Anyone Mod or Rebiuld Their Own Machines?

[Nitric]

I have a ton of questions....I'm fairly new to electronics and kind of trying to teach myself as I go.

I have a couple of older coinmaster classic III's and a cz6a. I do know from playing around with other equipment and rebuilding some circuit boards that over years the caps and some of the other components need changed to get it back to operating like new. Does this same idea apply to Detectors too? I would like to take one apart and play around with it, Probably one of the coinmasters since I still use the cz6a and really don't want to ruin it or "operate" on it until I learn more about this stuff.

I do have some equipment, meters(digital and analog),scope, and other basic tools. I haven't really found anything online going into any kind of depth on how to modify or cal. machines.

With pinball and stereo equipment, etc.....there is tons of info on the net. There really isn't much on detectors, that I could find.

Anyone out there play around with any of this kind of stuff or that can send me in some kind of direction?

 

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[Slingshot]

I've kept some machines hearts beating far past their normal lifetimes and am playing around with an old Whites CM2 BFO unit which I have running but am playing with for different effects. I also purchased a Harbor Freight 9 function metal detector this past spring, and have played with tweeking with it to get better depth, which added about 2 inches to the depth capability. Yeah, I'm nuts, but it's about as much fun as detecting itself. My YT vid about tweeking the HF9 -https://youtu.be/RAaFh0mSCNU

 

[Nitric]

I've kept some machines hearts beating far past their normal lifetimes and am playing around with an old Whites CM2 BFO unit which I have running but am playing with for different effects. I also purchased a Harbor Freight 9 function metal detector this past spring, and have played with tweeking with it to get better depth, which added about 2 inches to the depth capability. Yeah, I'm nuts, but it's about as much fun as detecting itself. My YT vid about tweeking the HF9 -https://youtu.be/RAaFh0mSCNU

Thanks I'll check it out!! Yes!! With any other hobby there are tweekers! That is the fun of it! I work on pinballs and other stuff. Working on things is more fun than operating them! I have these extra older machines sitting around and thought "hmmmm I wonder what's inside and what could be done with it?"

Added....I checked out the video...That's exactly the kind of stuff I'm looking for. I had to laugh when you explained the earbud problem. I have the same problem. I like using earbuds since I can leave one in and hear whats going on around me with the other ear open. And I'm constantly ripping the thing out of my ear when I forget it's in there and get excited and start digging. I've also stood up and jerked the detector around. haha I have 2 other older machines I forgot about. I also have a BH 505(? I think that's the number) and a White's Classic SL. So I have plenty of old machines to play around with. I'll probably leave the Cz6a and the Classic SL alone for now, but....I can't be sure yet! The cz6a is just asking to be modded...but..........I'm afraid of messing it up right now. haha

 

[Carl-NC]

Nitric, the "tweekers" mostly hang out on (Deleted by mod for rule violation)

 

[Nitric]

Nitric, the "tweekers" mostly hang out on Geotech.

cool..I'll check that forum out too!

 

[chub]

I have minelab sovereign . I saw a vid where someone tweaked his....appeared to have crazy sensitivity . I did 5 years of electronics 30 years ago when it was pretty much all 1/4 watt resistors and components. About 1991 or so along came ....surface mount. Man, they appeared tiny! Im in 2 minds to tweak the sovereign, stock never goes out of fashion (providing its working ha ha)

Chub

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Remember TreasureNet does not allow links to other forums if they relate to any of our forums.

 

[Nitric]

I have minelab sovereign . I saw a vid where someone tweaked his....appeared to have crazy sensitivity . I did 5 years of electronics 30 years ago when it was pretty much all 1/4 watt resistors and components. About 1991 or so along came ....surface mount. Man, they appeared tiny! Im in 2 minds to tweak the sovereign, stock never goes out of fashion (providing its working ha ha)

Chub

I'm really new to electronics and pretty scattered on what I know since I've taught myself what I needed. I don't know enough about how detectors work either. So, it might be fun to take one apart and experiment. I haven't sat down and actually done it yet.

I was wondering if higher tolerance parts made any difference? Use 1% resistors, and try making coils.....just stuff like that to try to learn more about how they work and what could be "tightened up" if that makes a difference or not......I also know from other things that caps dry out over time and things become weak, I didn't know if those same things need changed in older detectors too. I guess I'll have to open one up when I get the time and start poking around..

 

[chub]

I sometimes see members here with machines from the 70's and 80's and wonder two things.

1) how do they compare with new machines in depth /recovery etc.

2) how much did they 'lose' over their lifetime?Did they lose depth, battery life etc?

Chub

 

[Nitric]

I sometimes see members here with machines from the 70's and 80's and wonder two things.

1) how do they compare with new machines in depth /recovery etc.

2) how much did they 'lose' over their lifetime?Did they lose depth, battery life etc?


Chub

I've read articles saying that the depth really hasn't advanced since the 90's. The discrimination got better, but with that some depth was actually lost. So the modern machines are just working out that balance along with new bells and whistles since we all like to play with new gadgets. I have no clue if that is all true or not. Just some of the things I've read in articles. I would guess that gets into a price thing too.

I still use a Cz6a and it has never been sent in to be retuned, or cal. If I dig everything I can still find some pretty deep targets. That thing has also been in my trunk or in my truck on days that were so hot the bracket that holds the control box actually melted. I have the control box zip tied to the melted bracket on the shaft. I just haven't looked for a new bracket yet. Because? It works fine the way it is. I always wanted to have it sent out to have it modded. Just never did it.

I do wonder too, if they need rebuilt after so many years. I do know with stereo equipment and even pinball machines, that everything works better after being rebuilt. I would guess detectors are the same? I have no idea.

Hopefully, I can actually dig into one this weekend.

I've also wanted to run an ad in the classified section looking for older machines that aren't working or that have battery damage to play with, but I haven't had the money set aside to do that yet. I've gotten pretty good with Battery corrosion and Trace repair and would eventually like to try it on some older detectors.

 

[Slingshot]

I would venture that the higher priced detectors are built with higher quality components and are also tuned into tighter parameters than the less expensive units. I think all electrolytic caps eventually leak to some degree over time with some going into total failure. I enjoy playing with inexpensive units as I don't have as much to lose if I mess something up. Low quality pots can be replaced with higher quality ones which can make a big difference in performance. I've seen big differences in field performance of the exact same inexpensive units which leads me to believe that the final factory tune in has a wider margin of acceptance and tweeking on these units can unlock more potential than they were originally designed for. Any dead unit whose warranty has expired is worth at least a peak to see if it can be resurrected with the majority of problems being of a mechanical nature rather than electrical. Lots of older cheaper machines out there that presently don't work and are available for not much cash outlay and often can be had for free and if for nothing else a source of components. The design and construction of coils can lead to some fascinating experimentation. The manufacturers are constrained to producing units that will sell and produce a profit and with metal detectors it can be a tough market to compete in.

 

[Nitric]

I would venture that the higher priced detectors are built with higher quality components and are also tuned into tighter parameters than the less expensive units. I think all electrolytic caps eventually leak to some degree over time with some going into total failure. I enjoy playing with inexpensive units as I don't have as much to lose if I mess something up. Low quality pots can be replaced with higher quality ones which can make a big difference in performance. I've seen big differences in field performance of the exact same inexpensive units which leads me to believe that the final factory tune in has a wider margin of acceptance and tweeking on these units can unlock more potential than they were originally designed for. Any dead unit whose warranty has expired is worth at least a peak to see if it can be resurrected with the majority of problems being of a mechanical nature rather than electrical. Lots of older cheaper machines out there that presently don't work and are available for not much cash outlay and often can be had for free and if for nothing else a source of components. The design and construction of coils can lead to some fascinating experimentation. The manufacturers are constrained to producing units that will sell and produce a profit and with metal detectors it can be a tough market to compete in.

I just remembered I still have a HF pin pointer I bought to play with a while back. I never got to it. I'll have to find that too! I bought it to modify and play around with and of course it got shoved somewhere along the way in the mountain of mess and hobbies that I change more than my underwear!

The one coinmaster detector I have was leaning against a basement pole when my grandfathers house was hit by lightening. It never worked after that until I changed the headphone jack. Strange how the thing even still works! I had it open years ago to change the head phone jack, it works fine with headphones, the speaker still doesn't work. That's the one I'll mess with first. Strange how lightening works on electronics. Hit and miss.

 

[Goldfinger450]

No Tweekers allowed on this site right? I'll call Modifications, adjustments, Enhancements, now, I am kinda laughing a when I think about the Wooden antique detector that an old boy gave me years ago, I actually found a water line with it, it was laying on Top of the ground!! This old thing is a conversation piece and good for a laugh, believe me when I say it is a showing of where detectors started from.

 

[Davers]

Cool discussion.

I got my 1266 X working again but have to tape the battery cover on.

It's more of a Winter Machine , Still Goes Deep, & found some nice Minnies & 1 GS Cuff with it last Winter.

The XLT needs work (battery Compartment issues as well).

I still have my 1st machine a Whites Classic 3 W/O screen bought in 1997.

Yr welcome to it , if you could use it's parts., No Coil tho.

 

[Nitric]

No Tweekers allowed on this site right? I'll call Modifications, adjustments, Enhancements, now, I am kinda laughing a when I think about the Wooden antique detector that an old boy gave me years ago, I actually found a water line with it, it was laying on Top of the ground!! This old thing is a conversation piece and good for a laugh, believe me when I say it is a showing of where detectors started from.

When I first started detecting a friend of mine wanted to try it too. His Grandfather gave him an old...I don't even know the model or what it was. But it was a big green(?) box with a big coil at the end. You had to pull it out of a case and put the thing together it was huge!!! Anyhow, it was so loud and sounded like a space ship or something when he was detecting. I think he did find stuff with it! But it constantly made noise, the whole time using it!

 

[Nitric]

Cool discussion.

I got my 1266 X working again but have to tape the battery cover on.

It's more of a Winter Machine , Still Goes Deep, & found some nice Minnies & 1 GS Cuff with it last Winter.


The XLT needs work (battery Compartment issues as well).

I still have my 1st machine a Whites Classic 3 W/O screen bought in 1997.

Yr welcome to it , if you could use it's parts., No Coil tho.

Thank you!! And I may take you up on that! This past week I've been trying to clean up the garage from the beginning of summer. We made trips camping and to Ohio. Every time I came home I would unload and go again! So....Now! I have a huge mess with all the stuff I just dropped, shoved in, It's kind of like artwork!

As soon as I get my mess cleaned up I want to start playing around with this stuff!

 

[Davers]

Just let me know.
GL

 

[Nitric]

Just let me know.
GL

PM sent....

 

[chub]

Do caps leak/wear out even when not in use?

chub

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

O-rings for end caps and knobs dry out and leak, if bumped to hard end caps and knob collars an rack.

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