My Arsenal of 3D Triple Discrimination Detectors

[Bleaver]

These are the 3 Tesoro’s I currently own that have the 3D Triple Discrim Mod. My son has the Vaquero (Gray) from a couple years ago.

Cutlass II uMax: In addition to the 3D mod I shortened the Cutlass II uMax to fit my 6 year old Grandson. I shortened the lower rod by 2 inches, and moved the armrest up 2 inches. He just uses the stock discrimination and hunts in tot lots.

Silver Sabre uMax: The Silver Sabre uMax is the first detector I modified probably 4 years ago. Last year I upgraded the system by adding the Narrow/Wide (N = reject zink or W = accept zinc).

Vaquero (Black): This has the 3D Modification and has an Enhanced Zinc Accept or Reject Mode giving it similar discrimination functions as a Golden uMax but with the power of the Vaquero.


All 3 have a Enhanced Zinc Accept / Reject Mode making it a real alternative to a Golden uMax.
I really like this system. As a coin and small gold ring hunter it is excellent. Once the toggle is activated it only takes one or two swings to classify the target. It is really fast.

I usually, set the Narrow/Wide toggle to wide to start. If I'm dissatisfied with the ratio of zincs I go to narrow to get rid of them. The Toggle on the face plate gets used on every target.

The stock discrimination pot (knob) continues to work exactly as on any every other Tesoro. The faceplate toggle adds two set discrimination points. When the stock discrimination knob is set to foil that give 3 preset levels of discrimination, thus the term 3D or Triple Discrimination. The detector effectively avoids pulltabs and still responding to targets in the nickels range and in the coin range.

So it’s the operators choice to operate, 1 in the stock configuration or, 2 utilize a 3 level Discrimination.

 

[Neil]

I see you have an X5 also.
I wish they could use some of the tesoro coils....tesoro makes a great coil.

 

[Bleaver]

I do like my X-5. I have the 5 inch coil in addition to the standard 8". It was the discrimination system of the Troy X-5 that got me started on the 3D triple discrimination system. I had found several gold rings with the X-5 so I was interested in trying to emulate it on my Tesoro's and after a while I managed to do just that. Works great too.
Some time after making the 3D system work I used a Golden uMax for a while. I though I should be able to choose to reject zinc or to accept them. That is when I started working on the Enhanced Zinc Accept / Reject Mode that now resides under the control housing. To be honest I was perfectly happy with the straight triple discrimination system. I just set the zinc trim pot to just reject zinc penny. Then if a strong signal came in I knew it was not zinc, but a broken signal usually announced it was zinc.

 

[Frank in NH]

Barry did a great job on my X2 making it a 3D, works nicely. Thanks Barry!

 

[Bleaver]

Thank you Frank - Glad you like it.

 

[BarryL]

yep the X2 I bought from him with the mod will never leave me it is awesome . He does great work

 

[Bleaver]

Thanks Barry - other than myself, you are the longest user of one of this modification. A appreciate that you frequently say nice things about it.

 

[Stoof-tabsallday]

My interest is peaked with this mod.
Good job!!

 

[marcomo]

Impressive mod, Barry. Looks like it would make determining a target easier, faster and more definitive.

 

[Bleaver]

Thank you for your comment.

As you know, no discrimination system will eliminate all trash and find only goodies.

But, for me the 3D Triple Discrimination system is better than any other I have used. As a coin and small gold ring hunter it is excellent.

First I set the Knob to just discriminate out the round foil drink tops, If you look closely at the photos you can just make out on two of the machines the small wedge of duct tape marking that setting. That takes care of the foil setting.
Then, the toggle identifies nickle and coin range targets which consequently eliminates the pull tab range targets. I imagine how many of those I'm not wasting my time on. If it beeps and passed the 3D classification I dig and have an extremely good ratio of good to bad targets.

The beauty of this system is it is really quick taking only one or two swings to classify the target.
I have used detectors with id numbers and found them to be mainly guessing games. I know you've experienced or seen the inordinate amount of time spent deciding if a target reading is steady enough or is the correct one to consider it a good target, and then the majority of the time still being wrong.

And if the situation does not call for, or you do not want the use the 3D system your detector still operates with the discrimination knob 100% as the stock detector does.

 

[Stoof-tabsallday]

How did you even do these modss? I modded my cibola with GB and all metal toggle instead of the pinpoint button and I thought that was sweet.
These are on a whole other level lol

 

[Electricfrontporch]

That definitely looks very intriguing !
Any chance on a schematic you could post?

Noah

 

[BarryL]

Thanks Barry - other than myself, you are the longest user of one of this modification. A appreciate that you frequently say nice things about it.

well all I can say is the Truth my Friend

 

[Bleaver]

I have never understood why no one else has performed this modification. To me it seems is a lot easier than the GB mod you did or adding a sensitivity control to the Compadre.
You never touch the circuit board, no removing of anything on the board. I used to remove all the controls from the face of the detector but found out it is better only to remove the controls that will be worked on. That's the discrim pot.

OK here is the sum total of the changes to the detector for a 3D Mod:
1. Remove the white wire from the discrimination pot.
2. Adding a wire to the discrimination pot. This comes from the Mom-on-Mom switch.
3. Adding a red and black wire to the discrimination pot. These come from the preset Nickle and Zinc trim pots.

4. That is all, and I don't even add the wires in 2 and 3 above on a permanent basis until I know if the Nickle and Zinc trim pots can be adjusted. I connect them with test (alligator) leads, and then test and adjust them. If that should not work then I resolder the white wire from item 1 above and the detector is back to original.
5. If I was able to get the trim pots preadjusted; then I wire the Mom-on-Mom toggle switch, connect the trim pots together, and connect everything by test leads. If this works then I mount the items on the detector face plate and then AND ONLY THEN solder the wires in items 2 and 3 above to the discrimination pot. And again if the mod didn't work (and the only one that has not worked for me is the Current Silver uMax) then I resolder the white wire from item 1 above and the detector is back to original.

6. If you working on a Cibola or Vaquero the best place to position the Mom-on-Mom toggle switch where the frequency switch is located. A just cut the wires to the freq switch, solder together the middle white wire to set of wires on either end of the switch then heat shrink. Thats either the (white, yellow, red) or (white, black, green). The 2 not selected yellow/red or black/green will be abandoned in the case heat shrinked.

7. And if your wondering what happened to the white wire removed from the discrimination pot back in item 1; it ends up connected to the Mom-on-Mom toggle switch. If the switch is not toggled up or down the discrimination circuit runs directly from the board thru the discrimination pot, just as the manufacture designed it. If however you toggle the Mom-on-Mom toggle switch up or down then the circuit is rerouted through the preset Nickle and Zinc trim pots (which ever is selected). When the toggle is released it pops back to the stock discrimination pot.

As far as what gets mounted on the detectors face, that's the Mom-on-Mom toggle switch, and the two trim pots, that's all. All the wiring that you see in the various pictures on the mod forum are running from the switch and the trim pots.

 

[Bleaver]

Noah,

I've attached a schematic for you.

Here are a few posts of mods you may be interested in looking at. Just click on the colored words to get to them.

COMPADRE

SILVER SABRE uMAX

VAQUERO

The discrimination level for the zinc trim pot can be set to accept or to reject zinc pennies. For the Field test of Cibola 3D Triple Discrimination the fellow wanted it set to accept the zincs. This field test is good. But if the system is used as intended then the signals in the pulltab range would be skipped. If while you watch THIS TEST compare the good signals in the nickel and coin range to those that fall in pulltab range; think you will be impressed with the ratio of good to trash targets. Again if used as intended those trash targets would have been skipped.

 

[Electricfrontporch]

That is awesome! Thanks so much!
I'll have to try that out this summer when it's too hot here in Florida.
Will be a perfect A/C project.
Is the cibola in the video the high tone version?

Thanks again.
Noah

 

[Bleaver]

Is the cibola in the video the high tone version?
Sorry I just don't remember.

 

[Electricfrontporch]

Just ordered some switches and trimmer pots.
Leaving for two weeks of work tomorrow.
Will be all set to give this 3D a shot when I get home.
Just have to decide if it's the Compadre or Mojave.
I will update when it's done.
Thanks again for the info Bleaver!

Noah

 

[Bleaver]

Noah,

The Compadre is easy to do and has lots of room. The Mojave should not be any more difficult once you decide what to do about that Ground Balance switch. It is currently in the prime position for the 3D Toggle. Send me an email before you start I have one bit of advice to make the mod go better.