Hybridcruiser, try this techique on the Coin Magnum to eliminate the small iron nails! Get an iron nail and using the 10-turn ground control keep adjusting it until the machine nulls out on the iron nail. Use the regular discrimination control to eliminate the normal unwanted non-ferrous targets! I know that this technique works good on the 8 inch coil, not sure about how this would work on the 12 inch coil?...........................HH................Joe
Well John H. and JOE, that does work, and Compass mentioned it. But it is not how one is supposed to use it, But they did say in heavy nail areas, one could "de-TUNE" the unit, and use it in that fashion... I think they meant war battlefield areas myself. I got one, the last of the ones that Compass Electronics UPGRADED. Up-GRADE? Yes, it uses the later coil with the newer coil winding...It might have been upgraded by one of the Compass engineers though, when they came out with the newer coil, with the colored decal on it. They did not make very many of that rare coil though...
Oh, on my name for this machine, I used the nearest I could find to the Compass Electronics green color! Not exact, but close... Very rare coil. I only know of another Coin Magnum, with thise same coil. So there are at least two of these rare coils out there... I was a former Compass dealer, and never saw one of them while I was a dealer!!! But I found this one for sale on the internet. No story on it though... Never knew of the newer Concentric being made for the Coin Magnum. Maybe for some tests though??? Perhaps!
I bought one of the original Coin Magnum's back in 1979 or so! And I can tell anyone today that it was considered a major disappointment for the time! ............But It was recieved with much hype! It was one of the few non-motion VLF discriminators that came out on the market. Whites came out with the 6000D and Bounty Hunter came out with the Red Baron both were some of the 1st motion machines but required a fast whipping type action to engage their discrimination circuits! This whipping type motion would either wear one out or one would develope muscles and look like POPEYE!!! Garrett decided not to introduce a motion machine at this time and stayed with their VLF/TR line. Garrett would not release their version of a motion machine till 1982 or so!.......so this was the basic background for 1979..............and many Relic and Deep Coin hunters wanted a deep VLF discriminator but did not like the motion machines of that time! Many bought the Coin Magnum but a lot were also returned. This machine should probably be called a Slow movement detector, best used going very slowly! The biggest gripe was its limited depth in discrimination. A deep nail could register as good because its discrimination circuit was only effective for 2 to 4 inches or so! Although I found a lot of treasures and goodies with mine after about 6 months or so I traded it off!.............For 25 years or so I had many regrets over this..............in this timespan I read many articles about this detector and became convinced that I basicly did not operate it very properly! So I finally re-acquired one and now feel that it is a GREAT DETECTOR. It must be used very slowly and besides using the Discrimination control to reject targets, I also use the GROUND CONTROL to null out any of the small ferrous objects such as small iron nails! This technique seems to work well for me!........................HH..........Joe
Well, the major disappointment I think was created to destroy the sales and reputation of the NEW COIN MAGNUM. It is not a disappointment for myself you see!But the story of the bad machine, switched the sales into the newer PHASE SHIFT TECHNOLOGY. A pity though! I think the metal detector industry might have gone the other way with improvement after improvement. Instead, it ended the career of the Compass Electronics company slowly but surely!!! Oh, on Garrett model, Charles loved it, but said even his, had some problems, Charles did not want to throw his into the waste can, but the Compass story, made Charles set his aside. Can you prove that story Melbeta??? Yes I can says Melbeta... I am going to post a copy of Charles Garrett's own story, related to the same Garrett metal detector. You see, I was a dealer for Garrett back then as well as a dealer for Compass... So right below is a copy of Garrett's own story of his machine, that he made, to compete with and against the Compass Coin Magnum unit..... How did I get this story? Well Charles sent it to Ray Smith, and Ray Smith was married to Charlies sister, and Ray Smith, before he died from cancer, gave me this copy... Enjoy! When Melbeta says he has it, Melbeta does have it!
Melbeta
