Deepstar 1

[kt315]

It's next to impossible to troubleshoot a circuit blindly. Is there a schematic floating around for the Deepstar, or something known to be close to it?

just Part List
from left to right

2-HEF453BP
1-TLC555CP
1-UA709CP
1-TL061CP
1-TL062CP
1-TL061CP and
2-TL555CP

[Carl-NC]

The Deepstar is a mix of MiniPulse, Goldscan 4 and C-Scope 6PI.

These are all very different circuits so that doesn't help much.

Octopulse, if you send me the detector I'll trace out the circuit and fix it as well.

[Octopulse]

These are all very different circuits so that doesn't help much.

Octopulse, if you send me the detector I'll trace out the circuit and fix it as well.

Thank you Carl for your very nice gesture and I still may take up your offer yet.......BUT.........I finally have audio and threshold to the detector. A slight adjustment to one of the three blue trim pots (Thank you Altra !!!!) has brought the detector to life. I'm not sure which one of the three was the solution as I adjusted them one by one and then returned them to their original position (or thereabouts)......thinking nothing had worked but the threshold just came through as I set the last trim pot back to its original position........what a an amazing sensation to hear this thing come to life. It has been running perfectly for over an hour. Range on targets is very good........currently I have just the one area of "concern".....so read on.

If I advance the Sensitivity past about the 3 o'clock position, two things happen. Firstly, the slightly wavering threshold (this is normal as we all know) becomes a solid unwavering threshold and target range drops drastically. I'm not sure what's going on here. It is as if the extra Sensitivity is swamping the detector. If I back off the Threshold (with the Sensitivity still high).....the Threshold still remains solid and target range very low. I can't get back the normal Threshold unless the Sensitivity is backed off. This problem transitions on a knife edge when increasing the Sensitivity. Performance is very good right up until this Sensitivity cutoff point.

Anyhow.........just wanted to thank so many contributors to this problem, especially Carl, Geomax and Altra (in no specific order).
Without this amazing forum there would be hundreds of awesome detectors gathering dust somewhere.

And this from Eric himself.....

Thanks again, Tony (Octopulse).

Just as a side note.....I was in regular contact with Eric since around 2000. I saw him in 2018 and he was actually working on a prototype Aquastar 3. I was going to receive the prototype detector for testing down here in Australia. It was around this time that Eric started getting unwell with several afflictions. Unfortunately, the detector never came to fruition but a board was laid down somewhere. I came up with the title "Octopulse" for his new detector and he liked the idea. It was going to have a simple octopus icon with a gold ring on one of its tentacles. RIP Eric and thanks for the Deepstar !!

[GeoMax]

Hi Tony,

Have you tried spraying all the potentiometers with contact cleaner? They might just be a little oxidized.

Aquastar 3
The development of the Aquastar 3 is presumably identical to that of the Deepstar 3, or a modified version thereof, with the difference being that the housing would be waterproof. Why? Eric was always very consistent in his detector developments, and the Deepstar 3 is essentially a revised version of the Aquastar. The circuit board version of the Aquastar is PPD7 Issue 2, and the Deepstar 3 is PPD7 Issue 3. As far as I can tell from pictures, there is only a minor difference in the layout between the two boards.

[Octopulse]

All potentiometers are cleaned and running smooth as butter.
At this stage it is working well but I will investigate the Sensitivity pot further. Thanks for your contribution it is really appreciated.

[kt315]

listen to Carl. desolder board. mark every wire to board by color varnish - point on the board, point on the wire. then you will not mistake to solder all back.
do Part List for all pots. send board to Carl.

[Octopulse]

Detector sensitivity issue appears to have resolved itself so long as the Sensitivity pot is increased very slowly (past the 2 o'clock mark). Very happy that the entire detector is running to spec (As per Eric's manual for target responses). The whole PCB and detector looks like new and will be back with its owner in a couple of weeks. Thanks again to all those who helped out getting this machine back to life. It was too good not to repair. Tony.

[Altra]

Detector sensitivity issue appears to have resolved itself so long as the Sensitivity pot is increased very slowly (past the 2 o'clock mark). Very happy that the entire detector is running to spec (As per Eric's manual for target responses). The whole PCB and detector looks like new and will be back with its owner in a couple of weeks. Thanks again to all those who helped out getting this machine back to life. It was too good not to repair. Tony.

Good going nice save! Could you post some photos of the box, controls, label, coil etc.. for reference? Thanks

[Octopulse]

Good going nice save! Could you post some photos of the box, controls, label, coil etc.. for reference? Thanks

I am away from home for a week so I will post some photos when I get back…..

[Octopulse]

I am away from home for a week so I will post some photos when I get back…..

I think your suggestion of the blue trim pots saved the day…I’m very nervous going anywhere near those except for the one labeled Volume.