Time Ranger extreme modification here.

[Zendalar]

Everybody knows that discrimination stalls or bogs the performance of time ranger.

Well, this was my main reason to start build totally new metal detector.

But now it seems that some parts of the metal detecting circuitry are not adequate and some parts might violate some patents (or so I am told), so therefore I slightly rethought the idea.

I made the ultimate modification to Bounty Hunter Time Ranger (This idea can be adapted to almost any modern metal detector)

When using discrimination effective scanning time slows down, but everybody knows that Time ranger has the speed when in NON discrimating mode.

Solution: Completely bypass the discrimination and handle the discrimination with other processor.

PROs:

- Discrimination speed is FAST, and I mean faster than any other metal detector in the market.
- Completely programmable database ( for example different country coins)
- Find logging
- SD memory card (2GB, 4GB,, you name it) filesystem completely transferrable to a PC.
- Discrimination "logic" completely programmable
- New display, with backlight, graphic or basic LCD.
- Completely programmable sounds/alerts, even with MP3/wav if needed
- Extended battery life, because internal speaker is disabled and now this thing is powered with LIPO batteries
- USB connection
- etc etc...

- Open source (donations accepted of course)


- Software...well, did I mention its programmable ?
- Result analysis

Future plans (very soon):
GPS -> Upload to google maps for example

Well...here are some preliminary shots, main processor in this case is Bounty Hunter Time Rangers own.

This image tells something, took the pictures laying down on the sofa and running some EURO coins through it, and couple silver items.
So basically it identifies the underground target (or target type if the result is not in the database for example) without digging it up.

HOPEA means silver and KUPARI is copper, the propability of the finds is not yet shown, but more likely target is shown in CAPS.

(Some parts of the image are in Finnish language)

Can't wait to snow to melt.

If you have any questions, post here or mail me: metaldetectorATkovalantie.fi

I will post images of the hardware and will propably share the source code also as soon as I get this thing rocking and enclosured.

 

[mwaynebennett]

Cool. I am sure that you are on the right track, at least as far as the high-end machines go.

Mark

 

[TURNMASTER]

WOW, way over my head.

 

[Zendalar]

There will be another modification which will add some sort of object imaging.

This will be based on an accelerometer which will give XY position and based on strength of signal it will draw an image on BW/colour LCD.

It will be like "painting" the image on screen.

 

[mwaynebennett]

I opened my 505 and swapped out several of the components so that it can now detect the magnetic ink on US currency. Paper money is better than zinc pennies any day.

Mark
Elite 2200
Pioneer 505
WA St
4/1/10

 

[Zendalar]

Fine...this was no joke, but whatever..

 

[mwaynebennett]

Zendalar:

In the USA we have a tradition where on the first day of April of each year, we spoof each other and play play tricks etc. If you notice, my post was on April 1st and I made a point of letting readers know that.

Mark

 

[Zendalar]

Ok, got that, We have the same tradition. Got a little offended but did not notice the date. Sorry about the rant.

Regarding Time Ranger, hardware is almost in enclosure and soon to be attached to the shaft.

Software...well dunno if it will ever be ready, always something to tune.

PS: I was not kidding with the "target imager". One will know/see what shape the target is (more or less) with normal pinpoint/all metal mode, and when added with a proper display, XY, and strength of the signal, one can draw an image whats there..

 

[mwaynebennett]

That will be so cool. You should try to get a patent on it.

Mark

 

[Ed in SoDak]

Hi Zendalar,

I have two earlier 2000-era Time Rangers, my wife and I like them very much. I had a similar thought to your imaging idea, but I assumed it would take a segmented coil that could sense a signal at various compass points or a combination of their signals might relate to a "3-D" effect. Is your imaging technique based on sweeping in a specific manner? Even crude imaging would be a dramatic step forwards. If it could differentiate between a washer, or a ring, pulltab or coin that would be an incredible feat.

What I like most about the Time Ranger is that all the info is on one screen. There is no paging through a ton of info to change things or observe the indications and is very easy to adjust quickly. Next is the silent search. There is no annoying tone for unwanted signals unless you choose to allow them. No "chatter" or uncertain ID like there usually is with my early-version T2. The Time Ranger is very stable overall and the ID is consistent and accurate. Though it lacks the sensitivity for tiny gold nuggets, it is still my favorite detector.

-Ed

 

[Zendalar]

Hi ed!

The visual imaging can indeed be done with this:

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Sensors/AccelerationTilt/tabid/172/CategoryID/47/List/0/Level/a/ProductID/97/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName%2cProductName

No matter how you swing the coil, it still measures the XY acceleration and with that you can measure the exact XY location and draw it on screen.

There are accelerometers that have 3 dimensions, but I can't think any use for the Z axis...except that metal detector would inform: "You are swinging it wrong "

I will try to build such a device as soon as i get this Time Ranger thingie out of the way.

Time ranger software now:

- Has different modes for beach, forest (relic hunting) etc.
- Calculates the ID based on 2/4/6/8 pass average
- Records minimum and maximum ID values for findings.
- Based on deviation (and couple other things) of signal it can quite successfully tell if the target is trash/diggable/have to dig.
- etc.

Beach program for example identifies pretty well: All EU coins (with name), pulltabs, iron bottle caps etc. Unknown target ID reported with average ID and deviation. etc..

 

[Zendalar]

Got hardware in enclosure and installed. Handle still quite well "grabbable"

TR power is off, therefore nothing on the screen. USB connected to computer.

Button is to switch modes between: Beach, Relic Hunting, 2-6 pass average,

There will be couple other buttons, one to bypass/power off the device, other....well...don't know yet if it needs another button.

Melt snow, melt!

 

[TURNMASTER]

Could the Z axis verify the depth of target?

 

[Alimo88]

Hi I'm a fisher user
you punch thru the front plate to get to the 4 screws???
I made a post stating that Fisher should bring out a Fisher "International" so it reads coins of your country
I would love A detector that sounded off with a Unique tone for our one and two dollar coins (Australia)
i have a canon camera that you can program shutter sounds into and its about 7 year old
you need to be employed by Fisherlabs

well done

 

[Zendalar]

Heh, I am just a plain hobbyist.

But yes, this can be programmed to recognise almost any coins. Only problem that I have encountered was this 2 euro coin that is made of two metal, and values are "almost" the same as in liquour bottlecap, but not quite. Right now the software can separate those two.

I ran through 2.5kg of old coins (finnish coins) starting from 1874 and these can be identified quite well. The values overlapped with some coins so I made the identification of those old coins "loose". Also tested with iron and other trash, for example about 200 bottlecaps etc.

Euro coins detected as they are though.

11V 2800mAh Lithium polymer battery is going to power both the device and the detector. Should not run out of power (9V batteries are usually 200-280mAh)

PS: I sent an email to 1st Texas / Bounty Hunter detectors, nobody replied, so I made this public. As soon as I get the software to clean state, I will tell how this is made.

 

[Alimo88]

Hey nice reply I have a physics background

Our one and two dollar coin here Australia Are both cupronickle and read approx 60 and 64 on the fisher scale
our bottle (liquor) cap reads about 65. Obviously the cap comes in many forms and states of crushedness
Occasionally our 1 dollar can just record the odd 65 (about 1 in 50) the two dollar which is smaller reads approx 60
as you know soil type and orientation can affect readings
I would zone off 59 to 64 and put a special tone in for that alone. Maybe the WAV of an old cash register KA-ching hahahhaha
keep up the great work

oh did you punch thru the front cover to reach the screws?
and my third tone change is 66 so both high $ value coins sound of in mid/high zone. Would one of the trimpots inside machine control this value and could i shift it so the high tone starts at 59? then when im over a good coin i really know the sound

thanks for your interest

 

[Zendalar]

Hmm, I dont quite follow with the screw thing. Do you mean the four screws that attach the front panel?

The front panel comes off and the motherboard as well as long as one disconnects the connectors at the back. I just made a new hole at the back to the new wires, the device itself is tied to the rod with a metal band.

This is what you meant =) ?

 

[Alimo88]

yes the four screws that hold the front panel on I can see them in the pic. Mine are behind the front panel, I can find them with a small magnet.

I turned one of the trimpots thru the battery cover, changed the VID to higher number for the same object but it would false signal every third or forth sweep so i figure it's not quite that simple. had to re tune it back to where it was to stop the false signaling/vid. and it was still quite touchy. I should not really fiddle with it.

Thanks

 

[Zendalar]

Ah, the screws are just on top of the panel, don't need to punch through..

Last night I got the ground mineralization readout working. Don't know how to handle the info though..how does it affect the readings...dunno.

 

[Ed in SoDak]

To chime in, the Time Ranger front panel has exposed screws, as do the other "muffler on a stick" models. The front comes off with attached circuit board.

Unless you know the actions of the trimmer adjustments inside the machine, it's best not to mess with them. If you have a digital multimeter, you can take readings of the trimmers before you adjust, that way it's easier to return them to their original positions. At the least, make a mark to visually show where it was pointed.

The actual ID# is probably set by software. What the trimmers do is allow for variations in parts values or slight coil difference to be accounted for. One or another may adjust sensitivity or ground balance. Probably they all interact with one another to a degree.

The art of ground balance is very technical. I have a 2006 email from Dave Johnson in regards to the FE indicator on the Teknetics T2 detector. I'll copy it below to give a brief overview of some of the technical aspects.
-Ed

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

>"Micro-cgs" is a dimensionless unit for measuring bulk magnetic
>susceptibility in the Gaussian (cm-gm-sec) system of metric units. It
>is an indicator of how magnetically mineralized the soil is. Since
>magnetic minerals contain iron, it is also an indirect measurement of
>the iron content of the soil. Not all iron minerals are very magnetic,
>however, and soils and rocks high in hematite, limonite, or siderite
>often have fairly low magnetic susceptibility. The common
>high-susceptibility minerals are magnetite and maghemite: less common
>are ilmenite (titanomagnetite)and gamma ferric oxide hydrate
>(lepidocrocite).
>
>The magnetic susceptibility is not directly related to the ground
>balance point (groundphase or magnetic loss angle). However, in the
>western USA which Jim Straight is familiar with, the areas with the
>highest magnetic susceptibility are typically that way because of
>magnetite, which usually has a low loss angle (which corresponds to a
>high ground balance setting).
>
>--Dave Johnson