Sniffer XR-71

[ZX12R]

Ok, another update, sorry about all the frequent updates but I want to record this as this is my 1st electronic project and it may help others, my videos will be music free and hopefully show you stage by stage what is happening.

Anyway, fitted the board but need somewhere for the battery now

http://youtu.be/vJgguQbajNU

[bmwbiker]

Please don't apologise for the frequent updates; since it looks like I'm the only one who can be bothered to reply I'm waiting with bated breath for your latest offerings.

You're doing a great job; I've been wondering how to mount my board and I looked at those standoffs but I'm using a different box from yours and I've got even less space. As long as the PCB is held securely it's all fine; usually a PCB will be pre-drilled for mounting but not this one. Gonna mount mine in perspex channels which I can fabricate. My controls will be in a separate small box atop the handle on the shaft.

Re the battery; You're right, you don't want a heavy battery bouncing around all over the PCB. I doubt it any of the components would get hot enough to melt through the battery casing (unless you have a dead short) but the battery is more likely to damage the components . . . I have a 2.1Ah battery which is longer and thinner than yours so with a bit of luck I *should * have enough room to build in a battery compartment. The battery was a few pence shy of a tenner so that's why I went for that one, when the short chubby 1.2Ah one is only a pound or so cheaper.

Can't wait for the next installment . . .

Clive

[ZX12R]

Next installment has arrived, added the battery box to the top of my main box
What do you think?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSL7...ature=youtu.be

[bmwbiker]

Can't see how you could have done it any differently in the circumstances; it's a fairly large board and there's not much space in the box. Since you said you're going to have the control box remote from the shaft and search head it'll save a lot of weight on the shaft.

You're on the right lines with all the waterproofing measures - you don't want the electronics getting wet (especially with salt water.) Can I ask what use you're going to be using the detector for - beach, inland . . . ? Just curious - since I live within 10 miles of the sea my PIs are intended for beaches and the bought detector for inland.

[ZX12R]

Hi Clive,

I will use the Sniffer for beaches and maybe ploughed fields etc. or any other areas with hardly any human interference IE no rubbish.

I will eventually save up for and get a Garret AT PRO but I only earn so much so we'll see, might be mid next year.

As I am in Halifax this is almost exactley half way between say Blackpool and Bridlington so I can sort of alternate between each coast line, as I get more experienced I will venture out further.

I am also building a surf 1.2 PI for my other half, I have been following a guy who did one adrainandgelease.com or something like that, I have ordered a coil and shaft from Powerscan in Bulgaria for "er in doors" surf 1.2 as coils baffle me and for me to try and make a shaft it is cheaper just to buy one.

I have a viking vk30, ok on dry sand but useless on wet, got this off a neighbour for £50 like new

Jason

PS, as you can tell by my screen name, I am also into bikes :-)

[bmwbiker]

Oh, I thought maybe you were looking for the 'Hoard of Halifax' up near Ainley Top . . .

That's why I was wondering about your intended use - I spent a lot of time as an HGV driver so I know the lay of the land pretty well and I know there's no sea close to you! Bridlington - couple of hours? Should find Saxon/Viking up there, with all the Viking activity in the area (handy for North Sea Ferries for the Viking landings . . . )

I'm getting ready to start building my Sniffer in the next few days cos we're off to Scotland for Christmas and we'll be pretty near a popular beach so of course I'll take a detector (or two . . . ) Luckily my missus is up for the detecting so she'll want her own machine. As I haven't tried the Minelab on the beach yet I'm hoping to have a PI machine ready and the Barracuda's being obstinate at the moment so I'll try for the Sniffer.

I've found that the PIs are a bit finicky over coils - the Barracuda kept falsing when I tried it on the beach, but it was OK in the garden. I've got a shielded coil made but making a housing is proving tricky at the moment.

Yes, I've been a biker for 48 years - got 4 Beemers, a BSA Spitfire and a Pegaso 650 and not one on the road . . . Been thinking of getting rid of them lately - getting a bit old for this lark. I used to love the BMW K100 LT I've got but it weighs a quarter of a ton and it takes a bit of mauling around. And I could use the cash (more detectors . . . ?? )

OK if I PM you with a couple of questions about the Sniffer?

[ZX12R]

Yep, pm away.
Does that hoard of halifax really exist

[bmwbiker]

You wish . . . Sorry, I just made it up

Mind you, who knows - there might be a hoard just waiting to be found . . . ??

Clive

[ZX12R]

Hi Clive,

Actually there has been 3 hoards found around Halifax, the latest one was found in 1959 in Lightcliffe, anyway, my metal detector has now been making some noises, it actually made me jump when I first switched it on.

I couldnt figure out why it was making so many noises, bleeps, whistles and whining until I figured it out after uploading the video to you tube.

I wonder if it had something to do with the fact that the room I was testing it in has got 2 pushbikes, 2 motorbikes, an Ironing table a metal sack cart and my dining room table and chairs contains quite a bit of metal - DOH!!

Anyway the video can be seen here, its quite clear that I now haev to learn how to use it.
http://youtu.be/Su3bSNFz7DU

but at least I have had a crash course in electronics
Jason

[bmwbiker]

Hi Jason,

Well, you've resolved the loose capacitor issue you told me about and it actually does something. That makes me feel a whole lot better about the probability of mine working . . .

I've seen a few YouTube vids of the Sniffer where the Threshold is adjusted until a slow clacking noise is produced; any metal near the coil at that point causes the rate of clacking to increase.

You're right about the location you're testing the detector in; the coil is in effect a directional aerial so will likely be affected by any electronics nearby; TVs, monitors, even electrical wiring carry mains hum which could manifest their presence while motorcycles and steel ironing boards will just be overload.

I build my electronics in a wooden shed I use for woodworking and which is loaded with hand planes, chisels, vices, clamps and various machines so I have to take the detector outside for testing. Even then there's a power company transformer 50 yards away in the field at the back and the transmission lines pass across the back of my property . . . Best to take it all outside somewhere away from electrical interference and lumps of metal

Same as anything else, it's going to take you a while to learn how to drive a new detector, especially one with so many variable parameters.

Keep going, you'll get there!

Clive

PS - a 1 metre square coil should help you find your hoards. I quite fancy Bramham park, having stayed on the caravan site there and walked all around it - but it ain't gonna happen!

[ZX12R]

Hi Clive,

Now built up and ready to go.

I have already found permission to use about 15 acres of land with 3 landowners so it will be a case of suck it and see what happens.

Jason

[bmwbiker]

Hey, great news! I take it you've done air tests - what sort of results are you getting?

Good luck on your permissions - hope it's productive for you Without being too specific, is it pretty local to you? I've been doing quite a bit of research locally and I've found a site where there was an old hall, and now it's fields. Need to try and get permission there . . .

Keep us updated!

Clive

[ZX12R]

Did a test run today in a local football field, I wasnt sure at what the differant noises made so just kept on walking as it seemed to be making lots of noises like a geiger counter then a high pitch squeel.

Anyway I then proceeded into the middle of the playing field and it was sort of moaning then all of a sudden it went really high pitched so I though, what the hell and started to dig, my lucky day, I found 30p, which consisted of a 10p and a 20p.

So then I thought, ok the high pitch sound must be metal so then I started to dig and must have found the manufacturing site for tent pegs, lol

It started to get dark then so came home, going to try a proper field at the weekend, one where horses are in etc. and see what I find.

Here is a quick video but to be honest I couldnt hold the stick, digger thing and video at the same time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrGYiC7xxko

[bmwbiker]

What - no game on today at St Andrews Road . . . ? Must've been the coins the crowd were throwing at the players!

Me and my buddy got permission to detect the local High School playing field since it's due for digging up in the name of progress. I found 4p and he found the world's supply of ring pulls and silver foil so we gave it up as a bad job. My daughter later told me the 'hot spots' where the kids all congregate but we'd over-run the deadline by then

Glad the machine actually finds things - I'm going to make a start on mine this week, as soon as I've got some other jobs done. Can't promise vids like yours (very interesting BTW) but I'll update as and when I get round to it.

Clive

[ZX12R]

My first outing to BlackPool beach today.
I got some headphones and tried them at home, I must have wired up the headphone socket cos they worked, so off we goes to Blackpool at 6:30am, tide was out at 9am. We got there about 8:15am down to the beach, turned on the detector and NOTHING, no sound, I am think WTF this was working last night, so raced back to the car and got the headphones, plugged these in it worked. Turns out that the headphone socket wa slightly bent and the speaker contact didnt contact.

Anyway started to detect, tried looking for "cuts", I dont know what it was about BlackPool but I have never seen so many dead fish, star fish and these things that looked like giant fury woodlice, If I could have had a quid for every one I detector over I would have thousands in the bank. After 4 hours solid detecting, found 1 spark plug, 2 coke cans, loads of scrap, a spark plug and 37p, I was well amazed at the detector as one of the coke cans was about 12" down but the signal was so loud it sounded as though it was just under the surface.
Anyway I need loads of practice at using the detector, had a few false signals, well it gave the right signal but after digging a 2' diameter hole approx. 12" deep there was nothing but still bleeping very loud.

I will be trying it on farm land tomorrow so I will see what this does

Jason