TM-808

[Unregistered]

I have a TM-808 and owned a TM-800 prior to it. The older version could detect objects at greater depth. Is there any way of increasing the TX power to create a larger magnetic field?? I understand the bad side to it of S/N issues. I mean maybe a max of 3X power that can be adjusted with a knob from 1 to 3X, and balance it reducing sensitivity and or increasing ground reject.

I know the TF-900 is the same as the TM-800, but it lacks the meter, and I find the meter to show changes faster than the sound, thus very useful.

what type of amplifier or other system could I try to use. I am not very experienced with circuit building.

thanks

[ivconic]

When brand new, TM808 is working very good. But sometime after, it starting to loose depth??? I have noticed that too on several machines so far??? Really dont know the reason? Something is "labile" there...
You should check arrond CA3140/30 stage...
Actually no need to increase power, it has power enough...
One more thing could be broken quartz due hiting device unintenionally somewhere on the field...? Also expired batteries too...
Generally TM808 is much better than TM800 and TF900, should work much better also...but why it failed to keep performances after a while...??? I really dont know!
Regards!

[Max]

When brand new, TM808 is working very good. But sometime after, it starting to loose depth??? I have noticed that too on several machines so far??? Really dont know the reason? Something is "labile" there...
You should check arrond CA3140/30 stage...
Actually no need to increase power, it has power enough...
One more thing could be broken quartz due hiting device unintenionally somewhere on the field...? Also expired batteries too...
Generally TM808 is much better than TM800 and TF900, should work much better also...but why it failed to keep performances after a while...??? I really dont know!
Regards!

Hi Ivconic,
you are really right when talk about drop in performances of bought detectors. I noticed it on some economic white's (also on an original classicIII with bluemax coil).

I truly think that lose of performance is related to some "aging" of alignments in coils (thermal effects, hits, vibrations, drying of solvents or changes in epoxy structure and the like) and also in circuit/pcb/pots/switches etc.

When stuff is heavy used for some years you see easy that things go worse with e.g. pots cause of dust ... but also electrolytics dry cause of heat of sunrays on the box etc etc... the components degradation coul lead to a loss of power... expecially in the depth sector.

In two boxes the critical aspect is structure... I mean plastic can deformate... factory alignment could disappear cause of thermal shocks of plastic stuff... epoxy and even aluminium pole and similar could deformate due to use (hits again... movements... wind...)

So it's very difficault find a stuff that remains at top performances from when you buy it till you trash it. So far I remember that just some few units (e.g. some PIs by Eric Foster) the ones that have circuit modules totally potted in epoxy and small rigid coil stucture could resist so well to time... even if some electrolytic caps will dry in similar way of unpotted circuit!

The total potting make a uniform shell/mass that's less disturbed as a whole by e.g. thermal transients than an unpotted circuit... but , of course, costs much more and is also more heavy than unpotted thing.

Best regards,
Max

[Unregistered]

I have a test bed, and the target that I use is about 14 inches diameter , copper, buried at a little over 3 feet. I test all my detectors there on a regular basis, like I mentioned before, the TM 800 would read a signal strength of 80 over it, where the TM 808 reads 30 despite me setting the controls to have more sensitivity. If I put them in the normal area, it will not pick it up.

It has done it from day one. That why I want to add a little juice.

[ivconic]

I have doubts about connecting coils on TM808. Have you noticed minor jitter in those poles? When you stuck it...still can move mm or more...Might be problem there...Once i add ordinary cables on TM808 coils instead those coming from pipes...Once jacks were damaged no way to make them working good again! As Max said; when you buy it new, better glue it all over and never reassemble again! Huh!
Still have doubts in quartz, might be broken before you got it? Shipment...

[Unregistered]

most of the users of two boxes agree that the TM808 has inferior performance in comparison to the TM 800 or TF 900, both made by Discovery. The TM 808 has a different circuit made by Whites.

[ivconic]

It is already known...

I heard legends about some mystic 2 box ; Picker TS 808...!!!???
I have looked for any datas on the .net but without success...

[Unregistered]

The Whites factory (engineer) actually told me the older models where made by Discovery

[ivconic]

What's the story with that "Picker ...808 or 800"..??
Which product it is?
Man who owned it (not any more so i havent seen it) told me that device looks like 2 box...Has label with some picture of horseman riding on horse or simillar....???
He told me fantastic stories about that detector. If i dont consider him as serious man, i would not beleive him a word...but so far that man turns to be very serious and conversant about detectors...so i am confused? Dont know what to think? He told me a story; once he was on the field, in some forest...60 meters away from parked jeep....It was pretty dark and he lost his way. So he used "Picker" holding it vertically to detect a jeep from some 30-40 meters!!!??? " ....Signal was very weak, but i followed direction and after each meter signal rised....just after 30 meters, wriggling through bushes and darkness i almost step on my jeep..."....!!!
I dont know what to think or say..?
I would swear this is impossible....but as i said before man is very serious and honest....Later he broked Picker and sended it on service somewhere....Never returned!....So he told me few simillar stories about mighty,powerful 2 box Picker...???
Anybody know any details about this?

[ivconic]

Later i heard rumors that Picker is not comercial design....Actually it is military design and keept as secret. During war in Bosnia, Serbian paramillitary forces captured huge deposit of various technicals....Later through black market that Picker was sold to one man, and that man sold it to the man i know...? This is more like to be rumor...but maybe it helps a bit in finding any details about that mystic "Picker..."???