OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS:
Contents
1. sensitivity to achieve operational stability PINPOINTING It is easy to pinpoint buried targets The maximum detector signal occurs when the target is directly below the X marked on the searchcoil Pinpointing objects near the surface may require one or more techniques As you scan raise the searchcoil higher and higher above the ground until the object gives a distinct faint audio signal The object will then be directly below the searchcoil s X Another method is to detune the detector When you hear the loudest signal set the searchcoil directly on the ground at that point Depress the Push Button until the detector retunes itself Then scan back over the spot keeping the searchcoil in contact with the ground Since the detector is tuned directly to the target you will hear a distinct but faint signal when the searchcoil X is directly above the target If you use this method when operating in the VLF Ground Canceling Mode it is not necessary to place the searchcoil in contact with the ground You should perform the above pinpointing method with the searchcoil held approximately two inches above the ground BEACHCOMBING In searching the beaches the wetted sand is usually so conductive that the VLF Ground Canceling Circuitry cannot tune them out completely Also some beaches contain black magnetic sand in scattered pockets These pockets are usually of varying densities which also prevents perfect ground can2. ION CONTROL are placed there for your ease in remembering your detector s rejection settings Bench test your detector until you know exactly where various unwanted targets are rejected See FIELD APPLICATIONS this manual for additional operating tips and detector field applications DETECTOR SERVICING Tips to keep your detector working correctly a The detector is a sensitive electronic instrument and although it is built to be rugged care in transporting and handling may extend its life b Do not subject detector to high temperatures such as storing it in an automobile trunk c Keep detector clean Wipe housing and wash coil after use if necessary Protect from dust and sand as much as possible Disassemble stem and clean after use in sandy areas d For storage periods longer than one month remove batteries from battery tray e Never use spray cleaners or lubricants on the P C board or controls Such materials leave harmful residues In case of difficulty follow these steps to insure your detector is not sent needlessly to the factory If the detector must be returned be sure to include a letter in the box with the detector describing the problem how often it occurs and any special conditions under which the problem occurs 1 The detector does not operate at all a Check battery condition using battery test meter while the detector is switched on b Check for proper assembly of detector especially coil and batter
3. OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS P B DEEPSEEKER AND P B GROUNDHOG PUSH BUTTON CONTROL FUNCTIONS Power On Off Sensitivity Knob Turn clockwise to ON position Detector is operating at maximum depth Rotate clockwise as needed when ground mineral disturbance occurs in TR Discriminating mode NOTE Beginners when operating in the TR mode should operate this control fully clockwise until experience is gained with the detector Push Button Located in the end of the handle grip this button MUST be held down while turning TUNING knob If drift or ground minerals cause the detector to change its tuning depress PUSH BUTTON for one second TR Discrimination Control Gives you full control over the detector s discriminating capabilities Mode Switch Select either VLF Ground Canceling Mode or TR Discriminating Mode Ground Cancel Control Permits adjustment for canceling nulling the effects of iron ground mineralization when operating in the VLF Ground Canceling Mode Tuning Control Has two distinct zones the METAL zone and the NULL quiet zone This control is used the FIRST TIME you tune the detector or any time you wish to CHANGE THE DETECTOR S OPTIMUM TUNING POINT Battery Test Switch Lets you test the condition of the detector s batteries OPTIMUM TUNING POINT Automatic Tuning 1 Turn POWER ON OFF SENSITIVITY KNOB to ON 2 Depress Push Button and hold 3 Rotate TUNING CONTROL away from NULL quiet ZONE unt
4. ORTANT NOTES Always depress Push Button and hold for approximately one second after you change modes or make any ground canceling or discrimination adjustments This ensures that your detector is retuned to your pre set optimum tuning point For maximum depth and best operation over highly mineralized ground always operate in the VLF Ground Cancel Mode To check a target before digging flip to TR Discrimination or use the GARRETT VLF TR DUAL DISCRIMINATION method described later TR SCRUBBING TR DISCRIMINATION TR SCRUBBING 1 Turn detector to On Flip to TR Mode 2 Place searchcoil on the ground Depress Push Button and hold Rotate TUNING CONTROL toward NULL until detector just becomes silent Release the Push Button 3 Move searchcoil side to side while walking Keep searchcoil in contact with ground This is called SCRUBBING If ground minerals cause sound fluctuations rotate POWER ON OFF SENSITIVITY control clockwise until sound is less erratic and or tune detector slightly further down in the NULL ZONE SCRUBBING can also be accomplished by holding the Push Button down Practice both methods and choose the best for you After locating target release Push Button to pinpoint TR DISCRIMINATION CAPABILITIES Your Garrett VLF TR P B DEEPSEEKER or GROUNDHOG is capable of target discrimination by measuring the conductivity of metal targets This includes all metallic objects and minerals ore t
5. celing One method which greatly reduces most annoying beach situations is to hold the Push Button down achieving AUTOMATIC MODE tuning As you scan the disturbances are somewhat tuned out thus lessening their disturbing effects SUCCESSFUL COIN HUNTING TECHNIQUES Ground minerals vary from place to place Some iron mineral concentrations are stronger than others Consequently you will find it necessary to change your operating methods from time to time You may find areas that are devoid of minerals or areas that contain only slight amounts of minerals Searching over these areas in the TR mode presents practically no problems Some areas however contain heavy minerals To reduce the effect of these minerals decrease your detector s sensitivity by rotating the SENSITIVITY control approximately one half turn Scan with the detector in either the SCRUB position or approximately two inches above the ground You may operate with the detector speaker silent if it helps You may also try another method this is to operate in the VLF Ground Cancel Mode When you receive a target signal and have the target pinpointed move the searchcoil slightly off to one side of the target Flip to the TR MODE and depress the Push Button until the detector retunes Carefully scan back over the target MAINTAINING SLIGHT SOUND by keeping the searchcoil at constant height while listening to the speaker If the speaker sound dips while over the target a
6. determine the severity of the change and describe the amount of meter movement in a letter to the repair technician A fuzzy sound from speaker may be caused by metal shavings or sand in speaker Operate the detector at full volume then turn it over speaker down and shake Loose metal particles which rattle inside the detector housing Pop rivets are used in the manufacture of the detectors and occasionally a portion of the rivet will shake loose during shipping This is normal and will not cause a failure of the detector or the rivet Before returning the detector to the factory for repair be sure a You have read the instructions thoroughly b You have checked the detector as described above c You have checked with your local dealer especially if you are still somewhat unfamiliar with the equipment d You have described the symptoms and the conditions under which they occur in a short note to the repair technician e You have carefully packed the detector in the original shipping carton or other suitable box DO NOT ship stems arm rests or headphones unless they are a part of the problem Return all coils unless the problem is a mechanical nature Be sure all parts are secured in the box to prevent damage All equipment is returned UPS or parcel post unless written authorization is given by you to ship collect by air parcel post UPS Blue air or air freight FIELD APPLICATIONS VLF TR DUAL DISCRIMINATION Garrett
7. dio and meter will begin to decrease when bottlecaps are tested You will note that nails foil and other small junk items will also be rejected 3 Rotate the control further clockwise and pulltabs will begin to be rejected At this setting you will note that nickels and some rings will also be rejected The conductivity of these two items is not great enough to cause the detector to respond as GOOD IMPORTANT NOTES AUTOMATIC TUNING operation causes an audio and meter OVERSHOOT of which you should be aware When rejected targets produce a decrease in the audio and meter an immediate INCREASE will be noted This is not a false signal but a normal AUTOMATIC TUNING characteristic that should be disregarded when heard Co planar searchcoils also produce a back reading characteristic during discrimination that you should be aware of When rejected targets are brought closer than one inch to the bottom of the searchcoil a sharp audio blip is produced This is caused by the coil winding configuration These blip sounds are very different from the sound produced when coins are detected When scanning and you hear a blip raise the searchcoil two inches above the ground retune and scan back over the target Junk items will not produce a sound at the two inch height Never rotate the TR DISCRIMINATION CONTROL farther clockwise than necessary to reject the targets you want rejected The numbers on the TR DISCRIMINAT
8. er sound goes on and off a Loose battery connection or a defective battery Be sure each battery snaps into the battery tray slot Try substituting one battery at a time until a defective battery is found b Loose coil connector Be sure that the connector is inserted completely and the locking ring is tightened c The wing nut assembly is not properly tightened allowing the coil to move Hand tighten as tightly as possible use no tools d The cable assembly is not wrapped around the stem tightly to eliminate movement of the wire e The small screw in the coil connector if loose may cause erratic operation A defective coil or detector Try another coil if available to isolate the problem If problem persists return both detector and coil for repair so a thorough check can be made The detector drifts out of tune Note a number of problems may be incorrectly interpreted as drift a Tuning changes that occur when the coil is raised from or lowered to the ground are not caused by drift This is the normal response of the detector to the ground minerals when in TR mode or when incorrectly adjusted in VLF mode See instructions b The tuning changes immediately after the detector is taken from the inside to the outside A thermal stabilization time is required for any sensitive electronic instrument c There are some instances where a failure in the detector causes a steady drift If such a failure is suspected
9. ered with magnetic iron junk Method Two Lower the searchcoil to the ground at the point of the strongest audio signal when the searchcoil X is directly above the target Depress the Push Button for one second to retune Slide searchcoil forward and back then side to side to pinpoint target Slide searchcoil to one side so that the edge of searchcoil completely clears the target Adjust VARIABLE DISCRIMINATION CONTROL to reject bottlecaps Keeping the searchcoil on the ground flip to the TR MODE Slide searchcoil s owly back over the target If target is foil etc the audio signal and meter pointer will decrease If coin etc audio volume will increase and pointer will move to the right toward the GOOD position NOTE If you hear a blip as described in the Important Notes segment of TR Discrimination you will know the object is a bottlecap etc The above described procedures permit the quickest easiest scanning discriminating method available You scan quickly effortlessly in the VLF ground canceling mode Then using Garrett s Dual Discrimination Method you quickly identify the target and you lose little if any depth BUILDING SEARCHING To search buildings for concealed caches and relics flip to TR mode adjust VARIABLE DISCRIMINATION CONTROL to reject nails This setting gives good sensitivity to large objects but rejects nails NOTE Depending upon the operator s experience it may be necessary to reduce the
10. gives you two methods to use to determine if the detected object is worth digging Target identification can be made quickly easily and without loss in depth of detection METHOD ONE Searchcoil detection width method Garrett s special multiwound searchcoils make the VLF mode ferrous iron identification quick and easy METHOD TWO TR discrimination method If Method One indicates the object is not iron you can quickly determine if it is a coin and not foil etc by flipping to the TR mode These methods described below can be easily mastered in one day s searching A few seconds test is all that is needed to determine if detected object is worth digging Method One Ground Cancel Mode IDENTIFY IRON OBJECTS Do not confuse this method with the double blip All brands of VLF s produce double blips over horizontal nails When you detect a target cross over it twice making an X If the object is a nail lying ina horizontal position the detector will produce a quick blip blip sound Magnetic ferrous iron objects produce a much wider response than coins Non ferrous objects such as coins tinfoil brass copper etc produce a much more narrow response This identification method is quick and easy Bench test by passing a bottlecap and a coin in a flat position in relation to searchcoil at approximately 3 4 inches distance After just one day s practice on the bench and in the field you will no longer be both
11. hat are electrically conductive Garrett s fully adjustable TR DISCRIMINATION CONTROL is a continuous adjustment potentiometer no discrete fixed step settings that allows even minute adjustments so necessary to achieve exacting acceptance and rejection of all targets Full rotation counterclockwise causes all metallic targets to be accepted The further the rotation clockwise the more targets that will be rejected TR DISCRIMINATION Flip the MODE SWITCH to the left This activates the TR DISCRIMINATION CONTROL The detector will not cancel iron ground minerals in this mode as the VLF GROUND CANCEL CONTROL is non functional BENCH TEST NON DISCRIMINATION It is best to learn all about your detector s discriminating capabilities before you take it out into the field Perform the following bench tests 1 Rotate the TR DISCRIMINATION CONTROL fully counterclockwise Depress the Push Button for one second to retune the detector to your pre set Optimum Tuning Point 2 Bring various metallic targets up to one inch from the bottom of the searchcoil The speaker sound and the meter will increase This is TRUE TR NON DISCRIMINATING operation BENCH TEST DISCRIMINATION 1 Rotate the control to approximately the number 3 position The audio and meter will begin to decrease when small nails are scanned across and one inch from the bottom of the searchcoil 2 Rotate the control to approximately the number 7 position The au
12. hunt area contains metal trash you may reject it in an instant by using the Mode Switch to change modes and check the reading in TR Discriminate before digging NOTICE Since Garrett Electronics introduced its VLF TR Deepseeking instruments users have reported finding at great depths live ammunition in battlefield areas as well as high voltage power line which are buried deeply for protection Please use extreme caution in all of your recovery work when you locate any object that may not be treasure
13. ically designed and tested to give reliable performance in all phases of treasure hunting including prospecting nugget and vein locating mine searching and ore sample identification Be sure to research some of the countless books covering all aspects of this subject and practice the techniques described therein for maximum SUCCESS INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS Your VLF TR metal detector is well suited to locating underground pipes and cables For detection of deeply buried pipes and cables the larger searchcoils 10 5 and 14 should be used Other uses include locating nails and bullets in trees thus preventing saw blade damage Various police agencies use detectors for evidence recovery at the scene of crimes such as finding bullets fired cartridge cases guns and stolen money COMPETITION TREASURE HUNTING Many metal detector operators enjoy the thrill of participating in organized treasure hunts sponsored by the various treasure hunting clubs Generally hundreds of metal targets usually coins are buried at the hunt site By paying an entry fee you may compete with treasure hunters from all over the country At these competition hunts speed is of the essence Not only must you scan very rapidly you must also recover the coins or other targets quickly The VLF TR detector equipped with the 10 5 searchcoil is recommended especially if grass at the competition area is high At most hunts the VLF Ground Cancel Mode is used If the
14. il a FAINT sound is heard This is the detectors OPTIMUM TUNING POINT 4 Release Push Button Note Occasionally during operation it may be necessary to reset the OPTIMUM TUNING POINT To do so simply follow either set of these instructions TUNING MODE SELECTION AFTER you have set the OPTIMUM TUNING POINT it is simple to keep your detector precisely tuned during operation Follow these procedures VLF Ground Cancel Mode To activate the detector s VLF Ground Cancel Mode flip the MODE SWITCH to the right TR Discriminate Mode To activate the detector s TR Discriminate Mode flip the MODE SWITCH to the left VLF GROUND CANCELING OPERATION When the detector is operating in the VLF Ground Cancel Mode the detector can be adjusted to cancel or nullify iron ground minerals Proceed as follows 1 Flip the MODE SWITCH to the VLF Mode to the right Depress the Push Button for one second The detector is now operating in the VLF ground canceling mode The GROUND CANCEL CONTROL is activated The TR DISCRIMINATE CONTROL is de activated 2 Listen for a change in audio sound while lowering the searchcoil to approximately 2 to 4 inches above ground Be sure no metal objects are in the ground under the searchcoil where you do this If the sound decreases when searchcoil is lowered to ground raise searchcoil and rotate VLF GROUND CANCEL CONTROL one turn toward INCREASE NOTE This control is a ten turn control and may requ
15. ire several turns for proper adjustment Depress the Push Button for one second 3 Again lower searchcoil to the ground never lower than 2 4 inches If sound again decreases raise searchcoil and rotate VLF GROUND CANCEL CONTROL another turn toward INCREASE Press the MASTER CONTROL SWITCH to the left for one second If sound does not change when searchcoil is lowered the detector is ready to operate If sound increases when searchcoil is lowered the VLF GROUND CANCEL CONTROL has been adjusted too far Correct by raising searchcoil and rotating the control one half turn toward DECREASE 4 Continue this tuning process until there is only slight or no audio change when searchcoil is lowered to about 2 4 inches above ground 5i Occasionally while searching raise searchcoil then lower it If audio changes readjust the VLF GROUND CANCEL CONTROL according to the above instructions Readjustment may sometimes be necessary due to changing concentrations of iron ground minerals It is neither necessary nor desirable to operate with the searchcoil held closer than 2 4 inches above ground In areas of extremely heavy concentrations of mineral and rocks it may be necessary especially with 10 to 14 inch searchcoils to operate with the searchcoil held as high as one foot Should this operating height become necessary do not be concerned because Garrett VLF TR detectors easily detect from two to four times as deeply as ordinary detectors IMP
16. nd then comes back on as you clear the target you will know the target has been rejected by the TR Discriminate Mode and should not be dug With just a few hours practice using these various techniques you will find your efficiency has greatly improved and the number of coins you find will grow larger each time you go coin hunting Metal detecting is just like any other activity or sport the more you concentrate on what you are doing and the more you employ perfect practice the better you will become Make the effort it takes it will pay off CACHE MONEY HUNTING In hunting for buried money and other valuables it is recommended that you use either the 10 or the 14 searchcoil to achieve maximum depth and wide scan ground coverage The VLF Ground Cancel Mode would usually be employed Several factors influence detection of buried treasure ground minerals moisture object size length of time object has been buried the kind of metal it is and the size searchcoil used While most post hole banks small jars and pots of money are usually no more than two feet deep the Wells Fargo box or the Spanish gold bars may be at much greater depths It should be noted that when detecting large metal objects especially those made of iron your detector will reach out beyond the edges of the searchcoil sometimes as much as two or three feet For example an iron box 18 inches square may give a reading four to five feet wide Much of yo
17. ur success in cache and treasure hunting will depend on your learning to tell the difference between small and large object signals The ADS detector s superior sensitivity on even small objects such as coins is a capability that is important in order for you to avoid digging unnecessary small metal objects Many treasure hunters prefer to cache hunt and generally do not spend much time coin hunting except in very hot old and rare coin areas They say that even if it takes them several months to find a good cache the time has been well spent DO YOUR RESEARCH BATTLEFIELD AND RELIC HUNTING The deep seeking ground canceling one hand operation features of the Push Button detector make it an ideal instrument for use on the battlefields and other relic areas Searching in the VLF Ground Cancel Mode ensures maximum wide scan coil coverage and deepest possible detection The Mode Switch allows you the option of quickly checking targets in the TR Discriminate Mode to determine if they are ferrous or non ferrous before digging These detectors are particularly sensitive to brass items making them ideal for locating belt buckles buttons and other brass military accoutrements It is important to note that as you gain additional experience with your VLF TR detector you will find yourself able to utilize the instrument more effectively in locating increasing amounts of relics at greater depths PROSPECTING Your VLF TR detector has been specif
18. y tray installation c Operate all controls for erratic or intermittent operation 2 The batteries seem to run down quickly a Remember the group of batteries marked 1 powers the detection circuitry of and the group of batteries marked 2 powers the audio sound circuitry b Batteries should last from 25 to 50 hours Battery life will vary depending on the make and freshness of battery the type of detector and how it is used c The battery check meter is an indicator as to battery condition Quite often the detector may be operated below the battery mark without loss of sensitivity as long as 1 the detector is not erratic does not drift or otherwise operate incorrectly and 2 the sound is suitably loud d Earphones will extend the life of the 2 batteries significantly e Rechargeable batteries may be used with no loss in performance although their characteristics cause the meter to read low even when fully charged Expect only 12 to 25 hours of operation per charge 3 Oscillating or pulsing sound from speaker a This effect is almost always due to external sources Some possible sources are other metal detectors nearby arc welders fluorescent lights television sets power lines and CB radios In most cases you must turn off the noise source or move to another area b If the problem persists when the detector is moved from one location to another the instrument may need servicing Erratic sound from speak
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