Tiger Shark is giving me a hard time

[Talon]

Hi guys and gals,

I got a used Tiger Shark off of ebay and am slightly regretting it at this point. I followed the setup instructions in the users manual and only later saw everyone's posts about "don't touch the sensitivity". But I went through the setup and put my Disc. at around 4 as suggested in the manual.

I had taken my TS to a beach and found absolutely zip (it is a pretty hunted out beach) but I was feeling a little disappointed. I went to a new beach and wasn't finding anything until I saw a dime sitting on top of the sand. I passed my coil over it and...nothing. It couldn't read a dime sitting on the surface. So I turned down my disc until the dime started reading, I ended up at about 0.75 disc to get a reading. It still picked up some iron, but it was choppy so I could figure out what would be iron. I ended up finding a nice gold ring and silver chain, but still this wasn't right.

So I have been hunting with it around the "less than 1" disc setting and been doing alright. But now my machine is falseing like that was it's job. I've noticed if I slightly touch the coil to the sand or change depth at all I get the falseing. I have made sure to wind my chord tight. If I turn up the discrimination the falsing goes away, but so do the targets.

I just went through the setup procedure again in the manual and I am discriminating out QUARTERS at 2. I can't turn the sense up anymore than what it is. What am I doing wrong?

Also, looking inside I see that the circuit board attached to the control box by the rainbow of flat wires pulls up and down and was at one time siliconed in place. Is this normal? Should I do anything about it? Please give me advice!

Chris

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

DR.ÖTEK Metal Detector, Waterproof Gold Detector, Pinpoint & Terrain Modes, Professional Metal Detector - Grab it through Amazon!

[Talon]

Alright, after messing with it a bit more I have some interesting finds. The sens is fine, I went through all of that and I'm good to go. A little south of chattering and I'm getting clear readings.

However, running through the discrimination, I cranked it to 9+ and was getting solid quarter signals and broken other signals. But then it is silent from 8 all the way back to 1. Broken discrimination? I'm going to call Tesoro tomorrow when it's not a holiday.

 

[Acquisitor]

tiger shark is a powerful water detector, not a beach one.. its more sensitive to small gold than most other water detectors. using tiger shark on a dry beach is a waste of time imo.
set disc at 1 and hunt in water only.

 

[Talon]

I see a lot of people that are setting theirs around 3-4?

 

[Sandman]

First clean out the coil cover of any sand. You need to send it off to Tesoro to get it fixed.

I have the sensitivity set at the mid point. Disc set at no highter than ONE or TWO. Ground Balance in ALL METAL FAST. Threshold where you can barely hear it. Make sure it sounds off on a pull tab.

 

[Talon]

That's what I figured. My settings pretty much match yours, but obviously the disc. is not right. I'll call them tomorrow. Rats.

 

[Keppy]

Yes those ebay detectors will get you at one time or another..... They always say they work fine ...Then you get it then it don't work that fine..

 

[Terry Soloman]

Are you using a TIGER Shark on a SALTWATER beach? Because if you are, it is NOT built for saltwater, it is a FRESHWATER machine. If you are using it in freshwater, you most definately have a problem and need to have it looked at. Good Luck!

 

[Talon]

Freshwater, Michigan beaches.

 

[Talon]

Well, I called Tesoro today and they said that yup, that ain't right. So I'll be sending in my detector hopefully tomorrow and it may be up to 4 weeks before I get it back. Bummer.

 

[A/CMan]

Send it in, the TS is a fantastic machine, you shouldn't have problems like that, AC

 

[DirtyTrinkitDigger]

Are you using a TIGER Shark on a SALTWATER beach? Because if you are, it is NOT built for saltwater, it is a FRESHWATER machine. If you are using it in freshwater, you most definately have a problem and need to have it looked at. Good Luck!

Terry, I am confused. I purchased a TS to use in saltwater as it has a salt mode. Please help me here or did I read this incorrectly? Thanks for any insight.

 

[Sandman]

Terry, I am confused. I purchased a TS to use in saltwater as it has a salt mode. Please help me here or did I read this incorrectly? Thanks for any insight.

Most make this mistake but remember not all saltwater beaches are the same when it comes to salt content or concentrations of black sand. I have been able to use mine at some beaches and not others. However the Excal or Sov GT has no such problems with salt water beaches nor the CZ-20/21. The CZ20/21 and the Minelabs use more than on frequency at a time.

 

[DirtyTrinkitDigger]

Thanks Terry. So I am clear on this, I can dive with the TS to a depth of 200 feet in freshwater but can only use the salt mode on wet salt beaches. I ask because I live on the Gulf not far from Galveston Tx.

 

[Adrian SS]

Yes only use the salt mode on salwater beaches. If you use it in freshwater in salt mode you wil not get good GB or DIsc.

And no the cct board should not be loose and may or may not be the cause of your probs.

If you were in salt mode on freshwater beaches and on land then the GB will not ballance well and you will lose depth and sensitivity and because the salt mode has a different GB range to the normal mode and the GB effects the Disc modes you must only use the salt mode on salt mineral conditions..

Get some targets as per the air test procedures in the manual and check that the disc settings are correct for each target in both salt and normal mode.

 

[DirtyTrinkitDigger]

Thanks sandman and adrianss

 

[trainer]

So t s machines are better in fresh water than salt water? Which is the one for the beach the s s? I thought the ts was the higher end machine

 

[rainyday101]

The Tiger Shark is a single Frequency machine made mostly for fresh water use and limited salt water use. Although you be able to use the Tiger Shark on some salt water beaches it is definitely not answer. The Sand Shark is a PI machine made for salt water use. The Sand Shark can be used for fresh water but is not good in trashy areas. Bring a good shovel for the Sand Shark, you might be digging deep!

 

[SpiritRelic]

This is were metal detecting becomes tricky.Wet salt sand is highly reactive to the salt minerals when wet.ALL Single frequency vlf detectors will struggle in this wet salt sand but will perform perfectly in the dry sand.You have two choices if you will want to be serious beachcomber.A pulse induction (pi),such as the sandshark,which is quickly becoming one of the best.Also multi frequency vlf detectors can handle highly mineralized ground,and have proved to work in the wet salt sand with the ability to use the discrimination also.The pi has no discrimination,which could be a good thing but it will pick up every little fish hook and bobbypin,but also every little piece of jewelry.So you have two choices if you want to be a beach bum. o_O :-Q .