Arado 120B, The "Iron Killer"

[vlad]

According to their website this detector hit the market in April of 1978. Its a VLF Analytical at 4.5 kHz that had a 2D, 8" loop that classified targets as ferrous
or non ferros by meter. ( non motion I.B.) The meter had two colors and the left half was red, for iron, and the right half was green for conductive, and after analysis it
would go into an auto pinpoint mode. The target center would be under a black dot near the front of the loop. It had four controls: on the right front was the off/on/ gain,
and on the opposite side is a momentary on for battery check [ 2, 9 volt batteries.] On the rear the other two controls, threshold, and meter center. The two worked
together in small adjustments to get the tone set to your comfort of loudness, then just center the meter. I've read accounts of people complaining of drift
and constant readjustment of the two rear controls-no retune button-but I have never experienced that except around 60 cycle interference and running a lot of gain,
and that was being almost under major high tension lines.
With no outside pot for ground balance, I just set the loop on the ground, adjust the detector, and, lifting the loop experience no change in the threshold.
The 120B won't break any records in depth on coin sized conductive targets, but its sensitivity to iron is phenomenal, and it pegs the meter fast! Here's the
rule of thumb, if the needle moves right into the green, or doesn't move at all (conductive at the extreme limit ) dig. Something else you learn from use;
if the meter goes left into the red slowly, there is a very good chance of a conductive target being close to iron. All targets give audio, and linear iron
will also cause a blip-blip. If it goes left into the red, leave it, with the exception of one atypical reading.
How good is its ability to recognize iron? Very small from being hard to see, you need to sift throught the dirt. Bottlecaps and rusty washers, not a problem.
A bunch of nails, the same. Try a ratlroad spike or horseshoe, rub them on the coil-iron. How about a garbage can lid, iron; set it on the lid, iron; put it
IN the garbage can, iron. So many really high dollar detectors seeing iron as conductive seems like a good reason to keep it for iron infested sites.
We have a lot of old parking lots packed hard with sea shells that used to be places to eat and have the bottkecaps ( Cajuns drink beer not pop and lots of it)
and working with a partner to i.d. conductive trash really pays off.
It was followed up by the 130B which was a little hotter, but for dome reason did not have as much meter sensitivity as the 120B. If you should come across one
on ebay you might give it some serious thought. If it don't work, Keith Wills at East Texas Metal Detectors in Gilmer, will get it working.

http://compass-metal-detector-forum.548136.n2.nabble.com/file/n7582921/Arado_Detector1.jpg

 

[Old California]

Thanks vlad for sharing information on this rare model, I have never seen one up close in fact think only once seen one on ebay and forgot all about it loosing the only a chance to place a bid.

Have seen the 120B model in older magazines but can't remember seeing the 130B, Will surely continue to keep an eye out for them these are a rare find.

Paul (Ca)

 

[vlad]

n/t

 

[SWMO Mark]

If I remember right the 120 operated at 4.5 kHz and the 130 around 8khz. You might want to check out the Saxon X-1. I believe it operates like the Arados. They claim it has 50% more depth than the Arados. Don't know if this is because of better circuitry, or because the detector comes with a 12" coil. Mark

 

[John(H)]

...Working with older detectors have been told that some models had to have the sensitivity reduced or scaled back since it was overloading or pegging out the Meter.....so I am just assuming that the 130B was made more sensitive but this was causing problems with the meter so Arado had to scale back some of this enhanceness so the detector would not overload......just my thoughts....Joe

 

[Mega]

The Arado 120b was the machine to be seen with over here in the UK,it has become a cult detector and very rare to find a decent one,i still own 2 immaculate working models that i wont ever part with and they can still give a few of the more modern machine a run for the money.They are superb on pasture sites and suprisngly deep for a machine with a smallish coil.

The meter can drift a little but its not a major problem but they are a big bulky machine and very agricultral to look at but its what it does that makes this a great machine,the best way to describe the machine is like having a car battery size control box strapped to a bit a gas pipe with a small frisbee on the end

I do take the old Arado out every so often and usually come back with a big grin on my face as they are great fun to use.

The Arado 130 was also a good machine but not as cult staus as the 120 version,the Arado detectors are still made the latest version is the Arado 320 but will admit they may sell a hand full a year if that,some one mention the Saxon detector which is built on the Arado them,that is a very deep VLF machine but requires a skilled operator to get the maximum out of the machine but they dont sell many of those either due to the massive price.

 

[garys relics]

The Arado 120B was used as a relic hunting machine here in the East coast(US) back in the early 1980s. A dealer that lived near me was the only one that sold them in U.S. Earthbound Enterprizes.I did not buy one because they were not cheap, almost $600 and I was happy with my Whites. I went out out several times with people who had them and they tore me up finding bullets and buttons. I wonder how they would compare to todays machines,but they did finds lots of stuff years ago.









Back in the 1980s this was used as relic hunting machine here in the U.S. A friend of mine was the only dealer in the country for them,Earthbound Enterprizes. I never bought one (high priced at the time) but hunted with guys that bought them. There are ads in North South Trader magazine for the unit back them. It was popular with lead and brass items and everytime I hunted with them they found more. I would like to try one today just to see how it compares to todays detectors. That picture brought back memories,thanks.

 

[Doctorcoinz]

I had one of these a few years back , horrible to swing as the control box rocks about due to no arm cuff to hold it firm. Heavy detector too. I never thought it was any thing special but I know it was good in it's day. Depth was nothing to write home about and it needs retuning constantly.

 

[UK Brian]

I had a 120 (3 khz) and 120B and still have a 130. Lots of problems with drift plus the limitation of only having a 8" DD coil. The 130 was introduced partly for more depth and to be able to work under power lines. It did have the extra depth but the powerline problem was not totally solved.

I can't say that the meter was any less sensitive with the 130 but the problem of the meter discrimination not having enough depth to keep up with the all metal channel was even worse and encouraged people to move to other detectors.

I found the Fieldmaster FX77 Mk 3 much better and it had better audio for noisy sites. There was better iron I.D. in the all metal mode provided by a slight off set in the coil The Nautilus DMC ran rings round all these models and had the advantage of doing away with the meter, a greater range of controls and a full range of coils, both in size and tin being able to handle differing degrees of mineralisation.

Claimed performance was that it was one of the few detectors able to reach 12 inches in depth and locate hammered silver coins. The deeper machines always seemed to be the least stable ones.

Weight/poor ergonomics were easily solved by having a "Royal" conversion from J.R. Products.

I never forgot seeing a 120B demonstrated and it being said that you couldn't miss that the target just located was shallow foil. He dug and it was a lovely 22ct gold ring.

 

[filternozzle]

If I remember right the 120 operated at 4.5 kHz and the 130 around 8khz. You might want to check out the Saxon X-1. I believe it operates like the Arados. They claim it has 50% more depth than the Arados. Don't know if this is because of better circuitry, or because the detector comes with a 12" coil. Mark

Your are on the right track, its 50% deeper because the Saxon X-1 coil is 50% larger than the Arado 120B coil.

 

[UK Brian]

The 120 was 3 kHz, 120b 4.5 kHz, 130 5.5 kHz. Was there ever a 130B ? Never saw one.

The 240 (Falklands Special), an analytical mine detector came in at 12 kHz.

The "modern" Arado 320 reverted back to the 4.5 kHz of the 120b and the variable frequency accoustics VFA 90 which combined 4.5 and 9.0 kHz. Drawback with VFA design was that to change discrimination to suit different detecting tasks you needed to change coils.

 

[Melbeta]

Well, those units sure sound technical to me. Me? I like using a far simpler and older TR unit myself. What I want to find is old beautiful relics. I do not turn down pretty old coins or pretty old jewelry either, I like ones that are not only beautiful, but a bit historic. Or at least look historical though. What kind? Well, I do have one photo of a historic older beautiful find, Found with an older Compass Electronics TR unit. It is not only pretty relics, is a bit historic you see. Where? This came from the Cripple Creek Mining District. Lost? I think lost a heck of a long time ago. Probably the familys kids, took things outside to play with, took this old medallion outside, to play in the dirt around the old shack house. The town burned down in 1904, so this old historic medallion, was lost a very very long time ago... but it had to have been lost before 1904, as that is when their house burned to the ground. Historic? Yes, and very very rare too... I think the kids buried it while playing in the dirt! Well, the fire did not hurt it at least... What did I use? The older Compass Yukon Judge II unit. Deep? Fairly deep, but I scan very slow and methodically when I detect! A pity someone punched a hole in it, to wear with a necklace chain. Or perhaps on a wrist. But I found it "by itself" lonely and crying for me to dig it up! Deep? I do not remember right now. I was young then, and I am very very old now!!! RARE??? Well, has anyone in this forum ever seen one before? No??? That is very rare. It was rare when it was lost you see, lost before 1904..........
Melbeta