Some definitions needed

[JoeR]

When you fellows say "analog"do you mean detectors without microchips or just those with meter displays?

 

[Joe Patrick]

JoeR

There are many detectors that classify as analog types - usually, they are much older models, but not always.

First, you can think of most of the older - pre-microcontroller - machines as being totally analog - at least anything that pre-dates the original White's Eagle (mid 1980s ??). There are far too many brands and models to name, but detectors like the early White's 6000 series, Garrett ADS series, early Tesoro's, etc. Actually, analog 'machines' include B.F.O.'s, TR's, early and even some current VLF motion detectors - because they use non-digital analog circuitry.

Then too, there are hybrid-type detectors that use a combination of both analog and digital circuitry, but have an analog ID meter. Most, but not all, digital designs have a microcontroller chip, use an LCD display and feature membrane (keypad) 'soft-touch' type switches as opposed to analog units which normally have 'real' switches and knobs.

As far as target ID goes ...analog units are considered to be the one's that have a needle-pointer type of target identification ID meter.

Joe

 

[Monte]

As Joe Patrick mentioned, this technically includes all makes and models that used a need meter, but most on here will equate it to those motion-based models with visual Target ID.

Monte

 

[Cody]

I taught digital and analog electronics at the university for about 17 years. The difference can be confusing, such as using and LCD or Meter. This is not what determines if a machine is analog or digital.

Digital electronics implies that the electronics operates on the principles of two state devices. We are all familiar with bits and bytes in computers. Data can be represented in binary form as one(1) or zero(0). We might represent the letter A with an eight bits such as 11101001. The ones and zero represent a voltage level with the 1 most often represented by a positive voltage such as 5 volts and the zero as 0 Volts. However, digital logic can use negative logics, other voltage levels for a 1 or 0 but positive 5 volt logic is common.

An example of analog is if we consider the number of teeth on a gear. If each toots represents 5 degree and we turn a knob that changes angles by 3 teeth then we have represented a change of 15 degrees.

For digital devices there are discrete voltages levels that represent a 1 and 0. Analog uses mechanical means such as turning a knob, adjusting a variable resistor and so forth.

Many digital detector use analog meters. The trend is away from analog meters to and LCD. So, we can have a digital detector that has an analog meter. These are often referred to as hybrids. The Fisher 3D is a digital detector that uses and analog meter but would not pass as an analog detector. Some detector use and LCD but the adjustments and circuits are analog. We cannot classify a detector on the type of meter or display but I would think the preponderance of electronics used.

Most of what we call analog are actually hybrids.

The first detectors used tubes and were true analog machines. The first transistor detectors were primarily analog in that they did not operate primarily based on ones and zeros which is another way of saying two state logic. They slowly progressed to hybrids using a pretty good mixture of analog and digital.

Hope this helps,

 

[Butch in Colorado]

n/t

 

[Mr.Bill]

and you are correct.

Nothing personal to anyone. Just to go over this a bit, one more time. If there