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3. STABILITY. Turn control clockwise as far as possible or until the instrument just begins to chirp intermittently. If
chirps are too frequent for stable operation, simply turn the control counterclockwise just enough to cause the instrument
to become stable. Once set this control should not require often readjusting and should be left alone.
TUNING
Since the most troublesome adjustments of standard detectors have been automated in the Cutlass II, the tuning
procedure for this detector is simply a matter of selecting the desired operating mode, setting the stability level, and the
discriminate level.
If there are sources of electrical interference present, or if the area is extremely trashy or mineralized, your detector may
give some false signals. These signals are generally short choppy sounds which can easily be distinguished from a good
target response.
The Discriminate Level should be set to your desired rejection level for the particular area you are searching. We
recommend starting at a low setting if you are unsure of how much trash is in the area. Adjust the level upward if you find
yourself digging more trash than you like. Remember that you will lose small gold rings and nickels at the pull tab reject level,
so digging some trash will increase your number of good finds.
SELECTING THE PROPER MODE OF OPERATION
The Cutlass II offers two operating modes, the All Metal mode and the Discriminate. Both of these modes are mineral
free, and requires that the searchcoil be moving for target detection. There is no threshold sound present as in most ordinary
detectors.
The All Metal Mode will detect all manner of metallic targets, as the name implies. This mode is excellent for relic hunting
or ghost town searching, as many valuable or desirable artifacts may be made of iron or steel. This mode is also good for
beach hunting where the sand allows easy digging.
The Discriminate mode will allow you to control the detectors response to most of the common metallic trash items found
in most schools, parks, and beaches. This mode is generally used for coinshooting such areas to avoid having to dig most of
this common trash. The Discriminate Level control is used to adjust the response to these trash items. Each detector can
vary somewhat due to the manufacturing tolerances, so you should experiment with your detector and become familiar with
the rejection levels for these trash items with your detector.
Earlier motion detectors that operated with "threshold" sound would give the user a definite indication of metallic trash by
either nulling completely or by generating short, choppy sounds. Since the Discriminate mode operates without threshold
sound, there is no nulling to indicate that the area is extremely trashy. When searching in the Discriminate mode, we
recommend that you periodically switch to All Metal and check the area you are searching to get an idea of how much trash
is really there.
FIELD USE
The detector should be held in a position that is comfortable for you. Swing the detector from side to side in about a three
foot arc, overlapping succeeding strokes well. This motion is called a "sweep." The Cutlass II was designed to get maximum
depth without the frantic pace required of earlier motion detectors, so go at a pace that is comfortable for you. In fact, trying to
hunt too fast in Discriminate may even cause a loss of depth in heavily mineralized locations.
It would be helpful to bury some coins and trash metal junk items in an area that you know is clear of other metal
objects, and then try the unit in its various modes. Check the area in All Metal Mode first to be sure its clear of trash then
bury the targets at least a foot apart, and from 2 to 6 inches deep to start. Make a map of the test bed to be sure you know
what each target is and how deep it is. Practice on these targets to familiarize yourself with your detector's target response.
This will also help you learn the proper sweep rate for best operation.
Regardless of which mode you are using, try to keep your searchcoil height constant and close to the ground. Most
people tend to raise the coil at the end of a sweep, much like a pendulum, especially if they are hurrying. Try to avoid this, as
any increase in height will cause a corresponding loss of depth.
In areas with well kept lawns, the easiest way to maintain a constant searchcoil height is to allow the coil to rest on the
grass as you sweep from side to side. In rough and rocky areas it is best not to "scrub" the coil on the ground, as the rocks
will act like abrasives, and wear away the coil bottom (an optional coil scuff cover will protect against this.) Sweep the coil as
close to the ground as possible without touching. Hitting the ground or rocks may cause a false signal much like a desired
target would. Sweeping the coil too high above the ground results in a loss of depth.
When operating in the Discriminate Mode, some "false signals" may be caused by heavy concentrations of trash metal
objects, by very large trash items, or by electrical interference. These signals will sound different than good target signals
because they are generally short, choppy sounds. At the end of your sweep, as you the reverse the coil direction, the
detector is most susceptible to trash induced noise. There are two ways to tell whether these sounds are good deep signals
or trash "noise." The first is by repeatability. Trash induced noises will not be regular as you sweep the coil over the suspected
target several times, whereas a good target response will be repeatable. The second method is to switch to All Metal Mode
and check the target response sound. If the response is weak, it may well be a deep, good target; but if the response is very
strong, it is probably trash. Note that a coin close to the surface can give a double beep sound, but it is regular and
repeatable. Raising the coil an inch or two will restore the single beep on surface targets.
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