Newbie here, given teknetics detector, looking for advice!

[Underbyte]

Hey guys,

I'm a newcomer to the scavenging/metal-detecting hobby, and as i am no stranger to obscure hobbies (HAM radio operator), i found this one quite interesting and decided to give it a try.

My grandfather has a pretty mint (used maybe 5 times) Teknetics 9000 that he got at a trade show 25 or so years ago, and seeing as he doesnt get out much anymore, he went ahead and gave it to me. So, i had some questions for you fellas!

how good is this metal detector? (its the grey one, not the red "B" model) should i be looking for something else?

Does anyone have a copy of a manual they would be willing to email me?

I think that the coil connection is pretty spotty, the individual wires are barely visible in the snap-and-lock style connector, and whenever i jiggle the wire, the detector goes bezerk. Additionally, you can here a *very* quiet rattleing in the coil head itself, i'm thinking that perhaps the coil is a little lose from its plastic housing? anyway, the annoying thing is that as i'm sweeping back and forth, when i sweep the coil to the left, the threshold cuts out. I don't yet know enough about it to know what that means, but i'm guessing nothing good.

So, anything that you guys could do for me in terms of advice and such, it would be very helpful. Thanks!

 

[Mike Hillis]

Tek brochure

Its in the TK brochure if you want to download it so you can actually read it.
Teknetics
HH
Mike

 

[Big Boys Hobbies]

Thanks Mike!!!

 

[TerraDigger]

Its a little heavy by today's standards, but a darn good machine. They still sell for a pretty penny. Its a excellent machine, especially for free. Learn it and you will find the goodies. It will hold its own against many of todays top machines.

 

[Monte]

Hey guys,

I'm a newcomer to the scavenging/metal-detecting hobby, and as i am no stranger to obscure hobbies (HAM radio operator), i found this one quite interesting and decided to give it a try.

Welcome to a great outdoor hobby! It is an interesting sport as there is a lot to it, depending upon how involved or successful you want to be. You can simply enjoy some casual day-to-day Coin Hunting at the typical locations such as parks and schools or a beach. You can get a bit more involved and become a Relic Hunter where you seek the older-use sites in search of older coins, trade tokens, and small artifacts such as buttons, bullets, etc.

You can branch out from simply turning on a metal detector and waving it around and get involved in research to find new areas to search and/or learn more about early-day history. One thing I can assure you, however, is that if you take this hobby seriously, you will learn that there is a lot to know about metal detectors, how they work, what some challenges present, and what ti takes to be more successful.

My grandfather has a pretty mint (used maybe 5 times) Teknetics 9000 that he got at a trade show 25 or so years ago, and seeing as he doesnt get out much anymore, he went ahead and gave it to me. So, i had some questions for you fellas!

While that could be the 'B' version that featured audio Tone ID, it sounds like it is old enough to be the basic first-released 9000 that lacked that feature.

how good is this metal detector? (its the grey one, not the red "B" model) should i be looking for something else?

The Mark 1 was produced in the gray housing as well as a special release in red. There were a few custom offerings for some distributors that were blue or some other color. The 9000's, to my knowledge, were only offered in gray as their standard color.

They were a 'good' detector at the time, but these were the early-designed 4-filter type models. To function well in GB-Disc. (motion Discrimination) the required a rather brisk (fast) sweep speed. All of the early models from Teknetics as well as White's, Compass and others who tried to copy the performance of the 8500 and 9000 Teknetics also called for a very brisk sweep speed.

Does anyone have a copy of a manual they would be willing to email me?

I think Mike Hillis directed you to that manual.

I think that the coil connection is pretty spotty, the individual wires are barely visible in the snap-and-lock style connector, and whenever i jiggle the wire, the detector goes bezerk. Additionally, you can here a *very* quiet rattleing in the coil head itself, i'm thinking that perhaps the coil is a little lose from its plastic housing? anyway, the annoying thing is that as i'm sweeping back and forth, when i sweep the coil to the left, the threshold cuts out. I don't yet know enough about it to know what that means, but i'm guessing nothing good.

Those early Teknetics models had several problems that seemed to surface, to include battery clips that went bad and needed to be replaced. When you have a noisy search coil, or other enclosed part, that rattles and/or seems to be erratic in performance, they need to be sent to a good older-model repair center. That would be East Texas, but remember, older model repairs are done at a cost so be prepared for a service and repair fee.

So, anything that you guys could do for me in terms of advice and such, it would be very helpful. Thanks!

They were very good in their day, but they pale by comparison with today's offerings. They don't balance that well, especially when you use the faster sweep technique they require in the GB-Disc. mode. Due to the physical design they don't balance all that well for long periods of detecting, calling for some arm, wrist and elbow work-out due to the 'U' shaped rod and handle.

The parts might be difficult to come by, and if repair is needed, the cost could outweigh the expense of a modern, better-balanced, better-performing detector.

If it worked okay then it would be usable, but ....

Just some thoughts.

Monte