Menu
What's new
Find's Treasure Forums

Welcome to Find's Treasure Forums, Guests!

You are viewing this forums as a guest which limits you to read only status.

Only registered members may post stories, questions, classifieds, reply to other posts, contact other members using built in messaging and use many other features found on these forums.

Why not register and join us today? It's free! (We don't share your email addresses with anyone.) We keep email addresses of our users to protect them and others from bad people posting things they shouldn't.

Click here to register!

Need Support Help?

Cannot log in?, click here to have new password emailed to you

10X14 Excelerator Coil

It's interesting to hear about what other detectorists in other parts of the world and what they have to contend with when detecting. I only just got permission to detect on hectares of grazing land, yet there are signs everywhere saying "trespassers will be prosecuted." So you can sometimes get the amicable person who might be willing to let you in. One other thing I've found that helps, is to limit who you tell, and who you take with you. You might get permission, but it doesn't naccessarily mean someone with you has. I also just got permission to enter private property to fish in the creek, knowing there's a heap of trout. I have to walk past jersey cows, around the vegie plantations, and the farmer doesn't like dogs. I don't have a dog, but my friends I fish with take their dogs with them. So I won't br bringing them along to this spot! Already caught two great trout on a lure last week. Nice, having the place to yourself for a change!
Golden:)
 
Individuals from other states drive to Virginia to metal detect. A few years ago there was a series on our public television network on the civil war and Virginia received much renewed publicity. Virginia is not a state per se although subsequent to joining the union it is referred to as a state. But formally it is the "Commonwealth of Virginia" meaning that many state laws are based upon old English common law that favored the landlord, not the serf. Guess who is the landlord and who is the serf. Answer: You are not the landlord. A side historical info tidbit is upon joining the union Virginia reserved the right to "unjoin" or seceed but when it did the fighting had already begun.
 
The one other thing I wanted to mention is you should always use the ground adjust setting. You should constantly re-adjust it for what ever ground your digging in. I'm really concerned for you, because, I think the Quatro is one of the most stable, deep seeking, accurate detectors in the world. There's only one detector that may beat it, and that is the Explorer II, and that's a Minelab unit also. You may need to re-read Andy Sabisches book Mastering the Quatro, once again, because unless your Quatro is defective, you aren't even making any sense to me at this point. I've never heard any of these problems before, so good luck. Marc.
 
Stay with it man!!!! I'd re-read Andy's book and be scientific about this "bad boy". It's a great detector, and should be able to find you stuff 10 to 12 inches deep or more with the right settings. Don't give up on it, just learn it like your Whites XLT. This detector should blow away your XLT, and if it doesn't let us know. Marc.
 
I do frequent noise cancellations. The only differences in the Quattro's four factory default modes are the accept/rejection settings. I cannot tell any difference in the sensitivity for one mode being better or worse than the other. Of course using coin or coin and jewelry all negative numbers will be rejected. I just found it strange that many, but not all hit displays seemed to be in the 30s range. That could have been ok. But at the time I also was having serious problems with the upper support rod occasionally falling out of the control head interface and I spent considerable time on scene trying to fix that problem. I don't think there is anything wrong with the Quattro's electronics. It probably was more of an issue of my other setting combinations and frustration at not being able to desense the Quattro to a 3-4 inch depth. I am not sending the Quattro back to Minelab. I have read the Quattro book several times and have gleamed no additional insight. Thanks for your concern but I'm sure in time things will work out. As I previously posted I have done subsequent air checks and can find nothing wrong with the Quattro. I plan on going out this weekend to several new sites and give things another try. I think this subject has been thoroughly discussed to the point of repetition. Thanks again for your concern.
 
Thanks for your interest. Today I decided to shim the upper connecting rod at the control head interface with a piece of electrical tape so as to increase its circumstance and hopefully get a tighter fit. That helped a lot. I think I finally eliminated the tiny bit of slop I still could feel when swinging the detector. Small slop gets to be big slop when the detector is stressed horizontally and vertically and eventually the upper rod falls out. An increase in circumstance of about 1/128th or 1/64th of an inch additional circumference definitely made a difference.

It took me 3+ years to optimize my XLT custom software program thanks to a post on the internet by someone much smarter than me. One day browsing I accidently discovered his post. He provided his test results of certain user settings relationship data. Once I had that information as a known optimized baseline reference then it was just a matter of peaking and tweaking other my user settings. The Quattro being a more depth sensitive detector is going to require more actual field use and seeing what works and what doesn't. Air testing just isn't comparable. I have more time than anything else in this world and I'll keep at it.
 
Where your upper shaft slides into the control box, and the thumb lever comes down, there is a tiny piece of metal under the lever, that is inserted inside. It could be missing, which is why your shaft comes out. Have a look under the lever, and see if there is a metal bit there. I'm probably not describing this properly, but I think you'll get the gist of it. The metal bit gives the lever something to push down onto, and tighten it's grip of the shaft. Anyway, if anyone else can explain it better, go ahead, be my guest! As for the depth of sensitivity you get in the different modes, take a pen and paper out with you, and as you use each setting, and find your different targets, write the depths down. Take a measuring tape with you, and be sure to accurately take a depth reading, as your coil reads targets from the high it's swept with, going down. So you need to take into consideration any space between the coil and ground, if you are detecting over scrubby ground or rocks. This might seem tedious, but that's how we've all learned. I don't think anyone can say what results they've achieved will neccessarily be the case for anyone else, taking into consuideration types of ground, soil conditions, and any interferrence from air, wind, heat and cold. Yep, these things can inadvertently sometimes, on the most oddest occasion, effect the behaviour of the detector. But you learn all this from lots of practice, just getting out there and spending the time with your detector in a variety of conditions. But as I said, write it all down, then you can come to your own conclusion of what you've found to be the case, and have something to sheare with others.
Cheers Golden:)
 
This may be a stupid question but I will ask it anyway. Is the lever on the lower shaft lock on your Quattro on the top of the shaft or underneath it? I ask this because if it's on the top of the shaft then your shaft is inserted in the control box upside down and WILL fall out due to the cut angle of the shaft. When it's in upside down it does not go far enough into the control box. The Explorer is the same way. This is a mistake that has been made by many, including my friend Karl recently with his Quattro. I saw him struggling a few times and asked him what was wrong and he said the shaft kept falling out. One look and I saw the problem. Fixed it and it hasn't fallen out since.

So is it in upside down?
 
ok..yes, there is a small flanged orange piece molded in a single "stair step" configuration as you described. Minelab tech help thinks that is the problem and is sending me a new one. I have to remove the flip switch and replace that part. That was the first place I checked and inserted a small piece of rubber floor mat to give increased leverage when securing the flip switch. I have a depth measurement guide when I air test. I drive a small fiberglass rod in the ground and secure a wooden yard stick with rubber bands to see where I first get hit indications on coins at various inch indications. I keep records of the air testing of various coins, pull tabs, aluminum cans, etc. Using MS WORD I created a list of various coins, etc. and printed it in small font. Using clear mailing tape I secured it to horizontally below the control head. Tnx.
 
You are correct! My upper support rod is secured to the coil support rod with the flip switch positioned on the top side. I can see the advantages and disadvantages of mounting it either way. I'll immediately change that. In my opinion the Minelab user's manual should have a highlighted warning note regarding the importance of mounting the upper support rod a particular way.
Good point! Tnx.
 
If I had taken time to sight check the Quattro user's manual I would have seen several illustrations that show the upper support rod's coil to rod interface has the rod securing switch positioned on the bottom side. Stupid is as stupid does and I done did stupid in the case. I reversed the rod position interface and the upper coil rod control head interface definitely is a tighter fit although I would like to see it a little tighter it's definitely a better fit. Thanks for alerting me to my assembly mistake.
 
Ok, w4. Didn't mean to tick you off too much. Just stay with it and I honestly hope it starts to make sense for you and become a major machine to find treausre. I admit, I'm a quite sold on the Quatro, so I get a little "insensitive" sometimes, but I hope you end up liking it. Marc.
 
Man, I'm really glad to hear that...your "shaft falling out problems" are thru. You aren't the first to do that and you won't be the last. The fact is, Minelab could do MUCH better in writing their user manuals. The only thing they seem to be able to do RIGHT is to make a great detector!!! :lol:

Now as for using the Quattro efficiently, I can offer you this. I has a Quattro and I was VERY successful with it. I liked it so well, I got an Explorer II. I wanted the extra "bells and whistles" that it has. I liked THAT so well that I got an Explorer SE (and yes, I sold the Quattro and the Explorer II) because I wanted the BEST they had to offer. But the fact is, that my buddy Karl...who is the one who bought my Quattro...has "out hunted" me on a few occasions. Why? Well, firstly, because he learned from a MASTER. :lol: but PRIMARILY because the two machines are very close in capability...Minelab REALLY DI get that right...making the Quattro a "dumbed down" (but HIGHLY capable) version of the Explorer. What it takes to be successful with it is what it takes with ANY machine: Swing time. You need to get out there and HUNT with it and get to KNOW THE MACHINE. And after 7 years of detecting (Yes, I am TOTALLY a newbie by the standards of MANY) and 8 detectors (which I mastered and did VERY well with) I can say that I have come to TWO conclusions on what it takes to be successful.

ONE, you need the SWING TIME...you need to get to KNOW the machine.

TWO, you need to forget about discrimination. You need to LISTEN to all of it and then DIG that which sounds (or reads) good to you. After having gained aforementioned EXPERIENCE.

This has served me well with all my machines.
 
You're right. I did some more "real life" testing yesterday on my 1.5 acre property and reread the mastering the quattro book again for about the 10th time last night. It's helpful to a point. I have lived in my house for 30 years and have a good feel for what cables are buried where, etc. What bothers me is that when using any mode I think all too often I am getting indications of false hits in the 30s range approximately 6 inches down with attendant solid audio. But when I dig down even beyond 6 inches there is nothing there. However sweeping the removed dirt pile and the hole I still get a pinpoint peak with attendant audio in the hole and sometimes on the partial removed dirt at certain places on the pile. Either this is a sensitivity setting issue..normally I power up at 15 in the coin/jewelry mode or the soil is mineralized or I am as dumb as they come doing something wrong with my detector settings. There aren't that many user settings to screw up. That is really beginning to bug me as I waste a lot of time digging chasing these "ghost" hits. I experienced this same situation last week detecting at a school playground. Any helpful hints about this situation not already posted other than reduce the sensitivity and re-re-re-re noise cancel ground balance?
 
You didn't tick me off. I am mad at myself for not using common sense and thinking of that when I first had the problem. But I was so focused on what I could do to fix the problem it did not occur to me to check. If you hadn't mentioned it who knows how much longer I would have gone with the problem. I don't understand why the upper support rod is cut flanged at the control head interface. Both ends fit equally well inside. I thought the flanged cut was to facilitate pulling the cable connector through the rod. Another mystery of life. So far so good on changing the coil/rod interface. Additionally I added one wrap of electrical tape on the rod at the inside interface and that helps give even a tighter fit. So far no feeling of any mini "slop" when swinging.
 
There are a couple of things. First, take the coil cover off and make sure it's CLEAN in there...particularly if you've been to the beach. Salty sand in there or often even dirt can make the machine act up. Second, make sure that the coil connector in the control box is snugly tightened. As for the rest of it, I think your sensitivity setting of 15 is probably pretty good. That's usually low enough to still get great depth but to also minimize the type of problems you are trying to troubleshoot here. If all else fails, I would suspect the coil.
 
This morning I went to a subdivision under construction about 30 miles away reported to be a good site. 3 hours of constant swinging produced nothing except a couple of pieces of trash and good exercise which as a diabetic I need. The ground last week had been smooth graded and an asphalt type roller had compacted the dirt almost asphalt like consistently. Today with the Quattro I tried, sensitivities 14, 15, and 16, threshold 17, low setting, cross saved coins and jewelry to the all metal listening mode for conductivity only, no ferrous, doing frequent noise cancellations and remembering to swing slowly and give the Quattro plenty of time to reset. In case I had forgotten the Quattro reminded me repeatedly this morning it was false hit time for values 34, 35, 36 and 37 indicating silver/copper at approximately 6 inches depth. A second sweeping of the first hit indication area disclosed no repeat signal just another "ghost" signal. The coil connection is good and there is no dirt on the coil cover or coil itself. The Quattro still continues to master me instead of me mastering it but it did do better today and at least the coil did not fall out. I guess that's considered progress compared to my recent past experiences.
Upon returning home I had to go to the local hardware store. Across the street is a gravel parking area for an evening dance lounge. I still had the Quattro and my XLT in the car. The facility was closed and I decided to check out the parking area. I was not in the mood to deal with the Quattro anymore today so I used my Spectrum XLT which is deadly on coins. The XLT just doesn't have the depth sensitivity and uses only a couple of frequencies at most. I use a double D hot coil with it and have no problems in pinpointing using it. I parked in a discrete part of the lot and when I walked to the other side of my car to begin I looked down and saw green folded money on the ground. Somebody had dropped a dollar bill and of all the places I could have parked, I parked next it. Fifteen minutes later I finished searching the lot and dug 2 shallow quarters and a dime and a few trash bottlecaps. Upon returning to my car something on the ground caught my eye. Within 5 feet of the rear of my car was another quarter lying on top of the ground. So it wasn't a total loss for the day.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top