Any Lone Star Operators?

[verbious]

I am fairly new to this hobby and started on a borrowed Bounty Hunter T4. My wife and kids got me a Lone Star for Father's Day. I have also used a Discovery 1100.

I have learned a lot from the forum here and have been sweeping my yard again, but this time, trying to really understand what the Lone Star is telling me. I have also changed my swinging pattern and speed, slowing down and better overlapping my swings. To this effect, I have found quite a few more clad coins with the Lone Star. Some 3-4" down and some only and inch or 2 and tangled up in the roots of my 2 huge maple trees.

Anyways, I realize that with the settings I am running on the Lone Star, I haven't found a nickel yet. Last night I put a nickel out in the yard and was trying to tweak the disc knob to find the fine line between pull tab and nickel. I carefully swung the yard and got a few hits that were pretty solid and some that were just single beeps, so I hit the spots from different angles and dug the most solid hits. You guessed it! 3 pull tabs.

I don't care about digging everything, I am just trying to better understand what the LS is telling me, and want to get better connected to the machine and refine/enhance my technique. So If there is anybody out there swinging a Lone Star that could provide a few tips, I would appreciate it!

 

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[ivan salis]

well take the tab and nickle place them about 3 foot apart upon clear metal free ground * ( check the ground first before placing them down ) --- set your disc level at "0" -- now wave your coil over the tab -- should "beep" , same thing for the nickle should beep -- now very slowly up the disc level while only waving it over the tab until the tab "falls" out of detection --no longer "beeps" * -- check to see if the nickle still "rings up" --if so your good to go and should be able to start finding some nickles and gold items while avoiding a fair bit of pull tabs (no machine that I know of culls all pull tabs due to the sad fact that some aluminum pull tabs and gold/nickle items have a very similar electrical conductivity levels ( which is how a metal detector sorts it finds)- so digging some tabs is unavoidible when hunting gold items or nickle tems)--- if once you get the tabs to drop out of your detectors detection range --you find that the nickle no longer "hits" , then very ,very slowly drop down your disc level back down but only until the nickle just "hits" -then stop -- listen very very closely to the sounds made when the nickle hits it will be clear and "sharp" -- while the tab will be "crackly" and fuzzy sounding -- with a bit of "ear training" you will easily be able to tell one from the other.

 

[ivan salis]

the tracker IV -- is a great machine bang for the buick wize about $100 - $125 bucks dsependimg on when & where you get it at *

it has 3 modes --all metal , ( single tone only * toggle far left) , tone mode ( middle and high tones - middle toggle) and a disc mode (far right toggle) where you have a upward sliding "disc scale" by using the disc knob * --

the tracker IV is "sound machine" with not much of any kind of "visual display" to speak of --the swinging needle meter on it is basically useless but * that really doesn't matter --since it is the 3 tones that tells you whats what --low "grunty" noise for "iron", middle tone for nickles, gold and aluminum and a high "ping " type tone for copper, clad coins and silver

 

[verbious]

Thanks for the tips Ivan. I haven't been using the Tracker IV since I got the Lone Star. I have resigned myself to digging the tabs. I will have to do the pull tab/nickel/gold ring exercise again to try to fine tune the line. I thought that I had it dialed in.

To me, it sounds like the beeps that the Lone Star makes are all the same volume. I've never heard a "faint" beep. I have heard some single beeps that I was unable to reproduce right away, but I haven't tried digging any of them because they are hard to pinpoint. I was thinking that maybe the single beep could be a small object that is fairly deep.

 

[ivan salis]

one beeps are often the machine finding a item thus a beep and the machine "rejecting" a bad item ( thus it not repeating over again ) -- dig only repeating signals is the key to hunting with a bounty hunter --good signals will not just disappear * however bad ones will often get a single "blip"type signal as the machine triggers over a bit of metal but as the machine "locks on"the item and figgers out it a junk signal and culls it out thus no "reapeat" signal wize --also watch for rust in the ground often rusted items leave a halo behind the item is gone but the metal is there in the form of rust -- as you dig you disturb the rust breaking up the signal as you dig --poof magic disappearing signal.

bumping the coil will also cause false "beeps" as well. in most cases.

its not the volume thats differant --its the tune or "sound" -- if you can get the machines to cull tabs leave nickles great but if not -- the "overlap" is small and the two should sound very differant tonally speaking --not the volume but rather the "sound" that they make -- the nickle should sound "solid" and strong sounding -- "ping" ---the tab not as sharp sort of crackly and fuzzy sounding --one must listen carefully at first to "hear" the differance between the two tones.--after awhile you can pick it up easily.

 

[verbious]

Thanks. I am going to try to discern the tones. I was getting the hang of it with the T4, but the Lone Star seemed a little different in the sounds that it makes. I am gonna practice on some nickels and tabs today after I run to harbor freight for a centec pinpointer. I think I am also gonna mod a digging tool today.

The single beep makes better sense now. I have a few of the single beeps marked. I am going to hit them in all metal mode to see what I get.

I also hope that my ears can hear the difference. I've done some damage to my hearing over the years.

 

[Olegrumpy]

The disc knob of the lone star is no way a "precise discriminator", that means you cannot disc out a part of a category.

See if you can grab a used Time Ranger, or any of the FT/BH products with a numeric ID. You will be able to ignore pulltabs while getting nickels and gold rings.

HH

Grumpy.

 

[bn81159]

I too also have a Bounty Hunter Lobe Star and getting used to it as well. I mostly use it on the beach and have found mostly junk so far however i have found 4 cents so far!!!!!

Barry

 

[Lonestardigger81]

I just got my lone star from my wife as a present. I'm trying to learn it a well. I have found that using auto notch on a sandy lake beach works great. Yesterday I found $1.46 in quarters, nickels, and pennies.... I still find pop tops too lol.

 

[deepsouth36078]

Been using LoneStar for about 3 weeks and only hunted my yard up until today.Found tons of scrap around the house while tuning the thing in ,took it to old baseball field today.Running in disc mode and notch set to about 1 o'clock found 5 quarters in about 30 min.

 

[djrocker]

Thanks for the helpful info, I think most of this would apply to the Camo LS as well correct, I got one today and have been trying to get use to it in my back yard. I am pretty new to the hobby but believe the Camo LS I got is a decent upgrade from the ACE 150 I was using. Thanks again for the info!

 

[Minesweeper]

I just got a Lonestar for christmas and so far i found 4 old sprinkler heads and some quarters and pennies and dimes..... the thing works great so far.

 

[roadrunner]

I bought a used Radio shack MD, and a 4 foot sluice for my son.
Upon looking at the MD, it is actually a BH Landstar, with a Radioshack logo.
It was not working righ tso sent it in to BH.
They sent it back with a new coil and a new main unit. So it is brand new all around.$25.
Anyway, just took it out, and when I have it in disc mode, I get the 3 different tones. But, I also get quite a few single beeps, then switch to all metal, and the spot disappears.
What would make a single location on the ground, sound off all 3 tones, but then nothings there.
I will re read the manual again and practice again.
The reason I bought it was because of the manual ground balance.
Any ideas, maybe im sweeping to fast.

 

[dahut]

I bought a used Radio shack MD, and a 4 foot sluice for my son.
Upon looking at the MD, it is actually a BH Landstar, with a Radioshack logo.
It was not working righ tso sent it in to BH.
They sent it back with a new coil and a new main unit. So it is brand new all around.$25.
Anyway, just took it out, and when I have it in disc mode, I get the 3 different tones. But, I also get quite a few single beeps, then switch to all metal, and the spot disappears.
What would make a single location on the ground, sound off all 3 tones, but then nothings there.
I will re read the manual again and practice again.
The reason I bought it was because of the manual ground balance.
Any ideas, maybe im sweeping to fast.

1. What is the SENS set to?
When it is too high, detectors will get erratic.

I always set it to about 60% of span and work up slowly, until I get the falsing and erratic behavior you seem to be experiencing. Then I back off just until it stops. That is the maximum allowable sensitivity for the conditions.

NOTE: When you increase the "depth" or "Sensitivity" control, your instrument is NOT increasing the amount of induction charge power in the search coil's field. That emit signal strength is set by the FCC and is constant. What the detector does is increase the AMPLITUDE GAIN on the signal receiving side of the system.
This is well and good - to a point.
But, it also means the more you turn up the gain, the more suscetible the unit becomes to:

- EMF interference
- Changes in ground mineralization
- Overload in the presence of trash metal congestion - especially iron.

SO it does little good to "crank it up," if that results in erratic and unreliable behavior.
The best thing is to work up to Max Allowable gain.

2. You may be sweeping too fast.
The BH Land Star is controlled by a microprocessor. This means it has multiple signal paths, or filters, within its programming to handle responses from the coils induction field.
To process all this at the speed the coil travels during its sweeps requires TIME. It is a fraction of a second, yes. But it remains a function of VELOCITY vs. process time.

This "time to process" imposes an inherent lag between the detection of targets and the audible/visual signals you are waiting for.*
So, what does this mean?

If you swing too fast, the detector could conceivably be signalling on a target that is already behind it!

You get frustrated, you try to swing back even faster, and the problem starts spiraling further.

Additionally, swinging too fast means you loose physical control of the coil orientation. You start lifting the coil at the end of each swing and lose signals. This "pendulum effect" may exacerbate an already fast speed and contribute to falsing. Add sensitivity that is too high and it becomes a challenge to tame the thing.

The moral of the story is four-fold:
1. go slower
2. develop a feel for target response speed
3. make sure your coil sweeps overlap and dont lift at the end of each swing arc.
4. Maintain the gain (SENS) at, or below, the max allowed by the ground conditions.

*Unfortunately, this is endemic to ALL computer controlled detectors that process signals in software.

 

[roadrunner]

Thanks for responding.
Gain a little over half. So on a scale from 1-10,about a 5-6 most of the time.
I( also swing a Garrett groundhog, and a whites Goldmaster, so maybe I just need to stick basically with the whites brand.
Instead of different makes, or just slow down on the BH.

 

[dahut]

Thanks for responding.
Gain a little over half. So on a scale from 1-10,about a 5-6 most of the time.
I( also swing a Garrett groundhog, and a whites Goldmaster, so maybe I just need to stick basically with the whites brand.
Instead of different makes, or just slow down on the BH.

I took my Lone Star out today for the first time.
I immediately noticed the sweep speed is definitely on the slow side. It works better if you go slower.
I also noticed it has a moderate separation ability. If you have several targets close to each other, this makes it seem erratic.


Sent from my mobile device using Tapatalk

 

[dahut]

LONE STAR - Observations and Opinions, Part One

I've wanted to try a Bounty Hunter detector for a while, mostly because I never have. So, I found a used Lone Star on Ebay, and placed my bids - and won it for $50. That seems like a painless introduction!
The detector arrived the other day. As described in the auction listing, its missing the DISCRIMINATE control knob and shows signs of use. Nothing really bad, though, and nothing that can't be fixed. New knobs are already on the way.

General Construction, Controls and Features

Immediate Likes

Decent balance... Since my early detecting days, controls mounted atop the rod have appealed to me. The housing is a bit large for what's inside (I peeked), but the balance isn't affected. Some have quipped that the Bounty Hunter control housing looks like, a "muffler on a stick.” I can’t argue that. But, I can live with it.

Headphone jack on the front... where it should be. Designs today increasingly put the phone jack on the rear, or poking awkwardly from the bottom or side. Presumably this is to save space, but it is weird. I like this feature on the Lone Star.

Moderate weight... I could pass the entire morning with this unit and never realize it.

Sturdy enough, if not robust.... considering it's mostly made from lean plastic, you can't really expect it to feel like a Sherman tank. I'd like to see a locking collar for the lower rod.

Design Flaws & Repairs

There are some features of the original design that I consider flaws. They are easily remedied, luckily, and I'm hoping FTP's new range of detectors will correct these.

Plastic, coil mount section of the lower rod twisting in the stem.

• I through-drilled it and installed a 6-32 screw. Poor design; the entire lower rod should be plastic.

Ground stand is single riveted to the handle rod and rattles.

• I superglued it in place - no more rattle. Poor design; Needs two rivets, or better yet, screw it through the handle rod to the arm cuff.

Coil bolt replacement.

• When I got my Lone Star, I discovered a former owner had installed a rusty iron thumb screw and wing nut to hold the coil. The original bolt that came with the detector was lost, apparently, but it would be little better; it's a steel screw with metal bushed finger knobs. Poor design; I went with a 1/4-20 Teflon bolt and wing nut.

Coil seems flimsy... just a "personal feel" thing. I'm used to coils from Garret, Fisher(old), Tesoro, etc. They're bricks by comparison.

Controls

• The Basic Two - SENSITIVITY AND DISCRIMINATE... Turn on and go simplicity.

SENSITIVITY controls the gain of the receive circuits and also serves as the ON-OFF switch.
DISCRIMINATE controls the detection of targets in the DISC mode.

• Pre-set ground balance. The little Lone Star doesn't have adjustable or auto tracking ground balance that I'm aware of; that's reserved for the big money detectors. This baby has a preset ground balance, which allows it to work in a wide range of conditions.
  This adds to the turn-on-and-go element.

There are no other user adjustments.

Display

The display consists of a target Visual Identification bar, (VID) and a Mode Select bar. The best word to describe these displays is: SMALL.

Upper display: 1/4" x 2 1/8" - thats it. Six tiny arrows on this display each point at a separate target range on the face label:
- Iron/foil
- 5c Nickel
- Scrap 1 (tabs, gold)
- Scrap 2 (tabs-screw caps, gold)
- Zc cent
- 1c/10c/25c/50c

Lower display: 1/4" x 1 1/2" Three tiny arrows pointing at whichever of the three operating modes is selected (All-metal, Discriminate, Auto-Notch)

• Battery indicator: Mine illuminated immediately when I first turned on the unit. Whipping out my trusty meter, I dismounted and checked them: the batteries read a solid 7.3 volts – pretty low for 9v cells. They were obviously old. The manual says to replace them if this happens, so I did. The indicator works.

As stated in the beginning of this section, the display is small and very simple. It is situated in such a way that I have to angle the control housing and squint to see it. This may be because I am tall, but I'd prefer VID numbers. I’m sure this is much easier to manufacture, so it can be added to what is really a low end detector. In use, the VID is somewhat useful even if it's a pain. It makes me glad there are tones.

Modes

ALL METAL MODE – This is really a 'zero discriminate' mode. Most low price detectors are going this way; again, a manufacturing expedient. It’s simpler to leave off the traditional all metal mode than to include it.
I find this disappointing; I prefer an old fashioned, no-motion all-metal function.
The multiple audio tones of the DISC mode are also gone in this mode - everything detected in ALL METAL gives the standard mid tone beep.

DISCRIMINATE MODE - with the discriminate control at its lowest setting, this mode automatically rejects iron, which is weird to me. I like to hear the "bark" of iron when it's present, as this alerts me to possible ferrous masking. Its another disappointment, one I'm sure is personal. Most people who buy the Lone Star aren't interested in hearing "junky" iron tones, and are probably (blissfully) unaware of iron masking.

TID Tones:

Since the tone ID (TID) feature is active only in the DISCRIMINATE (and Auto Notch) modes, it’s appropriate to mention the various tone signatures here.

• Foil and nickel range targets give a low "honk,"
• Tabs through Zc cents squawk a middle tone,
• Upper range coins have a sweet high tone...

…and the detector doesn't signal at all on iron. Still weird to me.

Power on tones:
I dunno, but I like a detector to go through some sort of audible test routine at power up. It makes me feel like it's alive and working. This one signals four, quick descending tones and a series of four beeps when you turn it on. I like it.

MODE ID Tones:
The manual is pretty good, as far as I'm concerned. But, oddly, this feature isn't mentioned. When you depress each of the mode select touch pads, you get a series of short high pitch beeps to indicate you have entered the selected mode.

All Metal = 2 beeps
DISCRIMINATE = 3 beeps
Auto-Notch = 4 beeps.

I find this a nice touch, a small bit of user friendliness that shows some thought by the designers.

AUTO NOTCH MODE - I tried this mode on the bench, and it works as described in the manual.

The notch function creates a window of elimination that falls at a certain range of conductivity. Usually, this is centered on the section of the spectrum associated with square and ring-tail can tabs – aluminum trash, in other words. On the Lone Star, the notch covers this band pretty well. It works in two ways:

Auto-Notch, Static

I. DISC control at minimum setting, Auto Notch engaged.

You are able to detect targets within the nickel range of conductivity, along with all the coin range targets from screw caps through dollar. The “window” of targets from just above nickel to about midway through the “scrap” range on the faceplate, however, are eliminated. This is the territory where most drink can tabs reside.

Auto Notch, Variable

II. DISC control variable, Auto notch engaged
With this Auto-notch refinement, you can move the position of the elimination window to reject screw caps through zinc cents (post 1982 Zc) by turning the DISC/NOTCH control. This has the net effect of moving the notch up towards the higher end of the trash scale to eliminate that trash.

• Silent search - all the time. This “quiet detecting” idea is another trend detectors follow nowadays. I like a buzzing threshold in my ear; I'm old school. I’ve learned to live with silent search. Darned it.

• Pinpoint Mode – there isn’t one. This, to me, is a major error!

This may be the only feature of the detector I really don’t like.
Designers, from one experienced user to another: ALWAYS INCLUDE A NO-MOTION, ALL METAL PINPOINT MODE.

Charge $20 more for the unit if you must, but include this feature.

======================================================

So far, the detector performs they way I would expect a basic, digital model to act. I'll post my Field Test results in Part 2.
Thanks for reading.

 

[dahut]

Took my little BH Lone Star for a field test this morning, the first since I got it last Monday (7/7/14) This detector cost me $50 off, eBay. It's missing a knob for the DISC control, but otherwise it is in good used conditions. My detector budget isn't what it once was, so the Bounty Hunter products let me play with new toys and not end up in dicey explanations with the wife.
"Hey honey, I'm getting another of those cheap detectors this week.. This one's only $50. A lot better than those $700 jobs I used to get, eh?"


Now, Bounty Hunters have a reputation as cheap toys, reviled by many - especially those who've spent many, many hundreds of dollars on "big name" detectors. But, as I learned today, the 'Lone Star' is hardly a toy. It is a fully functional detector, albeit in a somewhat low end package.


TEST LOCATION: local tot lot and High School band practice arena.


SENS: the LS has good receive gain; I didn't need to go above 60-65%. Target weren't much deeper than 6" in either locale, just the way I like 'em in modern, trashy sites.
In fact, get too heavy handed with the gain in a signal rich environment and the Lone Star will get squirrelly on you.


I was getting clean responses on 2" and 3" dimes and copper cents, with the coil lifted 6" above the surface. That's tolerable good for a casual detector.


I also noticed a tendency to pick up targets well and deep if the swing speed was kept quick, aka, moderately fast. Once a target acquired, tightening down and mixing fast and slow speeds helped define and pinpoint.


DISCRIMINATE: hardly knife edged, but still useful. There is no 100 point resolution VID display as found on other detectors, so this one is more of a "target ranging" instrument. At least you don't have to "thumb the DISC knob" on this unit. It has a functional - if dinky - target display.


With the control set to a notch below nickel accept, the nickle range includes a good many square and round tab rings, a hazard of the game. Tab tails and pencil eraser ferrules also hit here.


The iron and foil range is dead quiet, however, even when known foil is there. Even with the control at minimum, teensy foil bits almost never respond.
The DISC control won't go above Zc cent, either, so all coins are accepted by default.


The Auto-Notch makes a dandy tool to identify upper range tabs and screw caps, too. Hunting in DISC mode, a notch below nickel, the detector might indicate higher range tabs or caps, illuminating one of the TWO "SCRAP" ID cursors in that range. But a quick switch to Auto-Notch quells the response.


After digging plenty of these tab and cap signals as verification, I was very confident that they were ID'ing correctly. I got to the point where the "SCRAP" midtone audio was rapidly checked by a quick touch of the Auto-Notch mode. Signal gone? Move on and never look at the display.
Now, that's tone hunting as it ought to be!


Did I risk losing jewelry? Yes.
But jewelry items I've found at high schools have been in either the Zc range, or high foil/nickle/tab, which the Lone Star seems happy with.


(Class rings are an exception, and usually hit like screw caps/upper SCRAP range. Fortunately, rings are essentially one turn inductors. This means, in general, they give good, repeatable signals while tabs tend to wander and fade.
This is all a compromise, I know, so I still dig upper range tab signals if in doubt.)


The Tone Audio is nice, even though it has that annoying "ON-OFF" digital quality. I prefer more nuance, but what are you gonna do? I especially like the "burp" of nickel range targets, and that sweet high tone of coins wil stop me in my tracks every time!


Target response is kinda different. It's not real fast, but not real slow. The thing to do is sweep briskly and then slow and home in on the signals you get. You can go too fast, as well, and get ahead of the response. You must watch for that.
In some spots I'd get what seemed like a bunch of random signaling in a small area - it appears like falsing. But if I slow the sweep slightly and work from different directions, it becomes apparent there are multiple targets. Switching to all metal/Zero Discrimination helps, too.


The coil is responsive over its whole circumference, which can contribute to a less than precise target separation. I see this as a good thing, myself, but you do have to be aware of it.


Pinpointing suffers for lack of a non motion, all metal mode. This is now my only significant gripe with the Lone Star. It would be much better to have an auto tuned all metal to help with precision pinpointing. As it is, you can still get close - but it could be better with a true all metal mode.


All in all, the Lone Star is best thought of as a turn on and go, casual detector. Keep the coil moving, no need to drag or float it along. Indeed, you get better depth if you don't. Overlap your sweeps and home in on signals once they appear. Use the modes to help you decide whether to dig.
People trash talk Bounty Hunters line of, "muffler on a stick" detectors. The Lone Star is no exception. But I recommend you take this little puppy serious... it can get the goods


Here's today's finds for 3 hours:


- The coin quota - 30 coins
- A "Parade of Bands, 1997" lapel pin.
- Lots of tab and other trash.
- Plate costume ring

 

[mindwarped]

Location is 90% of the game!

 

[ChaseHiggins]

Bounty Hunter Lone Star Metal Detector, a few years ago I got one and I wanna get into it. The problem I had is that theres a wide area where it beeps so its hard to pinpoint it down. Is there a way to stop this? And how do I make it so it doesn't go for pull tabs. thanks