ACCESSORIES Fisher Padded Carry Bag ......$ 45.00 Rugged double stitched construction. Includes handy exterior pocket for extra batteries or small accessories. 103693000C Fisher Stereo Headphones......$ 40.00 Use with Fisher metal detectors. Lightweight and adjustable with true stereo sound, adjustable volume, 1/8 jack with 1/4 adaptor, 4’ cable. 9720950000 Fisher Pin Pointer......$ 69.00 Pinpoints the exact location of buried metal objects. Audio signal indicator and vibrator. Runs on 1 – 9-Volt Battery.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Copyright© 2011 by Fisher Research Labs, Inc. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or parts thereof, in any form. Published by Fisher Research Labs, Inc. Fisher® is a registered trademark of Fisher Research Labs, Inc. www.fisherlab.com 1465-H Henry Brennan Dr., El Paso, TX 79936 • (915) 225-0333 GOLD PROSPECTING ORGANIZATIONS www.goldprospectors.org www.fmdac.org www.igu-net.org www.agu.org 38 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Congratulations! Congratulations on your purchase of the new Gold Bug™ Pro metal detector. The newly designed Gold Bug™ Pro has been custom designed to find the smallest gold nuggets, but unlike other specialized gold prospecting detectors, it can also be used for relichunting and coin-shooting.
TERMINOLOGY The following terms are used throughout the manual, and are standard terminology among treasure hunters. ELIMINATION Reference to a metal being "eliminated" means that the detector will not emit a tone, nor light up an indicator, when a specified object passes through the searchcoil’s detection field. 5-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY The Gold Bug Pro metal detector is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for 5 years from the date of purchase to the original owner.
ASSEMBLY DEVICE SPECIFICATIONS Nut Adjusting the Arm Rest The Arm Rest may be moved forward or backward by removing the single screw and nut, and then repositioning the 2-piece Arm Rest. Users with shorter arms may find the Arm Rest more comfortable in the forward position. In order to move the Arm Rest backward, the plastic plug must be removed from the aluminum tube. armrest Screw Hand-grip Arm Rest Strap (optional accessory) The Arm Rest Strap accessory can be purchased separately.
Relic-Hunting and Coin-Shooting with the Optional 11” DD Searchcoil While the Gold Bug Pro is a high performance, specialized gold prospecting metal detector, it is also a good multi-purpose detector. With the purchase of an 11” DD searchcoil, you can bring more power to your coin-shooting and relichunting searches. The standard 5” Gold Bug Pro searchcoil is engineered for precision and is best at finding the smallest gold nuggets that most other gold prospecting detectors would miss.
BATTERIES TARGET PINPOINTING A 3-segment battery indicator at the bottom of the display indicates the battery condition. The detector requires a single 9-volt ALKALINE battery. Do not use ordinary zinc carbon batteries. Do not use “Heavy Duty” batteries. Rechargeable batteries can also be used. If you wish to use rechargeable batteries, we recommend using a Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeable battery. The battery compartment is located on the back side of the housing.
SEARCH TECHNIQUES QUICK-START DEMONSTRATION Target Verification I. Supplies Needed • a Nail • a Zinc Penny (dated after 1982) • a Nickel • a Quarter II. Position the Detector a. Place the detector on a table, with the searchcoil hanging over the edge. Or better, have a friend hold the detector, with the searchcoil off the ground. b. Keep the searchcoil away from walls, floors and metal objects. c. Remove watches, rings and jewelry. d.
QUICK-START DEMONSTRATION IX. Press-and-hold and hold the nickel over the searchcoil a. Notice that motion is not required. A motionless object induces a hum. b. Notice the variable pitch & volume hum. c. Move the nickel closer to and farther away from the searchcoil. Notice the changing “depth” values. ELECTRICAL INTERFERENCE (EMI) EMI is usually easier to control in the All-Metals mode than in the Discrimination mode.
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE (EMI) THE BASICS OF METAL DETECTING You are likely to encounter electromagnetic interference (EMI) when using your Gold Bug Pro metal detector. It is important that you recognize EMI and take appropriate measures to deal with it. This will prevent you from giving up on a worthwhile search site, or from returning a properly functioning detector for repair. A hobby metal detector is intended for locating buried metal objects.
THE BASICS OF METAL DETECTING HOT ROCKS 2. Trash A hot rock is a rock which causes the metal detector to sound off because the rock contains iron minerals. They come in two basic types. If searching for coins, you want to ignore items like aluminum foil, nails and pull-tabs. These undesirable items are generally identified toward the lower end of the 0-100 scale. You can listen to the sounds of all objects detected, and decide on what you want to dig up.
GOLD PROSPECTING OPERATION & CONTROLS Because most gold nuggets are tiny, and are usually found in soil which is high in iron oxide minerals, serious gold prospecting requires a detector with high sensitivity and true ground balanced All Metal operation. Run the machine with the sensitivity high enough to hear some noise from ground minerals, and learn the language of the sounds you hear. Headphones are recommended unless consideration for safety (for instance rattlesnakes) rules them out.
GOLD PROSPECTING CONTROL PANEL In the United States, gold is found in many places in the western states, Alaska, and in a few localities in the Appalachians. The old saying "Gold is where you find it," means that to find gold, you should look in areas where the yellow metal is known to be present. CONTROL KNOBS: 1. OFF/ON/GAIN a. Click right to turn on. Click left to turn off. b.
TARGET DISPLAY and AUDIO SIGNAL Indicator The lower-left bargraph designates SIGNAL strength only when operating in Discrimination mode. The signal strength indicator at the bottomleft of the screen indicates how large or close the buried metal target is. If all bars are illuminated, the target is large or close to the searchcoil. If one or two bars are illuminated, the target is far away or small, or both.
OPERATING IN ALL-METAL MODE GROUND BALANCING -Technical Info The All-Metal mode is more sensitive than the Discrimination mode, and is used to find all types of metal objects in the ground. The searchcoil must be in motion for objects to be detected. Fe3O4 BARGRAPH Ground Grab (GG) Naturally occurring minerals in soil look like metal to a metal detector, so you want to cancel out this mineral signal coming from the ground, and only detect the signal from metal objects in the ground.
GROUND BALANCING The goal of the Ground Balancing procedure is to eliminate the sound as the searchcoil is being pumped over the ground. In some soils, the sound is not completely eliminated. After balancing to ground with GG some users may want to further adjust the ground balance point manually. To manually adjust ground balance: 1. Operate in ALL-METAL mode. 2. Pump searchcoil up and down over the ground as in the GG procedure. 3.
OPERATING IN DISCRIMINATION MODE GROUND BALANCING Discrimination is used to eliminate trash metal objects (e.g. nails, foil, pull-tabs) from detection. The searchcoil must be in motion to detect metal. The Discrimination mode is less sensitive to small and deep objects than the All-Metal mode. Understanding ground conditions assists the user in setting up the machine, knowing when to readjust ground balance, and in understanding the responses of the machine while searching.
GROUND BALANCING OPERATING IN DISCRIMINATION MODE Using PINPOINT What is Ground Balancing? Why do I need to Ground Balance? All soils contain minerals. Signals from ground minerals are often tens or hundreds of times stronger than a buried metal object. The magnetism of iron minerals, found in nearly all soils, causes one type of interfering signal. Dissolved mineral salts, found in some soils, are electrically conductive, causing another type of interfering signal.
OPERATING IN DISCRIMINATION MODE OPERATING IN DISCRIMINATION MODE In Discrimination mode, pressing + or – will change two detection parameters: 1. Tone Identification 2. Target Elimination Notice that the segment status along the arc, and the discrimination parameters they represent, vary as you adjust the discrimination level with + or -. As the level of discrimination changes, the target segments along the arc on the screen will be displayed in one of three states: 1. Blank (no segments displayed) 2.
OPERATING IN DISCRIMINATION MODE OPERATING IN DISCRIMINATION MODE In Discrimination mode, pressing + or – will change two detection parameters: 1. Tone Identification 2. Target Elimination Notice that the segment status along the arc, and the discrimination parameters they represent, vary as you adjust the discrimination level with + or -. As the level of discrimination changes, the target segments along the arc on the screen will be displayed in one of three states: 1. Blank (no segments displayed) 2.
GROUND BALANCING OPERATING IN DISCRIMINATION MODE Using PINPOINT What is Ground Balancing? Why do I need to Ground Balance? All soils contain minerals. Signals from ground minerals are often tens or hundreds of times stronger than a buried metal object. The magnetism of iron minerals, found in nearly all soils, causes one type of interfering signal. Dissolved mineral salts, found in some soils, are electrically conductive, causing another type of interfering signal.
OPERATING IN DISCRIMINATION MODE GROUND BALANCING Discrimination is used to eliminate trash metal objects (e.g. nails, foil, pull-tabs) from detection. The searchcoil must be in motion to detect metal. The Discrimination mode is less sensitive to small and deep objects than the All-Metal mode. Understanding ground conditions assists the user in setting up the machine, knowing when to readjust ground balance, and in understanding the responses of the machine while searching.
GROUND BALANCING The goal of the Ground Balancing procedure is to eliminate the sound as the searchcoil is being pumped over the ground. In some soils, the sound is not completely eliminated. After balancing to ground with GG some users may want to further adjust the ground balance point manually. To manually adjust ground balance: 1. Operate in ALL-METAL mode. 2. Pump searchcoil up and down over the ground as in the GG procedure. 3.
OPERATING IN ALL-METAL MODE GROUND BALANCING -Technical Info The All-Metal mode is more sensitive than the Discrimination mode, and is used to find all types of metal objects in the ground. The searchcoil must be in motion for objects to be detected. Fe3O4 BARGRAPH Ground Grab (GG) Naturally occurring minerals in soil look like metal to a metal detector, so you want to cancel out this mineral signal coming from the ground, and only detect the signal from metal objects in the ground.
TARGET DISPLAY and AUDIO SIGNAL Indicator The lower-left bargraph designates SIGNAL strength only when operating in Discrimination mode. The signal strength indicator at the bottomleft of the screen indicates how large or close the buried metal target is. If all bars are illuminated, the target is large or close to the searchcoil. If one or two bars are illuminated, the target is far away or small, or both.
GOLD PROSPECTING CONTROL PANEL In the United States, gold is found in many places in the western states, Alaska, and in a few localities in the Appalachians. The old saying "Gold is where you find it," means that to find gold, you should look in areas where the yellow metal is known to be present. CONTROL KNOBS: 1. OFF/ON/GAIN a. Click right to turn on. Click left to turn off. b.
GOLD PROSPECTING OPERATION & CONTROLS Because most gold nuggets are tiny, and are usually found in soil which is high in iron oxide minerals, serious gold prospecting requires a detector with high sensitivity and true ground balanced All Metal operation. Run the machine with the sensitivity high enough to hear some noise from ground minerals, and learn the language of the sounds you hear. Headphones are recommended unless consideration for safety (for instance rattlesnakes) rules them out.
THE BASICS OF METAL DETECTING HOT ROCKS 2. Trash A hot rock is a rock which causes the metal detector to sound off because the rock contains iron minerals. They come in two basic types. If searching for coins, you want to ignore items like aluminum foil, nails and pull-tabs. These undesirable items are generally identified toward the lower end of the 0-100 scale. You can listen to the sounds of all objects detected, and decide on what you want to dig up.
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE (EMI) THE BASICS OF METAL DETECTING You are likely to encounter electromagnetic interference (EMI) when using your Gold Bug Pro metal detector. It is important that you recognize EMI and take appropriate measures to deal with it. This will prevent you from giving up on a worthwhile search site, or from returning a properly functioning detector for repair. A hobby metal detector is intended for locating buried metal objects.
QUICK-START DEMONSTRATION IX. Press-and-hold and hold the nickel over the searchcoil a. Notice that motion is not required. A motionless object induces a hum. b. Notice the variable pitch & volume hum. c. Move the nickel closer to and farther away from the searchcoil. Notice the changing “depth” values. ELECTRICAL INTERFERENCE (EMI) EMI is usually easier to control in the All-Metals mode than in the Discrimination mode.
SEARCH TECHNIQUES QUICK-START DEMONSTRATION Target Verification I. Supplies Needed • a Nail • a Zinc Penny (dated after 1982) • a Nickel • a Quarter II. Position the Detector a. Place the detector on a table, with the searchcoil hanging over the edge. Or better, have a friend hold the detector, with the searchcoil off the ground. b. Keep the searchcoil away from walls, floors and metal objects. c. Remove watches, rings and jewelry. d.
BATTERIES TARGET PINPOINTING A 3-segment battery indicator at the bottom of the display indicates the battery condition. The detector requires a single 9-volt ALKALINE battery. Do not use ordinary zinc carbon batteries. Do not use “Heavy Duty” batteries. Rechargeable batteries can also be used. If you wish to use rechargeable batteries, we recommend using a Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeable battery. The battery compartment is located on the back side of the housing.
Relic-Hunting and Coin-Shooting with the Optional 11” DD Searchcoil While the Gold Bug Pro is a high performance, specialized gold prospecting metal detector, it is also a good multi-purpose detector. With the purchase of an 11” DD searchcoil, you can bring more power to your coin-shooting and relichunting searches. The standard 5” Gold Bug Pro searchcoil is engineered for precision and is best at finding the smallest gold nuggets that most other gold prospecting detectors would miss.
ASSEMBLY DEVICE SPECIFICATIONS Nut Adjusting the Arm Rest The Arm Rest may be moved forward or backward by removing the single screw and nut, and then repositioning the 2-piece Arm Rest. Users with shorter arms may find the Arm Rest more comfortable in the forward position. In order to move the Arm Rest backward, the plastic plug must be removed from the aluminum tube. armrest Screw Hand-grip Arm Rest Strap (optional accessory) The Arm Rest Strap accessory can be purchased separately.
TERMINOLOGY The following terms are used throughout the manual, and are standard terminology among treasure hunters. ELIMINATION Reference to a metal being "eliminated" means that the detector will not emit a tone, nor light up an indicator, when a specified object passes through the searchcoil’s detection field. 5-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY The Gold Bug Pro metal detector is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for 5 years from the date of purchase to the original owner.
Congratulations! Congratulations on your purchase of the new Gold Bug™ Pro metal detector. The newly designed Gold Bug™ Pro has been custom designed to find the smallest gold nuggets, but unlike other specialized gold prospecting detectors, it can also be used for relichunting and coin-shooting.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Copyright© 2011 by Fisher Research Labs, Inc. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or parts thereof, in any form. Published by Fisher Research Labs, Inc. Fisher® is a registered trademark of Fisher Research Labs, Inc. www.fisherlab.com 1465-H Henry Brennan Dr., El Paso, TX 79936 • (915) 225-0333 GOLD PROSPECTING ORGANIZATIONS www.goldprospectors.org www.fmdac.org www.igu-net.org www.agu.org 38 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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ACCESSORIES Fisher Padded Carry Bag ......$ 45.00 Rugged double stitched construction. Includes handy exterior pocket for extra batteries or small accessories. 103693000C Fisher Stereo Headphones......$ 40.00 Use with Fisher metal detectors. Lightweight and adjustable with true stereo sound, adjustable volume, 1/8 jack with 1/4 adaptor, 4’ cable. 9720950000 Fisher Pin Pointer......$ 69.00 Pinpoints the exact location of buried metal objects. Audio signal indicator and vibrator. Runs on 1 – 9-Volt Battery.
