIVITY to mid-range.
4. Hold the search coil at least 1 foot away
from the ground and any metal object,
hold down the red button on the handle
and slowly rotate TUNE until the analog
meter pointer resets at or near 0.
As you search, you can fine-tune the detec-
tor using the other controls (see “Fine-Tuning
the Detector” on Page 9).
Note: Press the red button on the handle at
any time during operation to automatically re-
turn the pointer to the center of the analog
meter.
TESTING AND USING THE
DETECTOR
To learn how the detector reacts to different
metals, you should test it before you use it
the first time. You can test the detector in-
doors or outdoors.
Indoor Testing
1. Remove any watches, rings, or other
metal jewelry you are wearing, then
place the detector on a wooden or plas-
tic table.
2. Adjust the search coil’s angle so the flat
part faces the ceiling.
Note: Never test the detector on a floor
inside a building. Most buildings have
metal of some kind in the floor, which
might interfere with the objects you are
testing or mask the signal completely.
3. Set MODE to TR1.
4. Move a sample of the material you want
the detector to find (such as a gold ring

8Operation
or a coin) about 2 inches above the
search coil.
Notes:
• The search coil will not detect without
motion. You must move the object since
you are not sweeping with the detector
at this time.
• If you are using a coin, the detector
detects it more easily if you hold it so a
flat side (not the edge) is parallel with
the flat side of the search coil.
If the detector detects the material, the point-
er moves to FERROUS or NON-FERROUS
while the detector determines the type of
metal it is detecting. If it detects non-ferrous
metal, it also sounds a tone.
If the detector does not detect the material,
check the LOW BATT indicator and verify
that the search coil is properly connected. Al-
so, you might need to fine-tune the detector
See “Fine-Tuning the Detector” on Page 9
Outdoor Testing and Use
1. Find an area on the ground outside
where there is no metal.
2. Place a sample of material you want the
detector to find (such as a gold ring or a
coin) on the ground. (If you are using
valuable metal such as gold to test the
detector, mark the area where you place
the item, to help you find it later. Do not
place it in tall grass or weeds.)
3. Set MODE to TR1.
4. While holding the search coil level about
1–2 inches above the ground, slowly
move the search coil over the area
where you placed the sample, sweeping
the search coil in a side-to-side motion.
Search Coil Sweeping Hints:
• Never sweep the search coil as if it
were a pendulum. Raising the search
coil while sweeping or at the end of a
sweep causes false readings.
• Sweep slowly; hurrying makes you
miss targets.
If the detector detects the item, it sounds
a tone and the pointer moves to the type
of metal it found. When you detect
metal, switch MODE TR1 to TR2 to deter-
mine the quality of the metal.
If the detector does not detect the mate-
rial, make sure you are moving the
search coil correctly.
Notes:
• The detector responds with a strong
signal when it detects most valuable
metal objects. If a signal does not
repeat after you sweep the search
coil over the target a few times, the
target is probably junk metal.
• False signals can be caused by areas
containing large amounts of trash,
electrical interference, or large irregu-
lar pieces of junk metal. False signals
are usually broken or non-repeatable.
5. Try finding other metal in the area.
When you find a metal item, wait a few
seconds after the tone stops before con-
tinuing to allow the detector time to reset
(or, press the red button on the handle to
return the pointer to the center of the
analog meter).

9
Operation
FINE-TUNING THE
DETECTOR
After you become familiar with how your de-
tector works, you can fine-tune it to make it
less sensitive to interference and more se-
lective in what it finds.
Adjusting Sensitivity
To adjust the search coil’s ability to detect
objects at different depths in the soil, rotate
SENSITIVITY between MIN and MAX. For
maximum detection depth, leave SENSITIVI-
TY set as high as possible. If the detector
makes a “chattering” noise, decrease SENSI-
TIVITY until the chatter stops.
Adjusting Ground
Setting GROUND takes a little time, but is crit-
ical for accurate operation. GROUND tunes
out false signals from mineralized soil. Fol-
low these steps to set GROUND.
1. Set MODE to VLF and lower the search
coil to 1/2to 2 inches above the ground.
2. If the pointer swings to the right (Non-
ferrous), turn GROUND to NORMAL. If
the pointer swings to left (Ferrous), turn
GROUND to BASALT.
3. Raise the search coil about 1 foot from
the ground and press the red button on
the handle. The pointer returns to the
center.
4. Repeat Steps 1–3 until the pointer stays
close to the center each time you lower
the search coil to the ground.
After you set GROUND, the detector is set for
the soil type at that particular site. Do not re-
set it until you use the detector at a different
site.
Adjusting Discrimination
Discrimination is the detector’s ability to dif-
ferentiate between types of metal. The de-
tector’s DISCRIMINATION setting determines
whether the detector will distinguish between
different types of ferrous and non-ferrous
metals.
If
MODE is set to TR2, start with DISCRIMINA-
TION set to mid-range. While you use the de-
tector, adjust DISCRIMINATION to the best
position. As you set DISCRIMINATION higher,
the detector becomes more sensitive to the
differences between large aluminum and
gold pieces, for example, but some small
valuable pieces, such as coins and small
rings, might be overlooked.
As you set DISCRIMINATION to higher levels,
the detector first does not detect small piec-
es of silver paper, then thick foil, and finally
metal objects like pull tabs from aluminum
cans.
Note: Each time you use the detector in a
different area, you must readjust DISCRIMI-
NATION. Each search location presents new
challenges.
FALSE SIGNALS
Because your detector is extremely sensi-
tive, trash-induced signals and other sources
of interference might cause signals that
seem confusing. The key to handling these
types of signals is to dig for only those tar-
gets that emit a strong, repeatable signal. As
you sweep the search coil back and forth
over the ground, learn to recognize the differ-
ence between signals that occur at random
and signals are stable and repeatable.
To reduce false signals when searching ar-
eas containing large amounts of trash, scan
only a small area at a time using slow, short
overlapping sweeps.

10 Operation
DETECTION HINTS
No detector is 100 percent accurate. Various
conditions influence metal detection. The de-
tector’s reaction depends on a number of
factors:
• the angle at which the object rests in the
ground
• the depth of the object
• the amount of iron in the object
• the size of the object
PINPOINTING A TARGET
Accurately pinpointing a target makes dig-
ging it up easier. This takes practice, and we
suggest you practice finding and digging up
small metal objects on your own property be-
fore you search other locations.
Sometimes, targets are difficult to accurately
locate due to the sweep direction. Try chang-
ing your sweep direction to pinpoint a target.
1. When the detector locates a buried tar-
get, continue sweeping the search coil
over the target, in a narrowing side-to-
side motion.
2. Make a visual note of the exact spot on
the ground where the detector beeps.
3. Stop the search coil directly over this
spot on the ground. Then move the
search coil straight away from you and
straight back toward you a couple of
times.
4. Make a visual note of the exact spot on
the ground where the detector beeps.
5. Repeat Steps 1–3 at a right angle to the
original searchline, making an “X” pat-
tern. The target will be directly below the
“X” at the point of the loudest response.
Notes:
• If trash in an area is so heavy that you
get false signals, slow your sweep
speed and use shorter sweeps.
• Recently buried coins might not respond
the same as coins buried for a long
period of time because of oxidation.
• Some nails, nuts, bolts, and other iron
objects (such as old bottle caps) oxidize
and create a “halo” effect. A halo effect
is caused by a mixture of natural ele-
ments in the ground and the oxidation
created by different metals. Because of
the metal mixtures, target signals might
not be in a “fixed” position. This effect
makes these objects very hard to detect
accurately. (See “Fine-Tuning the Detec-
tor” on Page 9.)

11
Troubleshooting
ˆ
Troubleshooting
If your detector is not working as it should, follow these suggestions to see if you can eliminate
the problem. If you can’t, SOHDVHYLVLWRXUZHEVLWHIRU VXSSRUW.ZZZWUHDVXUHFRYHFRP
ˆ
Care
Keep the metal detector dry; if it gets wet,
wipe it dry immediately. Use and store the
metal detector only in normal temperature
environments. Handle the metal detector
carefully; do not drop it. Keep the metal de-
tector away from dust and dirt, and wipe it
with a damp cloth occasionally to keep it
looking new.
Modifying or tampering with the metal detec-
tor’s internal components can cause a mal-
function and might invalidate its warranty. If
your metal detector is not performing as it
should, SOHDVHYLVLWRXUZHEVLWHIRUVXSSRUW
ZZZWUHDVXUHFRYHFRP.
The search coil supplied with the detector is
waterproof and can be submerged in either
fresh or salt water. However, do not let water
enter the detector’s control housing. After us-
ing the search coil in salt water, rinse it with
fresh water to prevent corrosion of the metal
parts.
Problem Suggestion
The detector displays or
sounds false signals. The sensitivity might be set too high. Adjust SENSITIVITY.
You might be sweeping the detector’s search coil too fast
or at the wrong angle. Sweep the search coil more slowly
and hold the detector correctly. See “Testing and Using the
Detector” on Page 7 and “Pinpointing a Target” on
Page 10.
The detector might sound a false signal if it detects heavily
oxidized metals. Try pinpointing the target from several dif-
ferent angles (see “Pinpointing a Target” on Page 10). If
the detector does not display and sound the same signal
each time, the target is probably heavily oxidized metal.
The display does not show
the correct metal type when
the detector finds a target. Or,
the detector sounds more
than one type of tone when it
finds a target.
There might be more than one target in the area you are
searching.
The target might be a type of metal that the detector does
not recognize.
If the target is heavily oxidized, the detector might not dis-
play the correct metal type. This is not a malfunction.
The sensitivity might be set too high. Adjust SENSITIVITY.