BARACUDA-Legend-1

[porkluvr]

Its because my spell checker does not like only one 'R'

it likes "Barracuda"

Around here it's pronounced Bar'cuda. I suppose either one r or two won't make much difference.

[6666]

Its because my spell checker does not like only one 'R'

it likes "Barracuda"

[Alexismex]

This happen!!! with the TIP 127 not with a replacement FET ...

[dfbowers]

I keep seeing "Barracuda" everywhere this machine is talked about. Yet, Alexismex's photographs clearly show a "Baracuda" (one "r").

How does this happen?


edit: Maybe whoever painted the logo on Alexismex's unit had a (really) bad hangover that day?

You are right! Even the "Lost Treasure" publication spelled it wrong!

[dfbowers]

I think it might be here ->
http://www.losttreasure.com/content/...nics-barracuda

I was attempting to find where the audio response to iron was described as quoted in Adams post. I did read this beforehand and it does not appear that the audio responds any differently to iron than any other PI:

"Recognizing these problems, Anchor Electronics developed a circuit that would let users reject iron objects based on the type of audio response they produced, with no loss of detection depth on targets of lower conductivity, such as gold rings and charms. In the field, iron objects produce a wide, washed-out signal when compared to the sharp, crisp signal from a non-ferrous object, such as a coin or ring."

[porkluvr]

I keep seeing "Barracuda" everywhere this machine is talked about. Yet, Alexismex's photographs clearly show a "Baracuda" (one "r").

How does this happen?


edit: Maybe whoever painted the logo on Alexismex's unit had a (really) bad hangover that day?

[Qiaozhi]

Do you have a link to the review or only a hard copy?

I think it might be here ->

http://www.losttreasure.com/content/archives/anchor-electronics-barracuda

[dfbowers]

Adam, that's a good observation that you made. Can you clarify your findings?

Hi Silverdog,
Got both of my Barracudas PCB's up and running thanks for the great kits. Don't know if this is correct but I have been using SW1 to set up the coarse Time Delay potentiometer. Turning the external (fine adjust ) potentiometer till it is zero ohms, and closing SW1 a constant noise is produced. You then adjust the coarse (internal pot) till the sound just goes away. Are you you using an external delay pot as well?
The silverdog kit has 3 pots - Two mounted on the PCB - Delay and offset, plus an external pot for threshold. So no real "course" and "fine" adjustment for anything. They all have different functions.


You should then have max resolution on the external (fine tune) pot. You can also tweek the coarse time delay to setup when the "null" or void tone that occurs when you go over hi conductors like large iron or large coins (US quarter). If you read the test reviews of the original Barracuda on the Lost Treasure Magazine it talks about the unique tone ID function that the Barracuda had. It also functions as a quick test to make sure the audio circuit is working correctly. I did not externally mount this switch, it was all internal and used for setup/test only. <- Do you have a link to the review or only a hard copy?

Hope this helps some,
Adam

Thanks!!

Don

[adam(Va)]

My findings on SW1

Hi Silverdog,
Got both of my Barracudas PCB's up and running thanks for the great kits. Don't know if this is correct but I have been using SW1 to set up the coarse Time Delay potentiometer. Turning the external (fine adjust ) potentiometer till it is zero ohms, and closing SW1 a constant noise is produced. You then adjust the coarse (internal pot) till the sound just goes away. You should then have max resolution on the external (fine tune) pot. You can also tweek the coarse time delay to setup when the "null" or void tone that occurs when you go over hi conductors like large iron or large coins (US quarter). If you read the test reviews of the original Barracuda on the Lost Treasure Magazine it talks about the unique tone ID function that the Barracuda had. It also functions as a quick test to make sure the audio circuit is working correctly. I did not externally mount this switch, it was all internal and used for setup/test only.

Hope this helps some,
Adam

Just to let everyone know, Baracuda pcbs and kits are back in stock

It has been advised that as the SW1 function is unknown it is best to leave out Q5

Could someone confirm is the associated resistors should be left out as well or should the paths to ground around C14 remain by shorting Q5 source and drain ?

Silverdog

[DOOLEY]

now that is one tidy board , and a pleasure to look at ,

makes me want to stop using vero board and go all professional !

[Alexismex]

Finderskeepers, very nice ...the Baracuda deserve that work because of this cool design

[Eddy71]

Wow!
It looks very cool!

[Finderskeepers]

My finished baracuda

Hello all,

My finished baracuda with Minelab commander mono coil. Baracuda is a great diy p.i. project and it is a very stable, light and simple detector to use. It works lovely on the beach, football fields, playgrounds, etc - on any ground where it is not minerialised as the machine can get quite chatty. I have found that adjusting the external 10k pulse delay pot will reduce ground noise, but you lose sensativity. The only trouble I had from the beginning was the tip127 power transistor, as it could not handle the 9.6 volt battery pack - the machine would not work properly and the tip127 got very hot. I replaced it with a irf9640 which fixed the problem. I also have a gary p.i. pulse 2 which also is a nice project, but the bara punches deeper and rarely do I have to adjust the threshold. I have built two of these circuits - my first bara I etched my own board and purchased parts from element 14/jaycar and the second was silverdogs kit.

[didier]

Baracuda operating frequency

Hello Maikl,

thanks a lot for answering my questions about the operating frequency of baracuda. Then everything works fine with my baracuda.

best regards,
Didier

[gcause]

Hello Grand,

As you say that you have not much electronic now how...I wonder ... have you put the diode's on the board in the right way ? other than resistors there is only one way you can put them on the board, attention to the black band on the diode.

I think it is very nice from 6666 to look at your boards !

Best regards.

Ap

Hi ApBerg,

Yes I am a novice in electronics, its a hobby for me not my job. I also do gold prospecting as a hobby and I am combining both hobbies by building a metal detector.

I am keen to learn more from great forums like this one.

You can see my project here:

http://golddetecting.4umer.net/t6394-grant-s-diy-pi-detector

I followed the silkscreens component layout noting where the band was and put the diodes in according to that. Band on the diode facing towards the band on the silkscreen.

For all components I followed the silkscreen layout.

It is very kind of 6666 to do this for me and I am very grateful to him.

Thank you for your assistance with this this it is greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Grant