Tejon unstable ground balance

[roaddust66]

I bought a slightly used Tejon last week. I am excited. I got out of hunting about 15 years ago, My last machine was a Bandido II . Ive have owned seven detectors with manual ground balance. I like hunting in all metal. I generally hunt C.W. Relics in Civil War places so I want to hunt in all metal so if I just catch the corner of a target I hear a little piece of it. Then I go back over it in all metal , then I swicth to discrim to check it that way. The Tejon seems to be very unstable in all metal. Even with the power / gain setting cut back. I cut it back as far as a 5 or 6 today and I'm still frustrated because I will set the g.b. and after one sweep its out of tune again. I used a Vaquero last week and did not encounter this unstable behavior. What is up ?

 

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[Sandman]

It might just be EMI interference. Electiical Interference Turn off the cell phone. Get away from the house.

 

[Dan B]

You could send it in for tuning. You won't have to pay even though you bought it used. If you get too frustrated, sell it to me.

Dan

 

[luvsdux]

I agree with both of these posters - I'd go to a spot where I know there's no possibility of EMI and see how it goes. If that doesn't do it, Call Tesoro and/or send it in. It may be a coil issue as well. As far as selling to Dan B, that's your call, lol.
luvsdux

 

[roaddust66]

I hunted with it today. First stop was an old house that was being torn down for a service station. We worked right beside the workers on a trac hoe. I put the smaller concentric coil on. I'm not competitive guy but did as well as the guy with me using a $1500 minelab. He hunts all the time. i have not been in the field in 15 years. The machine performed well. Did not hunt in all metal at this site and no problem tuning the g.b. Site #2 Switched to the larger coil that comes with the Tejon. We were in a large plowed field across the road from a known federal winter camp ( 1863 ) . This plowed field is where I encountered problems with the machine. The ground balance is way too touchy. Once adjusted , it would go out of tune in the all metal mode in just a couple of sweeps , either going loud or nulling out quite. So I had to hunt in discriminate one and switching disc 2 and occasionally switching to all metal to tune the g.b. The machine performed well in the silent discrim mode but Its not what i wanted in a machine. I saw where somebody changed the four turn g.b. pod to a ten turn g.b.pod. I'm just wondering why they would build such a touchy machine ?

 

[Sandman]

You didn't say that your coil cover is clean of any black sand.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Try "Fast Tuning" by simply ground balancing while pulling the Trigger Switch back toward you and holding it in All Metal while you are in Discriminate mode. The Tejon IS a very sensitive machine and it takes a few hours to get used to.

 

[roaddust66]

Thanks for all the advice. I am discovering the g.b. adjust on this machine is different than past tesoros I have owned. I am watching a number of youtube videos and they have been helpful. It seems that the old days of holding a machine out in front of you , 2 or 3 feet in the air , setting the threshold , and dropping the coil to the ground , then adjust g.b. is not how it works these days. You hold the coil very close to the ground and pump it. I will get the hang of of it. I am a amateur radio guy , so I'm very familar with emf interference. thanks for that suggestion. What kinda gets me is that i have no problem setting the g.b.but it just does not stay tuned for a second or two. And yes and pulling back on the 3 way toggle . Thanks for that suggestion too. I'm not real happy about hunting civil war relics in discrim. I am old school. I went with an Eldorado when everyone else went with a 1266 or a silver sabre around here.