Barracuda Legend Kit Problems

[ripsdevala]

Yes . If you search IDX,Classic, Classic ID. They are based on the same platform(?). I am considering buying a ClassicSL, and doing the Mr Bill mods(search classic).

DIY is the only option I have, the price after tax, custom and other gov term will make me cut one month work without pay bills and eat....

[Tim]

Well, the Baracuda journey continues. Tonight I tried a schottky diode across my TIP127, as suggested somewhere, which has substituted my 9640 during fault-finding. Neither made any difference. Tried LT1115 as a suggested alternative to 5534-did not work.
After tinkering with damping again, I ended up removing 750R and going back to 330R, after re-setting offset for best performance.(On the 455uH twisted cat5 coil)

I had a 10x5 elliptical laying around, that I made originally for the Surfpro, but it was useless on that. From memory it was 30 turns of .25mm enamelled, shielded top and bottom with sheets of mylarised plastic (powdered milk packet). It is just a piece of 15mm ply with a groove cut around it. 266uH & 4.5 ohms at the board.
I thought what the Hell, and tried it.
Now I detect an Oz 5c piece at 12 inches, and my 1.7g flour gold at 4 inches (just). Air test under the flouro light, with the TV going, and junk all over the table.
The next instalment will be re-damping and re-ofsetting this coil........

[ripsdevala]

What a good distance, i have 30cm diameter 30turn 0.5 wire 2 ohm+ and its not better than 25 turn (maybe) 0.5 wire 1.5ohm, 25cm max for coin, sharp tone.
Btw, do you already test it on the ground? Did you get a beep on the ground on every up and down, or this is normal.

[Tim]

Not yet. It's after midnight here and 3 degrees outside. I have a roll of .5mm&.4mm enamelled, and also another small coil made from .4mm plastic coated wire. Also waiting on (hopefully) better components- Philips 5534ANs and ST MC74HC17B1s to replace 40106. A small basket-weave coil is also on the menu.
I do get some falseing from loose cable on the end of a swing, when I have the threshold cranked too high.
Sadly the 266 coil was better on the table than across the floor......
Still also waiting for LT1054 to replace 7660.

[ripsdevala]

Never feel temp below 20 here in javanese, keep the update tim, i will keep following, basket menu will be my favorite, looking averywhere and get no tutorial about it.

[Tim]

Some coil info.

[ripsdevala]

Thanks tim, will create one and report here next week, the thing for now is my bara too sensitive to ground, sometimes it make a false signal. Just swing hours ago, at sugarcane plantation, nail again.
Better wait Qiaozi new plan i think.

[ripsdevala]

The only option i know with ground problem is make it non motion mode, but it will decrease the sens, and some how i cant make it return to motion mode

[Tim]

Motion/non-motion-Perhaps some solder flux residue is still around transistors? As for coil being sensitive to ground, maybe there is metal on shaft too close to coil, or lead/joiner is floppy?

[Qiaozhi]

..... the thing for now is my bara too sensitive to ground, sometimes it make a false signal.

The Baracuda does not have the ability to sample early enough to be sensitive to low (or even medium) ground mineralization. Either you have high mineralization, or some hot rocks. If that's not the case, then the shielding on your coil is probably suspect, or the connecting cable is slightly microphonic. Also, the original Baracuda does not fully reject the Earth Field due to a design fault.

[ripsdevala]

The Baracuda does not have the ability to sample early enough to be sensitive to low (or even medium) ground mineralization. Either you have high mineralization, or some hot rocks. If that's not the case, then the shielding on your coil is probably suspect, or the connecting cable is slightly microphonic. Also, the original Baracuda does not fully reject the Earth Field due to a design fault.

Ya, Im not shielding my coil

[ripsdevala]

Did anyone have video with his cuda on the field? Want to compare it with mine.

[Tim]

I got my LT1054's yesterday. Swapped one for the 7660, and removed the 10v reg. Tried a Cat5 dual field I made at 430uH- no good, too much resistance, I think. I was getting a signal with large iron, as it was leaving the coil field. Did re-zero offset. Did try all delay settings. Tried various dampers across the inner coil, and main damper.
I have an 11 inch Coiltek mono on the way to try. Went back to the 10x5, .25mm enamelled, 30 winds coil, for now. Re-zeroed and delay range set.
Down the river for a swing. Nearly directly under HV powerlines-a bit of interference at high sens setting- but she worked a beaut! With the TIP 127, I can definitely tell steel from alloy and copper. Pulling 1970s ring-pulls at 10 inches, and got two OZ 1c pieces(12mm copper) at about 6 inches, in dry white sand.

Absolutely satisfied with this ' tecta. If the Coiltek improves it I will be well and truly chuffed.

Still awaiting my Philips 5534s
Home-made coil is shielded with un-earthed mylarised plastic powdered milk packet, top and bottom.

Have an IDX and Minipulse boards on the way from Silverdog, and also scored an IDXpro topshaft, display, and box, with MR Bill mods off fleabay. Seller says it has sens issues. Fingers crossed it was just a settings issue, or he was trying to use a 6B8 coil to test it...... I also have a 6x4 Blue Max on the way. Depth is not my aim, but small gold. I have the Sniffer for the stuff down Deeeep.

[ripsdevala]

Tim, TGSL or IDX? I have confuse here, do you have complete documentation for IDX?

[Tim]

My post above was regarding the Baracuda.
As for the IDX, all the info is here. Just use the search function. Search IDX or go to advanced search/posts-with keywords, to find specifics-e.g. IDX coil, or IDX schematic, etc. Once you get the hang of it, it's easy.
We should try to keep this thread on the Baracuda topic, but here is the full IDX"sticky".
I have no inclination to do the TGSL. If I were to choose a Tesoro, it would be the Lobo, or Bandido.(for gold).
Also I like all Sascho schematics.