Newbie

[jsarno]

I've wanted to get into metal detecting. so when i was out looking at tag sales i came across a Radio Shack Micronata VLF 4003. They guy sad it work,i tested it and it did, so i bought for $15(he wanted $25). I'm looking for honest opinions on this detector. you won't hurt my feeling, i only spent $15.
is it a good starting detector?
will it get me interested in detecting? will get the bug?
what should i expect from this detector?

thanks

[Qiaozhi]

I've wanted to get into metal detecting. so when i was out looking at tag sales i came across a Radio Shack Micronata VLF 4003. They guy sad it work,i tested it and it did, so i bought for $15(he wanted $25). I'm looking for honest opinions on this detector. you won't hurt my feeling, i only spent $15.
is it a good starting detector?
will it get me interested in detecting? will get the bug?
what should i expect from this detector?

thanks

You will have most luck with this detector on the beach in dry sand, or in non-mineralized soil. Unfortunately it is a very low end cheap detector. In an air test it appears to work ok, but in the soil it's next to useless. The problem is that it's an old TR design that relies only on amplitude changes to detect metal, and the presence of iron causes the amplitude to decrease, which also makes it less sensitive to non-ferrous targets.

If it makes you get the detecting bug, then that's good.
But I would start looking for a replacement motion detector as soon as possible.

[mikebg]

Hi Qiaozhi, in the circuit diagram Micronta 4003 posted by you in 08-21-2007 there is the following handwritten text:
"Change: R33 to 2.2k; R9 to 10 ohm
Auto tune: add 2.2M to IC1, p1-p2"
The manufacturer has made such a modification or it is a proposal from someone else?

[jsarno]

what should i be looking for for a starter detector. It seems the everyone is selling the one called a bounty hunter.

i have no problem spending $200 and up, but i want to make sure I like metal detecting.

[Qiaozhi]

Hi Qiaozhi, in the circuit diagram Micronta 4003 posted by you in 08-21-2007 there is the following handwritten text:
"Change: R33 to 2.2k; R9 to 10 ohm
Auto tune: add 2.2M to IC1, p1-p2"
The manufacturer has made such a modification or it is a proposal from someone else?

I don't know who added the notes, but I doubt they came from the manufacturer.

[Qiaozhi]

what should i be looking for for a starter detector. It seems the everyone is selling the one called a bounty hunter.

i have no problem spending $200 and up, but i want to make sure I like metal detecting.

You can buy a Whites Coinmaster Pro brand new for $199, which has a lot of features for the price.
Or you could go for a Tesoro Compadre, if you want something really simple, for $189.
Another alternative is the Garrett ACE 150 for $179.95.

I would recommend going to a local metal detector dealer, but don't let the salesman talk you into buying something you don't feel comfortable with. Often they have some good secondhand machines available, but the motto is to try before you buy.

[detectoman]

those micronta radio shack series no good, the problem is are manufacturing chinese, these complement inside are very low quality, i have an of those, and only for toy, may be change all, is joke
may be whit mikebg modifications be ok

[jsarno]

thanks I'll start looking around. meanwhile I'll practice whit what i got.

last question. is the fact that there are so many MD out there like the Radio Shack ones that people are so turned off.

[Qiaozhi]

thanks I'll start looking around. meanwhile I'll practice whit what i got.

last question. is the fact that there are so many MD out there like the Radio Shack ones that people are so turned off.

One of my first detectors was a cheap non-motion Rimatron, and I made a lot of good finds with it, both inland and on the beach. But this is a quite different machine to the Micronta / Radio Shack detectors, as it could exclude ground effect. I'm still surprised that anyone buys these Micronta detectors. As detectoman says, they are only toys, and you will be very disappointed with the performance.

[pebe]

One of my first detectors was a cheap non-motion Rimatron, and I made a lot of good finds with it, both inland and on the beach. But this is a quite different machine to the Micronta / Radio Shack detectors, as it could exclude ground effect. I'm still surprised that anyone buys these Micronta detectors. As detectoman says, they are only toys, and you will be very disappointed with the performance.

I bought a cheap Micronta 4003 on ebay for experimental purposes. It has a ground effect eliminator, though that's a pig to set up. It also has a disciminator that falls far short of what it should do, but overall it has the makings of a good detector. It has DC coupled audio stages, rather than the AC coupled stages of several other detectors, because they are using a meter to indicate ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

As it stands, mine has poor nulling of the coils which desensitises it on discrim mode. The coils are sealed and I don't want to break into the head to null them, so I am currently modifying the front end to cure this. Results so far look good. Also the sound detector is not particularly good - it is very 'spongy' and not a clear cut on-off. The sound also needs to be higher pitched so it easier to hear. That I intend to improve.

I'll let you know the modifications as soon as they have been proved.

[Qiaozhi]

I bought a cheap Micronta 4003 on ebay for experimental purposes. It has a ground effect eliminator, though that's a pig to set up. It also has a disciminator that falls far short of what it should do, but overall it has the makings of a good detector. It has DC coupled audio stages, rather than the AC coupled stages of several other detectors, because they are using a meter to indicate ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

As it stands, mine has poor nulling of the coils which desensitises it on discrim mode. The coils are sealed and I don't want to break into the head to null them, so I am currently modifying the front end to cure this. Results so far look good. Also the sound detector is not particularly good - it is very 'spongy' and not a clear cut on-off. The sound also needs to be higher pitched so it easier to hear. That I intend to improve.

I'll let you know the modifications as soon as they have been proved.

I look forward to seeing your modifications. It would be good if we could modify these detectors to work properly, as they are almost useless in the field. It's something that's been on my list for a long time, but ... you know how it goes.

[jsarno]

so it looks like i might have bough garbage. well i'm going out this weekend to test it near loose soil as recommended. i will set the bar low and hope to find something, I'm really excited and want to fun even if i have to buy another detector. but i have a few questions:

1. what are some of the differences in metal detectors and why do manufactures make so many different levels if some of them stink?
2. wouldn't it discourage the end user?
3. is this why so many are for sale everywhere?
4. regardless of the detector, it seem patience will always pay off. True?
5. any tips on my first adventure.
6. what are all these modifications everyone talks about?
7. are they easy?

thanks for everyone's input. it's amazing how people cast a blind eye on what they don't know. I always thought treasure hunting was easy and the detectors were all the same. shame on me.

[mikebg]

6. what are all these modifications everyone talks about?
7. are they easy?

thanks for everyone's input. it's amazing how people cast a blind eye on what they don't know. I always thought treasure hunting was easy and the detectors were all the same. shame on me.

Jsarno, if you can not make changes described in this chematic, ask someone to make them. For that purpose take three 1 / 4 Watt resistor: 2.2 kiloohm, 10 ohm and 2.2 megaohm.

[Qiaozhi]

so it looks like i might have bough garbage. well i'm going out this weekend to test it near loose soil as recommended. i will set the bar low and hope to find something, I'm really excited and want to fun even if i have to buy another detector. but i have a few questions:

1. what are some of the differences in metal detectors and why do manufactures make so many different levels if some of them stink?
2. wouldn't it discourage the end user?
3. is this why so many are for sale everywhere?
4. regardless of the detector, it seem patience will always pay off. True?
5. any tips on my first adventure.
6. what are all these modifications everyone talks about?
7. are they easy?

thanks for everyone's input. it's amazing how people cast a blind eye on what they don't know. I always thought treasure hunting was easy and the detectors were all the same. shame on me.

1. A lot of the differences are historical. Better techniques have emerged over time, and the more modern detectors are built around these ideas. There are also different detectors for different terrains and types of treasure hunting. I would guess you are looking for a coinshooter. In which case one of the detectors I mentioned earlier would suit your purpose. The Micronta is a very old design that has been superseded by better technology, but at the time it was built it was probably state of the art. At the low end of the market there are a lot of trashy detectors. Why do people still buy them? Quite simply, the price. But as they say ... buy cheap, buy twice.

2. Yes it can. Until you meet somene with a decent detector and reaise that you've bought a pig in a poke.

3. Everyone's trying to separate the buyer from his hard-earned money.

4. Absolutely correct. I've seen a tiny gold stater recovered by a little old lady with an ancient C.SCOPE, while others were whizzng around all over the field with the latest and greatest MInelab and Whites detectors, and complaining they hadn't found anything. The motto is "slow down" ... and of course you have be over the target to find it.

5. Be patient and don't give up too easily.

6. We're always modifying things here. Sometimes the mods improve the detector, sometimes not, but it's part of the fun.

7. Not always. Depends on the mods, and whether you know what you're doing.