Surf Dual Field - settings and more..

[mrgrd]

first, I am glad there is a Dual Field section
I just purchased a Dual Field to use in the surf zone and SCUBA diving. This is my first metal detector - I bit off a lot to chew right out of the gate! First lesson I learned - GET A BIGGER SCOOP This thing really goes deep. Next, add extra weight to the SCUBA gear to hold me to the bottom while I dig, and dig, and dig. Those were the easy lessons to learn - now I need help with the more technical stuff: Inside the unit is a control pot, what will this addjust? When I set up the detector to do "Set up" my threshold sounds like morse code, should it be like that? It does not seem to have a clean sound like the Video during their deminstration. The morse code goes away when I have the coil down to the ground in the search mode. And any other pointers will be most welcome! Oh, so far I have had the unit to 27' fresh water depth - no leaks! No real finds yet either but I am still working on the learning curve. I did find a nifty religious medalion about the size of a silver dollar. It was in 8 feet of water and zero visability (in the bedroom closet at night zero visability), totaly muck bottom, found it by tone & feel.

[PA John]

The Trim pot is the volume control for the headphones.

I would try your unit on the shore before you go out and put some coins and different metals down to see the sensitivity of it.

I just got one myself and I used the factory settings for the threshold. You should barely hear a hum after the detector has been submerged and it near the bottom where you are going to be searching. The unit takes maybe two seconds to balance itself. Then it should be near silent or best to have a very slight hum. The Gain is your sensitivity adjustment. Sound like you might be too high.

I would find some cleaned out ground and play before your next dive.

Can't imagine 27' down in muck!!

[mrgrd]

The Trim pot is the volume control for the headphones.

I would try your unit on the shore before you go out and put some coins and different metals down to see the sensitivity of it.

I just got one myself and I used the factory settings for the threshold. You should barely hear a hum after the detector has been submerged and it near the bottom where you are going to be searching. The unit takes maybe two seconds to balance itself. Then it should be near silent or best to have a very slight hum. The Gain is your sensitivity adjustment. Sound like you might be too high.

I would find some cleaned out ground and play before your next dive.

Can't imagine 27' down in muck!!

Thanks for the help with this - The 27' was in some what clear water (for a lake), the muck was the 8' deep. As for the threshold, it seems crackly always. I can change the volume with the gain or the threshold knob but it never really "Hums". I have tried to even out the threshold with the pulse delay but it stays the same. The pulse delay works, I can tell by how fast it responds to small tartgets, I can make small targets go away all together with the pulse delay but the crackle stays unchanged. I am still trying to here that "Faint tone" that represents something deep / small / gold. All tones are the same for me at this point, all targets are shallow too unless they are iron - the tone is loud for iron no matter what as long as they are in the field detection range, I have dug iron scrap at 2 feet deep with a strong tone. I find pull tabs all day long with no problem but always shallow 12" or less. I have also found coins (nothing old). I am hoping my Dual Field is working correctly but with nothing to compair it to i am not sure. I purchased it as a demo model from KC to save a few bucks, it came with a corroded battery holder with battries installed and the unit was covered in sand. I cleaned it all up and put it to work but because of this I am left wondering if it is all good. I filled out the warranty stuff on line with whites but no notifications yet as to the amount of warranty is left, guess I gotta call them. I wish I had a sure fire way to test the unit and verify operation before I ship it off and then I am told it is working fine. Air testing seems to be out of the question with this Dual Field according to books I've read, still I gave it a try and talk about noise! When you point that coil up, I get all sorts of noise and a coin can not be detected unless it is 2 - 3" away from the coil. Bottom line here, I am hoping my lack of skill is the only problem I have but if you have any more input - it will be most welcome...

[PA John]

I would call Whites and see what they say. I am thinking bad coil connection or coil.

I can turn mine on in the house and it will balance out, "Goes silent". Remember though, this machine requires movement when searching or testing! If you hold an object still under the coil it will eventually cancel it out. I think it is seeing it as ground minerals and balances it out.

I just posted my last hunt in Cape May in the Beach section. I could use the factory settings and I found the smallest piece of wire very deep(12" down!). No gold yet

Think you might have a problem. Use the Warranty now rather than wait! You need to be confident your machine is right. If you have any doubts you will kick yourself every time you go out and wonder if it isn't right!

I had a new Teknetics T2 machine that I thought I was having problems with and it was a bad coil connection. They made several upgrades to my machine at no cost to me!

Good Luck, Sorry for the slow response forgot to check the "Notify me of replies", which I did this time!