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New tesoro owner here..
- Thread starter MatthewS
- Start date
Cherokeefan68
New member
Welcome to the forum.. Good luck on your hunts and happy hunting...
great machine, quite powerful. Keep your sensitivity low (2-4) for a while... you'll find it goes plenty deep enough round parks and ball fields on 2 or 3. That way you shouldn't miss too many surface coins. Good luck with it. I've had mine for 4 to 5 years and still love it. It is the best machine I have ever had (including Sovereign and XT70) for distinguishing iron. Those pillars are the ones to keep your eyes on, as well as the nembers. All the best, Sapper.
Thanks guys!
Tab-nabit,
I have owned and operated an electronics repair facility for about 2 decades now. When I walk into my shop I'm basically staring at 35k passive and active parts I stock. So needless to say I wanted to make a few mods to my DeLeon. I called and spoke with Vince @ Tesoro about my ideas and how it would affect my warranty. He told me as long as the work was competant (no problem) and did not interfere with the operation, service, or directly cause any problem I might have to send it in for, they would honor my warranty (in short). It was actually a very good conversation, I don't get to talk tech with many peers in my field..
My current list of mods is:
1: The DeLeon LCD has the backlight built in but not active. To reduce screen glare I took the LCD apart and tinted it 35%. Then I made the necessary changes to activate the backlight. I also added a trimmer to allow me to dim the light as I see fit for various conditions. What this did essentially was reduced sun glare, and the backlight compensates. When the backlight compensates everything is lit up BUT the characters behind the tint which actually increases viewability. The dimmer will be very easy on the eyes in night hunts. Shifting your eyes from a bright object to darkness is never a fast adjustment on the eyes. This way I can keep it just bright enough to see in the dark. This mod is complete.
2: I will be using NiMh cells in the packs. To reduce removal and insertion cycles of the packs which will reek havok on the doors and the tabs, I am adding a charging jack to the rear for usage with a wall charger. I can just come home and plug it in. The NiMh charger is automatic so I don't have to tend to it either. This mod is complete, but I'm waiting on the batteries.
3: Built in volume control. Worked out the detailes for this so I'm not limited to HP's with built in VC's. Also good for adjusting the built in speaker for when I'm not using HP's.. I'm not deaf yet and this sucker is LOUD. I'll get around to this one sooner or later. Not completed yet.
4: Ground balance mod. The soil over here ranges from good, to clay, to mill town dirt full of pig iron.. Vince would not divulge the position of the ground balance pot and there are more than 7 pots on the main board. He told me it's zero problem to send it to them with as many dirt samples as I like to get it adjusted, but who wants the downtime? What if I move?
This is where I was hoping a Cortes owner would take a good picture for me. As I understand it the Cortes has a manual adjustment for AM mode. Something is better than nothing! And I'm not TID spoiled so I don't mind doing some all metal detecting. I didn't want to spend another $200.00 to get this feature, and I completely understand Vince's position on the matter, he was plenty helpful enough. But he didn't say I couldn't do it, he just said he wouldn't help
So I was just hoping someone would get me a clear pic of the back of the Cortes GB pot showing the colors of the wires and their arrangement, and then where they connect to the main PCB. And of course the value stamped on the pot housing. Thats it's really Only the front cover needs to come off for this. Four screws and a camera in macro mode and I could love you long time
I want to say though to anyone who might be ambitious of modding their Tesoros.. as a 20 year technician I cannot stand it myself when I encounter user mods that are poorley executed or get in the way of service even if they don't affect the operation. That in mind be careful what you do and if in doubt, consult Vince.
Raining over here today.. I hope to take it out this weekend. HH folks!
- Matt
Tab-nabit,
I have owned and operated an electronics repair facility for about 2 decades now. When I walk into my shop I'm basically staring at 35k passive and active parts I stock. So needless to say I wanted to make a few mods to my DeLeon. I called and spoke with Vince @ Tesoro about my ideas and how it would affect my warranty. He told me as long as the work was competant (no problem) and did not interfere with the operation, service, or directly cause any problem I might have to send it in for, they would honor my warranty (in short). It was actually a very good conversation, I don't get to talk tech with many peers in my field..
My current list of mods is:
1: The DeLeon LCD has the backlight built in but not active. To reduce screen glare I took the LCD apart and tinted it 35%. Then I made the necessary changes to activate the backlight. I also added a trimmer to allow me to dim the light as I see fit for various conditions. What this did essentially was reduced sun glare, and the backlight compensates. When the backlight compensates everything is lit up BUT the characters behind the tint which actually increases viewability. The dimmer will be very easy on the eyes in night hunts. Shifting your eyes from a bright object to darkness is never a fast adjustment on the eyes. This way I can keep it just bright enough to see in the dark. This mod is complete.
2: I will be using NiMh cells in the packs. To reduce removal and insertion cycles of the packs which will reek havok on the doors and the tabs, I am adding a charging jack to the rear for usage with a wall charger. I can just come home and plug it in. The NiMh charger is automatic so I don't have to tend to it either. This mod is complete, but I'm waiting on the batteries.
3: Built in volume control. Worked out the detailes for this so I'm not limited to HP's with built in VC's. Also good for adjusting the built in speaker for when I'm not using HP's.. I'm not deaf yet and this sucker is LOUD. I'll get around to this one sooner or later. Not completed yet.
4: Ground balance mod. The soil over here ranges from good, to clay, to mill town dirt full of pig iron.. Vince would not divulge the position of the ground balance pot and there are more than 7 pots on the main board. He told me it's zero problem to send it to them with as many dirt samples as I like to get it adjusted, but who wants the downtime? What if I move?
This is where I was hoping a Cortes owner would take a good picture for me. As I understand it the Cortes has a manual adjustment for AM mode. Something is better than nothing! And I'm not TID spoiled so I don't mind doing some all metal detecting. I didn't want to spend another $200.00 to get this feature, and I completely understand Vince's position on the matter, he was plenty helpful enough. But he didn't say I couldn't do it, he just said he wouldn't help So I was just hoping someone would get me a clear pic of the back of the Cortes GB pot showing the colors of the wires and their arrangement, and then where they connect to the main PCB. And of course the value stamped on the pot housing. Thats it's really
Only the front cover needs to come off for this. Four screws and a camera in macro mode and I could love you long time I want to say though to anyone who might be ambitious of modding their Tesoros.. as a 20 year technician I cannot stand it myself when I encounter user mods that are poorley executed or get in the way of service even if they don't affect the operation. That in mind be careful what you do and if in doubt, consult Vince.
Raining over here today.. I hope to take it out this weekend. HH folks!
- Matt
Welcome to the forum, Matt.
Good luck with the DeLeon mods, sounds like you're making a much improved unit out of a detector that was pretty darn good in the first place.
I'm kind of surprised that you were told the mods would not affect the warranty. Every post I've ever read on the subject before has always said that any mods will void a Tesoro warranty.
But if Vince Gifford says your mods won't affect the warranty then I'm sure you're good. Tesoro is a great company with the best warranty in the business and the Giffords are first class people.
Happy hunting and keep us posted.
Good luck with the DeLeon mods, sounds like you're making a much improved unit out of a detector that was pretty darn good in the first place.
I'm kind of surprised that you were told the mods would not affect the warranty. Every post I've ever read on the subject before has always said that any mods will void a Tesoro warranty.
But if Vince Gifford says your mods won't affect the warranty then I'm sure you're good. Tesoro is a great company with the best warranty in the business and the Giffords are first class people.
Happy hunting and keep us posted.
Marcomo,
Thanks! In my business we have lines we draw in regards to how liberal we are with rejecting warranty claims. I basically called, stated my background, and asked where that line was drawn in regards to my Tesoro. I'm sure that my background had some effect on his comfort with talking to me. Although he was firm about not discussing certain things with me (which I respect) and he was open about others. It's really up to the discretion of Tesoro in the end and I just called for some insight. For example, if the microprocessor dies on my machine, they are not going to refuse to replace it because I activated the light on my display. Functionally they are unrelated so it will never logically cause such a thing to happen. However if I add an overdrive to the gain op-amps and a part in the modified chain fails because of it, I better not expect them to replace it for free. My main concern and reason for the call was because of all the parts used, the microprocessor (which also contains the program code) cannot be second hand sourced. So if Tesoro were to turn their back on me, and the Processor died, I would have a paperweight.
I want to be very clear that tampering with your Tesoro can void the warranty. You are not mistaken in what you heard and I was not given a free pass to tamper. The warranty is a blanket statement for a reason and that is to allow manufacturer discretion. I simply called to discuss my particular intentions and gain what discretion might be taken against my particular case. And I'm just reiteratig all this so people don't think that because I had this experience that 'Vince says it's ok now' . I called to discuss and set boundries on my actions so I could maintain service of the unit in the event of an unrelated failure. And while my modifications seem ambitious, they are really just to tailor the unit to my personal tastes and don't actually involve the core of the design. I agree that they make a fine product and that Vince was a classy guy. I just don't want people to read this and feel comfortable risking their warranties. So it's not so much directed at you, but anyone who reads this.
I also didn't realize I had Vince Gifford on the phone. I realized this afterwards. I think it says a lot about a company when you can get an owner on the phone without even asking. It's still raining
- Matt
Thanks! In my business we have lines we draw in regards to how liberal we are with rejecting warranty claims. I basically called, stated my background, and asked where that line was drawn in regards to my Tesoro. I'm sure that my background had some effect on his comfort with talking to me. Although he was firm about not discussing certain things with me (which I respect) and he was open about others. It's really up to the discretion of Tesoro in the end and I just called for some insight. For example, if the microprocessor dies on my machine, they are not going to refuse to replace it because I activated the light on my display. Functionally they are unrelated so it will never logically cause such a thing to happen. However if I add an overdrive to the gain op-amps and a part in the modified chain fails because of it, I better not expect them to replace it for free. My main concern and reason for the call was because of all the parts used, the microprocessor (which also contains the program code) cannot be second hand sourced. So if Tesoro were to turn their back on me, and the Processor died, I would have a paperweight.
I want to be very clear that tampering with your Tesoro can void the warranty. You are not mistaken in what you heard and I was not given a free pass to tamper. The warranty is a blanket statement for a reason and that is to allow manufacturer discretion. I simply called to discuss my particular intentions and gain what discretion might be taken against my particular case. And I'm just reiteratig all this so people don't think that because I had this experience that 'Vince says it's ok now'
. I called to discuss and set boundries on my actions so I could maintain service of the unit in the event of an unrelated failure. And while my modifications seem ambitious, they are really just to tailor the unit to my personal tastes and don't actually involve the core of the design. I agree that they make a fine product and that Vince was a classy guy. I just don't want people to read this and feel comfortable risking their warranties. So it's not so much directed at you, but anyone who reads this.I also didn't realize I had Vince Gifford on the phone. I realized this afterwards. I think it says a lot about a company when you can get an owner on the phone without even asking. It's still raining
- Matt
((quote))"I called and spoke with Vince @ Tesoro about my ideas and how it would affect my warranty. He told me as long as the work was competant (no problem) and did not interfere with the operation, service, or directly cause any problem I might have to send it in for, they would honor my warranty (in short). It was actually a very good conversation, I don't get to talk tech with many peers in my field.."
---Now that is interesting to say the least---
((quote))"So I was just hoping someone would get me a clear pic of the back of the Cortes GB pot showing the colors of the wires and their arrangement, and then where they connect to the main PCB. And of course the value stamped on the pot housing. That's it's really Only the front cover needs to come off for this. Four screws and a camera in macro mode and I could love you long time "
---At the moment, my son & girlfriend took 2 of my cameras out to get pics of deer - and it's raining good now:veryangry: - so for what I have to work with for now---
[attachment 125323 Faceplate.JPG] [attachment 125324 Open.JPG]
[attachment 125325 GBPot.JPG] [attachment 125326 B.W.GBWires.JPG]
I guess your looking to get the pot number? Ohm rating? Wire? (black & white)
Camera I used not good for macro, and lighting was fluorescent, and having the shakes from drinking so much coffee - can't detect because of the rain so I been keeping the coffee pot in operational status.
Anyway - looks like a 50k pot
---Now that is interesting to say the least---
((quote))"So I was just hoping someone would get me a clear pic of the back of the Cortes GB pot showing the colors of the wires and their arrangement, and then where they connect to the main PCB. And of course the value stamped on the pot housing. That's it's really
Only the front cover needs to come off for this. Four screws and a camera in macro mode and I could love you long time "---At the moment, my son & girlfriend took 2 of my cameras out to get pics of deer - and it's raining good now:veryangry: - so for what I have to work with for now---
[attachment 125323 Faceplate.JPG] [attachment 125324 Open.JPG]
[attachment 125325 GBPot.JPG] [attachment 125326 B.W.GBWires.JPG]
I guess your looking to get the pot number? Ohm rating? Wire? (black & white)
Camera I used not good for macro, and lighting was fluorescent, and having the shakes from drinking so much coffee - can't detect because of the rain so I been keeping the coffee pot in operational status.
Anyway - looks like a 50k pot
Awesome.. I noticed that the tolerances are really tight in these things. Didn't want you to end up in a bind. They have the main board top wedged behind the molded screw bores and the bottom just wedges in snug agaist some foam. Assuming you have it seated just right they left just enough through hole parts off the main board in just the right places that if you stick the faceplate back on in a directly forward manner it will all fit back together without any of the panel components hitting the surface of the main board. It's tight in there!
Funny you should mention tube finals.. I'm too much of a spring chicken to remember the earliest detectors, so I don't know if they used them or not. But you could design a simple PI detector using a single ended amplifier design revolving around a tube final and get more than enough power out of it. Would look kinda neat having a tube socket on the top of the box with a small tube sticking out of it Would probably only be about 25% efficient though so terms like 'battery life' would be a thing of the past. But there are small application tubes out there that will run off of low voltage and produce enough yield to keep up with the op-amps they are using today.. You could use two for other detector types, but for simplicity sake, a PI would be a neat weekend project and would only really need one.
Who dares me to build one?
Thanks again for the help!
- Matt
Funny you should mention tube finals.. I'm too much of a spring chicken to remember the earliest detectors, so I don't know if they used them or not. But you could design a simple PI detector using a single ended amplifier design revolving around a tube final and get more than enough power out of it. Would look kinda neat having a tube socket on the top of the box with a small tube sticking out of it
Would probably only be about 25% efficient though so terms like 'battery life' would be a thing of the past. But there are small application tubes out there that will run off of low voltage and produce enough yield to keep up with the op-amps they are using today.. You could use two for other detector types, but for simplicity sake, a PI would be a neat weekend project and would only really need one.Who dares me to build one?
Thanks again for the help!
- Matt
Cherokeefan68
New member
I dare you.. I use a vintage tesoro that still kicks butt.