garrett american s1

[dld]

I started metal detection this week and have a 1983 garrett american s1
I know its old but it is what I got
When I toss coins on the ground it tones on them
when I bury a coin about 3 inches deep it does not
when I put the coil on top of the coin buried I can adjust it to make a slight tone
then I can find other coins I buried.
Is there any way I can adjust it to the buried coin with out burying it first and adjusting it?

the first thing I found in my back yard was a stainless screw
and am taking it as a omen that I might just be screwed using this old machine

Thanks
Dana

 

[Bugar In. USA]

Probly just need some fine tuning=mebbe one o the folk on here can talk you thru it

 

[MNCoinhunter]

Time for an upgrade maybe?? They have some good models at reasonable prices.

 

[dld]

Time for an upgrade maybe?? They have some good models at reasonable prices.

I have been out of work for 16 months on a workmans comp injury and there is no money for upgrades or hardly to pay the bills, the american s1 is it , while my shoulder heals it will give me some thing to do and keep me from being bored

if some one remember how to do fine tuning it would be Great

Thanks
Dana

 

[ricstone]

Here is the owners manual for your machine http://www.garrett.com/hobby/manuals2/American-SX-S-1-S-2-S-3.pdf good luck
ric

 

[Uncle Willy]

Due to an effect known as " Metallurgical Phenomenon" freshly buried coins are difficult to impossible to detect.

Bill

 

[slingshot]

Hey! I won two Garrett metal detectors with the American at the FIRST international treasure hunt! I found out that by holding the retune button (on the handle) in while I was searching it would keep the detector tuned to max and the auto-retune when it came over a coin was slow enough to give a signal. Doing this while hunting at a site I remember finding a penny at 6". Of course it is kinda cumbersome hunting with two arms, but that was the style back then in the competition hunts. Also, we had our goodies pouch tied near our ankle on one leg to keep from straightening up and wasting valuable hunt time by pocketing your find.

 

[PtAuAg]

Sounds like you are new at metal detecting!

Read the operators manual already linked to here, tune up per manual and then air test with no discrimination with various items, nail, nickle, dime, quarter, pull tab, gold ring. How do those items air test at on LO sensativity and Hi sensitivity? That will tell us if your basic machine is in the ball park working wise.

In fact, if you are new at things, don't even use discrimination at all. Dig everything so you will learn what things sound like. Also, make sure to keep the coil level 1 to 2" off the ground. Err to the side of 2" if anything. Getting that thing's coil too close to the ground will make the ground signal swamp the target signal, the American's were sensitive to that.

If you are detecting buried stainless steel, seems to me your machine should be working pretty good. Stainless is hard-ish to detect. How deep was that screw? Those old Garretts were rugged, and for their day went deep. It was a 15Khz machine and had a "groundhog" coil. If it works, it should do fine, better than a lot of new machines, although it will have a bit of a learning curve. Make sure you have good batteries!

If it don't work, call Garrett and talk to a tech. I had my 17 year old Scorpion mis-behave for the first time ever recently, I sent it in. They updated to current version, replaced the discriminator module, calibrated it -all for 58 bucks ( plus shipping). Can't beat that sort of service.

 

[wheath22]

Ric, I just got an ACE 250 and I am looking for some feedback on the coils. I tried the 6.5x9 coil but it seemed like the 9x12 did alot better. It is harder to pinpoint with the larger coil but the depth seems to be better. I haven't really given the smaller coil much of a chance. I used it in the yard when I first got the machine then put on the 9x12 and haven't taken it off since. Do you use the 6.5x9 ?............Bill

 

[dld]

Sounds like you are new at metal detecting!

Read the operators manual already linked to here, tune up per manual and then air test with no discrimination with various items, nail, nickle, dime, quarter, pull tab, gold ring. How do those items air test at on LO sensativity and Hi sensitivity? That will tell us if your basic machine is in the ball park working wise.
air testing with sensitivity on high, no discrimination
nail some time it would get a reading some times it did not, this was a 16p galv nail
penny,nickle, dime, quarter, gold ring did not have a pull tab to test
sounded the same, toned on all of them
with all other settings I got mixed results that would not repeat every time
Buried at two inches it toned at all of them
buried at 3 1/2 inches it was hit and miss, if I pushed the button and adjusted the sensitivity while over them then I would get a faint sound every time I went over them


In fact, if you are new at things, very new don't even use discrimination at all. Dig everything so you will learn what things sound like. Also, make sure to keep the coil level 1 to 2" off the ground. Err to the side of 2" if anything. Getting that thing's coil too close to the ground will make the ground signal swamp the target signal, the American's were sensitive to that.

If you are detecting buried stainless steel, seems to me your machine should be working pretty good. Stainless is hard-ish to detect. How deep was that screw?1 1/2 inches Those old Garretts were rugged, and for their day went deep. It was a 15Khz machine and had a "groundhog" coil. If it works, it should do fine, better than a lot of new machines, although it will have a bit of a learning curve. Make sure you have good batteries!

If it don't work, call Garrett and talk to a tech. I had my 17 year old Scorpion mis-behave for the first time ever recently, I sent it in. They updated to current version, replaced the discriminator module, calibrated it -all for 58 bucks ( plus shipping). Can't beat that sort of service.

Thanks
Dana

 

[Uncle Willy]

The 9x12 pinpoints just like the 6.5x9. You should have learned the stock coil first. The big coil is fine for big,open, areas but sucks where trash prevails as it just sees too much ground.

Bill.

 

[ricstone]

Ric, I just got an ACE 250 and I am looking for some feedback on the coils. I tried the 6.5x9 coil but it seemed like the 9x12 did alot better. It is harder to pinpoint with the larger coil but the depth seems to be better. I haven't really given the smaller coil much of a chance. I used it in the yard when I first got the machine then put on the 9x12 and haven't taken it off since. Do you use the 6.5x9 ?............Bill

Well i use the 9x12 most of the time an like Uncle Willy said it does pinpoint just like the 6.5x9. Also like Uncle W said in a trashy place it is hard to tell trash from junk so i just switch to the smaller coil when i get in the junk area. Most of the time i use the 9x12 though. It is still very sensitive to very small stuff with lots of coverage.
ric