Did the GB / pinpoint mod to my Cibola

[tvr]

Got it done and all back together and when I pulled the pinpoint, it howled full volume. Turning the threshold down and moving the ground balance did nothing. UH OH ... not good!!! Took it back apart and I see the strap around the 10 turn ground balance pot is touching one terminal on the threshold pot. Rotated the ground balance pot body (tight fit to not hit the threshold and still have the solder tabs clear everything else, slightly bent in the threshold solder tabs too) re-tightened pot to the front panel ... now all is well.

Ground balances now and otherwise acts like the Cibola I know. It had been pretty much on the positive ground balance side as it was with the fixed ground balance. I hope to see how it behaves once the ground thaws. I have one area at the school that I know well and think it will be a good place to see what happens now that I can balance her.

Used a momentary / off / on switch for the pin point; it is on the handle. Pull up and hold for pin point, middle is discriminate, push down for lock in all metal.

I think I am going to leave the ground balance without a knob so that I don't easily bump it off settings. With the full length 1/4 inch shaft it turns easily without a knob for balancing.

One thing for sure ... I am no longer any good at working around small components with out a magnifier, even with progressive focus lenses.
tvr

 

[khouse]

n/t

 

[jabbo]

TVR, you did one hell of a job.

 

[tab-nabit]

Nice - then I got to wondering, does this make it equivalent to the Vaquero? Or is there more to it?

 

[khouse]

This should make it pretty close to the same. I would think by locking the trigger forward would put the C in true all metal mode. The V's all metal mode is locking the dics knob all the way to the left. So I think the V's all metal is really a disc all metal mode? So I would even think his C may be deeper in all metal.

 

[tvr]

From what I have been able to figure out, mostly by reading and compiling information from different sources, it appears the Cibola and Vaquero are very similar and use the same circuit card.
The Cibola manual says that the pin point is an all metal mode. This modification replaces the momentary contact pinpoint button with a toggle that can be either momentary or locked on. There is one integrated circuit in a socket on the board and it appears to possibly be tailored slightly differently between the Cibola and Vaquero.

I have not done direct comparisons but here is an extract from the article that Sven posted a link to when he showed the modification when he did it:

"I have to give credit to Keith Southern of Georgia to first posting this mod. From
his own words:
“It really has turned out to be a beneficial mod that I believe exceeds the Vaquero. The
Vaquero and Cibola look the same but have a different I.C chip in them for the disc
range and such. And the Cibola seems to have won out on the iron handling abilities
compared to the Vaquero in my opinion any way. Seems the Cibola can tolerate a faster
sweep speed also without losing depth like the Vaquero does.
So this is probably the best of both worlds. Plus it really gets down there in the bad
ground now. I have targets buried in my yard it wouldn’t touch till the ground balance
mod it was way to positive for the soil now it eats up the deeper items that a Nautilus
can’t even hit because of all the blow back from the hot ground.
The mod works great and the all metal is smooth and deep as I have seen in a
detector……”

So I will have to wait for a thaw to see if I can tell anything. I am guessing that there may possibly have been some changes to the auto tune attack and decay rates and maybe the threshold characteristics between a Cibola and Vaquero. I suspect some of those characteristics are burned into the integrated circuit. My Tejon threshold wavers some, I have read some Vaquero users say that too. My Cibola has a pretty smooth threshold. Could be the individual unit or could be design choices burned into the integrated circuit. I am not sure, I have not found enough reverse engineering information to be sure ... just what I suspect.

However it turns out, I now have a Cibola with ground balance adjustment on the front panel, a locking all-metal / pin-point and a voided warranty ... sometimes I just need to play!
tvr

 

[Jeff (IL)]

Nice work TVR. I'm currently acquiring the parts to do something similar with my Silver UMAX. Have a 10 turn pot on the way, as well as another 100k pot which I hope to add as a second discrimation selection that I can toggle to by use of a toggle switch.

HH,

Jeff

 

[Jharhed]

Ok, I've just about gotten my nerve up to do this mod, not doubting my ability to do it, but if something in the future goes wrong with my detector aside from what I've done. Anyone run into that scenario?

 

[tvr]

I have not run into that scenario.
I have read, in more than one place, that once you modify it the options are:

to pay to return it to it's original form if they will do that

or

you bought it.

The Tesoro warranty is the best in the business and the expectation is that if the unit failed in normal use and, other than normal wear, it looks like it did when it was made, then they fix it.

If I hack it up and a different part of it fails ... I still chose to hack it up even if it looks like good work.

You can call the factory and talk to them about how they would handle it. They are fair and will tell you what they will and won't do.

That is part of the decision equation.
tvr

 

[Jharhed]

Hey tvr, is there an alternate pot that can be used? Can't seem to find the bourns.

 

[Sven]

....especially the fact that you can really fine tune the ground balance spot on.......have fun

 

[tvr]

Thanks Sven ... your post got the ball rolling for me on this one. I am sure I will enjoy the Cibola. Really hope situations get better for you and your family!

Jharhed,
PM sent on parts.
tvr