Keith, I've done a search for Altai products and all I have come up with is some cheap electronic parts on ebay for sale in the UK. Was trying to figure out who makes it, but no luck. Would almost bet it's Chinese made? Needless to say with the description you gave it must be a very inexpensive, very basic detector. I would almost bet that the red button is some type of pinpointer to help locate your target and tell you where to dig. Some pinpoint buttons must be held down to operate and others you just push it and it's ready to go. Try this. Place a coin in a spot where there is no signal and put the coil just to one side of the coin. Press the button and hold it down while you move the coil slowly toward the coin, continue over it and then continue on across it and on away from it. . If it is the pinpointer and it has to be held down to operate, the signal should get louder as you approach the coin, becoming loudest right on top of it and then becoming weaker as you move away. If that doesn't work, try just pushing the button and releasing it while moving the coil as described. If that doesn't work as described, then I have no idea what it might be for! Monty