Fisher Research Labs PRO-TECH User Manual
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Fisher Research Labs PRO-TECH User Manual

Professional metal detector for the archaeologist
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Professional Metal Detector
For the Archaeologist
USER'S MANUAL

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Summary of Contents for Fisher Research Labs PRO-TECH

  • Page 1 Professional Metal Detector For the Archaeologist USER’S MANUAL...
  • Page 2 PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting If you do not have prior experience with a metal detector, we strongly recommend that you: 1) Adjust the Gain to a low setting in the event of false signals. Always begin use at a reduced Gain level;...

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting Table of Contents Introduction ............4 Terminology .

  • Page 4: Introduction

    Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting Introduction to the PRO-TECH The PRO-TECH is a professional grade metal detector, designed specifically for the Archaeological professional. It comes equipped with a carry case and everything you will need on the dig site.

  • Page 5: Terminology

    Ground Balancing is the ability of the detector to ignore, or "see through" the earth's naturally occurring minerals, and only sound a tone when a metal object is detected. The PRO-TECH incorporates proprietary circuitry and programming to eliminate false signals from severe ground conditions.

  • Page 6: Assembly

    Armrest Strap The PRO-TECH comes with an armrest strap for users who prefer to swing the detector vigorously, in order to hold the detector securely against the arm.

  • Page 7: Assembly

    PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting ASSEMBLY Caution: Forcing in MIDDLE STEM with CAM LOCK raised may form a burr on camlock. If this happens, remove burr with knife to allow insertion. Position S-Rod upright. Rotate the LOCKING COLLAR fully in the counterclockwise direction.

  • Page 8: Batteries

    PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting BATTERIES A 3-segment battery indicator at the bottom of the display indicates the battery condition. The detector requires a single 9-volt ALKALINE battery (included). Do not use ordinary zinc carbon batteries.

  • Page 9: Quick-Start Demo

    PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting QUICK-START DEMONSTRATION 1. Supplies Needed • a Nail • a U.S. Zinc Penny (dated after 1982) • a U.S. Nickel • a U.S. Quarter 2. Position the Detector a. Place the detector on a table, with the searchcoil hanging over the edge.

  • Page 10: Headphones

    Use with headphones The PRO-TECH is equipped with a 1/4” headphone jack. Any headphones with a stereo plug will work; headphones with a mono plug will not work. Using headphones extends battery life, and also prevents the sounds from bothersome bystanders.

  • Page 11: Basics Of Metal Detecting

    Estimating the size and depth of objects to facilitate digging them up. Eliminating the effects of electromagnetic interference from other electronic devices. Your PRO-TECH metal detector is designed with these things in mind. 1. Ground Minerals All soils contain minerals. Signals from ground minerals can interfere with the signals from metal objects you want to find.

  • Page 12: Trash

    PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting THE BASICS OF METAL DETECTING (continued) 2. Trash Modern trash is prevalent everywhere and you may wish to learn the Target-ID readings for common items such as pop tops and aluminum cans. Modern trash is also usually on or near the surface so depth indication may also give you clues to potential Target-ID.

  • Page 13: Operation And Controls

    PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting OPERATION & CONTROLS POWERING UP Click the left knob to turn the detector ON. After clicking the knob on, continued clockwise rotation will increase the “sensitivity” in DISC Mode or the “GAIN” in ALL METAL Mode.

  • Page 14: Control Panel

    PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting CONTROL PANEL Control Knobs: 1. OFF/ON/GAIN a. Click right to turn on. Click left to turn off. b. Turning the knob clockwise increases the detector's sensitivity; the higher the sensitivity, the deeper targets will be detected, and the more likely the detector will be to detect very small targets.

  • Page 15: Touchpad Controls

    PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting CONTROL PANEL (continued) GAIN versus THRESHOLD “Gain” increases, or multiplies, the strength of signals from buried metal objects. For maximum detection of the smallest or most deeply buried objects, increase the Gain. To minimize the weakest signals, reduce the Gain.

  • Page 16: Operating In All Metal Mode

    Unwanted Noise Read the section on Electrical Interference. The PRO-TECH is a highly sensitive device. It is intended for use outdoors. Indoor operation will subject it to electrical interference from a wide variety of devices in the home or office.

  • Page 17: Reading The Display

    PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting OPERATING IN ALL METAL MODE (continued) Reading the Display As you sweep the searchcoil, notice the Fe (iron oxide) scale to the left of the display. This indicates the amount of ground mineralization.

  • Page 18: Operating In Discrimination Mode

    PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting Operating in Discrimination Mode Discrimination is used to eliminate trash metal objects (e.g. nails, foil, pull-tabs) from detection. The searchcoil must be in motion to detect metal. The Discrimination Mode is less sensitive to small and deep objects than the All Metal Mode.

  • Page 19: Sweeping The Searchcoil

    PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting OPERATING IN DISCRIMINATION MODE (continued) Sweeping the Searchcoil As you sweep the searchcoil over the ground, try to keep the coil parallel to the ground. Avoid lifting the searchcoil at the end of your sweeps.
  • Page 20 PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting OPERATING IN DISCRIMINATION MODE (continued) Or it may be a coin-sized metal object close to the surface. If only a few bars illuminate, the target signal is weak. This may be a deeply buried object, even a big one.
  • Page 21 V.C.O. tones This discrimination interface for the PRO-TECH was designed especially to allow distinction between small iron targets and large iron targets. Nails are often undesirable and will give a lower iron reading than larger iron objects. Users can set the discrimination setting to reject the smaller iron, but still hear the bigger objects.

  • Page 22: Ground Balancing

    PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting GROUND BALANCING What is Ground Balancing? Why do I need to Ground Balance? All soils contain minerals. Signals from ground minerals are often tens or hundreds of times stronger than a buried metal object. The magnetism of iron minerals, found in nearly all soils, causes one type of interfering signal.
  • Page 23 PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting GROUND BALANCING (continued) Understanding ground conditions assists the user in setting up the machine, knowing when to readjust ground balance and in understanding the responses of the machine while searching. This detector displays two kinds of ground data: The type of mineralization (which affects where the ground phase should be set).

  • Page 24: Ground Balancing

    PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting GROUND BALANCING (continued) The goal of the Ground Balancing procedure is to eliminate the sound as the searchcoil is being pumped over the ground. In some soils, the sound is not completely eliminated.

  • Page 25: Ground Balancing Technical Info

    PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting GROUND BALANCING - Technical Info Fe 3 O BAR GRAPH The Fe 7-segment bar graph indicates the amount of ground mineralization, independent of type, expressed as an equivalent volume concentration of magnetite ).

  • Page 26: Target Display & Audio

    AUDIO FEEDBACK OBJECT TARGET-ID When a target is detected, the PRO-TECH will respond with two types of sound: foil from gum wrapper 47 - 48 1. V.C.O. (Voltage Controlled Oscillator), U.S. nickel (5¢ coin)

  • Page 27: Hot Rocks

    -- “don't dig non-repeatable signals.” Electrical Interference (EMI) You are likely to encounter electrical interference when using your PRO-TECH metal detector. It is important that you recognize electrical interference and take appropriate measures to deal with it. This will prevent you from giving up on a site, or from returning a properly functioning detector for repair.
  • Page 28 Electrical interference is usually more controllable in the All Metal Mode than in the Discrimination Mode. On the PRO-TECH, setting the discrimination level between 60 and 70 will usually reduce electrical interference. In the Discrimination Mode, the detector may chatter if...
  • Page 29 PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting Electrical Interference (EMI) (continued) If you are conducting an indoor demonstration, you may find that changing the orientation of the searchcoil will reduce the pickup of electrical interference. If you carry a cell phone or other high-tech electronic equipment while metal detecting and you encounter electrical interference, try turning the device off and see if that solves the problem.

  • Page 30: Search Techniques

    PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting SEARCH TECHNIQUES Target Verification After detecting a target, do the CORRECT following: 1. Walk around the target in a circle. 2. While circling the target, continue sweeping the searchcoil across the target.

  • Page 31: Target Pinpointing

    PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting TARGET PINPOINTING After you have identified a target using Discrimination Mode, press-and-hold the PINPOINT button to identify the target's exact location. This technique can yield more information about the target's shape and size and also find its exact location to facilitate extraction.

  • Page 32: Device Specifications

    PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting PRO-TECH SPECIFICATIONS Mechanical: S-rod with electronics housing on rod, 3-piece breakdown construction, nonmetallic telescoping lower rod, adjustable position armrest Weight: 2 lbs, 8 oz (with battery installed) Standard searchcoil: 10-inch widescan searchcoil...

  • Page 33: Warranty

    Register your warranty on-line for a chance to win a For details, visit www.fisherlab.com FREE DETECTOR. The PRO-TECH metal detector is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for five years from the date of purchase to the original owner.
  • Page 34 PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting...
  • Page 35 PRO-TECH Comprehensive Operating Manual & Guide to Metal Detecting...

  • Page 36: Accessories

    Searchcoils 11” DD Ellipse, Open Coil - 11COIL-GB 10” DD Ellipse, Closed Coil -10COILDD-GB 5” DD Round, Closed Coil - 5COIL-GBUG Face Rain Cover Specially made to protect your PRO-TECH control box from weather and dirt - RAINCOV-GB Fisher ®...

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