Build your own MD?

[Hillbilly Prince]

I know this is not practical since you can easily own a great MD. However, since this place is riddled with tinkers, and people with a great deal of tech knowledge i wonder if anyone has tried or thought of trying to make a MD?
Perhaps a rare earth magnet on a string to start...

 

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[Ammoman]

Back when i was a kid, you could buy a Heathkit and build your own metal detector. Sounds like a fun project.

 

[xr7ator]

When I was a little one I asked my dad for a metal detector for Christmas. He got me a radio shack kit that I had to build. It would detect an aluminum can yards away from the coil but would barely find a surface coin.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

You are right Ammoman. Heathkit was a wonderful place to purchase electronics kits for people to learn electronics. I still have a few Heathkit robots Hero 1 and Hero Jr.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

I know of one place "Electronix Express and RSR Electronics" that sells a metal detector kit, it really cannot be used in the field, but you will have fun building the kit and learning the circuit operation.

 

[against the wind]

If it is a knowledge sharing experience for a rainy day, then go for it. I have too many other things to do.

 

[Hillbilly Prince]

Very neat place! Lots of interesting stuff there.

 

[Hillbilly Prince]

Thanks for the responses, guys. Maybe something to look at this winter if time permits.

 

[Ronzie]

My old neighbor growing up could build anything. He was a TV antenna/TV repairman and a recreational pilot. He built from parts a helicopter, airplane, an ultra light, satellite TV and short wave radio's which all worked. I bet he could of.

 

[Stringtyer]

Oh, heck yeah! If you have a background in electronics or want to learn about it, by all means do some research and build your own. There are some good, fairly easy to build plans on the internet for a beat frequency detector. I've been looking at plans for a pulse induction detector. Looks like a project I will do over the winter but need to do much more research.

The BFO detector is fairly easy to understand. That type of detector uses two oscillators that are closely tuned to each other so there is no interference between the two. When the search coil passes over a metallic object, the object changes the inductance of the coil which changes the frequency of one of the oscillators. The result is a tone that can be heard. I will say, however, that the BFO can be a bit of a pain to keep tuned but it is still a great way to learn how some detectors work. As an old friend who taught me to rebuild the engine on my first truck said, "it is good to know the ass that bears thee."

 

[chub]

silverdog do some PI kits

chub

 

[pulltabfelix]

heck if you just want to learn about metal detecting buy an Equinox 800. Once you figure it out and start finding actual treasure, you will have learned a lot about metal detecting.
I am an 800 owner so I know what I am talking about. I learned a ton about metal detecting trying to figure out how to use its many features.

 

[Hillbilly Prince]

I bet you did! I was curious from a hobbyist standpoint.
I bought one computer in the nineties and thereafter built my own from parts.
I have no doubt the 800 manual would seem like gibberish to me at first.
I want a 600 or 800 in time.

 

[Rookster]

Back when i was a kid, you could buy a Heathkit and build your own metal detector. Sounds like a fun project.

Use to play some rock music back in the day and Heathkit was my first Bass speaker system. Didn't know they made detectors.

 

[Rookster]

I know this is not practical since you can easily own a great MD. However, since this place is riddled with tinkers, and people with a great deal of tech knowledge i wonder if anyone has tried or thought of trying to make a MD?
Perhaps a rare earth magnet on a string to start...

It's not the detector for me. I need someone to dig it.