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  • Tesoro's discrimination circuits

    Hi all,
    I've found an old post in a forum at: http://66.51.97.78/coinist/ttipspage1.html

    that talks about d-x and ed-x circuits for varios tesoro's detectors.

    Seems that Inca, Eldorado and Toltec-100 used D-90 disc circuit that is compatible with the Gifford's early patent #US4486713...where 90° is the rule of disc.

    So, "newer" models e.g. golden sabre or bandidoIIumax have the ed-120...extended discrimination 120°...

    I think that this could explain why we get so much iron from bandidoIIumax and golden-sabre ...just cause extended disc makes iron rejection more weak!

    A possible solution could be limiting the disc range of uMax models (bandidoIIumax , golden-sabre etc) to get something like one have in eldorado...without requiring to cut and paste for an hybrid device.

    Anyone interested could take a look :

    ----
    Why is the ED-180 better than the ED-120 disc.?

    "R-n-R", The Toltec II and Golden Sabre II use the ED-120 discriminate circuit. The Bandido II MM, Silver Sabre MM, SHADOWx2, and basically most of the last generation of Tesoros (Pantera, Silver Sabre II, Sidewinder & Sidewinder MM, Bandido, Bandido II and Bandido MM, etc.) have employed the discriminate circuit referred to as the ED-120.
    The Amigo II and a few other models utilize what is referred to as the ED-180.
    In simple terms, the "120" or "180" descriptions are in reference to the degree of coverage of the discriminate range. Earlier models, such as the Inca, Eldorado, Toltec-100 and such had what could be described as "D-90", or an acceptance range of about 90 degrees. This allowed the detector to accept targets from silver dollars and such on down to lessor conductive targets in a low-foil category. Certainly the minimum rejection level was well above nail rejection.
    Users of these earlier silent-search models were able to "comfortably" search many sites without hearing a lot of trash target signals. Unfortunately, in the very worst conditions, such as nail-strewn town sites or some renovation sites, there was too much rejection even at the minimum setting. Thus masking would occur more easily. Additionally, in the worst ground mineral conditions the discriminate circuit didn't work as well at dealing with the ground mineral signal and passing along the desirable target signals.
    With the advent of the ED-120 discrimination circuit, Tesoro made a major advancement in functional discriminate range as the "Expanded Discriminate" (thus ED) range went **lower** in the acceptable range and this allowed models designed with that circuitry to just barely kick out most nails at the "minimum" setting and this gave them better "see through" (a bad term, but well used) in the really trashy sites, especially those with nails and other small iron junk.
    The ED-120 circuitry is by far some of the best for the average hunter, and even the advanced detectorist, depending upon what their intended application is.
    ED-180 simply refers to a discriminate circuit which has an Expanded range even LOWER than the ED-120, not higher. The LOWER range of adjustment gets the unit down into the ALL METAL acceptance range. Many of the competitors models allow such a low-end of adjustment, such as the White's XLT, 5900/6000's, Classic series, Garrett GTA's and Scorpions, and most certainly the Fisher "X" and CZ series.
    For a serious relic hunter or a very serious detectorist who wants to have the added performance of an All Metal motion discriminate mode of operation, these are good units. For relic hunting and other searches where ALL targets are desired, then a broad-range, with a lower-end acceptance (ED-180) discriminate circuit is desirable.
    However, most hobbyists are NOT interested in locating all metal targets in an area. Most are recreationalists, serious or casual, who are not that interested in having a primary search mode that will accept all metal targets, preferring to reject annoying nails and some other small, low-conductive targets. Thus, the ED-120 is the most used discriminate circuit concept that is employed by the Tesoro folks. It works well.
    In some really bad ground the ED-180 will give you some much improved performance, but in "typical" ground and detecting situations the famous ED-120 should do.
    Now, I hope this rambling wasn't too confusing. As for which is the "Better" of the two, I would have to say that I would be content with the ED-120 under most conditions. I do, however, employ the option of going to a lower range (ED-180) when I get into some very mineralized areas where there are NOT a lot of detectable targets and I prefer to get the best depth/performance. Confuse you? Questions? Just e-mail and I will try to clear it up! Posted By: Monte on the Old Tesoro Forum
    ----

    Best regards,
    Max

  • #2
    The smocking gun...

    Hi all,
    here are some founds made with my BandidoII uMax on the test search field.
    Above the tool is another shotgun shell that I've found at about 20cm depth.
    It's made of brass. From a research I've made it results to be from a "Mulliker-Carcano M91 war rifle" ...no-comment man...
    OK
    cartridge is something years 1929-33 but I'm not
    sure if it's a standard type or something special bullet e.g. soft-head that I know
    were made too. I've found another but this is in better shape.

    Then under the tool you can see what's really surprised me...
    are all IRON objects of some kind. A modern wood washer made of iron-alloy, a round
    piece of iron-wire, another piece of iron wire that seems were galvanized with zinc
    but then now really oxided, then on the right a small unidentified part of iron too...
    that to me seems like a small pipe looking at its shape.

    NOTE THE DIMENSIONS OF IRON OBJECTS: THEY ARE ALL SMALL !
    I've found the washer at 6-7cm depth, the round wire at 3cm, the "small pipe(or whatever)"
    just under surface (few mm I think), the bigger iron wire at 12-14cm.
    Problem is that objects are well signaled by bandido I've made...so I can't understand
    why cause they are much smaller than original items of iron I've found on the searchfield.

    Again, pinpointing is easy enough to find them in less than 1 minute each...but then what
    a surprise...
    Cause a casual and rare horse shoe is not a big problem...but if one have to dig all this stuff
    WOW... what a discrimination ! We can also leave unused disc at all and dig everything like we do in all-metal search for relics.

    I was thinking that these kind of objects are rejected by bandido ...I'm really confused now...

    Is just my unit problem to dig such smaller objects or maybe I need to change something in
    my bandido ???
    Can some kind of chemical treatment (e.g. zinc plating) caused this sensitivity to that small items ???



    Best regards,
    Max
    Attached Files

    Comment


    • #3
      Regarding a schematic of Tesoro Royal Sabre (maybe traced by W.L.), rejects nails at minimum disc.

      Another detector wich reject also great iron objects, but sometimes you hear a "rash" in his presence (OK, you can check for curiosity), is the cheap double tone discriminative MD Bounty Hunter model Tracker 2-D/707. This is very sensitive for small no iron objects and has options for all metal, discrimination and level, ground control, sensibility adjustment and low batt indicator. Maybe is not "very professional", but his good for reject almost all iron objects. Don't experiment in wich grade iron objects can mask other valuable items.
      Attached Files

      Comment


      • #4
        ....


        Yes i had that BH once....Excellent discrimination, two tones....
        But depth is low...to low....Anyway good for shallow targets...
        Also price is low, some 40-50 euros for it...
        regards!

        Comment


        • #5
          Hi Esteban and Ivconic,
          thank for the infos. Yes, I know the bounty hunter...one friend has one...really easy machine that is really useful on trashy sites or when ground has moved and then some targets are easy to find near surface due to mechanical movement due to some caterpillar/bulldozer.

          I'm worndering that I get so easy small iron too with bandidoIIumax I've built.
          I've built other VLFs before...some from magazines...and all they have problems with large iron as explained here in the forum. But the strange is that I'm getting also smaller items like in the picture so I'm asking myself why...if some zinc-plating gives extra detection range on that small mostly iron items...that one could think be rejected by bandido.

          Anyway, thanks a lot for your help. I really appreciate.

          Best regards,
          Max

          Comment


          • #6
            Large iron objects

            Max, many VLF's have trouble with large iron, some more so than others. I think the best approach to dealing with large iron is to have a Detector that has a good modulated audio, that way you can tell the difference between an overload big iron signal and a non-ferrous conductor but there are not many of those out there. A simple way I tell the diff is to lift the coil off the ground above what a small desirable target could possibly give a signal on. Another way is to listen to how long the signal lasts, if it gives a wider response than a small conductor more than likely it is large. Lastly, most large iron signals have somewhat of a more broken signal than non-ferrous items. These 3 tests are not very scientific however so use them with caution. On the 180 vs 120, 180 is more desirable because well, one can fine tune the detector for different sites plus target masking can be off-set better using 180. Oh yeah, Monte knows his stuff about detectors...

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Steve in MS View Post
              Max, many VLF's have trouble with large iron, some more so than others. I think the best approach to dealing with large iron is to have a Detector that has a good modulated audio, that way you can tell the difference between an overload big iron signal and a non-ferrous conductor but there are not many of those out there. A simple way I tell the diff is to lift the coil off the ground above what a small desirable target could possibly give a signal on. Another way is to listen to how long the signal lasts, if it gives a wider response than a small conductor more than likely it is large. Lastly, most large iron signals have somewhat of a more broken signal than non-ferrous items. These 3 tests are not very scientific however so use them with caution. On the 180 vs 120, 180 is more desirable because well, one can fine tune the detector for different sites plus target masking can be off-set better using 180. Oh yeah, Monte knows his stuff about detectors...
              Hi Steve,
              thanks for the hints. I'll test also sound changes with more care than I've used in last search.
              My real problem is now with smaller targets...I mean iron nails, screws, washers , pieces of iron wire etc...as you can see in the picture above. I think that a good disc machine MUST reject this kind of stuff cause also there are lots of these in many good sites... in every place in the world.
              What to say about ed-120 or ed-180 too ? Yes, i think they are flexible respect to original d-90 that only allow max 90° of shifts to be revealed as good targets...this avoid much masking by iron trash and can give more freedom to the user...expecially with smaller coils I think (e.g. 4'').
              Problem is that on contaminated sites (and almost 80-90% are) this could be a serious problem I think. There was useful if they at tesoro made some switch to shut down extended disc feature (ed-120 or ed-180) and restoring original d-90 as needed by user (like one have in older Eldorado or Toltec-100).
              Sometimes newer doesn't mean better in any case, I think. This could also explain why (as they reported on Tesoro's website) someone still ask for toltec-100...in 2007 !

              Don't misunderstud my thinking about tesoro's...I think they are really good designed...but are these details that sometimes make losing some customers for something else. I never bought an original Tesoro's detector but if I did and then descovering that I can't disc out nails and iron wires...well...I wouldn't be so happy of this fact! No need of disc that doesn't disc nails !
              Disc, to me, is just intended to avoid that trash we have to deal in our hobby...not something that you could rotate knob to know if it's copper or nickel...and then when dug... object is made of iron...all rusty nails...etc
              Are the kind of things that virtually relegated PIs only for beach hunting!
              Must I conclude that ed-120 is not good in inland searching ??? No. I don't want to do it.

              I think that these 30° of disc range difference makes a bigger difference in how one can feel his detecting experience.

              Anyway...I think I'll modify the disc on bandido to suit eldorado specs by a simple switch to change from ed-120 to d-90...and avoid too much polemics here!

              Best regards,
              Max

              Comment


              • #8
                The best VLF that I have ever used in avoiding small iron is the Whites 6000 DI PRO SL, same as the XL-PRO but there is no free lunch. It isn't quite as good in target separation as others I have used. Bent nails can be troublesome to most modern detectors as well as round iron objects but the 6000 does disc those items out better than most. Those detectors that just love nails won't stay long with me, I am like you, they should at least be somewhat proficient in taking out nails.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Steve in MS View Post
                  The best VLF that I have ever used in avoiding small iron is the Whites 6000 DI PRO SL, same as the XL-PRO but there is no free lunch. It isn't quite as good in target separation as others I have used. Bent nails can be troublesome to most modern detectors as well as round iron objects but the 6000 does disc those items out better than most. Those detectors that just love nails won't stay long with me, I am like you, they should at least be somewhat proficient in taking out nails.
                  Hi Steve,
                  I totally agree on nails detectors. Don't like any of these. Have to put in the closet...some pulse induction I've made cause too trash found and too many signals from ceramics-bricks-pottery.
                  I've found that on bandido one could also put disc at 5 thus ignoring most smaller iron items...but not a good idea generally speaking, cause one loose also gold items ! Also some continue being detected cause there is some contamination e.g. zinc galvanization that breaks all around a rusty nail...thus giving also a good halo in the ground.
                  What to say...some detectors seems addicted to find much trash than others. Just I'm still wondering that this behaviour appears on bandido with smaller objects too.

                  Best regards,
                  Max

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    What kind of coil are you using with it? If it is a DD, you may want to try a concentric if you have a place to buy them, it may make a difference or not, I don't know. Any of those coated screws and such can make it more attractive to a detector. Another thing you can try to determine if something is iron or not is after you get a signal, turn a 90 degree (called "X"ing the target) and resweep. If it no longer gives the same good signal then it is an iffy target. Another to try is while sweeping slowly lift your coil, if the signal very quickly goes away then it will likely be iron. Try this also. While sweeping centering over the target move the coil slowly back toward yourself, if the signal breaks up quickly, then it will likely be trash. All this isn't foolproof but may help.
                    Regards

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Steve in MS View Post
                      What kind of coil are you using with it? If it is a DD, you may want to try a concentric if you have a place to buy them, it may make a difference or not, I don't know. Any of those coated screws and such can make it more attractive to a detector. Another thing you can try to determine if something is iron or not is after you get a signal, turn a 90 degree (called "X"ing the target) and resweep. If it no longer gives the same good signal then it is an iffy target. Another to try is while sweeping slowly lift your coil, if the signal very quickly goes away then it will likely be iron. Try this also. While sweeping centering over the target move the coil slowly back toward yourself, if the signal breaks up quickly, then it will likely be trash. All this isn't foolproof but may help.
                      Regards
                      Hi Steve,
                      again thanks for the hints.
                      I've now a 9x8'' (original tesoro)concentric-spider coil, a DD-22cm diameter (homemade) shielded and a round 8'' concentric unshielded at now that I use only on workbench tests.
                      On workbench tests 8'' round handmade seems is the best discriminative coil.
                      Also 9x8 gives very good results.
                      In field test I run both 9x8 and DD. Comparision gives much ease of use with 9x8 but a bit depth more to DD. Both gives iron detection and can't reject iron completely (big ones no way... smaller like screws using 5+ on disc setting).
                      9x8 has good depth, anyway, and pinpointing is really easy...much easier than with DD coil I've made.
                      I think that I could also make a good shielded case for 8'' with a bit of time invested in. It's a very good coil for disc, and performance is like the original spider. Think could be used in low contaminated sites with fun but suffer from same problems of other two at low disc levels (too much small iron detected).

                      Best regards,
                      Max

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        a/m on Silver umax

                        Any thoughts on how effective using the"a/m" mode on the Silver umax in these tough areas would be? I know it's not a true a/m-but it seems like an effective compromise between ED 120-180. Thanks

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I use Tesoro Compadre with 180 disc.

                          180 is very useful I think, here is why:

                          Often I hunt on first level of discrimination, ignore iron. It is very good at rejecting nails, etc. (but certain rusty objects can get through, especially washers).

                          Anyway, let's say I hear a small beep. Is it a deep coin, or a nail being rejected? I turn knob to all-metal, get long strong beep, OK it's a nail, right?

                          Compadre doesn't have all-metal switch, so 180 is very necessary. You can do the same thing with AM switch on other MD, but single knob is easy.

                          So even people that hunt only with disc need AM to check meaning of weak signals.

                          Also, maybe All Metal has slightly wider search pattern, so on beach with very little trash, use AM to find more targets, then turn knob to reject iron, etc.

                          Maybe I missed your point though; but I do like 180 disc, nice and easy to use.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Silver umax

                            The a/m on the Silver also accepts nails,etc. It will break up on some bolts, nuts, etc. I just feel sometimes that there is much fuss made over so minute a difference. I know it won't accept very fine gold necklaces-but is that difference going to cause me to miss a nice gold ring or coin-and is it worth digging every nail,wire clip, iron link to prove it?

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Max View Post
                              Hi Esteban and Ivconic,
                              thanks a lot for your help. I really appreciate.

                              Best regards,
                              Max


                              There is a design issue in one version of HH, the Ne5534 opamp balance circuit should not be given at the inputs (as in some designs) use the balance circuitry, as this is for amplifying low level signals, noise from the balance resistors will add up.

                              One more question whats the advantage of inverting opamp, also its high noisy feedback resistor of 1Meg feeds into the input.

                              One more question, 555Ic's do not jump to 0V while going low (as per data sheets the 555IC's low level will be at 1.2 Volts ie above reference at 10V supply) and we are switching off the Fet with 555, but the low level is 1.2 volt not 0V, here the voltages are -10and 0V, Will the fet switch off completely due to -1.2V.

                              Another question the Fet Drain in Twin Loop Treasure seeker is connetced to 0V thru the resistor R17 and cap C13 high pass filter, we have to take this as drain connected to 0V, and the gate driven from the 555 -1.2V at off condition will the fet switch off completely.

                              Comment

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