Technology Forum

Intrigued by the outstanding success of cryogenically treated audio speaker cables, interconnects and power cords. I have been investigating how this technology can benefit metal detectors. Basically, the technology involves deep cycle cryogenic treatment, at temperatures as low as 200F, and over a period of days rather than hours. This treatment repairs defects in the crystal structure of non-ferrous conductors which otherwise can give rise to barriers to a smooth electron flow, plus unwanted diode effects.
Unable to travel to Frozen Solid Audio, who pioneered this technique, I recently visited Prof. Lilao, Head of the Oxford Cryogenics Facility, armed with a couple of search coils with cables and connectors. He agreed to the use of one of their computer controlled chambers to conduct some initial experiments. The coils were collected last weekend after their period of cryogenic de-stressing and internal molecular bonding.
Testing over the past couple of days of a 11in Goldquest mono, and a 11in DD, showed some distinctive improvements in performance. Detection ranges were up by 10 20% and em noise levels were greatly reduced. The lower electromagnetic noise is thought to be due to the shielding foil now being more effective, as the crystal bonds are now much tighter, leaving less inter-molecular space for interfering signals to pass through. In fact I took a separate reel of the lead foil tape for cryogenic treatment and will be doing further detailed em tests.
It is early days yet, but if this venture is as successful as it has been for audio cables, you might see a separate company set up for DCT (Deep Cryogenic Treatment) of detector coils, cables, headphones, and even control boxes. Frozen Solid say that even the electronics can benefit greatly from this treatment. Imagine putting your GP3000 in deep freeze for a couple of days and ending up with a performance that far exceeds the latest offering, in detection range and noise immunity, for a couple of hundred bucks outlay.
If the shielding tests work out, then I might also start supplying Polar Foil to other manufacturers.
Eric.

Here's hoping that you won't put the project on ice!!!

Eric,
Some brands of guitar strings are advertised as being put into a crynogenic deep freeze to improve their tone and extend their life. Since guitar strings are just (approx) 32" long pieces of wire, it makes sense that a cryogenic treated PI coil would also exhibit some measurable effects.
Did you measure the pre-treatment and post-treatment coil parameters such as:
DC Resistance
Inductance
Self-Resonance?
Was the coax wire also given the crynogenic treatment?
I would think that if there are performance changes in the coil after being treated, that there should be measurable parameter changes also.
bbsailor

Happy April Fool's Day!!!

I have emptied my freezer of all the nonsensical food stuff, and have filled it with cable and spools of magnet wire. I even added my PCBs and rolls of solder for good measure. Hopefully, 28F for a few months will be good as -200F for a few days. Thanks for the tip!
- Carl

Some take it seriously, if you look at my link as well. Personally, I think it is yet another way to part the gullible from their money, as far as audio and cables go. Still I am ready to be convinced. Any GP3500 owners care to give it a try
By the way, Prof. Lilao and Polar foil are anagrams for that fun thing on 1st April; in case you didn't spot it.
Eric.

Had me fooled but I'm certainly not going to admit to it..........d'oh.....

Those Audiophiles and Musicians are even more fanatical than us detectorists when it comes to trying to get every ounce of performance from our equipment that we can
HH
Beachcomber

Justify your 10 metal detectors....

justify the costs of our detectors. All you have to do when you want a new detector is show your wife that article and say "see I could be into audio instead of metal detecting...this new detector is much less expensive than a good audio cable"
HH
Beachcomber

Sounds like putting your Minelab in the deep freeze is a sneaky way to "freeze out" the competition.
In reality, however, they have been using liquid nitrogen, or liquid helium for years to stop the formation of austenite in steels; this is also being used in knife blades, and gun barrels, for uniform grain structure and stress relief, and these gun barrels are air gauged in 10,000 ths.