Deleon pinpointing correctly?

[joelt]

I just got a Deleon, but I'm finding the pinpointing to be very odd. I've used the VCO pinpointing on a Fisher 1236-x2 which was great, but this seems different on the Deleon.

I think there is something wrong, but want to ensure its not operator error, as I haven't used a "threshhold" knob before.

The reason I think its wrong is because when I hold it still over metal I hear nothing. I've cranked the threshhold up and I don't hear any "hum". Over a coin it will get louder/raised pitch coming up to the coin, and then nothing over the coin or after the center of coil passes the coin. Say that was left to right, when I go right to left, it does the same thing. It may be some kind of pinpointing, but works really oddly to me.

Do I send it in, or is it operator error? Or possibly the min to moderately mineralized soil in central Texas messes with it? (My Discovery 3300 has a one turn ground balance that I turn about 1/3 of a turn around here.)

Joel

 

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[stoney56]

Unlike the 1236X2 which has a no motion pinpoint mode, the DeLeon has to have just a little movement. The Threshold is for setting the tone in all metal. In disc., it has a silent search. I use the "X" method to pinpoint and if you notice closely, the highest pitch is right in the center of the coil.

 

[joelt]

Interesting, is that true of all Tesoro's that they need some movement in pinpoint mode? I just looked at the specs, and it says "no-motion" pinpoint, but I'll take your word on the "some-movement" pinpoint .

Funny about the threshhold, the instructions seem to imply it raises the volume of the hum. I wish they said raises the _tone_, that would of straightened that simple point out.

 

[stoney56]

Interesting, is that true of all Tesoro's that they need some movement in pinpoint mode? I just looked at the specs, and it says "no-motion" pinpoint, but I'll take your word on the "some-movement" pinpoint .

Funny about the threshhold, the instructions seem to imply it raises the volume of the hum. I wish they said raises the _tone_, that would of straightened that simple point out.

Let me rephrase a bit. I believe the no motion is in all metal. It does do that but I've found that mine seems to reset and null out. I then move it just slightly and the tone comes back. As for the tone on the threshold, it is a single tone but to my ears it does seem to increase in pitch just a hair as well as volume. I don't hunt as much in all metal mode as I do in disc. mode.

 

[joelt]

Interesting, I think what you are saying is if I turn off/down discrimination knob in the pinpoint mode then I won't need any motion to get the tone? Then it would work like the Fisher. I didn't realize I was getting any discrimination in pinpoint mode or that the discrimination knob was having any effect.

 

[stoney56]

Interesting, I think what you are saying is if I turn off/down discrimination knob in the pinpoint mode then I won't need any motion to get the tone? Then it would work like the Fisher. I didn't realize I was getting any discrimination in pinpoint mode or that the discrimination knob was having any effect.

No, you're not getting any disc. in all metal/pinpoint mode. The threshold knob only works in all metal. It allows you to hear slight changes made by small objects that might not register or lock solidly on the TID.

Read the 2nd half of page 23 below.

http://www.tesoro.com/DeLeonManual-Web.pdf

 

[joelt]

I hear you on pg 23. Mine is too simple, I need something more complicated.

I find it disturbing though that reading the manual has apparently lead me astray though...

"When pinpointing a target, the All Metal Mode can offer advantages over the Discriminate Mode, such as no false signals and no need to move the searchcoil to get a target response."
--- I can hold it over a coin and not hear a thing.

"To adjust the threshold tone, turn the THRESHOLD knob clockwise until you hear a slight but steady tone." "However, if the threshold is set too soft or too loud, small changes in the signal will be hard to hear."
--- I can crank it up, but still don't hear any slight steady tone.

 

[stoney56]

"To adjust the threshold tone, turn the THRESHOLD knob clockwise until you hear a slight but steady tone." "However, if the threshold is set too soft or too loud, small changes in the signal will be hard to hear."
--- I can crank it up, but still don't hear any slight steady tone.

Are you trying to set the threshold in AM mode?

 

[joelt]

Yes, I'm trying to set threshhold in All Metal like manual says.

 

[stoney56]

Yes, I'm trying to set threshhold in All Metal like manual says.

OK. Don't try and set the threshold over a coin or any metal for that matter. I just set it when 1st starting out and switch to Disc. and then use the "X" method to pinpoint. Sometimes I get a better indication of the meter reading if I switch to AM, esp. if there's a 1/2 bar on either side of the main reading.
Tesoro and Fisher are two different animals. Some days I prefer to use the 1236X2 in hip-mount with it switched to iron null so as to pick up all non-ferrus and other days I get lazy and use the DeLeon with the TID to try and 2nd guess what it's trying to tell me.
Practice with it, try some air tests with the knobs and switches in different positions. Once you get a feel of how it operates, I think you'll like it.

 

[Shortstack]

Hey, joelt-- The reason the tone goes away when you hold the coil steady over a target ( in AM ) mode is because the automatic ground balancing circuit is " nulling " out the target. The only way to get a no-motion steady tone on a target is if your detector has manual ground balancing and the ability of being set to "normal" tune. In other words, if it can be set to operate completely without the "auto-tune", in all-metal mode. My old Bandido II has that ability. I've found the DeLeon can pinpoint very, very tightly in Disc Mode because it requires only a very slight movement. I usualy use the AM for getting an idea of the size of the target--not pinpointing. On my last time out, I was able to pick-out individual coins in a "nest" of coins in an area of about 6 inches in diameter. That old house site had never had a detector on it because I found not one, but three coin nests and my hunting partner, Darkgold, found two. He was using my Bandido II and I had the DeLeon. Each concentration had 5 or 6 coins in it and all spots were in a line running about where the edge of the front porch was. ( This house was torn down last year. )

I'll offer another "tip" to you for the Disc mode--the manual points out that the display will represent everything sensed on the entire ark of swing. If you're in a trashy area and don't have a smaller coil with you; slow way down and monitor the display closely. If a solid, large bar pops up in one of the "good" notches while all the others are jumping and peaking, stop your swing, hesitate for a second, then come back on the same track verrrry slowly until you pick out the good target. When you hit that spot again and the ID number matches, dig. I recovered 2 different coins from among groups of pop-tops using that method and the first of my coin "nests" was blanketed with pop-tops and other metalic bits.
One more, then I'll close this "book". Don't be one of the detectorists who decide not to dig any "zinc" hits. Several of my nickels registered as "zinc" and not in the "5c" notch. Those were from the 1970's and I don't know for sure why they registered like they did. I suspect that the soil acidity affected the metal in a strange way.
Well, sorry for the "book". The DeLeon is an excellent machine and it'll give you plenty of info. You'll have to learn it's language so when you're using it don't think "Fisher" or anyother dectector. Think only " DeLeon " and you'll do fine. I've owned several other brands of machines and now will own nothing but Tesoro. Their reliability and life-time warranty is the best. I will NOT buy a $1000 detector that carries only a 3-year warranty. The other manufacturers don't have much faith in their own products.

 

[joelt]

I'm finding as suggested that the discriminate mode makes a great pinpointer. I've tried a bit more with all metal, and it just confuses me, except for sizing. Of course, I was thrown for another loop when pinpointing with the clean sweep coil.

So, are you saying the Cortes would have true no-motion all metal because it has a manual ground balance?