Related Manuals for Fisher Gold Bug
Summary of Contents for Fisher Gold Bug
- Page 1 Gold Bug Prospector’s Metal Detector Operating Manual F I S H E R R E S E A R C H L A B O R A T O R Y...
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Page 2: Table Of Contents
CONTENTS About Your Gold Bug ............. pg. 1 Setting Up................. pg. 4 Hipmounting ................pg. 6 Control Functions ..............pg. 7 Operating Modes ..............pg. 9 Turn On Procedure ..............pg. 10 Ground Reject Procedure ............. pg. 10 Auto-Tune Mode ..............pg. 11 No-Motion Mode .............. -
Page 3: About Your Gold Bug
"hot" ground and tight spots. Keep in mind that the Gold Bug will respond to all metals, not just gold. It has no "discrimination" or "target identification" circuitry. We've found that any attempt to electronically tune out unwanted targets is a good way to lose those very tiny nuggets. - Page 4 ABOUT YOUR DETECTOR There's no reason why you can't use your Gold Bug for "coin shooting" in parks, relic hunting in ghost towns or on the beach. True, the Gold Bug was designed for prospecting, but if you're willing to dig up some junk with the good stuff, you'll probably find more and deeper targets than you could with a "trash...
- Page 5 Drop-in battery compartments Cable Anodized aluminum connector upper stem Snap button Threshold 7-foot search control coil cable Velcro® Lock nut straps Adjustable, ABS, fiberglass-reinforced, nylon lower stem Nylon wing nut Waterproof, ESI-shielded, elliptical search coil Figure 1. Fisher M-Scope Gold Bug...
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Page 6: Setting Up
SETTING UP The Gold Bug comes to you just about ready to use. There are only three steps required: sliding the lower stem into the upper stem, connecting the loop coil to the control housing and adjusting the angle of the search coil. Take a look at page 3 and familiarize yourself with the parts of the Gold Bug before proceeding. - Page 7 SETTING UP REMEMBER: THE LONGER THE SHAFT, THE MORE YOU WILL HAVE TO BEND YOUR ELBOW AND THE SOONER YOUR ARM WILL GET TIRED. THE GOLD BUG IS BALANCED FOR COMFORTABLE SEARCHING IN A TIGHT SEMICIRCLE AROUND THE FRONT OF THE OPERATOR.
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Page 8: Hipmounting
HIPMOUNTING Your Gold Bug is light and extremely well balanced however, if you're going to be swinging it for more than a few hours you may want to convert it to a "hipmount". The Gold Bug control housing can be hipmounted to reduce weight on the stem and create nearly effortless hunting. -
Page 9: Control Functions
A faint tone indicates weak batteries. No tone means that it's time for a change. As a general rule, you'll be able to use your Gold Bug for about an hour after the battery test goes silent. 3. GROUND REJECT: This dual knob control is used to electronically tune the search coil to ignore ground minerals. - Page 10 1/4" plugs. When using a headphone with a "Stereo/Mono" switch, put it in the "Stereo" position. 6. RETUNE: Retunes the Gold Bug in the No-Motion mode to your preset "threshold" tone (See THRESHOLD Control). When searching in the Motion...
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Page 11: Operating Modes
OPERATING MODES The Gold Bug has three operating modes, each with its own advantages and disadvantages in any given situation. However with practice and proper use of the SENSITIVITY and GROUND ADJUST controls, you can use any mode in just about any situation. -
Page 12: Turn On Procedure
Gold Bug, particularly at high SENS settings or near power lines. GROUND REJECT PROCEDURE When your Gold Bug is properly "ground adjusted", it will have only a minimum response to ground minerals when the search coil is raised or lowered. Precise adjustment of the GROUND REJECT control is critical. -
Page 13: Auto-Tune Mode
GROUND REJECT PROCEDURE AUTO-TUNE MODE GROUND REJECTION 1. With your controls still set as described in the TURN ON procedure, lower the search coil to an inch or two above the ground. One of three things will happen to the threshold tone as the coil is lowered: 1) The tone will get louder and then return to normal as the Auto-Tune circuit takes over. -
Page 14: No-Motion Mode
GROUND REJECT PROCEDURE NO-MOTION MODE GROUND REJECTION 1. Hold the coil 6 to 10 inches off the ground. Push and hold the RETUNE button a couple of seconds to reset the threshold tone. 2. Lower and raise the coil and tune as in the AUTO- TUNE GROUND REJECTION instructions for a minimal change in the Audio Threshold tone. -
Page 15: Motion Mode
1. Tune as you did in the Auto-Tune mode for a minimum response to the ground. This time however you won't have an Audio Threshold Tone to guide you. Instead, the Gold Bug will start out silently but respond with a "beep" as the coil approaches or leaves the ground. -
Page 16: Searching
3. Keep the search coil moving at a comfortable rate. Remember that the Gold Bug is a motion detector and responds only when the search coil (or the target) is moving in the Auto-Tune or Motion modes. - Page 17 SEARCHING 8. As you gain confidence you'll probably want to increase your sensitivity level. That's fine. The Gold Bug is extremely sensitive to very tiny bits of gold at maximum sensitivity. Just a couple notes of caution: 1) The higher the sensitivity the more false signals you'll have to live with.
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Page 18: Pinpointing
With practice however, you'll be able to zero in on most targets quickly and accurately. 1. Once a buried target is indicated by the "beep" of the Gold Bug, continue sweeping the search coil from side-to-side in a narrower and narrower search pattern. -
Page 19: No-Motion Mode
For very faint targets or in extremely mineralized ground you may have to re-ground adjust the Gold Bug when you switch to the No-Motion mode. For most situations however the following simple procedure is adequate. -
Page 20: Target Recovery
3. Once your target has been pinpointed, switch to the Auto Tune mode and lay the Gold Bug down so that the search coil is within easy reach but not close enough to detect your digging tool. - Page 21 6. Recheck and repinpoint the target area with the Gold Bug if you can't find your target. Be sure to recheck the soil you've already removed. 7. Once you've recovered your target, check the area once again to make sure you're not leaving a second target behind.
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Page 22: Operating Tips
Take a nugget with you and do the same thing when searching in unfamiliar soil. 4. Practice. The Gold Bug is easy to use and it's highly sensitive to gold. But you still have to learn how to use it. Read this instruction manual thoroughly and use the Gold Bug often. -
Page 23: False Signals
FALSE SIGNALS A false signal occurs when something that shouldn't, sounds like a good target. For example the Gold Bug may detect metal in your boots if you swing the search coil too close to your feet. Here's some other sources of false signals and what to do about them. - Page 24 Gold Bug. 6. DIGGING TOOL: If you're carrying a digging tool in one hand, your Gold Bug may sound off each time you swing the coil beneath it.
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Page 25: Battery Replacement
BATTERY REPLACEMENT Two nine volt transistor batteries are located in separate compartments at the rear of the housing. When it's time to replace batteries, always replace both of them. 1. To open, press gently down on the battery door latch. The doors are hinged, do not attempt to completely remove them. -
Page 26: Maintenance
MAINTENANCE Your Gold Bug doesn't require a lot of care but there are a few things you should do to keep it in peak operating condition. 1. If you're not going to be using it for awhile, take the batteries out. Acid damage caused by leaking batteries can be severe. -
Page 27: Treasure Hunter's Code Of Ethics
TREASURE HUNTER’S CODE OF ETHICS LETS PRESERVE OUR TREASURED SPORT! Laws governing the use of metal detectors are becoming more and more common. In many countries, the use of metal detectors is illegal or severely restricted. Don’t let this happen in your country! ALWAYS get permission to hunt on private property. -
Page 28: Where To Use Your Metal Detector In The U.s
Where To Use Your Metal Detector In The U.S. National Forest and Federal Lands—Metal detecting is allowed only by special permit acquired from the federal government. Each area has a district office. Corps of Engineers, Lakes, Shorelines and Lands—Permission has been granted only on predisturbed sites, such as beaches and attached swimming areas. -
Page 29: Specifications
SPECIFICATIONS Length ......Extended ..........55” Collapsed ......... 46” Weight ......Complete ........2.9 Ibs. Control Housing ......1.0 Ibs. Handle and Coil ......1.9 Ibs. Frequency ......VLF Search ....... 19.2 K H z Audio Target Response ............(V C O) Operating Modes ... - Page 30 3. Voltage controlled Oscillator. Volume and frequency increase as target is approached. This effect is most pronounced in the No-Motion mode. 4. The Gold Bug is a "motion" detector in the Auto-Tune and Motion modes. The search coil must be moving at least slightly to detect a target.
- Page 32 R E P U T A T I O N Fisher produced the first patented metal detector in 1931. For over 70 years, the Fisher logo has been a mark of excellence. L I F E T I M E W A R R A N T Y...