Can an amplifier be used on a MD?

[FredMaxwell]

As I understand it, metal detectors basically have a directional transmitting antenna that shoots down a couple fields of RF and just tells you when something disrupts that field,


? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Why can't a guy take and amplify the signal all to hell like we use to do with CB radios back in the days? I would imagine it would have to be clean steady power, right, but you can get that from more batteries can't you?

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?I've seen those sci-fi looking cache hunters. Those are interesting. I think it'd be "cool" to have a bumper mounted detector on an SUV.. you could cover alot of ground and have quite a time


Well, not a soccer mom SUV. A real one like an old style jeep or a hummer. Well, not the H-2. I've seen those lose headon collisions with 1500 pickups. I've seen them bust an axle fairly easily.

 

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[Sandman]

Someone makes an ampifier for your MD but for the life of me I can't remember who it is right now. I have a friend that swears by his.

 

[FredMaxwell]

Now all I need is a deep cycle boat battery and a cart

 

[jeff of pa]

Depth Master used to sell a Black Box to Amplify the Earphone signal,

I had one on my Whites 6000-D & couldn't live without it.

I THINK they built it into their headphones now.

? ?As for a way to increase the Signal, Like Doing it to a C.B.
I am almost sure I read somewhere it can be done.
I'd want to be sure, It wouldn't blow something else in the Detector,
that can't handle the increase.

 

[FredMaxwell]

I was thinking of amplifying it before it gets to the coil
But after it comes out of the guts

 

[bigticket]

That might be illegal.

 

[FredMaxwell]

I see,
I had thought that most detectors used very low frequencies around 60Khz
What I was thinking was, most detectors only use a few millawatts of power and you ought to be able to use ALOT more without causing any interferance to, well, anything..

I never really did understand how all of it works.. especially those low frequencies.

I remember how amazed I was when I could get out farther with less power back in the days when I use to like to talk to fools all over the country on the CB radio(at and around 27Mhz). Most of the time I could get alot more distance with five watts than I could with 1500 watts! But when it came to getting out under 20 miles the linears helped a great deal.. even though I had top of the line clean signal linears with clean steady power supplies they seemed to be useless for talking out across the country




How do I find out exactly what frequencies the detectors use, do they tell you there in the specs? (I don't think a counter will tell me) And how do I find out exactly how much signal power is legal?
I'm sure it "has to accept interferance" or what-ever the FCC says but it'd be good to not do anything illegal
I'm glad you folks warned me before I got out of control

 

[U.K. Brian]

The frequencies of almost all detectors are widely availible. Unfortunately I don't think your going to gain much if anything except on ground with little or no mineralisation.
Take a later model Deepstar 2 with its 15 volt battery. You have a low power switch which uses 225mA. Full power position uses 450mA.
Detecting time at the low setting is 10 hours, at the full power setting 5 hours.
What does cutting the power by half do to the performance....you lose 20% of depth. Or you can say doubling the power only adds 20%.
With VLF's there are a few machines that do in fact increase the power through the coil. I think the Nautilus can put up to 44 volts through and the Treasure Baron with Deephunter module installed switches on a passive unit in the coil and allows 32 volts ?? Anyway the boost to the loop is multiplied by 3 at the high setting.
This increases the depth of the T.B. by some degree but you also increasing the problems of ground effect so if your on bad ground the machine either gives worse performance or becomes unuseable. Thus they have an off postion to return the detector to its normal state.

 

[bakergeol]

Don't worry about what is "legal" as there are NO FCC rules on the matter. See below. FCC power limitations on metal detectors are myths.
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?34,273955,280816#msg-280816
Here is another link also
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?34,273955,278819#msg-278819

Amplifiers used? with detectors used to be all the rage many years back but have fallen out of favor with most detectorists. I believe most have build in amphlifers anyway. Still a lot of suppliers still care them. Even Kellyco has them(don't buy their cheap equalizer version as it is a piece of ####)
.
I imagine it is a personal perference as you are not going to hear something which is not there.Sound enhancers are just 9 volt add on amphlifiers in which you plug these into the detector plug and out to your headphones. An experienced detectorist can hear weak minor signals the same as your loud blasts with an amph. Also you are amplifying ALL the sound. Some amphs have a "hum" which some foks don't like.

By the way I use 2 amplifiers together a Super Sound Enchanced(amplifier) and
a ME2(amplifier and equalizer).? Even the selection of the headphones is important as some sound better with an amph over others. I swear by mine but each to his own.


George

 

[FredMaxwell]

Yes sir I don't have any of that and a frequency counter probably goes down to something in the mhz only *sigh*
I was pretty sure the main issue would be getting a clean signal,
It'll be a good idea for me to just fool with a normal detector and learn a bit first I would imagine

(Was pretty sure the FCC wouldn't fool with me over a couple watts on a low frequency)

 

[U.K. Brian]

The original question was 'Can an amplifier be used on a metal detector'. (and not an amplifier for the audio output).
Well as they have been made and sold for some time the answer is yes its just that the U.S. has lagged behind in all aspects of detector improvement for years now. My Sovereign has an internal modification with an external knob to set the level of boost between coil and control box. You can just buy a unit to stick on the outside which gets round any warranty problems

 

[bigticket]

What kind of unit?

 

[U.K. Brian]

Mines lashed in to draw power from the Sovereign battery pack but the latest external unit just is attached to the control box and the flying lead plugged into the coil connector on the control box. The coil connector plugs into the side of the unit. I can get a inch to two inches extra depth I think the commercial version claims 20-30%. The Bulgarian company also produces a P.I. coil with their version of the ferrous hound. I asked about the possibility of just buying the magnometer alone and they said they would consider production. This could be a cheap way of getting iron discrim. on a P.I.
Nearly forgot. Site is at http://www.deeptech-bg.com/index.html

 

[bigticket]

Mines lashed in to draw power from the Sovereign battery pack but the latest external unit just is attached to the control box and the flying lead plugged into the coil connector on the control box. The coil connector plugs into the side of the unit. I can get a inch to two inches extra depth I think the commercial version claims 20-30%. The Bulgarian company also produces a P.I. coil with their version of the ferrous hound. I asked about the possibility of just buying the magnometer alone and they said they would consider production. This could be a cheap way of getting iron discrim. on a P.I.
Nearly forgot. Site is at http://www.deeptech-bg.com/index.html

Who says that that does not void your warranty?

 

[U.K. Brian]

Take it off and its as though its never been there. No different really from the use of a third party coil.