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Hay's Mark I

S

slingshot

Active member
I have a Hay's Electronics Mark I that is just awesome as a T/R in finding gold-it's only downfall is the drift in the tuner. It's so sensitive it changes when going from the shade to the sun. Has anyone ever added any type of drift compensation to a T/R before? Thanks.
 
Ya need to place it so the box is in the shade and the coil is in the sun to find where the problem is. My guess it's there. T/R 's don't work by frequency change like bfo's They do their thing by coupling change. If it's the coil, you'll probably have to take it apart to fix it. Although depending on what color the coil is you might paint it white to minimize the drift. Take a piece of printer paper and put it on the coil to make sure the coil doesn't find it. Next paint the paper white and again make sure the detector doesn't find the now painted paper. Now cut the paper in such a way you can place it on the coil and set the detector so that the coil is again in the sun. If this minimizes the drift, next, make a small hole in the paper and spray through the hole to test the paint dissolving the coil material. If Ok paint the coil.

NOW I DON'T RECOMMEND YOU DO THIS, YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN..GOOD LUCK
 
silversmith said:
Ya need to place it so the box is in the shade and the coil is in the sun to find where the problem is. My guess it's there. T/R 's don't work by frequency change like bfo's They do their thing by coupling change. If it's the coil, you'll probably have to take it apart to fix it. Although depending on what color the coil is you might paint it white to minimize the drift. Take a piece of printer paper and put it on the coil to make sure the coil doesn't find it. Next paint the paper white and again make sure the detector doesn't find the now painted paper. Now cut the paper in such a way you can place it on the coil and set the detector so that the coil is again in the sun. If this minimizes the drift, next, make a small hole in the paper and spray through the hole to test the paint dissolving the coil material. If Ok paint the coil.

NOW I DON'T RECOMMEND YOU DO THIS, YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN..GOOD LUCK
Click to expand...
Thanks. I noticed that the coil was very sensitive if I bumped the bottom. Could be loose coil wires. Hey, the thing was only $15 at a garage sale and I love to experiment.
 
Sounds like you made a hell of a deal :thumbup: Good luck, be sure you tell us what you find and do. Now I'm gonna get outta here and Quaff down some Biggo turkey legs. :wiggle:
 
Well, it almost turned into a disaster. After I took the bottom of the coil loose, lost tuning. FINALLY, I found out I had to push the bottom of the coil, get excess air out, and glue it with the bottom of the coil pushed in slightly. The coil was packed in styrofoam and glued into the top of the coil, so I just trusted it was ok, as the rest seem pretty compact and tight. Will check the tuner and insides another day and probably try painting the coil. Thanks
 
We bought out Hays detector division two years ago and now make the Hays Mark I and II under the name of GCS Locators. We still call them the Mark I and Mark II. Utility companies use them for finding water and gas shut offs in their customers lawns. The coils are tuned in the coil housing and are sensitive when the coil has been stepped on or pressure put on it. There is a fine tune adjustment in the electronics box. If the coil housing has been damaged, this could explain why it is so sensitive.
 
Steve in Idaho said:
We bought out Hays detector division two years ago and now make the Hays Mark I and II under the name of GCS Locators. We still call them the Mark I and Mark II. Utility companies use them for finding water and gas shut offs in their customers lawns. The coils are tuned in the coil housing and are sensitive when the coil has been stepped on or pressure put on it. There is a fine tune adjustment in the electronics box. If the coil housing has been damaged, this could explain why it is so sensitive.
Click to expand...
Steve, that is the info I've been looking for! Have I messed up anything by popping the bottom off the coil? So I can adjust or fine tune them? Must be a trimmer. Thanks
 
Well, I pushed the coil back on, got the air out of it by doing so, glued it with plastic epoxy and adjusted the trimmer on the inside so the set point would match with the MIDDLE of the tuner's turning width and she worked again! I found out that if I waited about 2 minutes after constantly adjusting the tuner, it finally reached a point where the threshhold will remain stable-I guess it has to warm up? After that it was an unbelievable detector to be old-style. If you think your MODERN detector is getting all the nickels-think again. They were popping out everywhere from the ground-probably because of the 100 khz frequency. I found a lot of tiny charms, hairpins with decorations like flowers inset with diamond-looking stones, and it was picking up a swingset climb bar 2 FEET off the ground! I ran it super-tuned-for those who don't remember- with the threshold set to where it was just "ticking" while moving across the ground and the depth was great for a T/R. I have a pin snap-lock for keeping hitches from slipping made out of iron or steel and it will ignore it or just give a little hum but will ZAP a gold ring or ANY higher conductive metal held ANYWHERE in ANY position near it. Just simply awesome.
 
silversmith said:
Warm up? Must have an un-regulated 6L6 for an oscillator. Could be! :thumbup:
Click to expand...
Yeah. In the cold it works pretty good after warming up, but during the midday the sun causes drift. I saw a site that had the schematics-will have to look and see if I can understand what you're talking about.
 
Hey, I was just kidding, Slingshot. A 6L6 is a Vacuum tube from the 40's. It was used on low power transmitters. It's the most famous Ham Novice Radio tube during the late 50's. One of those in a metal detector would run 8 AA batteries down PRONTO (seconds) . :surrender:
 
Many a hit and/or other music was recorded with guitar amps that used the ubiquitous 6L6 tube, easy listening, country, jazz, and rock. My favorite? The Fender Vibrolux Reverb, black face amp. Oops back to metal detectors!

Best Regards,
Steve
 
silversmith said:
Hey, I was just kidding, Slingshot. A 6L6 is a Vacuum tube from the 40's. It was used on low power transmitters. It's the most famous Ham Novice Radio tube during the late 50's. One of those in a metal detector would run 8 AA batteries down PRONTO (seconds) . :surrender:
Click to expand...
You got me!:clapping: I DO remember a lot of tv's were fixed by just replacing tubes! Looks like it's back to painting the coil white or looking at the schematics and maybe seeing if a bleeder resistor or something added to reduce drift can be added. I was hoping to get a Mark II which already has a white AND smaller coil would do. There were some ads for one for $69 but they were temporarily(?) out of stock.
 
I have never seen a Mark I or a Mark II that drifted out of there designed frequency by heat or cold. If they drift, then there is a problem with a component. I have a water company that uses them and if they have a problem it is from getting the control box wet or crushing the coils under pipe and fittings in the back of there vehicle where they throw there detectors. I just sell them more detectors because it costs more to rebuild the abused ones. For the price, the Mark II is a very good detector.
 
That schematic that is out is not the same schematic that has been used in a long time. There has been many changes since that schematic was first drawn.
 
Steve in Idaho said:
I have never seen a Mark I or a Mark II that drifted out of there designed frequency by heat or cold. If they drift, then there is a problem with a component. I have a water company that uses them and if they have a problem it is from getting the control box wet or crushing the coils under pipe and fittings in the back of there vehicle where they throw there detectors. I just sell them more detectors because it costs more to rebuild the abused ones. For the price, the Mark II is a very good detector.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Steve. I thought it was funny the unit was being sold by another guy for his friend. Probably got the unit wet. I HEARTILY recommend the detector as it is a ring and nickel magnet and from some of the coins I have found it is obvious from the patina and condition that iron ferrite was masking them. The detector (8" coil) was picking up the gym bars on a gym set 2 FEET in the air!
 
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