Took the Golden uMax out for her maiden voyage

[Mike Hillis]

Spent an hour or two last night retuning it and got it pretty close. Took longer than I anticipated because I got the tones in place but then the notch windows were out of wack, then I got the notch windows in right but wasn't happy with the tones. Finally got it to where I could be happy with both the tones and the notch windows.

For those that don't know, the Golden uMax has 4 tones: A high tone for high conductive coins like copper cents/dimes/quarters/etc, a middle high tone for zinc cent/alum screwcap/square tab range targets, a middle low tone for round tabs and nickels, and a low tone for iron and foil. Well....there are a couple of others, like an overload tone and a rolling iron tone, but for tuning one, those first 4 are the key tones.

The Golden's notch consist of an user adjustable low end controlled by the Notch Width dial, while the high end of the notch window is controlled by a narrow or wide notch switch. The Narrow position sets the upper end of the notch window to just below square tabs. The Wide notch position raises the upper end of the notch window to include the rejection of zinc cents and alum screwcaps.

One potentiometer controls both the tones and the notch window so my goal was to tune the tones and notch windows so that each was in its proper place.

Tone wise I got it set to where I could keep a high tone on the dime, get the middle high tone on a zinc and get a middle low tone on nickel. Only I could only keep the middle low tone on a nickel with the notch width dial set to minimum. I wanted the nickel tone with the notch dial set at 12:00 but I couldn't keep the notch windows in place at a 12:00 setting so I had to settle for what I got. So the nickel tone stays in place from the minimum notch width dial setting up to around the 1:30 position. Any higher than that and the nickel moves into the middle high tone. I can't seem to get it any better than that so I'll have to live with it. What that means is that when I'm notching out tabs, my nickels are going to share the same tone as zincs. However that is ok because all I have to do is flick the notch switch to wide to check zinc signals. A zinc will be rejected at the wide notch setting. A nickel will still respond.

My wide notch setting keeps the dime at high tone, but rejects the zinc and square tab. My low notch setting keeps the zinc, round tabs and nickel until I rotate to around the 10:00 position at which time both the round tabs and the nickel drop out, which is about right. So at minimum notch width, at narrow notch setting, the square tabs are out, at Wide notch, square tabs and zincs/screwcaps are rejected. Then as I turn the Notch Width dial counter clockwise the tabs breakup and reject, then the nickel, then different sizes of foil as it continues down into the foil range.

Put the Cleansweep on it and took it out this morning for about 2 hours to check it out in the field. Woodchips, then sand so I could recover everything and verify my tones, then on to turf to check out the notches. Works just like I wanted it to. I'm a happy camper now.

Heres a pic of the finds. No keeper jewelry finds but some 4+ bucks worth of change.

HH
Mike

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[jabbo]

Hey Mike thanks for all the info on the settings. I will see if my Golden matches up. With the 8x9 coil, mine ID's a dime with high tone in 1 or 2 sweeps at 5.5" in air tests. Takes about 4-5 sweeps at 6". Is yours the same? I did notice in air tests that a rusty nail near the 6" dime will give me a rolling tone from low to high. Seems that the nail sort of pulls in the deep dime, and if I take away the dime then I get just the low tone from the nail. I know that a some nails alone will give a rolling tone and I end up digging them, but every detector has that same quirk. The nail and the dime were inserted into slots in the side of a cardboard box with the nail higher, putting it closer to the coil. I like the rolling tones when 2 dissimilar targets are close together. I have a Fisher ID Edge too, has 4 tones but you get no rolling tone blending. It locks onto the strongest target when 2 targets are close together and you get only 1 tone, it does not give you a hint that another target is being detected at the same time like the Golden does. I should have had the Golden with me today. I was in an empty grassy 1 acre lot where a 1800's hotel was demolished many many years ago. Iron targets were everywhere, couldn't find a clean spot to ground balance the Edge. After 1 hour I came out with a 1831 large cent, and a musket ball, all other targets were nails. There has to be old silver there, but is hidden by the nails. Will go back with the Golden and pay close attention to the rolling tones. I hate working in trashy places but it may be worth it. As you say, Tones rule.

 

[tvr]

Mike,
I'm curious as to how close are your tweeks to the factory spec tuning (if you have ever had a factory checked / tuned one)?
Cheers,
tvr

 

[Mike Hillis]

Tvr,
I think I'm just a little bit off from a factory tuned one. The nickel tone would stay in place on a factory tuned model, where as I can't quite get mine there. I would suspose that they use a piece of equipment that lets them "see" the correct setting, where I'm having to go strickly by ear. However I have mine set very close with 4 distinct tones (as much as the close frequencies allow) and proper functioning notches.
HH
Mike

 

[tvr]

Mike,
Thanks for the follow up to the question!