Zircon MT 6 - Electronic Metal Locator Manual

OVERVIEW

1. The MT 6 will only locate metal objects. Nonmetallic objects such as wood studs or PVC pipe cannot be located with this product.
2. Avoid wearing any jewelry, including watches, when using this product. The metal may cause inaccurate results.

INSTALLING THE BATTERY

Slide open the battery compartment door and connect the 9-volt battery to the battery clip. Insert the battery into the MT 6 battery compartment and replace the door. With normal use, one 9-volt battery should last approximately one year.

GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THE DISPLAY

The display has indicators that indicate status and show information about detected objects (targets).

There are 3 status indicators: low battery, audible, and silent icons. The low battery icon is displayed when the battery has less than five hours of use remaining. The AUDIBLE icon will always be on when the unit is in the AUDIBLE mode. In the SILENT mode, the SILENT icon will be active.

The remaining icons indicate information about a target:

• The magnetic icon is displayed whenever the unit detects magnetic material, such as iron. If nonmagnetic material (copper, for example) is detected, the icon will show a line through the magnet. Neither icon is displayed until the MT 6 detects metal at less than 6 in. (152 mm) deep.
• The depth bars represent the depth of the target. Depth is indicated in both inches and centimeters. The bars begin from the bottom of the display and sequentially turn on as the MT 6 gets closer to the metal. The depth numbers correspond to the depth to the top surface of the metal target.
• The plus sign indicates that you are moving toward metal, while the minus sign indicates movement away from it. If the unit is stationary, the icon indicates the most recent movement. When a target is passed, the plus sign changes to the minus sign and the MT 6 beeps (in the AUDIBLE mode).

TURNING THE MT 6 ON AND OFF

The 3 position mode select switch turns the MT 6 on and off and selects either audible or silent operation.

• Turn the unit on by moving the mode switch to either the AUDIBLE or SILENT position. This should be done in air and away from any metal.
• The MT 6 performs a calibration immediately after it is turned on.
  Note: If the unit fails to calibrate, you will hear a long, low-pitched tone and all the depth bars will be displayed. If this happens, check the area for any large metal objects and remove them or move the unit to a different location. Then try turning the unit on again.
• To turn the MT 6 off, move the mode switch to the OFF position.
• The auto power off feature turns off the MT 6 after five minutes of inactivity. After it turns off, the unit loses its calibration.

PRESCANNING THE TARGET AREA

Note:

1. Before scanning, wipe the area to be scanned clean of sand and pebbles.
2. If the scanning surface is fairly rough, place a thin piece of cardboard between the surface and the unit. The thickness of the cardboard must be subtracted from the depth reading to determine the actual depth to the target when using this procedure.

• Turn on the unit away from the surface to be scanned.
• Place the unit on the scanning surface and move from side to side. As a target is approached, an increasing number of depth bars will show. At the point closest to metal, the plus sign will change to a minus sign and there will be a beep (in AUDIBLE mode.)
• The type of metal detected will be indicated by the magnetic/nonmagnetic icon.
• Once you have located a target, reposition the MT6 over it and scan perpendicular to your original scanning direction to be sure you have determined the extent of the target. If the target is a rod or pipe, the depth indicator will remain constant as you scan along the length.
• Continue scanning to determine if there are multiple targets. If precise depth is important, determine an area that is free of metal for recalibration (See next section).
• If desired, mark target locations. Crosshairs on the top and front of the unit show where sensitivity is maximum.

RECALIBRATION FOR MAXIMUM DEPTH ACCURACY

The MT 6 automatically calibrates at turn on._{However, depth accuracy is dependent on the} materials in the vicinity of the measurement, in particular, when the materials may contain metal or metallic minerals, as is common with various mixes of concrete. Thus, it is often beneficial to recalibrate after prescanning targets before making a final determination of depth. Recalibration will not affect the positioning accuracy.

To recalibrate:

• Locate an area on the surface where there is no indication of metal.
  Note: If a grid pattern exists, such as may occur with rebar in concrete, there may be no area free of metal. In this case, best results may be obtained by calibrating midway between targets. However, accuracy may be affected and recalibration may not improve overall depth accuracy.
• Press and release the PRESS TO RECALIBRATE switch. All icons on the display will light momentarily during calibration.
• Rescan target areas. A final determination of depth can now be obtained from the depth indicator.

DEPTH ACCURACY AND TARGET SIZE

The depth readings are specifically tuned for measuring ¹⁄₂ inch copper pipe or #4 rebar. For any other metal object, the depth reading of the MT 6 will be less accurate.

• Small objects such as nail heads will be shallower than indicated.
• For rebar other than #4, the depth reading is accurate to about ±1 inch (±2.54 cm).
• For ¹⁄₄ inch copper pipe, actual depth will be about 30% shallower than indicated.
• For ³⁄₄ inch copper pipe, actual depth may be about 20% deeper than indicated.
• Large metallic objects, such as pieces of sheet metal, at very shallow depths may give erroneous indications of metal type (magnetic vs nonmagnetic).

1. Always turn off power when working near electrical wires.
2. In situations involving multiple, closely spaced targets, the MT 6 may be unable to detect the exact location and/or depth of each piece of metal. Always use caution and wear safety glasses when nailing, cutting, or drilling in walls, floors, and ceilings that may contain metal objects.
3. If a magnetic and nonmagnetic object (ex., rebar and copper pipe) are positioned side-by-side or on top of each other, the MT 6 may have difficulty locating them.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

• Rough Surfaces: Wipe area to be scanned clean of sand and pebbles. If scanning surface is still fairly rough, place very thin cardboard between surface and unit. Cardboard thickness must be subtracted from the depth reading to determine actual depth to the target.
• Temperature Changes: MT 6 is designed to operate at approximately 70ºF (21ºC). Sensitivity decreases slightly at higher temperatures, but is not noticeably affected at lower temperatures.
• Nonmetallic Objects: MT 6 will only locate metal objects. Nonmetallic objects such as wood studs and ceramic or PVC pipe cannot be located with this product.

HELPFUL HINTS