of ignoring unwanted targets and not having to listen to the threshold hum
until you are ready to pinpoint and dig a target.
The all metal circuit uses a single channel to detect various metals.
The discriminate circuit uses two different channels, then amplifies and
filters them. The detector will then compare the signals and determine
whether or not to beep at the target. While there is a great advantage to ig-
noring unwanted targets, it can make the circuitry more susceptible to in-
terference. A number of outside conditions such as power lines, highly
mineralized soil, and wet salt sand can cause interference.
The SENSITIVITY knob is used to raise or lower the power to the
operational amplifiers, which changes the gain. Gain is a measurement of
how much a signal is amplified. The higher the gain the more depth and
sensitivity to small objects a detector has. Unfortunately, any small inter-
ference that is amplified can cause the detector to become erratic. The SEN-
SITIVITY control is used to find the best gain setting in any location
without letting the detector become unstable.
The SENSITIVITY knob is numbered from MIN to 10 and has a red
area called the Max Boost zone. For normal hunting, any setting in the
numbered zone will work very well, however, the Max Boost will allow
you to increase the power to the operational amplifiers to the point of over-
load. This may cause your detector to become unstable and force you to
turn the SENSITIVITY knob to a lower setting. An overload situation will
not hurt your detector, but it will maximize the gain that is used by your de-
tector. This can, in certain conditions such as low mineralization in the soil,
cause your detector to penetrate deeper into the ground and become more
At this time, you are in the Silent Search Discriminate Mode. Press
the PINPOINT button, and you will immediately hear the threshold audio
tone. This indicates that you are now in the ALL METAL Mode. Your Tri-
dent I has a VCO-style ALL METAL Mode. You will find that as targets get
closer to the coil, the threshold tone will get louder and higher in pitch.
With the PINPOINT button pressed in, try waving your targets in
front of the coil. Start from a distance of 10 to 12 inches away from the coil
and slowly work your way closer to the coil. Then, try starting from 6
inches away from the left or right of your coil and work your way to the
center of the coil. Notice the changes of the audio signal. Your strongest
signal will always be closest to the center of the coil. Additional informa-
tion can also be learned by the signal strength pitch. A smaller or deeper tar-
get will give a less noticeable change in the threshold than a larger or
shallower target will give. Take some time and try all of your targets at dif-
ferent depths to find out how your detector sounds.
Take some time to try different DISCRIMINATE levels and then
check them with PINPOINT Mode. You will notice some distinctly differ-
ent tones. Practice and experience will give you large amounts of infor-
mation that will help you decide whether or not to dig a target in the field.
12 TRIDENT I OPERATIOR INSTRUCTION MANUAL
GETTING STARTED 9
