Tracker IV differences

[Bucksport]

I have 2 Tracker IV units as most of you all know. For the first time today I tested 3 coins I have buried in my yard. I have an Indian penny at 4", a silver Rosie at 4", and a silver Washington at 6". With one of the units I nailed the 2 shallow coins, and had a click on the deeper one. The other unit did not hit any, even in all metal mode. Both units have been opened up, and the GB pot is set identical on both. I might also add that the one that hit the targets had a 4" coil mounted, and the one that did not, had the 8" coil. I switched the coils around, and hit the targets with the 8" coil on the first machine to hit them. I have not switched batteries yet to rule that out, but I will. Not a true test if that is not done yet. Needless to say, I was impressed to have my 4" coil hit targets that deep. I was always under the assumption it would only go about 3" deep. Last weekend I dug a few 3-4" beaver tabs. Hope this all makes sense. Just my bored humble observations

 

[slingshot]

I have the original Tracker and a Walmart special. The Walmart special has the 4" coil on it and I found a 100 coins one day in an already searched area. I don't know if it's the hotter beam or the coil or both. I do know that I have better luck with the 8" coil if I closely overlap it-I use the inner coil for a guide.

 

[Bucksport]

I tried both coils on the hot one. They did not make a difference. It is the machine I suspect. Need to open them both up and compare the pot, per our PM. Need to make sure they are set the same. If not, I will get me another Tracker to test against

 

[Topo]

the tracker IV is a very good machine for coin shooting

 

[slingshot]

I tried both coils on the hot one. They did not make a difference. It is the machine I suspect. Need to open them both up and compare the pot, per our PM. Need to make sure they are set the same. If not, I will get me another Tracker to test against

I think I got a hot one-I can turn it wide open and here in E. Texas pick up some iron objects a couple of feet (annoying). Hit some coins at 8" It's hard to have an extra-deep detector here unless you find a field to hunt in. I don't know if it's because of the iron ore rocks all over this area or not. I know in some areas I have to set the discrimination on the Compadre between the "r" and "o" in "iron" and it just starts to null out over these annoying rocks.

 

[Ed in SoDak]

A trimmer is there to adjust for varied parts values that are never exactly the same from one unit to the next. I would expect the trimmers to be in a different position in two machines. It helps keep performance consistent from unit to unit. If all trimmers were supposed to be set to the identical position, then the manufacturer could substitute a much cheaper fixed resistor that the owner couldn't tamper with as easily.

The trimmer might adjust something other than ground balance. If so, all bets may be off. If it's a phase adjustment or something similar, it may take a specific test setup with an oscilloscope and known test objects to get the best setting. Yes, people mess with them anyway.

If there's a magic best setting for the trimmers, the manufacturer who wants the most from his machines would understandably want to set them properly. Nothing's 100% certain and parts do change value over time and in harsh conditions, so perhaps a "tweak" may be in order after long use, but I'd tend to want to leave all trimmers where the factory set them and not at some arbitrary "one o'clock" position as working best for all of that model of detector.

Now that you've changed it, I'd try to get it back to where it was (or should be) by trial and error, keeping in mind it may not be the GB that you're fiddling with. It may have a very narrow "good" position and may not have an obvious effect in all the various modes or knob settings.

-Ed