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TEKNETICS

Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting

TEKNETICS

Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting

11

SEARCH TECHNIQUES (continued)

Narrow It Down

To narrow the response further, position the searchcoil near the center of the response
pattern, release the trigger, and then pull it again. Now you will only hear a response
when the searchcoil is right over the top of the target.  Repeat this procedure to narrow
the zone even further.  Each time you repeat the procedure, the  field of detection will
narrow further.

Estimating Target SIZE, DEPTH, and SHAPE

When the trigger is pulled to activate Pinpoint, the LCD displays estimated depth.  The
estimate is based on the presumption that it is a coin-sized target. 

But what if it is not a coin-sized target? The most common example is that of an aluminum can.
Flattened aluminum cans are usually identified as dimes or quarters.  Their large size will
produce a strong signal, tricking the microcomputer into thinking that it is a shallow coin. 

The following technique differentiates buried aluminum cans from coins. Sweep back and forth
to get a feel for the target, keeping the searchcoil close to the ground. Now, continue to sweep
back and forth as you slowly raise the searchcoil higher and higher.  If the response
diminishes quickly and never gets very broad, the target is probably a coin.  If the response
diminishes slowly as you lift the searchcoil, and you get a broad response, the target is
probably an aluminum can.  Practice this by laying a coin and a flattened aluminum can on the
ground; you will quickly understand how to differentiate the two and will probably never have
to dig another aluminum can again.   And, you will know whether it was deep or shallow.  This
technique works well in the All Metal mode, and to a lesser extent in Discrimination mode.  

Objects which are ring-shaped, or flat and round like coins, tend to give a narrower, crisper
response than objects of similar size with irregular shapes.  The easiest way to demonstrate
this is with an aluminum screwcap from a soda bottle.  In its normal shape, it occupies a
volume, and gives a somewhat broader response than that of a coin.  But if you flatten it, the
response will be crisper and more like that of a coin.  Again, these differences are most readily
noticed in All Metal mode.  

Long skinny iron or steel objects such as nails usually produce a double response when
scanned lengthwise, and a weaker single response when scanned crossways.  This is most
noticeable in the All Metal mode.  However, a coin lying on its edge can produce a similar
response, so rely on both the target ID as well as target feel to distinguish between different
kinds of objects. Objects within 2 to 3 inches of the searchcoil will often produce multiple
responses as you sweep across them, because the response field close to the searchcoil is
irregular.

THE MENU SYSTEM

The entire menu is printed on the LCD display.  The display highlights the mode and settings
which are in use.  

There are two search modes, All Metal and Discrimination.  To change between search
modes, the top line of the menu system must be highlighted. Press the MENU button until the
top line of the menu is highlighted.  When either ALL METAL or DISCRIM is highlighted,
rotate the SETTINGS knob to change between the two modes.

Each search mode has three adjustable function settings:  

ALL METAL:

Sensitivity, Hum Level, and Manual Ground Cancellation. See page 14.

DISCRIMINATION:

Sensitivity, Discrimination Level, and Number of Tones. See page 15-16.

To select a function, push the MENU button and continue pushing to move to the function you
want.  The word SETTING will pop up on the display above the menu, and the present setting
of that function will be displayed as a number. 

To change a setting, rotate the knob.

To increase a value, rotate to the right

(clockwise)

To decrease a value, rotate to the left

(counterclockwise)

If you select a function and do not make a
change to that function after 5 seconds, the
detector will exit the menu system
automatically, and resume normal operation.  

If you press the MENU button or rotate the
SETTINGS knob while the machine is in
normal operation, the user interface will
return to the last menu feature setting.  This
feature allows you to have quick access to a
function that you want to adjust frequently.

Controls (continued)

searchcoil motion.  This aids in pinpointing the exact location of objects which were found
while searching in the All Metal or Discrimination Mode. 

When the trigger is pushed forward, FASTGRAB automatic ground cancellation is activated.
The internal computer measures the magnetic properties of the soil in order to cancel
interference from naturally-occurring minerals in the ground.  After the detector measures the
soil in this manner, the detector then uses this information to control operation in both the All
Metal and Discrimination search modes.

TekneticsMANUAL.qx6  4/2/07  11:02 AM  Page 11

Summary of Contents for T2

Page 1: ...Professional Metal Detector Comprehensive Operating Manual and Guide to Metal Detecting ...

Page 2: ...ES Simple easy to use controls Large LCD screen with target identification and operating control displays Straightforward menu driven user interface Bar graph readout of ground mineral concentration Trigger actuated FASTGRAB ground canceling with manual override Waterproof 11 inch open frame BiAxial searchcoil Single Filter All Metal mode for maximum detection depth Double Filter Discrimination mo...

Page 3: ...1 Numeric Target Identification 19 Probable Target Identification 19 Target Depth 20 G C Phase 20 Settings 20 Messages 20 Bar Graph 21 Battery Indicator 21 Frequency Shifting 21 Capabilities Limitations 22 24 Tips Techniques Search Techniques How to sweep the searchcoil 25 Pinpointing targets 25 Estimating target size and depth 26 False signals and chatter 27 Adjusting Sensitivity 29 Tips on groun...

Page 4: ...l the detector should be silent 6 If you experience false signals from electrical interference from the soil itself or from lots of trash metal press the Menu button Sensitivity will be highlighted Rotate the Settings knob to the left counterclockwise Reduce the sensitivity setting until the false signals go away After 5 seconds the machine will exit the menu and return to normal operation 7 Toss ...

Page 5: ...round stem as follows Leave some slack in cable at base of lower stem Secure cable at base of stem with velcro strip Wrap cable loosely around entire stem up to bent part of s rod You will re wrap the cable later after sizing the rods to your height 7 Push cable into connector on back of housing Do not twist the cable or plug Turn knurled cap nut only 8 Tighten knurled cap nut by hand to secure ca...

Page 6: ...and outward To best stabilize the detector to your arm and body movement squeeze the sides of the arm rest around your forearm For a very secure fit some users prefer to bend the arm rest in tightly against the forearm such that you pry the sides loose each time you place your arm into the arm rest Firmly tighten bottom locking collar to secure lower stem 10 Attach cable to s rod with upper Velcro...

Page 7: ... securely As you swing the detector from side to side you want the bolts tight enough so that you do not feel any movement between the pole and arm rest mounting bracket If you notice unwanted movement while swinging detector check the tightness of the locking collars The locking collars must be rotated a full 270 to reach the locking position HEADPHONES not included The T2 is equipped with a stan...

Page 8: ...tion is adjustable to fit your arm The grip is durable high friction foam elastomer comfortable in any kind of weather The controls are conveniently located and easy to learn how to use Locking collars on the tubes eliminate rattling EASY TO USE INFORMATIVE INTERFACE The entire menu is always visible on the LCD display The LCD display indicates the electrical signature target I D of the detected m...

Page 9: ...ters Varies with adjustment and user s stance and arm hand physiology Sweep Effort lateral moment 5 2 foot pounds 7 1 newton meters Operating Principle VLF induction balance Operating Frequency nominal 13 kHz quartz crystal timing reference Basic Sensitivity 5 x 109 root Hertz detectivity Lag Coefficient 70 milliseconds Reactive Overload approximately 10 000 micro cgs units volume susceptibility R...

Page 10: ...ush of the menu button will recall that selection and display the stored value This recall function is useful for a value you want to adjust frequently such as the ground cancellation value SETTINGS Knob On the left of the front panel Rotate the SETTINGS knob to 1 Change the setting or value of the highlighted menu selection you have chosen 2 Select operating MODE when the top line of the menu is ...

Page 11: ... be displayed as a number To change a setting rotate the knob To increase a value rotate to the right clockwise To decrease a value rotate to the left counterclockwise If you select a function and do not make a change to that function after 5 seconds the detector will exit the menu system automatically and resume normal operation If you press the MENU button or rotate the SETTINGS knob while the m...

Page 12: ...detector is calibrated to the actual soil condition the result will be deeper target detection quieter operation and more accurate target identification This calibration or Ground Cancellation can be accomplished automatically with the detector s internal computer by pushing the Trigger Switch forward or manually in the All Metal menu The ground cancellation setting carries through into both All M...

Page 13: ...are a total of 500 different settings Under some ground conditions you may be able to hear the individual steps in the setting The Fe3O4 bar graph on the LCD display indicates the amount of magnetic mineralization The searchcoil must be in motion to measure Fe3O4 The most accurate measurement is obtained by pumping the searchcoil as in the Ground Cancellation procedure The two digit G C Phase numb...

Page 14: ...cellation setting NOTE Experienced users often prefer to adjust the ground cancellation to get a weak but audible response when lowering the searchcoil This is called adjusting for positive response Positive and Negative Response The purpose of ground cancellation is to adjust the metal detector to ignore ground minerals If the adjustment setting is off ground minerals will give either a positive ...

Page 15: ...e audible The sensitivity level setting is largely a matter of personal preference However if you cannot hear at least some noise the smallest or deepest objects will not be detected HUM LEVEL This is the same thing that some manufacturers call audio threshold It is adjustable from 9 to 9 For maximum ability to hear the weakest signals adjust this background hum level high enough so that it is bar...

Page 16: ...s menu selection offers the user a choice among several different methods of audio discrimination to accommodate a variety of search conditions and personal preferences These methods differ in the way the signals are processed for analysis and in the number of audio tones used to identify different target types The detector has two ways of processing signals for analysis continuous and sampled Con...

Page 17: ... with a high concentration of steel bottle caps Also refer to p 23 for sweep techniques to aid in the identification of steel bottle caps 4 Four different audio tones This method is similar to 3 but with a fourth medium high tone for targets in the numeric range of 73 to 79 This four tone system is useful for searching in areas where there may be very old coins which register in this range dP Delt...

Page 18: ... the side of the target Then pull the trigger and raise the searchcoil about 2 inches Lifting the searchcoil away from the ground causes the ground signal to go negative the machine becomes silent Now move the searchcoil slowly across the target and the sound will communicate the target s location As you sweep from side to side and hear no sound at the ends of the sweep the target is located in th...

Page 19: ...me typically 83 U S quarter 25 coin clad typically 89 50 coin modern clad typically 92 old silver dollar coin typically 94 US silver Eagle 1 coin typically 95 PROBABLE TARGET I D The probable target ID zones at the top of the LCD display represent the signal ranges produced by various coins and types of metal objects When a metal target is detected the microcomputer analyzes the signal and categor...

Page 20: ...c soil is so close to the searchcoil that the signal is overloading the circuit the message OVERLOAD RAISE COIL will appear Such overloads will not harm the detector but the detector will not detect metals properly under these conditions Raise the coil until the message disappears the siren sound will also stop Resume normal detection The message RAISE COIL only appears when using the 3b or dP met...

Page 21: ...go dead the BATT legend will start flashing If using NiMH rechargeable batteries the display will remain stuck on the second or third bar for most of the battery life when it drops to the first bar the batteries will go dead within several minutes FREQUENCY SHIFTING One disadvantage of a highly sensitive metal detector is its susceptibility to electrical interference from other electronic devices ...

Page 22: ...ower on the effective conductivity scale Larger objects and objects made from higher conductivity alloys such as silver copper and aluminum will tend to read higher The notable exceptions are gold which usually reads low because it is rarely found in large pieces and zinc pennies which read moderately high because of their size and shape Although nails and other iron and steel objects will usually...

Page 23: ...etector without sweeping it over the ground for instance if not fully assembled or if you are indoors To air test place the searchcoil in a spot where the detector is stable and more than two feet away from any large masses of metal including the reinforcing steel usually present in concrete If you are wearing a wristwatch or jewelry on your hand or arm remove it Then test or demonstrate by waving...

Page 24: ...istently It also produces more audio clues to the character of the target 3 Lift the searchcoil or sweep at an angle Within 2 inches of a Bi Axial searchcoil the crossed magnetic fields of the Double D construction can produce anomalous responses If the object feels shallow strong signal narrow response or multiple responses in a single sweep and is giving consistent high readings like a coin rais...

Page 25: ...ge Targets If an overload warning is not confined to a small spot you are probably overloading on a large object for example a large iron pipe reinforcing steel in concrete or buried sheet metal It is usually not possible to locate objects such as coins in close proximity to large masses of metal Pinpointing With the Trigger Switch When you turn the T2 on the ground cancellation setting is preset ...

Page 26: ... a broad response the target is probably an aluminum can Practice this by laying a coin and a flattened aluminum can on the ground you will quickly understand how to differentiate the two and will probably never have to dig another aluminum can again And you will know whether it was deep or shallow This technique works well in the All Metal mode and to a lesser extent in Discrimination mode Object...

Page 27: ...d be obtained in an air test This tendency is connected with the T2 s enhanced see through ability that is the ability to find valuable targets in an area where there is a lot of iron trash False Signals and Chatter At times the detector may beep when there is nothing there or it may seem like there is nothing there There are five major causes for this electrical interference nuisance buried objec...

Page 28: ...ve mineral salts usually produce broad signals which will not be mistaken for a metallic object Common causes are concentrations of mineral fertilizer spots where evaporation has concentrated naturally occurring mineral salts residue from de icing salts and urine from livestock Unless dry cow pies can sound off like they are metal Ocean beaches have salt water that subject is discussed elsewhere i...

Page 29: ...and are common in many gold prospecting areas They are usually but not always drawn to a magnet They are most often reddish in color but are often black brown or yellow On relic hunting sites red clay bricks and rocks which have lined a fireplace or a campfire will often be hot rocks The discriminator will usually eliminate them without difficulty if widely scattered but if there is a large concen...

Page 30: ...ce preset will be restored and then use the machine without ground canceling In most areas once you have ground cancelled the ground cancellation setting will remain satisfactory for a long time However if the soil has been disturbed by digging or the addition of fill dirt or if you are in a geologically complex setting such as is commonly encountered in gold prospecting areas you may have to freq...

Page 31: ...ot like even if there is no ordinance against it If there is a metal detecting club in your area someone will usually know what areas can and cannot be searched Be prepared to always put your best foot forward when using a metal detector in a public place Pick up any trash you recover put it in a pouch or pocketed apron This way you can explain that you are performing a public service by helping k...

Page 32: ...tion and within that collection document the circumstances surrounding each button found If your finds are mixed together without categorization or documentation their context will be lost The ground cancellation and Fe3O4 bar graph features of the T2 can be used to map the soils of a site In this way you might determine which areas have been dug backfilled or subjected to fire This information in...

Page 33: ...n the language of the sounds you hear Headphones are recommended unless consideration for safety for instance rattlesnakes rules them out Move the searchcoil slowly and deliberately carefully controlling its height above the ground to minimize noise from iron minerals in the soil If you hear ground noise your Ground Phase setting could be a bit off so perform the ground cancellation procedure agai...

Page 34: ...e and deep Searching in All Metal mode is recommended However for a really deep cache it may be advantageous to search in Pinpoint frequently releasing the trigger momentarily to maximize sensitivity Shallow Water Hunting All First Texas Products searchcoils are waterproof allowing you to search in shallow water about two feet deep If searching around water be careful not to get the electronics ho...

Page 35: ...o distinguish between ferrous and nonferrous metals The other coil is a receiving antenna which detects changes in the magnetic field caused by the presence of metal Electronic circuits amplify this weak signal analyze it to determine the changes which occur as the searchcoil sweeps over the target and then convey the information to the user in the form of a visual display or audio tones Most mode...

Page 36: ...lity under this Warranty is limited to replacing or repairing at our option the metal detector returned shipping cost pre paid to First Texas Products Shipping cost to First Texas Products is the responsibility of the consumer To return your detector for service please first contact First Texas for a Return Authorization RA Number Reference the RA number on your package and return the detector wit...

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