Background Music

[Trescher]

Has anyone incorporated an MP3 player into their detector to allow for some low volume background music to help pass the time between targets?

I bought a few items at Radio Shack for $15 and it works great for me. I'll post pics if anyone is interested.

With a 1 gigabyte player I have many hours of music on tap, and my player's rechargeable battery lasts about as long as my detectors AA's.

The music plays in my left ear at whatever particular volume I set it at, and the detector beeps in my right ear, also at a volume level that I set. By balancing the volumes I can easily hear the faintest targets, but yet also enjoy my music. I also personally prefer my ear buds with an in-line volume control over my big headphones that have the volume knobs on the ear covers, especially when it is hot outside.

Cheers,
Paul

 

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[Old Fart in TN]

now that is so cool, not much off a electrical type person but if you would tell me how you did it ,to where I could understand it. I would sure appreicate it. Jeff Tx.

 

[Trescher]

From the headphone connector I have a 1/4" to 1/8" adapter. I was using that even before this project as my headphones had a 1/8" connector.

Plug the in-line volume control into the headphone jack on your detector. It is available here for $7.99: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102975&cp.

Then using the "airline headphone adapter", $5.99, http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103860&cp
you plug in one of the two pig tails and the other pig tail goes into your MP3 player.

Finally plug in your headphones.

To get the volume just right, first lower your MP3 player's volume to 0, then adjust the in-line control so that the detector's beeping is where you like it (on my ACE 250 the volume is very loud, so I have to lower it a bunch), and then adjust up your MP3 volume until you have it where you want it. If your detector has a volume control you could probably leave out the in-line volume cord and just use the airline adapter. But it is the fact that you have two volume controls that allow you to adjust the balance between the two audio sources.

I then simply used wire ties to hold the Sony clip to the underside of my S-curve, leaving it just loose enough so that I can slip the clip out when I am not using the detector. I also wire tied the airline adapter to get some of the extra wire out of the way.

If you want to switch the music to the other ear you just need to swap the pig tail plugs.

Keep in mind that your music will be mono, not stereo, but then again I used that as an excuse to increase the MP3 compression and double the number of songs I could hold. I mean I'm treasure hunting, not jamming out.

Not bad for $15.00 and it was all at my local store.

Cheers,
Paul
World of Escher

 

[ofin]

Wow, thanks Tresher. This is definitely worth looking into. Thanks, ofin

 

[willie d]

I gotta say that I think this is a great idea, bordering on brilliant. Have you thought about contacting any of the detector companies with your idea. I figure that with all the younger people getting into detecting who are computer savvy. This could really catch on. I'd love to be able to jam to some Joe Satriani in between targets. Good Luck.

 

[Old Fart in TN]

Thanks for the info and pics, now just got to find the kids old mp3 and I will be off to radio shack. thanks again, Jeff Tx.

 

[rcasi44]

Guys are spending $90 to $140 dollars for headphones to better hear the signals and keep out outside noise. (Sunrays, GrayGhosts, KillerB's) If you turn the music up loudenough, you won't have to hear the detector at all. Rob

 

[U.K. Brian]

Treasure Hunting magazine (the U.K.'s longest in print) had for sale years ago a unit that allowed you to listen to a small pocket size radio. Directly the detector sounded off on any signal above a whisper the radio cut off allowing the signal to be heard. Worked but didn't sell to well as everyone in Europe was trying to pick up whisper signals for the really deep finds.
We also had cordless headphones, a detector built into headphones years before Headhunter detectors came on the scene, a solar powered machine and a detector with no wire between the coil and the control box that used mini transmitter/receivers. I'm talking 15-20 twenty years ago. So there's nothing new under the sun.

 

[Ground Squirrel]

A variation on this theme...
I use a product from "Skull Candy" that is intended to allow a user to listen to their mp3 player while monitoring their cell phone.
When the phone rings, the user touches a button on the lapel clip and "answers" the call without having to stop the music. The amount of music that filters through the phone call audio is controlled by a volume control on the lapel clip. The clip also houses the microphone for the cell phone.
I modified my Skull Candy unit to allow the use of my FRS radio while hunting with my XLT. Now when a friend on the same hunt wants to call attention to something they have found, I don't have to stop what I'm doing to communicate with them. The ear buds on the Skull Candy device are "ok" for hunting in quiet areas, but they do not provide any isolation from background noises (traffic, hunters without headphones, etc.) The do however, allow you to remain aware of what's going on around you!
The modification required was simple. FRS radios use the same connector as many cell phones however the microphone and earphone connections are swapped.
I think it would be simple enough to adapt the skull Candy device to allow mp3 and detector use at the same time... it would be an issue of deciding which device was given full stereo access to the earphones and which was relegated to "mono" audio occurring in both earphones.

As far as listening to music while hunting... not for me. I listen to the detector.

GS

 

[Trescher]

Being new and all I had a thought that might be a problem. Are there any detectors that use the left and right headphones for a different signal, like maybe to indicate direction? Or are they all mono to begin with?

Jeff, let us know how yours turns out.

As far as incorporating this into a production line detector, I suppose I would just supply an input plug and then a volume control between the beeper and the input. Then you could connect almost anything; MP3 players, cell phones, satellite radio, walkie talkies, or even baby monitors .

Someday, bluetooth and USB connectors could round it out even further. How about having your MD read your email to you?

Cheers.