Metal Detector Information

Transcription

Metal Detector Information
The name that means Treasure
TESORO ELECTRONICS, INC. • 715 White Spar Road • Prescott, Arizona 86303
WELCOME to the 22nd edition of the Tesoro Electronics’
Metal Detector Information (MDI) magazine.
The MDI has been a thirty-year journey to share stories, provide field tests, and guide customers to the metal detectors that
satisfy their hunting needs. This MDI has a slightly different format. While we still have many guidelines and a few stories, we
are reprinting field tests for all the available Tesoro products. These are field tests from previous MDI’s or other sources, so you
will see “reprint of” by most of the bylines. We hope that these field tests will help with your selection of Tesoro products,
whether you are looking for your first machine or your latest upgrade.
Since it’s inception, Tesoro Electronics has been committed to providing lightweight, easy-to-use, high-value detectors
through an independent and local dealer network. Tesoro backs these detectors with a LIFETIME warranty. We continue to
build these quality detectors in the USA, at our plant in Prescott, Arizona.
While the field tests are reprinted, all of our stories are current. We want to thank the people that shared their experiences
with us and with the MDI readers. If you have an interesting experience you would like to share, please contact us at
info@tesoro.com.
Please enjoy the rest of the 22nd edition of the MDI
Vince Gifford
Tesoro Electronics, Inc.
ALL TESORO METAL DETECTORS FEATURE
10 kHz or higher Operating Frequency Heavy-Gauge Construction
Audio Battery Test Interchangeable Searchcoils (except for Compadre)
Lightweight Design Adjustable Pole Length Lifetime Warranty
MICROMAX MODELS ALSO FEATURE
Single 9-Volt Drop-in Battery 3-Piece Knockdown Pole
MAXBoost Sensitivity Low Noise Circuitry Ultra-lightweight design
WARRANTY
ALL TESORO metal detectors are covered by a limited LIFETIME WARRANTY. This warranty covers parts
and labor, excluding transportation charges, for as long as the detector is owned by the original retail purchaser.
TESORO ELECTRONICS, INC. reserves the right to modify or improve their designs without further notice.
TESORO ELECTRONICS, INC.
METAL DETECTOR INFORMATION
Do You Have A Question?—by James Gifford ................................4
Pieces of History—by Mike Harvey .................................................11
Lobo SuperTRAQ Field Test—by Chris Gholson ..........................12
Lil’ piece of El Dorado—by Sherry Spalding ................................15
METAL
DETECTOR
INFORMATION (MDI)
Edition 22
Cover Photo: Thanks to Les
and Carol Berg of Jobe
Wholesale of California
Compadre Field Test—by Gordon S. Gibson.................................16
Silver Umax Field Test—by Ron Barnes.........................................18
Cibola Field Test—by Ron Barnes ..................................................20
Vaquero Field Test—by Ben Meyers ...............................................22
Tesoro Metal Detectors .....................................................................26
Lord of the Rings—by Ken Dewerson ............................................36
Special Thanks To:
All contributing writers and
our customers who gave us
permission to print their testimonials.
Published by:
715 White Spar Road
Prescott, AZ 86303
(928) 771-2646
Sand Shark Field Test—by Ben Meyers..........................................37
Tiger Shark Field Test—by Andy Sabisch ......................................40
DeLeon Field Test—by Ron Barnes ................................................42
Golden Umax Field Test—by Joe Patrick .......................................44
Cortes Field Test—by Michael O. Smith .........................................46
Hawkeye —by Ben Marshall.............................................................49
Recommended Recovery Methods-by Robert H. Sickler .............50
© March 2010
All rights reserved.
May not be reproduced in
whole or in part without
express written permission
from Tesoro.
Tesoro Metal Detector Comparison Chart ......................................51
Can You Choose the Right Detector?—by Casey Stern...............52
Tesoro Does It Again—by Robert Terry .........................................54
Tejon Field Test—by Andy Sabish...................................................55
Treasure Hunter’s Glossary-Adapted from W&E Treasures ........58
Metal Detectorist’s Code of Ethics ..................................................60
Tesoro U.S. & International Distributors.........................................61
Tesoro Authorized Dealers...............................................................62
M D I · M E T A L D E T E C T O R I N F O R M AT I O N · 2 2 n d E D I T I O N
James Gifford Answers Some Common Questions About Detectors
Do You Have A Question?
What is the best metal detector?
This is probably the #1 question that I
get asked. Unfortunately, there is no one
single answer. Each metal detectorist has
specific needs that cannot be answered by
one single detector. The easiest way to
find the “best” detector is to evaluate your
detecting style, your experience level, and
the time that you will spend hunting. After
taking all of these things into consideration, then you will be able to find a detector that fits your needs and your budget.
How deep do detectors go?
The answer to this question comes in
two parts. The first part has to do with the
detector circuitry and coil design.
Environmental factors make up the second part of the answer.
Coil and circuitry design determine
the overall ability of a detector to find targets. During the design phase of any
detector, the engineers decide which features to include. The things that they consider are the type of hunting and who will
be using it. A beginner’s model may not
have the bells and whistles of the more
professional models, but it will be easier
to use. The more specific a detector’s
design, the narrower set of features it will
have. Some detectors designed for the
ultimate depth will be hard for a beginner
to use or may be too sensitive to use in
trashy areas. Coil size will affect the depth
of the detector but may not be suited for a
particular type of hunting.
Environmental factors include just
about everything except the detector and
coil. Just a few of the things to take into
consideration are the following: size and
shape of the target, soil conditions, orien4
tation of the target in the ground, content
of the target, and any outside interference,
such as electrical wires and radio or cell
phone traffic. Weather conditions, such as
rain-soaked ground or even an incoming
thunderstorm, may also play a part in the
depth and sensitivity of any detector.
With all that being said, an average
detector using a stock coil in moderate
ground should see the following targets
with these ranges:
Dime to nickel:
Quarter to half dollar:
Dollar to fruit jar lid:
4 to 8 inches
6 to 12 inches
8 to 16 inches
Knowing your detector and using it
properly are the two most important things
that you can do to get the best depth and
sensitivity out of any machine.
How do you set up and use a
metal detector?
Whenever you are using a detector,
comfort should be your primary goal. A
detector that is easy and comfortable to
use allows you to be in the field longer and
to find more targets.
The shaft of the detector should be
adjusted so that the searchcoil is just off
the ground when your arm is in a natural
and relaxed position. Your hand should be
lightly on the grip and your elbow straight
but not locked. This initial setup allows
you to swing the detector with an easy
shoulder movement. The coil should move
in an approximate three foot arc in front of
you. This is called the sweep. While
sweeping your coil, try to avoid swinging
from the elbow.
How do I know where to dig?
Once your detector beeps, you have to
pinpoint your target. Pinpointing your target is a skill that is very important to practice and learn. The faster that you can
locate your target, the more time you can
spend searching for treasure. The technique for pinpointing varies depending on
the type of coil that you are using. But the
basics are the same.
“Xing” the target with your coil is the
most common type of pinpointing. To “X”
a target, run your coil over the target and
make a mental note of where the audio signal is the loudest. Start with your normal
right to left sweep to find the loudest audio
signal. You should shorten your normal
sweep down to about two to four inches.
Once you have a good idea of where the
target is, run the coil 90 degrees over the
target to tighten up the pinpointing. You
can do this one of two ways. First, you can
physically step to the left or right of the
target so that the coil goes over the object
using a normal sweep but turned 90
degrees. Second, instead of stepping to the
side and sweeping the coil left to right, you
can push and pull the coil forward and
backward over the target. Try using both
methods to find the one that works best for
you.
Pinpointing with a concentric coil:
Most coin and relic machines use a concentric coil. These types of coils pinpoint
in the physical center of the coil housing.
Most concentric coils will have a hole in
the center of the coil so it is easier to make
the mental note of the location of the target.
Pinpointing with a widescan or double-D coil: The widescan coil is slightly
different from the concentric coil. By
design, there is no center spot on the coil
but a center strip of pinpointing area. The
best pinpointing method is to use the very
front of the coil or toe or the very rear portion or heel of the coil. Once you have gotten the signal, back the coil away from the
target and use the toe of the coil to find the
best signal. Pinpoint in the usual manner
after that. To use the heel of the coil, push
the coil past the target and use the end of
the coil closest to you for the pinpointing.
Regardless of the type of coil or the
pinpointing method that you feel most
comfortable with, practice will make you a
better pinpointer and save you time and
effort in the field.
What is Super Tune?
Super Tuning is a technique to get
better depth and sensitivity out of any
machine that has an adjustable Threshold
control.
The Threshold control is normally
used to set the level of hum in the All
Metal mode. A light steady hum is usually
desired so that any small or deep target
will cause a change in the audio sound. To
Super Tune a detector, put it in the
Discriminate mode and turn the Threshold
knob all the way to the clockwise position.
At this point, the All Metal mode will no
longer operate correctly, but you will see
an increase in depth and sensitivity while
hunting in the Discriminate mode.
What is High Output Technology?
Most metal detectors work by sending
out a signal, receiving it back, amplifying
the return signal, and deciding whether or
not to beep. One way of making the detector more sensitive is to increase the amplification of the return signal. This works
well up to a point but can cause a machine
to overload the circuits and become chirpy.
Another way is to increase the initial signal going out, but once again, too much
power and the signal will become unstable.
High Output Technology combines
the increased transmitted signal and the
high gain amplification of the return signal
to get the best depth and sensitivity out of
our lightweight, compact detectors.
When a detector becomes chirpy, the
most common reason is the noise to signal
ratio. Signal refers to the information
being passed through the circuitry and
noise is any type of other interference. As
the signal is amplified, the noise gets
amplified as well. At Tesoro, we use high
tolerance components and design them
into the circuit to create a lower noise to
signal ratio.
Can one detector really do it all?
Most detectors are designed to excel
at one type of hunting or another but can
be used for other types of hunting as well.
For example, most gold prospecting
machines use some form of higher gain in
the circuitry to get better sensitivity to
small gold nuggets in the ground. While
this is a good thing for prospectors, coin
hunters may find it annoying that their
detectors are picking up every bit of a
pulltab that has been run over with a lawnmower.
The art of metal detector design is the
art of compromise. By accenting certain
characteristics of any detector, you take
away from other features. Any detector
that does it all may not work as well for
certain very specific treasure hunting. Talk
to as many people as is possible and be
realistic about your hunting needs.
Finding a detector with the features that
will best suit your hunting style is the most
important choice you can make when
deciding on a new detector.
Are detectors with a lot of knobs
better than those with just a few?
How much better is a $1000 detector than a $200 detector and in
what ways?
The answers to these questions are
connected, so I will try to answer them
together. Generally speaking, the higher
the price of a detector, the more features
that it will have. More features translate
into more knobs. The more features and/or
knobs that a detector has, the more you are
able to tune the detector to the type of
hunting conditions that you are likely to
encounter.
With that being said, the downside to
a large number of features is that even
though you are able to fine tune the detector to match the local conditions, there are
also more ways of setting up the detector
incorrectly. Setting up a machine “wrong”
may result in a decrease in depth and sensitivity and your $1000 machine may be
outdone by a $200 one.
Will metered detectors find coins
deeper than non-metered?
The use of a meter on a detector is no
longer any indication of its depth capabilities. When metered machines were the
top-of-the-line machines, engineers
matched the detectors with the best possible circuitry. With the advent of more cost
effective digital signal processing and
LCD displays, there are a number of units
available that are inexpensive and have
meters. While these detectors have acceptable depth, there are plenty of other
machines that have better.
The main thing to remember is that a
metered machine will give an accurate
audio signal on a target much deeper than
an accurate meter reading. Air tests are a
good indication of the ability of any display-type detector, but once the target is in
the ground, there are several variables that
may come into play affecting the reading.
The most common is the fact that pulltabs
and gold rings fall into the same area
based on the mixing of alloys. The orientation in the ground can also cause some
confusion for the detector. If you choose
to get a metered machine, dig any target
5
that gives a good audio signal regardless
of the meter reading. You may dig up
more trash, but in the long run, you will
find more desirable targets.
What is Target ID and how does it
work?
Target ID is a feature that will give the
metal detectorist more information about
the target while it is still in the ground. It
cannot tell you exactly what the target is
due to the many variables present in an
unknown target. A short list of these variables are as follows: the metal content of
the target, the size and shape of the target,
the target’s orientation in the ground, the
mineralization matrix of the ground itself,
depth of the target, detector settings, and
outside interference such as weather conditions, cell phone traffic, and electrical
lines. All of these things can cause
changes in the meter readings.
A basic detector works by transmitting a signal and receiving it back. This
creates a field of electromagnetic flux
lines around the coil. As metal passes
through the field, it breaks or distorts the
flux lines. A simple discrimination circuit
measures the amount of distortion or shift
and beeps or doesn’t beep based on the
settings of the machine. During the design
phase of any metered-style machine, the
engineer measures the amount of shift that
the most common targets cause and programs a microprocessor to respond with a
meter reading for those types of shifts. The
testing can include simple air tests, field
tests in a controlled environment, such as
a test garden, or even complex reports
from several different field testers. But at
some point, someone decides that a type of
target shift represents a specific meter
reading. While this information can give a
detectorist a basis to dig or reject a target,
it is in no way perfect.
Why are there so many types of
searchcoils?
There are two main types of search6
coils currently on the market—the concentric and the widescan. The concentric
coil uses two round antennas, one inside
the other. This coil is used on most detectors that are designed for coin, jewelry,
and relic hunting. Concentric coils discriminate very well and pinpoint very easily due to the fact that the strongest signal
is always in the center of the coil.
Widescan coils use two D-shaped
antennas that are placed back to back.
Because of this configuration, they are
also called “double-d” coils. The widescan
coil is less affected by mineralization than
the concentric, so it is generally used for
gold prospecting or relic hunting in bad
ground. Pinpointing is done with the heel
or toe of the coil. After determining the
type of coil that is best for your type of
hunting, the next thing to consider is the
size.
There are many different sizes of coils
available and each one may fine tune your
hunting but only if you get the correct
size. Larger coils go deeper than smaller
coils but only on larger targets. When
using a large coil, you may lose sensitivity to small targets. A large coil is also
more susceptible to masking. Masking
happens in the Discriminate mode when a
good target and junk target are both under
the coil at the same time. If the targets are
close enough together, the bad target will
be discriminated out, and at the same time,
the detector will not be able to pick up the
good target. Masking is very common in
junky playgrounds and in-and-around old
house sites.
Smaller coils will concentrate the signal and make the detector more sensitive
to the little targets. Unfortunately, smaller
coils tend to lose depth when compared to
their larger cousins. Being that these coils
don’t have as wide a search pattern, they
are also less likely to mask targets in
trashy hunting situations.
Knowing where you are going to hunt
and what you are hunting for will go a
long way in helping you choose the right
coil for your needs. A larger coil is needed
when hunting in a clean area or when
hunting for relics that may tend to be deeper. A small coil will help find the smaller
targets such as gold nuggets or fine jewelry or can be used when coin & jewelry
hunting extremely trashy sites.
What is the difference between a
wading coil and a regular coil?
When hunting in water, most coils
tend to float. As customers want lighter
and lighter coils, most manufacturers will
fill coils with some type of foam or other
lightweight hollow material. This naturally creates air pockets inside the coils and
tends to make them float.
A wading coil is filled with one or
more materials that have neutral buoyancy
when placed in water. This keeps the coils
from either floating or sinking and makes
water hunting easier for the detectorist.
Are aftermarket “Hot” coils that
are advertised any good and why
don’t the manufacturers make
them?
If you look closely at the advertisements of most so-called hot coils, you will
find that they are slightly larger than the
stock coils that they are replacing. As
noted above, a larger coil may go deeper,
but it has other drawbacks that may make
it unsuitable for your particular style of
hunting. Most manufacturers already
make coils that are larger than the stock
coils. These coils are specifically designed
by the company engineer to match the circuitry of the particular unit that you are
using. Why would you want to buy a coil
that is not designed or built by the manufacturer?
How much discrimination should I
use?
In the late sixties and early seventies,
as metal detectors became more popular,
most of them on the market were all metal
machines and could not discriminate any
junk targets. As detectors became more
sophisticated, the ability for discrimination got better and better. Now coin
hunters can knock out the junk targets and
keep the good ones in, or so they thought.
Metal detectors judge targets based on
their conductivity. Iron and silver targets
are easy to separate because they are on
opposite ends of the conductivity scales.
However, the real struggle comes in the
area of nickels, pulltabs, and gold rings.
All of these targets are in the same area on
the conductivity scale and can change due
to the size, shape, and alloy of the target.
For most coin and relic hunting situations, I recommend a setting just high
enough to knock out the iron and foil. This
allows you to get all of the other valuable
targets without fear of having them discriminated out.
Is there a way that I can get more
target information from a nonmetered machine?
There is an easy way to find out more
information about any target while it is
still in the ground. When you get a target,
shorten your sweep to about two to four
inches over the target. As you move the
coil over the target, slowly turn up the
Discriminate knob. Check to see where
the target goes away. Most detectors now
have icons on the discriminate control representing the targets knocked out. This
gives you the ability to make better decisions about digging any given target.
The best way to start practicing this
method is to do several air tests and see
how your detector responds. When you
have a good feel for what your detector is
telling you, try it in the field. For the first
couple of months, check the target with
your Discriminate and see if you can identify the target. Dig every target and verify
how correct you are. After a while, you
will become very good at identifying targets while they are still in the ground. You
will dig less junk and be a more successful
treasure hunter.
If you choose to use this method,
always remember to turn your DiscrimTESORO ELECTRONICS, INC.
inate knob back to the low setting before
continuing to hunt.
How do I set my Sensitivity control
to get maximum depth?
The Sensitivity control on most detectors is used to set the trigger point of any
signal. The higher the Sensitivity setting,
the smaller amount of signal a target needs
to produce to have the detector give an
audio signal. A very small or very deep target will not produce the amount of signal
that a large or shallow target will. By
increasing the sensitivity, the machine will
give an audio signal to the smaller and
deeper targets, but the detector may
become too sensitive and start picking up
ground effect or outside interference such
as electrical lines or radio frequency noise.
The easiest way to set your Sensitivity
is to turn it up until the machine starts to
chatter. When the machine chatters, turn
the Sensitivity control back until the chatter just goes away. This will give you the
maximum sensitivity without any excess
noise. If you can turn your Sensitivity control wide open without chatter, leave it
there. Your machine will be operating at its
maximum power capabilities.
What is Notch Filter Discriminate
and how does it work?
Notch discriminate differs quite a bit
from regular discrimination. When using
standard discrimination, the higher the
knob is turned up, the more items that are
discriminated out. As discussed before,
when pulltabs are totally discriminated
out, so are gold jewelry, rings, and nickels.
Notch filter discriminate is designed to
knock out some pulltabs and to keep the
good targets in. It is virtually impossible to
knock out all pulltabs and keep all gold
jewelry. The reason is due to the conductivity of the targets in this range.
A notch discriminate works by filtering or discriminating a band of target signals out without affecting targets higher or
lower than the band. This can be done
either with an analog or digital circuit.
When using a notch filter, check the
setup by doing numerous air tests before
taking it out to the field. It is to your
advantage to make sure you are aware of
how your detector reacts to both good and
junk targets. If your Notch can be adjusted, tune it to knock out the most common
types of pulltabs in your area while keeping in the targets you wish to find. The initial setup can be a bit time consuming, but
once it is done, you will be able to find less
junk targets and keep the good finds.
What is ground balancing?
Ground balance is a form of discrimination that cancels out the effect of mineralization. Ground balancing is the physical
act of finding the balance point where the
effects of the ground are neither too positive nor too negative. When a detector is
set with a positive ground balance, it will
react to the mineralization matrix just like
a target. When this happens, you will get
an audio signal and targets in the ground
will be masked by the mineralization. If a
detector has been set up with a negative
ground balance, the detector is discriminating out the ground and will go silent. A
severe loss of depth and sensitivity are the
results.
Finding the balance point between
these two extremes is very important for
the best operation of any machine. Most
factory preset detectors are set just slightly
positive. This will allow the user to work
different types of soil conditions. A slight
positive setting will also keep the detector
from reading small ripples in the dirt and
the hole you are digging to retrieve a target.
What is the difference between
Preset, Manual, and Automatic
Ground Balance?
All VLF-style metal detectors have
some form of ground balance or mineral
7
rejection. This keeps the detector working
as close to its peak as possible and not be
affected by mineral masking. When reading literature on all of the detectors, it can
be confusing as to what the detector is
actually doing.
Factory preset is the most common
type of ground balance. It is used on most
machines that are called “turn-on-and-go.”
The ground balance is set internally by a
technician at the factory. It will work fine
for most coin, jewelry, and relic hunting
needs almost anywhere in the world.
Factory preset does not require the user to
do anything to set the ground balance.
Manual ground balance is used on
detectors designed to work in highly mineralized conditions. The ground balance is
set by the user and is tuned to the local
ground conditions. In bad ground, a manual ground balance can give you better
depth and sensitivity than a factory preset.
Unfortunately, if the ground balance is set
incorrectly, a loss of depth and sensitivity
will result. When working with a manual
ground balance, constant attention is a
must. If the ground conditions change, the
detector must be retuned to the ground
matrix to ensure the best operation of the
machine. Manual ground balancing is a
learned skill and must be practiced for best
results.
While manual and preset ground balance are pretty clear, automatic ground
balance causes some confusion. In the earlier days of metal detecting, any machine
that was not a manual ground balance was
referred to as an automatic ground balance. The term was used because the
detectorist did not have to tune the
machine; it was “automatic.” In the late
80s, several detectors were introduced that
had microprocessor controlled ground balance. That is to say that the detector sensed
the ground condition and reacted to
change by adjusting an internal electronic
potentiometer. True automatic ground balancing had arrived. Some manufacturers
and dealers still use the automatic title for
factory preset machines. If you have a
question about whether or not any detector
8
is truly an automatic ground balance or
not, check the machine with a mineral
sample. If the machine actively tunes to
the sample, it is an automatic.
What is the best type of ground
balance?
This is another question that involves
an honest evaluation of your detecting
needs. Most detectorists who hunt a few
hours here and there for fun or those who
are novices would probably benefit from a
preset type of machine. There are fewer
knobs to worry about and the setup time is
very short. This means more time swinging the coil and more chances of finding
targets.
The more advanced detectorist or one
who is hunting in very mineralized soil
(gold prospecting or relic hunting) should
get some form of adjustable ground balance. Manual ground balance is good for
the avid hunter who wants to be able to
tune the detector to his exact specifications. Depending on ground conditions
and personal hunting habits, a slightly positive or negative ground balance can help
the detectorist find targets. An automatic
ground balance will always tune to its programmed parameters and can’t be fine
tuned to the user’s specifications.
Matching your detecting style and
hunting habits to the type of ground balance of the detector will result in better
finds.
How do I set up a manually
adjusted ground balance detector?
Most manually adjusted machines are
easy to set up, once you have practiced the
skill necessary. Start with the machine in
the All Metal mode with the Threshold
hum set low and steady. Lift the coil
straight off the ground and allow the
threshold to retune. Do not swing the coil
in an arc off the ground. Moving the coil in
an arc causes the machine to read the
ground in an uneven manner and will
complicate the ground balance procedure.
Once the threshold has retuned, push the
coil down to about one inch above the
ground. One of three things will happen.
The threshold noise will get louder; it will
get quieter; it will stay the same. When the
threshold sound stays the same, the detector is telling you that it is no longer being
affected by the mineralization in the
ground and you are ready to hunt. If the
sound gets louder, you will need to turn the
ground balance knob counterclockwise. If
the sound gets quieter, turn the ground balance knob clockwise. Repeat the above
steps until you find the spot where the
detector no longer reacts to the ground and
the threshold hum stays the same on the
way down.
If you have a manually adjusted
machine, it is very important to make sure
that you are very comfortable setting the
ground balance. You can practice this in
your backyard or anywhere you can find a
small area with no metal targets in the
ground. Spinning the knob one way and
setting the balance, then spinning it the
other and resetting the balance is a good
way to practice this skill. If you practice
this just five minutes a day, you will get
very good at ground balancing.
Can iron be rejected and gold
nuggets still be found?
Generally speaking, the best way to
hunt for gold nuggets is to hunt in the All
Metal mode. Nuggets, depending on their
size, shape, purity, and orientation in the
ground, will all create different signals. If
you hunt in the Discriminate mode, some
nuggets may be lost. The best way to get
rid of iron is to search in the All Metal
mode and then check the targets in the
Discriminate mode. This allows you to
search and find all of the possible gold
nuggets. Checking the targets with the
Discriminate mode turned up just high
enough to knock out the small iron will
give you much more information before
you decide to dig. Practice this by doing
air tests to see the best setting for your particular detector.
My detector still finds large iron
targets, even with the Discriminate
set high. Is this normal?
Most detectors can be fooled by some
iron targets. There are two different ways
that the machine can be fooled.
Circular iron can fool a detector
because of its shape. Any iron, such as a
ring or washer or even bent nails, are hard
for the machine to identify accurately. As
the iron starts under the coil, it gives the
same type of signal as a coin. When the
target is directly under the coil, it reads as
iron, then reads as a coin as the coil sweeps
over it. In most cases, the detector may
give a signal, but it will be a broken or
chirpy signal. With a little practice, the
broken signals will start to stand out from
good repeatable signals.
Large rusty iron can also give off signals no matter where the discrimination is
set. When iron or any ferrous target is in
the ground long enough, it starts to rust
and break down. This causes a large halo
of super mineralized dirt around the target.
The halo is different enough from the surrounding ground matrix that the detector
picks up a signal. The strength of the signal is so large that it momentarily overdrives the detector and it beeps. Signals of
this nature usually seem bigger than the
size of the coil.
The best thing to do when getting
either a broken signal or a very large signal is to dig the target. Most of the time, it
will probably be junk, but every now and
then, you will be happily surprised by a
very unique target.
Why do some pennies read differently than others?
The big difference is in the makeup of
the actual penny itself. Older pennies, ones
made before 1982, including the wheatback-style, are almost pure copper and will
read up in the range of dimes and some
other silver coins. The newer pennies are
made mostly of zinc and tend to read in the
screwcap range.
Is a crystal-controlled detector better
than one that is not crystal-controlled?
Most manufacturers use crystal resonators in their machines because of the
tight tolerances of the resonator. If the part
is listed as 15.7 kHz, all parts will be
exactly that frequency. The downside of
these super tight tolerances is that the
detectors are more likely to crosstalk with
each other. In other words, the transmit
and receive signals from two or more different machines will start interfering with
each other.
Tesoro detectors use an LC or tank circuit to generate operating frequency. A
capacitor and an inductor are paired
together and create a naturally occurring
efficient frequency. Variation in the capacitor and inductor cause slight variations in
the operating frequency, which reduces the
likelihood of crosstalk with other Tesoro
machines. The variation is small enough
that it does not affect the performance of
the detector.
Are multi-frequency detectors better than single frequency types?
The tank circuit described above generates a sinusoidal or SINE wave form.
The SINE wave is efficient to generate and
has no harmonics.
Two frequency machines may combine a pair of SINE waves but are more
likely to use a square wave. Multi-frequency machines almost always use a square
wave or modified square wave. Square
waves are rich in harmonics and take more
battery power to generate. Harmonics generated by a square wave can be counted as
individual frequencies and can be used to
give more information as to target type and
depth.
What is the best frequency for my
type of hunting?
Contrary to popular belief, there is no
one best frequency for any specific metal
or metals. Any VLF-style detector that is
operating between 3 and 30 kHz will do a
fine job for any type of hunting that is
done. This frequency range gives good
depth, target separation, and is not overly
affected by ground mineralization.
The ability to pick up good targets and
separate trash from goodies is more due to
the design of the detector, type of coils
used, and several other engineering points
that are brought up during the R&D phase.
Comparing feature points of the detector
model to the type of hunting you are planning to use it for will help you more than
just comparing frequencies.
What is “crosstalk” and how can I
avoid it?
Crosstalk is the interference that is
caused by two detectors operating on the
same frequency being in close proximity
to each other. Depending on the gain and
signal strength of the detectors, crosstalk
can happen anywhere from 3 to 15 feet of
the two detectors.
Crosstalk is most annoying when at a
seeded treasure hunt. When you have a
field with 50 to 100 or more hunters in it,
you are bound to get at least one detector
that is close enough to your frequency to
cause crosstalk. Most manufacturers offer
some sort of frequency shifter for coin
hunt situations.
Frequency shifters change the transmit and receive signals just slightly enough
to keep another detector from interfering
with yours.
How much does the moisture in the
ground have to do with detection
depth?
Moisture in the ground by itself has
very little affect on the operation of a metal
detector. Fresh water, such as rain or irrigation, is not much more conductive than
the dirt it soaks into. Most metallic items in
moist soil will start to corrode. As these
items start to break down, they create a
9
halo of super mineralized soil around the
target. The halo effect makes the target
appear bigger to the metal detector. Iron
and other ferrous targets will corrode faster
than other targets. Gold does not corrode,
and silver, copper, and brass corrode
more slowly than iron. So, while the halo
effect will work on some targets, it will
not work on all.
Saltwater is a little different than
freshwater. Due to its nature, saltwater is
more conductive than fresh. This may
give a little extra punch down into the
ground but will also cause most machines
to chirp and chatter quite a bit more. It is
especially bad at the surfline on a wet saltwater beach. You can effectively tune out
most saltwater effects when the saltwater
is consistent (when the coil is covered by
a foot or so of water, for example). Along
the surfline, the waves are still washing up
on the shore and the sand is drying out.
This causes pockets of sand that may be
higher or lower in conductivity than the
surrounding area and can play havoc on
your detector. It is best to hunt in the
Discrimination mode with the Discrimination knob turned up high enough to
knock out iron and foil. This will cancel
out a good portion of the saltwater effects.
You may also have to turn down your sensitivity to stabilize the detector.
What are the best headphones to
use?
Every detectorist has a slightly different style and likes a different type of
headphone. For each style of hunter and
hunting, there are several headphones.
The most obvious difference is the
earpiece. A lot of detectorists like the fullcup style. These phones fit completely
over your ear and block out most of the
background noise. They work well for
when you are trying to hear the faintest of
signals. The downside is that if it blocks
out the surroundings, you may not hear
snakes or other predators around you.
On the other end of the scale are
walkman or earbud-style headphones.
10
They will concentrate the signal in your
ear but will allow you to hear the surroundings around you as well. Earbuds
are also much cooler to wear during the
hot summer months.
Along with the types of cups are the
ohm ratings and frequency ratings to consider. Headphones that are designed for
listening to digital music have very high
ohm and frequency ratings. They will
allow you to hear greater nuances in the
detector signals but are very expensive.
Lower-priced headphones may not have
the range of their higher-priced brothers,
but considering that you are only listening for a beep, they work very well. If
you are out in the field and accidentally
break your phones, the inexpensive ones
are much easier on the pocketbook.
There are a number of headphones
that have active electronics inside them
as well. Most of these types of phones
have some form of compression/limiter
circuit in them. They work by amplifying
weak signals and limiting the strong
ones. They will work well for chasing
some of those elusive small, deep targets
but may make shallow and deep target
signals sound the same.
With all of the headphone choices
out there, try as many as you can, think
about the type of hunting that you do, and
where you will be doing it. When you
consider all of these factors, you will find
the headphones that work best for you
and your detecting style.
How much will using headphones
increase the battery life?
Headphones take much less current
to drive than the speaker in the detector.
This fact by itself would tend to show
that you will increase your battery life by
using headphones. But you have to
remember that even though the detector
is not making any noises, the electronic
circuits are still running. A detector that
generates a square wave or has a display
will be using more power than a detector
that is using a sinusoidal wave and has no
display. The increase in battery life will
depend on your detector and hunting
style.
Are rechargeable batteries better
than alkalines?
There are two aspects of rechargeable batteries to consider. The first is cost.
Rechargeables are quite a bit more expensive than regular batteries, but the cost is
offset so that you will not have to buy
them as often.
The second consideration for
rechargeable batteries is the voltage.
Most rechargeables have slightly lower
voltage than their counterparts. Alkaline
batteries have a voltage of 1.5 volts per
AA cell. Most rechargeable batteries have
a voltage of around 1.2 volts per AA cell.
If your detector uses 8 AAs, you will have
12 volts with the alkalines and roughly
9.6 volts with the rechargeables. This
should not affect your depth and sensitivity, it but will affect the time that you are
able to hunt.
Are there any good places left to
hunt?
Most places that come easily to mind
have probably been hunted to death. If
you thought of that site, chances are
someone else has thought about it as well.
Doing research is the best way to find
new places to hunt. Every city has some
form of museum or historical society.
This is a great place to start.
Joining a local treasure-hunting club
can help as well. Check with your local
dealer to see if there is a club near you.
You may also want to contact a national
club such as the “Federation of Metal
Detector and Archaeological Clubs,”
“American Metal Detecting Association,”
or the “Gold Prospectors Association of
America.” A national organization will
have several local groups that will allow
you to contact hunters that share the same
interests as you do.
MDI
Pieces of History
By Mike Harvey
Beep beep. Another signal com- and projectiles flash through my mind
ing through the headphones. As I rest like a kaleidoscope. We begin the day
the Tesoro Cibola against a tree and get by hunting through a stand of small
my shovel ready, I wonder what can be pines in hopes of running across a
waiting for me in the hole I am about to campsite. We find some shrapnel but do
dig. I cut a plug and in the first shovel- not locate the elusive camp.
ful, I see a three-ring bullet shining
We load back up and drive to
white against the
dark Virginia soil.
My mind wonders.
Who touched it last?
What was this doing
on the side of a hill?
When was this piece
lost and why did I get
Cibola Longview
the signal and not
someone else? One
other question is also
on my mind, "Are there more of these in the fort site in hopes of digging a
this area?" I walk a few more steps and Confederate button. As I work my way
get an odd reading that stirs my curiosi- over to a small hill that produced many
ty. I repeat the above process, but this buttons in the past, my mind begins to
time in my shovelful, I get a square visualize what this place may have
head nail. I recheck the hole and get a looked like back in the 1800s. Beep,
clear signal that surprises me due to the beep. I am brought back to the herefact that the original signal was so bro- and-now by a new signal. I dig down
ken. I dig deeper into the hole and pop about seven inches and check the dirt I
out an 1814 2 Reale at seven inches. have just taken out of the hole. No sigWhat a find! My mind again starts to nal. I check the hole and the target is
wonder-who, what, when and why? still there. I dig down another seven
More bullets, square head nails, and inches, check the dirt, and find I have a
miscellaneous brass items make their piece of cannonball. I think to myself
way into my pouch this day but tomor- how cool it is to be out here and finding
row is another day and the best is yet to history.
come.
I reach the hill and stand for a
Waking up early the next morn- minute trying to decide where to start
ing, we (David
my hunt. I begin
Keith,
Terry
working on the
Burnett,
Dean
opposite side of
Gaylor, and I) load
where most of
up in the SUV and
the buttons have
head off to the Civil
been found. I see
War site we had
a log on the
hunted yesterday.
ground that has
Visions of more
not been moved
bullets,
buttons,
in a long time
due to its decomposed state. I decide to
use my shovel to roll sections of the log
out of my way so that I can search under
it. After moving a section of the log
about four feet long, I run my coil over
the ground and get a faint broken signal.
I dig down and at about eleven inches, I
pull out a 1797 8 Reale with Chinese
chop marks all over it, front and back.
Who, what, when and why? My mind is
racing trying to comprehend the piece
of history I am holding.
A couple of guys come up and
ask to see the coin. Others ask if they
can take a picture. Me….I'm just sitting
on the ground enjoying the feeling of
digging such a nice piece of history.
After all the handshakes and
pictures, everyone starts hunting my
side of the hill in earnest. I recheck the
hole and find the reason for the broken
signal-two square head nails. I end up
moving the rest of the log but find no
other targets.
What a weekend. I end up digging 38 bullets, 1 button, 2 pieces of
shrapnel, horseshoes, square head nails,
spikes, camp lead, an 1814 2 Reale, and
the 1797 8 Reale. I also make new
friends.
During all the above hunting I
used the Tesoro Cibola. What a great
detector. Thank you Tesoro for making
such a good machine.
MDI
Do your have a wonderful find with
your metal detector? Do your have a
story about you and your detector you
would like to share? Let us know what
it is and we may put in our next edition
of the MDI
11
FIELD TEST
by Chris Golson
Reprinted with thanks from Lost Treasure
October, 2009 issue
Located in the heart of some of
America’s finest gold country, Tesoro
Electronics of Prescott, Arizona, has been
manufacturing quality metal detectors for
nearly 30 years. Founded in the family
garage in 1980 by Jack and Myrna
Gifford, the family owned company set
out to supply a good product at an affordable price while backing it with an unbelievable warranty. The idea worked and,
since then, the company has prospered,
becoming one of the most respected manufacturers in the industry.
The reputation of their products
and excellent support has continued to
win over customers, and now Tesoro has
dealers in virtually every U.S. state and
several countries throughout the world.
Ownership of the company has
passed to their sons, James and Vince, but
the original business philosophy set in
place has not.
In August of 2009, I had the
pleasure of testing Tesoro’s finest gold
machine, the Lobo Super TRAQ.
Since the Lobo is equipped with
discrimination circuitry, it can double as a
coin and relic hunter, but its primary purpose is sniffing out nuggets.
The Lobo weighs in at approximately 3.5 pounds and operates at 17.5
kHz.
It is supplied with a 10” elliptical
widescan coil and features a built-in
external speaker as well as a ¼” headphone jack.
The Lobo is powered by eight
AA batteries, which typically offer 20-30
hours of run time.
As far as controls go, there are
very few, making the Lobo an incredibly
easy detector to use. All the knobs and
switches are located on the front panel
and readily accessible for quick adjust12
ment in the field.
The first of the five controls is
the THRESHOLD, which is used to turn
on the detector and set the constant audio
level or “hum” heard while detecting.
The second is the Ground
Selection Switch, which offers three possible settings: ALKALI, NORMAL, and
BLK SAND. This switch alters the way in
which the Lobo performs in different
types of ground and will be discussed further.
The third is the Mode Selection
Switch. This 3-postion switch allows the
user to toggle between PINPOINT (no
motion needed), ALL METAL and DISC
(or discrimination). The normal setting
for this control
while prospecting is the All
Metal position.
The Pinpoint
mode is helpful
for determining
the location of
a potential targets, while the
Disc mode can
be used to
eliminate certain types of
metallic trash
targets.
T h e
fourth is the SENSITIVITY knob, which
is used to either increase or decrease the
detector’s level of sensitivity. Like the
Ground Selection Switch, this control is
also important because it affects the size
of targets that will be found, overall depth
penetration, and how the Lobo performs
in highly mineralized soil. This control
will also be discussed further.
The fifth and final control is the
DISC LEVEL. This knob adjusts
the discrimination level, enabling
the detector to accept or reject different types of metal targets.
A low setting will allow most all
metallic objects to produce an audible
response, while higher settings will
“blank” out typical trash items such as
rusty nails, tin foil, bottle caps, etc.
FIELD TEST
The area I selected for my field
test was first discovered in 1863 by a
group of prospectors led by Captain Joe
Walker. This famous gold deposit located
in the northern Bradshaw Mountains is
commonly referred to as the Lynx Placers
and is, coincidentally, only a short drive
away from the Tesoro Factory.
Official records indicate production somewhere around 80,000-ounces,
but since many
prospectors did
not report their
finds in the
early days, I
would put the
figure considerably higher.
Many
small
nuggets have
been
found
there, including
larger
pieces weighing as much as
four ounces.
Unfortunately, the use of motorized
equipment is now prohibited anywhere on
Lynx Creek, however, metal detectors and
gold pans are still an acceptable form of
prospecting.
Detecting along the creek bed
itself would seem a logical choice, but,
after a century of heavy placer mining, it
has become loaded along its entire length
with bits and pieces of man-made trash.
Items such as bullets, scrap iron, nails,
bits of wire and pull-tabs are very common. Some of these targets have worked
themselves deeply into the gravels and
retrieving them can be quite a chore, and
a disappointment.
Rather than fighting my way
through an endless supply of
junk, I decided to
hunt the surrounding hillsides
and smaller tributaries that fed the
main
creek.
These areas had
produced gold for
me in the past and, while I had never
found anything large outside of Lynx
itself, I knew I wouldn’t be bending over
to dig a piece of trash every few swings.
The soil on the hillside contained an above average amount of mineralization, and I was skeptical as to how
the Lobo would deal with it. After following the start-procedure outlined in the
instruction manual, I found myself rather
pleased.
For being a VLF machine, the
Lobo handled the iron-rich ground surprisingly well. One of the toughest challenges new detectorists face is the act of
ground balancing. Fortunately, the
SuperTRAQ System found inside the
Lobo automatically performs this troublesome procedure.
This self-adjusting ground balance technology is, in my opinion, one of
the biggest selling points of this detector.
SuperTRAQ senses changes in mineral
content and automatically updates the
ground balance. This saves time and frustration, but, more importantly, helps
maintain a smooth and steady threshold –
something all seasoned nugget hunters
know is crucial for success.
I started off with the Ground
Selection Switch in the Normal position,
Mode Selection in All Metal, Sensitivity
at 10, and Disc level at minimum. I tried
this for a while, but found it was necessary to reduce the Sensitivity to 7; I was
getting too much feedback from the
ground and picking up lots of hot rocks.
Generally speaking, the more
Sensitivity the better. In quiet ground, a
high Sensitivity setting will greatly
improve signal response on both small
and deeply buried nuggets. On the other
hand, in bad ground, a high Sensitivity
setting will cause the detector to become
noisy, unstable, and overall performance
will suffer. This is not a good scenario, as
valuable targets will be masked by the
background noise. The key is finding a
good compromise.
I recommend that a person
always start out high and, if the ground
will allow it keep it there. If the ground is
severe, it will actually be beneficial to
run it lower.
If reducing the Sensitivity
doesn’t alleviate the problem. Try
switching into Alkali. According to
Tesoro, this mode is similar to Normal
except that the SuperTRAQ circuitry is
allowed to operate over a much wider
range of mineral conditions. In the area I
visited, I felt the Lobo handled the soil
better in Alkali and allowed a higher
Sensitivity setting. Another bonus was its
ability to greatly
reduce
the
response I was
getting from the
hot rocks. After
a few repeated
sweeps of the
coil, many of
them virtually
disappeared. If
the areas you
prospect are littered with hot
rocks, the Alkali
setting will certainly be worth
a try. The BLK SAND (Black Sand) setting actually handles extreme ground and
hot rocks even better than Alkali or
Normal. It keeps the Lobo Running
smoothly in highly conductive environ-
ments by reducing the detector’s overall
sensitivity. A handy option to have, but
one that should be used sparingly, as it
greatly diminishes the signal response on
all targets. If the nuggets in your area are
small or deeply buried, you will probably
miss them in Black Sand, so always try
Normal or Alkali first.
Here are a few other observations
I felt worth sharing, While out detecting,
I did notice that when I lifted the coil a
few feet above the ground, or hit a very
large metal target, the ground balance
would occasionally drift. Stopping and
pumping the coil repeatedly over the
ground easily fixed this problem.
Typically after five “pumps” the ground
balance returned to normal.
Also, the Lobo is a motion detector. Unless the Mode Selection Switch is
set to Pinpoint, a target will disappear if
the coil is held stationary over it. For best
performance, use a side-to-side sweeping
motion rather than a front-to-back.
Regarding the Disc mode, I did find that
it would eliminate a bulk of the ferrous
trash which plagues the goldfields. Being
able to reject iron is nice, but this ability
comes at a price.
From my experimentation, I
noticed that small nuggets would generally not respond at all if Disc levels were
higher than 2. Larger nuggets would
respond, but the signal generated was
broken and, if a person were sweeping
t o o
fast,
they
could easily be missed.
Also, if a piece of trash was lying
in close proximity to a nugget, the trash
usually overpowered the gold and the
detector would blank both signals. If you
13
plan on chasing coins and relics, the Disc
mode definitely has its place. However, if
gold is your primary focus, I strongly
suggest putting the Mode Selection
Switch in All Metal and leaving it there.
My field test produced an assortment of items, including numerous lead
bullets, and old buckle, several jacket buttons, small BB’s, and collection of rusty
iron scraps. Luckily mixed in amongst
these goodies were also three small gold
nuggets. My search of the hillsides
proved unsuccessful, but as I wandered
down a narrow, bedrock-filled gully my
fortune changed. The first decent signal
seemed to be coming from atop the
bedrock itself. As I bent down and blew
away the sand I actually saw it wedged in
a tiny crack. If a good flash flood had
come through and stripped away the sand,
I may have spotted it on the surface. It
weighed 0.4-grams- not a bad start.
The second and third nuggets came
from further down the gully. As I swept
over a series
of deep cracks I received a mellow, but
distinct “ZIP”. I removed close to three
inches of debris and, instead of the dull
color of lead I was expecting to see, I was
rewarded with something butter yellow!
After coaxing the nugget form its hiding
place I was excited, yet at the same time
disappointed. Based on the strength of the
signal response I was expecting it to be a
little bigger.
Before walking away I decided to
recheck the hole; something I was very
glad I did. Lo and behold there was
another signal. I pried the crack open a bit
more with my pick and spotted the source
of the noise. It was indeed another nugget
that had become wedged beneath the first.
The two of them together weighted 1gram, which is why the signal had sounded sweeter. Finding multiple nuggets in a
single hole always puts a smile on my
face.
My treasures won during the field
test weighed in at 1.4-grams. Not a
bonanza, but it proved a point, The Tesoro
Lobo Super TRAQ is indeed fully capable of finding gold.
CONCLUSION
My overall impression of the Lobo
was positive. It offers great sensitivity
14
and an automatic ground tracking system
that really works.
The detector is also lightweight,
well balanced and a pleasure to swing.
The ease of operation makes this
model an excellent choice for first time
detector buyers.
To use, simply turn on the detector, select the all Metal mode, adjust
Sensitivity and Threshold, and begin
hunting- it’s that easy!
More experimentation with the
settings will yield better results, but even
the most inexperienced detectorist should
be able to get up-and-running with little
difficulty.
If I had to find a fault it would
be the fact that the coil is not supplied
with a skid plate. A skid plate is the first
line of defense against coil damage, so it
seems only logical that one should be
supplied.
I also didn’t care for the battery
system. The battery packs tended to rattle
around in the compartment and I wasn’t a
fan of the removable plate on the rear
panel.
I would suggest a hinged door
and possibly exploring the option of
developing a rechargeable pack that could
be topped off in the field using a vehicle’s
12V outlet.
Aside from this, I was impressed.
Tesoro has built a product they can be
proud of, especially when you factor in
their unbeatable Lifetime Warranty.
With a suggested retail price of
only $799 and the company’s outstanding
reputation, this detector provides solid
performance at a reasonable price. Not to
mention it is made right here in the USA!
For more information on the
Tesoro Lobo Super TRAQ, visit the company’s website at www.Tesoro.com or
call 928-771-2646 and tell them you saw
it in Lost Treasure magazine, For additional information on prospecting for
gold with a metal detector, also visit the
author’s
website
a
www.ArizonaOutback.com .
MDI
The Treasure Hunter’s Glossary will help clarify any confusing metal detecting terms.
Definitions begin on page 58.
Great
Treasures
I have been metal detecting
for approximately 5 years. In March
of 06, I went to a gold show in
Redding, CA. This was my first
introduction to Tesoro detectors.
After attending a general metal
detecting seminar put on by one of
your salesman, I became interested
in your product. The event was two
days and I got the chance to ask a
lot of questions. At the end of the
event, there was a raffle for a Tesoro
Lobo SuperTRAQ. Though I did not
win the Lobo, my father-in-law did,
so I got to play with the machine
from time to time.
After a lot of research and
not being able to stand it anymore, I
bought the Cortés and I am glad I
did. Even though the transition from
my old machine to the Cortés took a
little while to figure out, I wouldn't
give it up now. The transition I am
talking about is how the two
machines read things differently, but
after a few tests, I had it nailed.
Once I bought the Cortés
and started finding more and more
things, my partner decided he had to
upgrade, but he did not buy a
Tesoro; he bought another brand.
After side-by-side competitions since
August, I would have to say the
Tesoro is easier to run with less
trash.
My opinion is that everyone
from experienced to rookie at metal
detecting should own the Cortés. It
is virtually a turn-on-and-go
machine. Thank you, Tesoro, for
building a wonderful product.
Nathan Spalding
Susanville, CA
A Lil’ piece of El Dorado
By: Sherry Spalding
Let me start off by telling
you that getting out and seeing the
sites is only part of the adventure.
Learning new thing and keeping your
mind open for the impossible will
keep you young forever.
Everyone in the treasure
world has heard of the mythical or
shall we say the legendary Lost City
of Gold or the Holy Grail or in this
case, El Dorado. There are many
stories out there, some with facts and
others with, well, they’re more
campfire stories than anything.
What I am about to share with you is
no campfire story, well soon it will
be.
This spring I went on a family outing with my parents, my husband, and my two children. Our destination was deep into the Nevada
desert. Our goal was simple relaxation, exploration, and in the case of
my father and husband, playing with
their metal detectors. The first day
we setup camp and discussed a plan
for the following day. The next day
surprised us with a snow storm. I
along with my mother and my kids
decided to stay in the trailer
and play games. My father
and husband had other
thoughts. No rain, sleet, or
snow was going to keep them
in the trailer. They grabbed
up there metal detectors and
they flew up the mountain.
Around noon my
father and my husband came
back to camp. They both
came in with a disappointed look on
their faces. But not for long, my
husband couldn’t keep it in any
longer and immediately produced a
¼ ounce gold nugget.
My husband has been metal detecting
for around 7 years and this was his
first nugget he has found with a
metal detector. He found it with his
Tesoro Cortes which is a coin
machine. As quick as they came into
camp, they were gone again.
The snow stopped, but it was
still bitter cold outside. While visiting inside the trailer I continued
looking out the window. My mother,
like all mother ’s, could see the
depression in my eyes. She asked
me if I wanted to go metal detect
with the boys, and I told her I was
fine, besides I didn’t have a detector.
Mother’s doing what mother’s do,
produced her brand new Tesoro Lobo
Super Traq and said go play. I told
her I didn’t know the first about
metal detecting. She said nonsense
and gave me a crash course on it. I
was amazed at how easy it was to
use. I bundled up my son and we
headed for a draw.
Almost immediately we started finding targets. I found square
nail, boot tacks, and rusty cans,
nothing to write home about, but we
were having fun. About a quarter
mile up the draw, the Super Traq
made a loud whining noise. I started
digging expecting to find a rusty can.
I dug down about four inches and ran
the Super Traq back over the hole.
The signal was still there, so I dug
another four
inches. This
time it was
gone. I ran
the detector
over the dirt
I took out of
the hole and
I found the
target again.
I
searched
through the pile and couldn’t find the
rusty piece of metal. I then started
running handfuls of dirt over the coil
while throwing the rocks off to the
side. I went through the entire pile
and nothing. I remembered my husband talking about ghost target and I
figured that must be it.
As I started to stand up I set
the Super Traq of to the side, near
the rocks I had been throwing off to
the side, and it whined. I was a little
bewildered. I then started running
each individual rock over the coil
until I found it. The rock was a
muddy white rock. I started rubbing
of the mud and to my surprise, the
rock had viens of yellow running
throughout it. I
let out a
scream
and my
son said
is
that
gold and
I said I
think so.
I never ran so fast in my life. We ran
all the way back to camp.
My husband and father just
beat us to camp and they just stood
there while I ran screaming to them.
When I got to my husband I handed
him the rock and said is this what I
think it is. You should have seen the
disbelief in his eyes when I handed
him the 10.55 ounce quartz rock, I
had just found laced in gold. He
looked at me as if, how can a person
that doesn’t even know how to turn
on the machine, find something like
this.
Well I will tell you, Tesoro.
That is all that needs to be said.
When a novice explorer, that doesn’t
even know what she is doing, finds
something that has been sought after
since time began, that’s something,
that’s Tesoro.
Did I mention up until a couple of hours prior my husband had
found the biggest nugget my father
had seen in that area. Well at least he
got to gloat for that amount of time.
And did I mention my father has
been in these hills for six years
searching for this little stone with
one of those three thousand dollar
machines.
Even though I still do not own a
metal detector, I hope that someday I
will. That is if my husband will
allow me to go with him again.
Get out there and explore. You will
never know what you will find until
you do, and just maybe you can bring
home a Lil’ piece of El Dorado of
your own.
MDI
15
FIELD TEST
by Gordon S. Gibson
Reprinted from MDI 17
- A Family Fun Detector
Some metal detecting friends
of mine were sitting around drinking
coffee and I asked the question, "Can
you name one company, besides Tesoro,
that makes a low cost, lightweight, high
quality, easy-to-operate detector that
comes with a lifetime warranty and
can be used by the whole family
including everyone from the kids to
granddad?" No one could think of a
company!
The detector from Tesoro I
was thinking about was the Amigo II.
I gave my grandsons an Amigo II and
have spent several wonderful hours
watching them hunt for treasure. Kids
just naturally love to dig-and why
not? They are closer to the ground
than adults. The problems with most
detectors are they are too heavy, too
complicated, and too long for children to use comfortably. It is hard to
find an inexpensive, quality detector
that can be used by both children and
adults. The Amigo II is a detector you
can take on a family outing and just
have fun!
When James Gifford called and
wanted me to field test the new
Compadre (the replacement for the
Amigo II), I readily agreed. I wanted to
see if this detector could hold up to the
Amigo II as the new family fun
machine.
Let's Take a Closer Look at the
Compadre
The Compadre is a singleknob, 10 kHz motion-based discriminator detector. This means you will need
to keep the coil moving when you
search. It weighs only 2.2 lbs. and uses
a silent search mode of hunting. This
16
detector is built on the
same frame as the µMax
detectors but does not
incorporate the same circuitry. The control housing is of the
µMax style and has one rotary control
knob. This knob is the "Off-On" switch,
Battery Check and Discriminate
Control. When the knob is turned on,
you will hear an audio tone that indi-
cates the condition of the battery. A five
to seven second audio tone indicates
that the battery is in good condition.
When there is a short or no audio tone,
then the battery needs to be replaced.
The battery compartment holds a 9-volt
battery, which will give about 20 hours
of use. If headphones are used, you can
expect even more battery life. The
Compadre has a small speaker on the
front panel and a ¼ inch headphone jack
on the rear of the control housing.
Changing batteries is a snap! Just open
the battery door and drop in the battery.
No more fumbling with snaps and wires.
The coil is a seven inch waterproof, hardwired, solid concentric coil.
This is the ideal size for most hunting
situations. It offers excellent trash separation and gives very respectable depth.
The Compadre comes with an
ABS lower pole, metal middle pole,
upper pole, and control housing. The
stem comes with the more advanced
Positive Pole Lock System. This
Positive Pole Lock System will ensure
that there is no movement or wobble of
the stem when searching. When the
stem is retracted to its shortest length,
the distance from the coil to the end of
the armrest is 38 inches. This is just
about the perfect length for a child to
use comfortably. When the stem is fully
extended, it measures 53 inches. This
would be perfect for any professional
basketball star. So, this detector can fit
anyone!
The discriminate knob has the
following markings: Off, All Metal,
Iron, Foil, 5¢, Pull Tabs, 1¢ Zn, Max.
The "Max" setting will only respond on
silver, clad, and copper pennies. These
markings indicate what will be tuned
out below that setting when hunting. If
you place the indicator on "5¢", then
Iron and Foil will not respond with an
audio sound. Everything counterclockwise from where the indicator is located
will be rejected. The All Metal Mode
will detect all metals as long as the coil
is kept in motion. This really is a versatile, low cost, high quality detector.
Let's Try Out The Compadre In The
Field
I am not a big advocate of air
tests, but using a zinc penny with the
Discriminate Knob set on the "Foil"
position, the Compadre would give a
good strong signal at a measured 7 inches. That is a very respectable depth, but
I was more interested in how the
Compadre performed in the field.
Tesoro is famous for its discriminating
circuitry, and I wanted to know if the
Compadre would hold up to that reputation.
There is a park near my house
that has the potential for older coins and
is heavily worked by detectorists. I
noticed they were doing some dozer
work on a streambed and remembering
the sage advice, "Follow the dozers," I
decided to start in this park with my
tests. This park ranges from medium to
heavy in the trash category, so I set the
discriminate knob to just below "1¢ Zn,"
and I immediately started to get signals
on good targets. Pinpointing is very
easy. Just make an "X" with the coil
over the target and the target will be
where the two lines intersect. I began
finding pennies and clad coins near a
playground swing set with the deepest
coin at about 4 inches. I moved to the
area where the dirt had been scrapped
off and immediately found a silver
Roosevelt Dime and later on, Wheat
Pennies. This dime was at least 5 inches
deep. I learned that I could operate in
the All Metal Mode and when I got a
signal, I just turned the Discriminate
Knob with my thumb and raised the discrimination until the signal stopped.
This gave me a good idea of what the
target might be. This may sound awkward, but it was actually very easy to
do. This detector will produce coins!
My next test was a hunt with
two friends of mine at an older area of
town where they were clearing the land
to build modern structures. It was a
misty, "off and on" rainy day. The
ground was as trashy as I have ever
encountered, but the 7-inch coil on the
Compadre worked great in this environment. We hunted for two hours digging
a lot of trash before being driven off by
the rain. My friends were using high
dollar, top-of-the-line detectors, and I
was using the one knob, very-easy-touse, low cost, friendly Compadre. When
we displayed our finds to each other at
the end of the hunt, the Compadre held
its own. My best finds were a Mercury
Dime at 6 inches, some Wheat Pennies
and a pocketknife at 5 inches. It seems
that the Compadre will find targets at a
very respectable depth and do it with
ease. Have you ever noticed that most of
our coins, old and new, are found within
the first six or seven inches?
Let's Give It To Our Kid Experts
For the next portion of the field
test, I am using two young experts (my
grandsons)-Ethan Shuler, age 12 and
Blaine Shuler, age 8. The test took place
in the sand pit of a playground near a
school where, over the past months,
there has been a lot of activity.
When we arrived, I went over
the Discriminate Knob and the proper
way to search. They were not anxious to
hear that; they wanted to hunt. So, I
turned them loose in the sandpit. The
main thing I noticed was I could adjust
the stem to fit each of them. We spent
one and a half hours hunting when the
sun started to suggest that we needed to
get to a cool place. In that time, they
found $1.79 of current coins, one key
chain and a little trash. I set the
Discriminate Knob to accept nickels so
they would not be burdened with too
much trash. Some coins were in the 5
and 6-inch range and gave strong signals.
I was interested in their comments on the Compadre and so I asked.
Here is what I learned:
Blaine: "It's cool!"
Ethan: "It's really light."
Blaine: "It's neat!"
Ethan: "It really fits me."
Both of them: "Can I have one?"
There you have it-the very
highest compliments from our young
experts.
Final Thoughts
This is truly a "Family Fun
Detector!" A family can take the
Compadre on their outings and everyone
can use it with high expectations of
finding treasure. It is well made (must
be with a lifetime warranty) and will fit
the budget of any family. This is not a
cheap toy; it is a quality, well-designed,
lightweight, low cost metal detector.
The Compadre would make an excellent
first detector and, for the hard-core hobbyist, a backup detector that the rest of
the family could enjoy. In every respect
it measures up to the Amigo II and still
retains that famous Tesoro discrimination.
So…in the words of our young experts,
"Can I have one?"
MDI
Great
Treasures
I just wanted to send you a note
about the finds that I recovered within
a 1 month period while only hunting in
my spare time. I have hunted since
1982 with other brands and recently
had to send one of them back for
repairs. I bought a Silver µMax to use
while the other detector was away. I
WILL NEVER USE ANYTHING BUT A
TESORO FROM NOW ON.
All of these items, including a
rare Virginia State Seal button, were
found with the Silver µMax (and I have
many more items that I didn't picture).
I even applied for and was granted a
Tesoro Dealership. Thanks for all you
folks do!
Richard Whitmore
Kenbridge, VA
(Richard Whitmore operates Whitmore's Good As
New Shop in Kenbridge, VA. If you have any questions
about Tesoro metal detectors, please contact him at
(434) 676-2654 or at ricnmel@earthlink.net.)
I purchased my Lobo
SuperTRAQ about 1 year ago. On the
few occasions I have been able to
hunt the California desert, I have
found the following:
1) Meteorite (tested and confirmed).
2) 0.8 ounce silver nugget while
searching for relics near a silver mining
camp. (I'll go back this year to try and
find the source of this nugget.)
3) 1925 Wheatie plus a 1920s
cast iron toy car 2 feet down.
4) Mother of pearl cufflink circa
1850.
5) A snap that was ripped from a
pair of pants. It has a date stamped on
the face of 1843.
6) Bunches and bunches of
square nails and lead bullets.
The gold nugget still eludes me
but I'll find it sooner or later. Thanks
Tesoro for manufacturing a top rate
machine. I just placed my order for a
Treasure Mate today, and I'm looking
forward to my next hunt.
Jim Morrison
Rosemead, CA
17
FIELD TEST
by Ron Barnes
Reprinted from MDI 18
Having had the opportunity in
the past to field test several of Tesoro's
prototype metal detectors, to say I was
thrilled when I received a phone call
from Heidi at the Tesoro factory would
be an understatement. There was a
choice given as to which of two
machines I would prefer to "put to the
test." When I was informed that the
new Silver µMax would replace one of
my two top sellers, I chose the Silver
µMax. In my mind I just had to have a
hands-on showdown with the detector
that was supposed to replace the
Cutlass II µMax.
Since I had the notion in my
mind that "nothing" could replace the
Cutlass in its price range, I was
stunned to hear that the retail price of
the new Silver µMax would remain
the same price as the old tried and true
Cutlass. Upon arrival of the new
machine, the first thing that I noticed
was an improved shipping container. It
was very securely packaged for shipping and reshipping. One thing to
remember about Tesoro-if it can be
made better, they will make it!
As I removed the machine
from its container, I immediately
noticed the new faceplate design. It is
a very simple but well-designed
arrangement. There are two knobs and
one toggle switch that control this little lightweight powerhouse. I really
like the word system in place of numbers on the discriminate side of the
faceplate. This will help the new
detectorist as well as the "old timers."
I cannot attempt to estimate the number of times I have been asked by a
customer why "they" don't put the
words there (i.e. iron, foil, etc.) and
not just numbers. On the sensitivity
18
side of the faceplate, the
number system is still
intact and I think it
should be left as is. When I am demonstrating a Tesoro detector, I always
stress to my customers that they
should look upon the numbers around
the sensitivity knob as a speedometer
in an automobile. The higher the number, the faster (deeper) the machine
can go according to the existing
ground conditions. On the sensitivity
level there is a "boost" range marked
in orange that can greatly enhance the
depth capability of this little dynamo.
The one toggle switch has
three settings. To the left is a Battery
Check, the middle position is the
Discriminate Mode, and the right position selects All Metal Mode. The
Battery Check Mode is a nice
improvement. In the past when doing a
show or in my shop, I had to warn the
customers of the loud battery check
cycle that was normal for the Tesoro.
Most times, I plugged earphones into
the machine or put my handkerchief
over the speaker to suppress the loudness. A nice improvement!
After approximately 2 minutes
(that's the length of time it took me to
assemble the Silver µMax), I proceed-
ed out to my test garden which contains a variety of targets, ranging from
a small 10ct gold ring to an Indian
Head cent that have been buried in the
test area for approximately 15 years.
The soil in my test area has mostly a
clay type of mixture. At the max sensitivity setting, I had some chirping but
all the targets were clearly discernible.
Now bear in mind, each target was
buried 6 inches deep. I backed off on
the sensitivity to about #8 and there
was no chirping, only clear signals
over every target especially in the All
Metal Mode.
Switching to Discriminate Mode, I
found each target again but the small
gold ring might have been missed if I
had not known it was there. It gave a
very weak barely repeatable signal,
but the real story here is when I
switched to All Metal, the ring gave a
very solid signal. It was very obvious
to me that this Silver µMax would find
the gold in the All Metal Mode. Keep
in mind that the ring was a solid 6"
down!!
The next day I was scheduled
to do some detecting with a buddy of
mine that still hunts with his old tried
and true Silver Sabre II. I let him hold
and swing the new Silver µMax, and
he was astonished at its light weight.
This particular field is well-known to
local detectorists and has been "hunted
out" for the past 15 years. The location
is an old colonial village that was
destroyed by the British in 1814 and
saw some Civil War activity. We both
proceeded to work a zigzag pattern but
not a whole lot of targets were turned
up. Part of the area had been roughly
turned over by plowing and it was as
hard as concrete. The total for approximately six hours of hard detecting
was a dozen or so modern brass pistol
cartridges, four or five brass shotgun
shell heads, one-musket ball and several fired .22 caliber lead bullets.
The next day I took the Silver
µMax to a local salt water beach and
spent several hours scooping modern
coinage from impressive depths in the
dry sand. I did note that upon entering
the wet salt beach area, I had to back
the sensitivity down to about #4 before
it became completely quiet again.
Even at that power setting, I dug several badly corroded coins from 5" to 8"
in depth.
A couple of days later another
friend asked if I wanted to hit "the
field" again as he had a couple of
hours free. We met at the village site
and proceeded to work our various
patterns. This time I decided to hunt in
the All Metal Mode and
use the Discriminate
Mode to weed out the
trash. What a shocker!
In virtually the same
area as previously
detected, I located the
marked bowl part of a
very ornate tablespoon, Long view of
an old brass shoe buckle and several nice colonial dime-sized
buttons. The real kicker was when I hit
one target and switched to discriminate to see if it was junk, it disappeared. But flipping back to All Metal
Mode it was repeatable. Meanwhile
my friend had ambled over to see what
I was spending so much time over (he
hunts with a "Top of the Line" competitor's machine). He checked the target and got nothing. I disconnected the
headphones and let him hear the signal. He advised, "must be junk." Well,
you know we all have that little voice
that sometimes we listen to, so I proceeded to enlarge and deepen the hole.
I felt I was digging myself into it, as
my friend was intently observing my
struggle to go deeper in the concretelike earth. After numerous silent
prayers and approximately 10" down,
what should come to the surface for
the first time in almost 200 years but
the remains of an old pewter button
with eyelet still attached. The fertilizers had done their damage over the
centuries and all that remained was the
center of the button, that being less
than the size of a dime. My buddy's
comment, "Man, I would not want to
dig that deep anyway." Yeah sure, uhhuh.
To summarize my findings, I am
astonished at the depth this low cost,
high quality Tesoro Silver µMax can
achieve especially in the All Metal
Mode. Farewell Cutlass, welcome
home Silver µMax!
P.S. At the time I was writing
this field test report, I was without a
Silver µMax. I had a customer enter
my shop the very afternoon I finished
up the field work on the Silver µMax.
Silver Umax
This particular customer had been trying to make a decision on which
Tesoro he was going to purchase from
me for the past 18 months. Would you
believe he settled on the Cutlass II
µMax! When I gave him the bad news
about it no longer being produced, he
became silent instantly. I advised him
of the Silver µMax replacing it and
offered to demonstrate it out in my test
garden. He remembered from previous
visits that the Cutlass had problems
with the small gold ring. When he
walked over the same targets including
the small gold ring and got a clear
sharp signal you should have seen the
look in his eyes! From that moment he
never took his hands off of my "only"
Silver µMax in stock. He insisted I let
him have this one as his wife had
given him the checkbook and said,
"Go buy your detector." Adios, Silver
µMax!
Great
Treasures
I am writing a testimony to
your Vaquero metal detector.
Enclosed, you will find pictures of a
confederate cavalry camp that has
been "hunted to death". Thanks to
my trusty Vaquero, it was a "near
death experience".
The campsite was located
about halfway between
Murfreesboro (Former site of the
Battle of Stones River) and
Chattanooga, TN. Upon repelling
the Confederacy at Murfreesboro,
they winter camped here in
Wartrace. There were several skirmishes between Union and
Confederate cavalry.
Artifacts that I found were
many varieties of mini balls (bullets), a knap sack hook, a yankee
infantry eagle button, and my first
percussion cap. Just wanted to
thank you for such a fine detector.
"If It's There, A Tesoro Will Find
It."
Thanks again.
Joel M. Luscinski
Watrace, TN
Did you need a side by side
comparison of each of our
current models ? There is a
Comparison Chart on page 55
MDI
19
FIELD TEST
by Ron Barnes
Reprint from MDI 21
I would like to begin this article
with a sincere "Thank You" to James
Gifford of Tesoro Electronics for selecting me to perform this field test on one
of Tesoro's new-style metal detectors.
My first reaction, after the
almost too-easy assembly of the Cibola,
was "Wow." Finally, the ultimate competition hunting machine! The
Cibola incorporates at least one
function from several of my
favorite Tesoro machines: push button pinpoint, selectable multi-frequency, adjustable threshold with a
discrimination and sensitivity knoball at fingertip control. I was
amazed at the fact that this dynamic detector was powered by 1-9 volt
alkaline battery, and as always, I
was very impressed with the compact but very secure shipping carton
utilized by Tesoro.
Folks, let me tell you that
any similarity to past Tesoro models
ends when the Cibola is turned on.
The Cibola tugs at its leash like a welltrained hunting dog waiting to be let
loose and go hunting! Treasure hunting
that is! The Cibola will be at the top of
the list of competition machines for
sure, but that is just one segment of our
hobby in which this detector will excel.
The target separation ability and seemingly instantaneous recovery time will
put the Cibola at the head of its class
while hunting those trash-laden sites.
My first stop after assembling
the detector was my workbench to perform some air tests on depth and discrimination. My test bench has a yardstick attached and to test for maximum
capacity, I started at the 24" mark.
20
Folks, you have to see
the Cibola ("see bola") to
believe it. It was but a
couple of marks away
from the starting point
when the beeps began!!!
I checked and rechecked
and it was true. Incredible!
Now, you have to understand
that I was at max sensitivity into the
boost range with low discrimination
and the threshold almost maxed out. At
this setting, you are going to have some
errant chirps and beeps, but the ability
to go deep is there. Knowing that most
folks don't like the occasional chirps or
beeps, I backed off on the sensitivity
and threshold boost until the Cibola
smoothed out and stopped the chatter.
Even with the controls backed off, the
Cibola again started giving clear,
repeatable target sounds just above the
previously achieved mark.
From the bench test, it became
clear that the average competition
hunter has never had the power potential of this detector. In fact, most competition hunters would be well advised
to start at a power/sensitivity setting of
2 or 3. With that setting, you can discriminate out most junk targets with no
noticeable loss of depth, go for the
tokens and coins, and not be concerned
over most trash signals.
My next step in the process was to proceed to several sites that yielded "keepers" in the past. My first site was one at
which I had dug some nice colonial
coppers and large cents along with various colonial buttons and buckles.
Upon arrival, I powered up and discriminated down as I had hit this field
numerous times and knew that trash
targets should be minimal. As a matter
of fact, I had performed another field
test on an I.D. type detector at this
very site and had recovered several
half dimes at very, very good depths
for this type of detector.
As I worked methodically
across the field, I turned up several
lead fragments, averaging the size
of a .22 caliber short bullet, deep in
the loam-type soil. I had a feeling
that deeper discoveries awaited me
and thought that if there was anything left out here, it would entail
some extra work-deep digging. In a
few moments that feeling turned
into reality. The Cibola tugged at the
leash and brought me to its quarry!
A nice smooth soft signal. Instinct
told me that it was a button or coin.
I proceeded to take a plug from the target area but no target. I checked the
hole, and it was still down there. As I
was at the 7" or 8" mark, I started
enlarging the sides of the hole assuming I had erred in pinpointing. Wrong!
After cleaning all the loose soil out of
the hole, I rechecked, and it was still
down there. Dead center! At that point,
I placed my equipment belt on the
ground and walked back to my vehicle
to retrieve my Lesche shovel with the
D grip-type handle.
Back at the target site, I proceeded to take some serious amounts
of hard-packed soil out of the hole as I
was now below the level where the
plows break up the soil each year. After
several shovels full of dirt, I scanned
the growing pile, and whamo, it was
finally above ground. As I brushed the
first layer of dirt aside, I saw something slide off to the side and plunk
back down in the hole, but it couldn't
hide anymore. I picked it up and carefully wiped the dirt off and lo and
behold-a 1788 Spanish silver coin the
size of our modern dime. It was an
awesome feeling to hold an object that
had not seen the light of day in over
two centuries. The coin was in excellent condition and was placed in a separate holder in my pouch.
After checking the hole, refilling it, and tamping the soil down, I
started my pattern again with renewed
energy. As before, the Cibola seemed
to keep tugging at me to go faster. On
the return path, I was within 10 feet of
the area from where the Spanish silver
came out of the ground when the
Cibola whispered that familiar smooth
silver sound. Needless to say, I went
right for the shovel. Forget the trowel.
No point in fooling myself. Again,
same as before, got down beyond the
earth that was broken up, and after sev-
eral shovels full of soil, I could see it in
the loose dirt. It was the same size as
the first one and would you believe,
dated 1788. However, this one was
well worn. I was elated to say the least,
but at the same time couldn't help but
think that I, as well as other seasoned
hunters, had walked over this Spanish
silver numerous times.
After completing that leg of
my pattern, I reversed direction and
continued my sweeps. As I approached
the area of the two previous recoveries,
I was almost startled by yet another
smooth signal. No question. Dig it! As
before, the Cibola's quarry was in the
pile of dirt-a nice cast colonial onepiece button. As I stood back and
looked over the area of the 3 targets,
they formed an almost perfect triangle.
It would have been virtually impossible not to have walked over the area
numerous times. (Folks, at this point, I
have to tell you that this new breed of
treasure hunter from Tesoro is not for
anyone who is afraid of a shovel!
Matter of fact, perhaps, Tesoro should
consider adding a shovel to their line of
accessories!)
At several other sites, including a beach where numerous modern
clad coins were recovered from
impressive depths, the power potential
of the Cibola really came into play. I
took the Cibola to another colonial site
that had an existing church dating from
the early 1700's. In the fields surrounding this old church, I got that familiar
smooth "silver silver" sound. After
retrieval of the object, I was pleasantly
surprised with a sterling silver crucifix,
quite old by its design and markings.
Both silver producing sites
have been in constant use since the
early 1600's-one having been a major
shipping port that was destroyed and
its church desecrated by the British
during the War of 1812. Now, the port
area is basically a marsh due to siltation during the last two centuries, but
the small surrounding fields now and
then give us a glimpse of its past consisting mainly of bits and pieces of
brick, glass, and pottery.
It seems as if each new generation of Tesoro is enabling others and
me to enlarge and deepen the window
to the past. Well, enough of this; my
new hunting partner "See bola" wants
to peek through that window again.
Happy Hunting!
MDI
Ron Barnes (right) is an
authorized dealer operating
Bay
Country
Metal
Detectors. If you have questions about the Cibola or
any other Tesoro model,
please feel free to contact
him at 24799 Horseshoe
Road,
Clements,
MD
20624; 301-769-4352; ronbarnes@chesapeake.net.
On. the left are cast colonial
one-piece button, 2-1788
Spanish coins, and sterling
silver crucifix. All were
found by Ron Barnes and
his Cibola !
21
Tesoro Electronics
has excited the metal detectby Ben Myers
ing community once again,
Reprinted with permission from Western & Eastern Treasures, May 2006.)
this time with their Vaquero
metal detector. As you probing the Vaquero is as easy as ABC. This
ably know, the Vaquero has been receiv3¾ turn potentiometer provides precise
ing high praise for excellent depth and
adjustments. Regardless of the mode
smooth operation. Furthermore, the 3¾
used - Silent Search Discriminate or
turn ground balance is making the difThreshold-based All Metal - the detecference in handling difficult soils. Add
tor needs to be properly ground balthese attributes of top performance to an
anced to the area being hunted. The
extremely lightweight package, and it
manual GB control makes the detector
spells success. The Gifford family's
better able to hunt with peak performcontinual improvement of the product
is a built-in detector stand. At the other ance and depth, even in difficult ground,
line and personal service has built a rock- end is a 9 x 8" monolithic (carbon fiber),
solid Tesoro customer base. A company concentric type searchcoil, built to meet by balancing out the effects of mineralization in the soil. On each end of the conthat has flourished for a quarter-century most needs of the metal detectorist.
trol's range, there is a slight drag to the
while providing lifetime warranties
Additional searchcoils are available knob. At this point, turn the knob in the
undoubtedly takes its customer's needs for various applications. Tesoro offers a
opposite direction two full turns for a censeriously.
5.75" concentric to allow closer searching tral position to l position to begin the proVaquero is pronounced vah-kero, near metal fences and playground equipwith the a being short as in ah. Vaquero is ment, plus improved target separation in cedure.
For those new to ground balancing,
Spanish for "cowboy," an apt comparison trashy areas. Larger coils provide more
to a detector that is tough and hard work- depth and ground coverage. The 12 x10" this explanation takes much longer to
ing. Tesoro itself means "treasure" in is a widescan coil that better handles write than to demonstrate in person. To
Spanish, and as the name of a company of ground mineralization. The Vaquero uses begin, turn the detector ON by moving
the great Southwest, it is a tip of the hat to HOT (High Output Technology) circuitry the Sensitivity knob out of OFF, to about
the early Spaniards, who surely knew how and therefore shares these coils with the #9 or #10. Threshold (see next section)
should be at the barely audible point to
to find treasure. Having field tested many
hear slight changes. Place the toggle
Tesoro products in the past I was confiswitch to the frequency you will be
dent that this detector would prove to be a
using. With the DISC knob set to All
capable hunter as well.
Metal, sweep the soil and find an
area free of metal. Hold the coil
Design & Controls
approximately 10" above and paralWith a total weight of only 2.2. lbs.,
lel to the ground (not tilted), then
and three-piece, S-handled pole assembly,
lower it to about an inch about the
the backpacking and fatigue-free hunting
soil. As the coil approaches the
possibilities are obvious. Twist-lock colground, the audio threshold will do
lars and spring buttons provide wobbleone of three things - stay the same
free swings. The Vaquero is a MicroMAX
(desired position), get louder and
design with all controls on the housing
higher in pitch, or disappear. If it gets
face, easily within finger reach from the
louder, turn the Ground Balance
padded handgrip. It features a "Big Red"
counterclockwise (left) a partial turn
pushbutton for Pinpointing, Frequency Lobo SuperTRAQ, Tejón, and Cibola
before trying it again. If it then goes quiet,
toggle, and four rotary knobs to adjust models.
spin the knob right (clockwise) just a bit.
Ground Balance, Threshold, Sensitivity,
Ground Balance (rotary knob) - If it stays the same, slap yourself on the
and Discrimination. The control box also "GB"
back because you have done it!
holds an external speaker, a ¼" stereo
This is a control which unnecessarily
Picture yourself in the following sceheadphone jack, and a slide door for the baffles many people. Notice I said
nario
to make it clear. As the coil lowers
single 9V battery. Beneath the elbow-rest "unnecessarily," because ground balancto the ground, you hear the threshold tone
FIELD TEST
22
get louder and rise in pitch. Therefore,
you raise the coil up, turn the GB knob a
quarter-turn to the left, and repeat the
coil-to-the-ground procedure. This time
the audio goes silent. OK, you know you
went too far, and now you turn the knob
back to the right only an eighth of a turn.
The next air-to-ground try leaves the
threshold audio unchanged and therefore
properly ground balanced. Although
some detectors are more difficult than
others to ground balance, this one is relatively easy, and with just a little practice
you will soon be doing it like a pro.
Threshold (rotary knob) - This control sets the background hum to your
hearing so that slight changes in audio are
heard. Too low or high, and small changes
may not be noticed…and therefore a target may be missed. The best place to set
the Threshold is at a barely heard audio
(slight, steady tone). The Threshold can
be heard in the All Metal mode by turning
the Discriminate knob to All Metal or
pressing and holding the red Pinpoint button. In Discriminate Mode, simply press
and hold the Pinpoint button while turning the Threshold knob until a slight hum
is heard. It's that easy! Although the background audio is not heard in the Silent
Search Motion Discriminate Mode, it definitely affects it. This is especially evident
when the detector is "Super Tuned." One
improvement I would like to see is a
tighter Threshold knob. In the heart of the
hunt, it is possible for the control to be
accidentally knocked, and that can mean
a loss of depth. Granted, it is not something that happens often; nevertheless, it
is a good idea to eyeball the position of
the knob on occasion.
One can accomplish Super Tuning by
turning the Threshold to very high levels
while in the Motion Discriminate mode.
Pass a good target under the coil to find
the most effective setting. The Threshold
in the All Metal mode will be too loud at
this point to be of any use. Accurate pinpointing is lost until the control returns to
the original position. Rather than hear the
lessening volume of a deep or smaller target, Super Tuning assigns the signal of
the deeper or tiny target the same loud
audio response as that of a shallow target.
While the Vaquero gets good depth without the use of Super Tuning, there are
those times, such as on a beach or open
field, when depth counts more than pinpointing. Fortunately, the detector allows
the user to make the choice. Remember to
ground balance the detector at the slight
background hum before raising the
Threshold to Super Tune. Then remember
to return the Threshold to normal in order
to use the Pinpoint.
Sensitivity (rotary knob) - New
detectorists discover that more sensitivity
means more depth, and that is where they
often go wrong. They have not yet
learned that ground mineralization or outside electrical interference can dictate
how much of that sensitivity is usable for
peak performance. Changing the
Sensitivity control adjusts the power to
the operational amplifiers, thereby changing the gain (measurement of signal
amplification) for depth and sensitivity to
small targets. The old rule of thumb is to
turn the sensitivity as high as possible
without the detector becoming erratic
(chirping, false signals). This will provide
the best performance for depth and sensitivity to small targets.
The Sensitivity control is marked
with numbers 1 to 10, plus a Max Boost
area in orange. As the control moves
clockwise, it turns the detector ON, causing a series of beeps to indicate battery
life (six or seven beeps, down to one or
two when it is time for replacement.) If
you suspect a low battery, recheck it
about 15 minutes into the hunt by turning
the detector OFF and ON again.
Discriminate Level (rotary knob) "DISC" - Tesoro is famous for its discrimination circuits, with the Vaquero utilizing the ED 180 to better filter treasure
from trash. The Discriminate control
starts in the Threshold-based All Metal
Mode. With the ED 180, relic, beach, and
other hunters have the choice of using the
All Metal or Discriminate Mode. I prefer
using Motion Discriminate with the level
at the bottom. But others may prefer the
clicked-in All Metal Mode. Be aware that
the autotune acts rather quickly to reduce
the target size for pinpointing. As the
knob is turned clockwise, it clicks out of
All Metal into the Silent Search Motion
Discriminate Mode to eliminate unwanted targets. For newcomers, the following
explanation may help.
Picture the coil moving across the
ground while a small electronic field generates beneath it to detect metal targets in
the soil. Of course, this field cannot actually be seen. The detector sends and
receives signals to create the field, and the
amount of change created by a target
determines its identity according to its
ability to conduct electricity. The identities of many targets - for example, U.S.
coins - are constant and easily ID'd. Even
most types of pulltabs fall within a general conductivity range. Because of this,
metal detectors are able to eliminate
audio responses from unwanted targets.
Around the DISC knob, several targets
and lines indicate the point at which their
signal will disappear (be discriminated)
from the audio. The levels begin with iron
through foil, nickels, pulltabs, screwcaps
and other targets. It is a good idea to do
some common target testing to see the
effect that various levels of discrimination have on their audio signal.
As with any metal detector, increasing the discrimination level can result in
the loss of good targets along with the
bad. For instance, gold jewelry can
appear throughout the conductivity range,
depending mostly upon size and alloys
used. A larger gold ring will continue
beeping into the silver coin range without
being eliminated. However, a thin ring
with a diamond may read down in the
nickel range or lower. A certain type of
large gold wedding band may even read
in the pulltab range. Set that discrimina
23
tion too high and you will miss those out of range. In a normal hunt, most targood targets. The general rule of thumb is gets are plucked up in the first 15 minto keep discrimination as low as possible, utes. An interfering detector at that time
except in extremely trashy areas.
will cook your goose! Targets are still
Rather than maintain a high level of found later, of course, but not nearly as
discrimination, many detectorists prefer many. If you are using the Vaquero in that
to "thumb the DISC knob" and use their same scenario, a quick flip of the toggle
ears to determine target identity. If you shifts it to an operating frequency differare not familiar with that method, it is ent from that of the offending detector.
quite easy and predicts the identity of a Rapidly recovering smooth operation
target with high precision. There are legions of
detectorists who prefer
this method audio discrimination to visual discrimination with a meter.
Vaquero Long View
As an example, suppose
that while hunting with
the DISC set to avoid tinfoil, you encounter a beep. Making sure could make all the difference for a sucthat the center of the coil is passing over cessful hunt. You can even flip the toggle
the target, you slowly sweep the coil back in the middle of swinging the coil, and
and forth while making small changes to never miss a beat.
Pinpoint ("Big Red" Pushbutton) - I
the DISC knob. As you bring the thumb
call
Tesoro's pinpoint button "Big Red"
up to push the knob just past the nickel
mark, the signal disappears. That is a for a reason. Big Red fairly screams out
good indication that the target is a nickel from its obvious location, "Hey, you can't
or perhaps a gold ring. If the detector con- ignore me! Use me to avoid sloppy digtinued beeping until the pulltab mark, ging or damaging a nice coin." Big Red
then disappeared, it is probably a pulltab. does not accept ignorance as an excuse
Depending upon how much trash is in the for butchering a park lawn, thus adding
area, you might want to investigate such a another location to the detecting "Off
signal anyway, in the hope that it is a Limits" list. The Vaquero makes pinpointmedium sized gold ring. As you can see, ing a snap, yet many times the
when used properly this control can raise Discriminate Mode signal is so sharp that
pinpointing is not necessary. Do not foryour success level substantially.
Frequency (toggle) - This is a three- get, though, that where neatness counts,
position switch, used to toggle the operat- pinpointing is a must. Once a target has
ing frequency between 14.3, 14.5, and been detected, just push and hold down
14.7 kHz. While this feature may be Big Red as the center of the coil comes
handy to avoid radio tower or other inter- over the center of the target. Move the
ference, its main use comes at competi- coil very slowly to find the location
tion hunts. Additionally, it permits two where the volume is loudest. The detector
friends to hunt near each other while will shrink the target size, but raising the
using the same model detector. coil a bit will also help narrow down the
Experienced competition hunters know spot under the center of the coil.
the disaster caused by interference from
other detectors. It can render a machine In The Field
Since the Vaquero has three changepractically useless until the offending
detector is identified and one can move able operating frequencies, the first place
I decided to take it was a competition
24
hunt. In fact, two competition hunts were
visited during this field test. Any success
that I enjoyed in the hunts can be strictly
attributed to the Vaquero, as there was a
limiting factor in both. A couple of weeks
prior to the first hunt, I had severely
injured the muscle in my upper thigh,
necessitating a trip to the emergency
room. (Of course, it couldn't have happened after the fall hunt of the Lancaster
Research & Recovery
Club.) I knew it would not
be possible to kneel and
jump up quickly after
each target but did not
want to miss the fun.
Therefore, I tied a bandana around my thigh to
give it support and figured
I would have to take it slower.
The Vaquero took over like a champion! This was one of those occasions
when the human holding the detector was
actually slowing down the machine. I
thought of letting the Vaquero hunt on its
own, but would likely been disqualifiedsort of like the horse throwing the jockey
and finishing the race alone. There were
some junk targets on the field. However,
the planted targets were pennies and higher silver, so Discriminate was set to eliminate the trash. That saved a lot of digging
and my leg. Many targets did not require
Pinpointing with the nice narrow beep of
the
Discriminate
mode.
When
Pinpointing was needed, the Big Red button made it quick and precise.
Interference came from only one other
detector. It was nice to flip that toggle in
the middle of the sweep without stoppingend of problem. Since most targets were
no more than 4" deep, I kept the
Sensitivity low, which also helped to
avoid interference.
The second hunt was a two-day open
event held by LRRC. I could not be there
for both days, so once again I was limited
with just a one-day hunt. Nevertheless,
the Vaquero came through with nice finds
and prizes. This hunt exposed the
Vaquero to the interference of even more
detectors, but again only one caused any
trouble. Quickly flipping the frequency
toggle did not slow me down at all.
Three trips to ocean beaches proved
that the Vaquero could handle the wet salt
sand. Two of the trips were to southern
New Jersey beaches, and one to a southern California beach while on vacation. I
did not come across any black sand, but
the Vaquero ran deeply and smoothly to
find coins and jewelry in the surf. There
were no block-buster jewelry finds; however, the jewelry that did turn up proved
that it was only a matter of the coil going
over the right spot. Although it is difficult
to estimate depth when scooping sand, it
was close enough to demonstrate excellent depth. My usual setup for the beach
was ground balancing on dry sand,
Discrimination as low and Sensitivity as
high as possible, with Threshold moved
to Super Tune. The result? A large pile of
modern coins was garnered one at a time,
some as deep as 12" or more. Super
Tuning at the beach provided outstanding
depth ability and sensitivity to smaller
targets such as two tiny 14K gold charms
and BB sized lead pieces. A man's plain
gold wedding band had to be a good 12"
deep. Silver also turned up in the form of
a sterling religious medal, sterling "#1
Mom" charm, and several silver toe rings.
An important discovery on the long beach
walks was the lack of arm fatigue, due to
the lightweight, ergonomic design of the
Vaquero. Changing the detector to the
other hand was rarely necessary.
Nearer to home, I was hunting a
modern school playground where sports
are also played. Modern coins were plentiful at up to about 5". Two deeper targets
at about 7" turned out to be a pair of
Mercury dimes. Obviously, this modern
school field had seen earlier use, but I had
no idea how much earlier until a solid signal at 10" turned out to be a round musketball. I've made this kind of serendipitous find before, and it is always a thrill.
I'm no arms expert but easily pictured a
musket-armed hunter in coonskin cap,
passing this way when the landscape was
a game-filled woods. The lesson here is
not to judge a piece of land by its current
purpose.
One day a neighbor knocked on my
door and asked if I could use my detector
to find a gold chain lost by her son.
Naturally, I said I would try. We went to
his friend's house, where they had been
wrestling on the back lawn. Imagine my
amusement when we pulled into the
driveway of a mid-1800s house. Making
friends with the homeowner, I was given
permission to keep anything found while
looking for the chain. To make a long
story short, the chain never did reveal
itself. I had thought it would be easy to
spot it right on the surface, but the boy
later admitted that he might have lost it
while walking home. In only an hour, the
Vaquero located a Seated Liberty quarter
at 6" and a large cent at 8". Some areas
had a fair amount of small iron nails;
however, raising the discrimination just
past iron eliminated most of those signals.
I would love to get back there for a more
thorough search with slow sweeps.
Perhaps minimum Disc or All Metal
would turn up more coins among the iron.
My tests also included trips to several
parks. In all areas, the detector ran quietly when discriminating out small iron,
while larger iron gave a broken signal or
disappeared as the discrimination was
raised. Pinpointing was precise, which
meant neat, easy digging. Several Wheat
cents and silver dimes produced good
repeatable signals at 8", or more.
The Vaquero was revealing itself to
be an excellent coin hunter with quick
and easy ground balancing. With the larger coil, some target separation difficulty
can appear in super-trashy areas, and I
found myself wishing for the 5.75"
searchcoil at these locations, as I understand it gets excellent depth while zipping
around the junk. However, lowering the
Sensitivity and raising the larger coil a little did the trick. When hunting around
playground equipment and fences, reducing the Sensitivity allowed the coil to get
closer. The most difficulty encountered in
one park was finding an area free of junk
metal in order to ground balance. The
opposite effect of the 9x8" coil is that it
has a very good matrix area, which can
extend up to 3" beyond its edge. This
means extra coverage, in addition to the
deep field beneath the coil, and that gives
one confidence of not missing targets
when covering ground in a field, park, or
on the beach. Occasionally, I heard a signal that was not quite good, yet nearly. I
discovered, when sweeping the area, that
such signals often resulted from the outer
edge of the coil signal just catching a
coin. Running the central area of the coil
back over the spot produced repeatable,
solid beeps and a good target. Don't walk
past this type of signal…check it out! The
9x8" coil will bring in extra finds for the
detectorist who listens and is not in a
hurry.
Summary
Having used a number of similar
looking Tesoro models, I was not certain
whether there would be any differences
with this detector - there were. The ED
180 Discrimination circuit provides
excellent discrimination throughout its
range and runs quietly over eliminated
small iron. In the areas hunted, the sensitivity ran at very high levels without
chirping. Ground balancing is easily managed, even for new detectorists. These
attributes and others made themselves
more apparent with every trip. The
Vaquero is extremely lightweight, goes
deep for treasure, provides solid signal
responses, and comes with a lifetime warranty. It is not fully possible to appreciate
the abilities of this metal detector on the
first or second trip; it builds over time.
With each hunt I developed even more
respect for Tesoro's Vaquero, and I have
no hesitation in recommending it for your
consideration.
MDI
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35
Lord of the Rings
All stories are by Ken Dewerson
Ring Returned
On a sunny spring day in
ring with 15-one carat diamonds that Ron
Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Mike
valued at $15,000. Kelly was now so
and Kelly Wilson were taking a stroll
excited that she gave both myself and
along the walkway next to the lake. As
Bob a big hug. Ron was surprised that
they stopped and leaned on the rail to
the ring was 8 feet away from where he
take in the scenery, Kelly was twisting
expected it to be.
the ring on her finger when it slipped and
Ron was more than happy to pay
fell 10 feet into the rocks and long grass
our fuel costs for the journey and also
below the walkway.
gave us a large cash reward including the
"No problem," said Mike. "I saw detector that he had bought.
it bounced and where it landed. We will
The moral of the story and the
walk down and pick it up." A few hours
secret to our success is knowing the prelater after a visual search, they still could cise location of the loss and using a repnot locate the ring.
utable brand of detector.
The next day Mike went to the
.
local store and purchased a metal detecLost Wedding Band
tor to assist them with the search. After 4
Comes home
days of searching with no success, they
I received an email from Joe
thought that maybe somebody had spotabout a lost wedding band. Joe had
ted it and had picked it up. They considchecked around at dive shops for assisered making a claim on their household
tance but no one could help him. As
insurance although Kelly still preferred
President of the Kelowna Metal
to locate her missing ring.
Detecting Club, Joe contacted me for
Two weeks later, Mike looked
help. I responded to Joe and met him at
up metal detectors on the Internet, thinkhis campsite on the lake, and he showed
ing someone more proficient in their use
me approximately where the ring was
may be able to help them.
lost. I told him I would return the next
He eventually phoned me in
morning with my detecting gear and
Kelowna, a 2 hours drive away.He asked attempt to find the ring.
if I would be willing to assist him. I told
Tuesday morning at 7 a.m., I
him that my hunting partner, Bob
entered the water with my Tiger Shark
Shabatura, and I would be only too
and started to grid the area. It soon
happy to help for just the cost of the fuel became apparent that the soft muddy area
from our home to Salmon Arm.
was heavily littered with metal garbage.
We arrived at the location on
After 4 hours of searching and digging
Monday morning with my Tejón and my
out nails, rusted cans, bottle caps, 8 coins
partner's Cibola. Kelly showed us where
and a mood ring, I still had not located
she was standing on the walkway and
the wedding ring. At this point I had
where her husband saw the ring land
gridded the area from 2 directions and
after the bounce. We proceeded to search had removed a large amount of junk. I
the area and removed various pieces of
was still getting good signals on my
foil and bottle caps. 5 minutes later I got
Tiger Shark, so I decided to return with
a signal from my Tejón around some
Joe for specific directions on his actions
roots in the long grass. Unable to see the
that caused the loss.
target, I probed around with my pinpointOn Friday afternoon, I entered
er and still had a good signal under the
the water again to continue the search.
roots. Feeling around with my finger, I
After 2 hours of sifting through the junk
felt the shank of the ring. I said that I
metal, a solid signal brought the white
thought I had found something, much to
gold ring surrounded by 24 diamonds to
Kelly's excitement.
the surface. I was out in the water yahooI removed the ring and was
ing but Joe was fast asleep on the beach.
shocked to see a 14 karat yellow gold
36
I went ashore and woke him up with the
good news.
On the way home, Joe stopped
in the local store and as he entered, the
background music being played was his
wedding music. It brought Joe to tears.
Platinum Band
Returned
Le Ann was having a barbeque
party in her backyard. Among the guests
was her brother, who was playing throwfootball with the kids. After the game
and having drinks on the patio, he realized that he had lost his platinum wedding band during the game. Panic stricken, they all searched the yard in their
bare feet to no avail. After two days, Le
Ann contacted me requesting assistance
in searching for the ring. She was a little
concerned about the cost of the search. I
assured her that there was no cost. I told
her that my hunting partner, Bob
Shabatura, and I would meet her first
thing the next morning. She was not to
cut the grass.
After introductions, we set about
the search. Bob was using his Vaquero
with the stock coil, and I was using a
Silver Sabre with a Clean Sweep coil.
Bob started by searching the perimeter of
the yard, and I began gridding the main
area in front of the patio. After approximately 30 minutes we had located over
$3 in coins, which we gave to the lady's
daughter. We had not found the ring.
I moved to the side of the patio,
got a signal in the long grass, and located
a ring with a sentimental engraving on
the inside. The little girl ran inside to get
her mother and it was hugs all-around.
She insisted, we accepted a small reward
that was appreciated for our efforts
although the big reward was the happiness we gave by returning the ring.
MDI
Ken Dewerson is an authorized Tesoro dealer
and operates K & B Enterprises located in
Westbank, BC Canada. If you have any questions about Tesoro metal detectors, you may
reach him at (250) 707-0618 or email him at
kdewerson@shaw.com
FIELD TEST by Ben Meyers
(Reprinted with permission from Western & Eastern Treasures, March 2000)
yourself pole and armrest
modifications. There are three
sections of poles which easily
fasten and unfasten with spring
buttons and pole locks. This
system provides for no wobble
coil sweeping and easy disassembly. For diving, remove the middle
pole section and slide the lower pole
directly into the upper-the section with
the S-handle and padded handgrip.
Another nice convenience for either diving or beach hunting is the ability to
place the control box on the pole, under
the elbow at the armrest, or mount it to
body or belt. The 8' of cable provided is
sufficient for any configuration, and control box removal is just a matter of
Tired of those pesky false signals that your VLF machine makes over
wet salt and black sand? Pulse induction
(PI) could be the answer and Tesoro's
exciting new PI model is called the Sand
Shark.
The folks at Tesoro have
chalked up many impressive achievements in recent years. Their development
of ultralight, high performance land
detectors has drawn praise from many
detectorists. Now, with the release
of this machine, they can also boast
that, "The Sand Shark is the first
Pulse Induction metal detector that
is controlled by microprocessor
technology." Let's take a closer
look at what that means for you.
In the past, one chore the
PI searcher had to perform fairly
frequently was tuning the detector
to keep it at peak performance or
risk missing targets. With Tesoro's
The Sand Shark has four control knobs on the face
use of microprocessor technology,
that may look a little daunting at first, in fact they
the detector now keeps itself in
are easy toset and actually make pulse detecting
tune, allowing one to concentrate
more comfortable than ever.
on listening for targets. Those
experienced in the use of PI detectors depressing four of the spring buttons and
know this is a real time saver and maybe lifting off the control box. It is obvious
a gold ring saver as well. Peak perform- that a great deal of thought went into the
ance can be the difference between suc- ergonomic design.
cess and failure for any metal detector. SEARCHCOILS
The Sand Shark has a standard
Tesoro is forging ahead with modern
8"
open-center
searchcoil for most applitechnology to make pulse induction
cations,
plus
a
10½"
open-center coil for
operating a user-friendly experience.
larger
targets
and
light
trash, a 7" for
Now, with microprocessors working for
you, you just set the Sand Shark to your smaller targets ad trashier sites, and a 10"
preferences, then hunt on the beach or elliptical for a widescan sweep while
under water leaving the detector to han- retaining good sensitivity to smaller targets. Being stuck with a 10" coil in a
dle circuit maintenance.
trashy area where a small one would do
nicely is no picnic. Having the extra
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
First of all, those of you who are depth of a larger coil in a non-trashy site
divers won't have to make any do-it- is a blessing as well. Tesoro's exceptional Printed Spiral searchcoils provide the
best tools for the job at hand. Also, you
will notice that the target signal is
strongest at the center of the coil for easier pinpointing.
CONTROL BOX
The control box has a bracket
mounted on the top. Holes on either side
of the bracket allow the spring buttons to
be pressed in and the control box lifted
off the pole. It can also be mounted
under the pole and in front of the handgrip for easier access to the controls. If
you'd rather have the counterbalance of
the control box under the elbow it's a
"snap." The control box, as well as the
entire detector, is ruggedly constructed
to allow diving to a maximum of
200'.
The Sand Shark comes with a
set of attached, waterproof stereo
piezo headphones. Two draw-bolt
clamps retain the face of the control
box for a watertight seal of the electronics. Eight AA batteries held in a
drop-in battery pack power the
detector. The batteries are accessed
through the release of the faceplate
clamps.
CONTROLS & FEATURES
PI units don't have to contend
with ground balance and are usually
simple to use. The Sand Shark has four
control knobs on the face that may look
a little daunting at first. In fact they are
easy to set and actually make pulse
detecting more comfortable than ever.
The MODE control is the one
we'll consider first. Mode is a word with
a number of meanings in the detector
world, and in this case, it is a way of
adjusting the type of audio response of
the unit. In the extreme left position, the
unit is OFF. The next setting is VCO
(Voltage Controlled Oscillator). The
oscillator on the Sand Shark changes
audio frequency and amplitude as the
target nears the coil. So, the signal you
hear through the headphones becomes
37
louder in volume and higher in pitch.
This is my favorite way to hunt with the
Sand Shark, as there is no doubt that a
target is nearby.
Skipping to the last notch, you'll
find the NORMAL setting. In this mode
the audio signal keeps the same frequency you set and the volume of the audio
signal indicates signal strength. Tesoro
nicely considered each person's hearing
and provided an ability to preset the frequency to be used in this mode. That is
where the third slot of the MODE knob
comes into play, marked "F SET" for
Frequency Set. Place the MODE knob to
"F SET," then look at the THRESHOLD
knob directly across from it. It becomes
a frequency adjuster to set the tone of the
NORMAL mode. You will notice that "F
SET" on the MODE knob and "F
ADJUST" under the THRESHOLD
knob are both highlighted in orange to
work in conjunction. After adjusting the
THRESHOLD knob with the corresponding "F SET" MODE knob you will hear
the audio tone you desire.
Remember that once frequency
is set and you have come out of "F SET,"
the threshold must be reset. Also, while
the MODE knob is a "F SET," the detector will not respond to targets. It must be
in either VCO or NORMAL.
While discussing the THRESHOLD knob, perhaps we should explain to
new detectorists that "threshold" is the
steady hum you hear in the background.
Some targets are so small or deep that
they may not be able to generate much of
a change in the audio. Therefore a low,
steady hum is the best setting of the
threshold as too loud a threshold will not
allow one to hear minor changes. Once
the VOLUME control is set, you can do
a battery test. The volume should be
adjusted in accordance with conditions
of the area to be hunted, and set at a
point that is comfortable for you.
The THRESHOLD knob has a
slot marked "BATT. TEST" that checks
the condition of the batteries. The eight
AA batteries will provide 10-20 hours of
use with the PULSE WIDTH knob set at
the "preset" position. Six or seven beeps
means that the batteries are A-OK with
fewer beeps meaning that they are draining. Tesoro suggests replacing the batter38
ies at one or no beeps, but personally, I
wouldn't wait that long. Output power is
especially important in a PI machine,
and you want all the performance available. Don't forget to reset the threshold
when the battery test is finished.
The PULSE WIDTH knob may
be an unfamiliar one for some people.
However, the Tesoro engineers have
wisely included it to give you more control over battery life in relation to sensitivity. Some may disagree, but I feel
comfortable in saying that you can think
of the PULSE WIDTH as a kind of sensitivity control: the higher one turns it,
presumably the more sensitivity and
depth. The downside is that the higher
one turns it, the more power is used and
the less the battery life. The nice part is
that you control it. Depending upon the
search, you decide whether you need
more battery life or more sensitivity to
targets.
That explains the controls which
are straightforward in design and function. You decide and set for VCO with
changes in pitch and loudness, or NORMAL mode with the same audio frequency. Be sure to check your battery
condition and set the THRESHOLD and
VOLUME levels, as well as the PULSE
WIDTH. The detector takes care of the
rest. The user doesn't have to keep retuning the machine because microprocessor
circuitry performs that job automatically.
UNDERSTANDING PULSE
INDUCTION
With so many new people getting into the hobby, I would be remiss if
I did not say a few things about pulse
induction in general. After all, a better
understanding of it will help you get the
most from the Sand Shark. PI machines
are mostly an all-metal detector. True,
there are some that provide discrimination (trash rejection) of higher conductive targets, but iron is often detected.
PI's are ordinarily used on beaches and
underwater, where trash is normally
lighter and high discrimination should be
avoided anyway. Gold jewelry can show
up anywhere from "iron" on up to "silver
dollar" on a conductivity scale, depending upon a number of factors. This is true
for all detectors. You want to dig all tar-
gets on a beach, if you don't want to miss
any jewelry.
VLF machines have to cancel
out the effects of ground minerals while
sending out a constant electromagnetic
field. When a metal target disturbs the
field, the imbalance is reported to the
operator via the circuitry. Most VLF
machines have a real problem with wet
salt sand, and especially black magnetic
sand-conditions where PI machines
excel. Manufacturers often say that PI
units ignore salt and other mineralization. I don't know that it is so much that
they ignore them totally, as that they
ignore them long enough so that they
don't pose a problem. Unlike a VLF
machine, a PI detector has a single
antenna that both transmits and receives.
The batteries provide power for the pulse
coil to "turn on" and transmit an electromagnetic field into the matrix around the
coil. The matrix in the ground causes
eddy currents on both mineralization and
metal targets encountered. The transmitter antenna then deactivates itself and
waits. After a specified time the circuits
activate, and the antenna becomes the
receiver for any residual eddy currents.
The better an item conducts electricity,
the longer it will hold the eddy currents,
and therefore the more easily it can be
picked up by the receiver antenna.
Fortunately, mineralization does not
conduct electricity well, and therefore
the eddy currents decay quickly in the
ground (gold and silver are good conductors and hold those eddy currents for
the receiver antenna).
OPERATION
To follow up on the previous
paragraph, the receiver antenna "activates" after the eddy currents in the mineralization decay, yet is still detectable in
metal targets. Longer transmitting time
allows more eddy currents on metal targets, and it is easier for the receiving
antenna to pick up these residual eddy
currents. This translates into more sensitivity and, as a result, greater depth.
Increasing the PULSE WIDTH creates a
longer transmitting time of the antenna
but also causes more power use and
therefore less battery life. The "Preset"
mark on the Sand Shark's PULSE
M D I · M E T A L D E T E C T O R I N F O R M AT I O N · 2 2 T H E D I T I O N
WIDTH control gives the best balance
between sensitivity and battery life.
All of this happens fast. In fact,
the operating frequency of the Sand
Shark is 600 pulses per second! Why so
many? Well, for one thing, it allows the
operator to use the Sand Shark more like
a VLF machine, in that one can use a
faster coil sweep. There are reportedly
other reasons, but I can't comment on
those within the scope of this report.
The Sand Shark utilizes AutoTune in the microprocessor circuitry to
keep itself tuned. For that reason, a very
slight motion of the coil is required at all
times to receive a signal. However, it is
an extremely slight motion, and pinpointing is enhanced with the Spiral
Printed coils, which make that aspect of
operation so easy.
My field test took place after the tourist
season, so I should not have been surprised at the lack of signals on the dry
sand, where armies of detectorists had
scoured a depleting supply of coins and
jewelry daily. Down at the water's edge,
there were still a good number of targets.
I suppose that the constant tide action
kept making deposits in the "bank." My
very first target came up in the scoop,
flashing the color of gold! I was
shocked. Unfortunately, closer inspection revealed that I'd found a gold-colored earring, not real gold. Even so, the
experience did get me in the mood to
find gold.
The next couple of hours turned
up a fair number of coins and a fishing
sinker here and there. Most of the coins
were from surface to about 8", and with
the VCO the audio alerted me right away
to the presence of metal. I found two or
three small pieces of iron, but it was a
clean beach except for the ever-present
pulltabs. We all know that pulltabs can
"look" exactly like a gold ring to a detector, so we tolerate the little rascals. I also
FIELD EXPERIENCES
Although PI detectors can be
used in fresh or salt water, they are really in their environment in a saltwater
location. Many times a detectorist will
be surprised to see a PI detector get better depth on a wet salt beach than
in an air test. I suppose everyone
has his own opinion, but mine is
that this is due to the fact that salt
water is a good conductor of electricity. After all, the machine is
pulsing out electromagnetic sigLongview of
nals and the farther they can be
Sand Shark
sent and received the better.
About the time the Sand
Shark arrived for testing, the east
coast was being pounded with some noticed that there are fewer pulltabs at
nasty hurricanes. Ordinarily that would the beach these days and more of those
be great, but it's several hours' drive to little circular foil liners from drink botget to the beach from my home and at tles. I guess they are going to be the
every opportunity to get time off from pulltabs of the next century.
Finally as I was about to call it a
work, another storm would hit and the
beaches would be closed. Nevertheless I day, real gold came up in the scoop! The
did get in two short trips to the seashore, water was about ankle deep, and the ring
and one to a freshwater lake closer to was a wedding band-small, but 14K and
thus a keeper, with no owner markings.
home.
On the first trip to the seashore It was about 5" deep and gave a good
beach, I took a couple of minutes to set signal.
The next trip to the seashore was
up the Sand Shark and check the batteries. During the sweep up and down the about the same as the first, between
beaches, I tried both the NORMAL storms but not the kind to churn up old
mode and the VCO. I definitely pre- coins. This time there were more coins,
ferred the VCO with the change in pitch; and some of them had been there a while
so, after a while, I just left it on VCO. as they showed the signs of salt-water
corrosion. I was not to find gold on this
trip, but someone's house key
"unlocked" the secret hiding place of a
silver religious medal close by. I am
grateful for the "gazillion" religious
medals lost over the years, especially silver ones.
Of course, the main reason for
the trip was to use the detector, and the
Sand Shark was definitely doing its job
of finding treasure for me. The detector
only weighs 4½ lbs. so fatigue was not a
problem. I had the control box on the
pole, and if I had thought of it, it would
have felt even lighter if I had put it under
the elbow.
Due to work situations, I couldn't get the time for more trips to the
seashore, so opted for a trip to a swimming lake in my area. This was well after
the swimming season, and I didn't expect
to find much, but the weather was cool
and the sun was shining, and what more
can you ask? As predicted, there wasn't
much to find except a few coins and
pulltabs. I was placing a tab in my trash
pouch when an older couple, taking a
walk, came up to see what I
was doing. "Find anything?"
they asked. How many times
have we all heard that?
"Nah, just some coins and
pulltabs."
They smiled and idly
watched as I continued finding
tabs. Then it happened. The signal was not a "banger," but definitely something interesting. It
took two scoops at the water's edge to
recover it. About 10" down was a nicesized 14K gold wedding band! There are
no initials inside the band, so guess who
gets to keep it! After I left the lake, I
believe there was an open-mouthed older
couple on their way to a detector shop to
make a purchase.
SUMMARY
Regardless of the detector you
use, get out there and enjoy it! But if you
are in the market for a new water-hunting machine, by all means check out the
Tesoro Sand Shark. Believe me, it's one
shark that will put the bite on treasure!
MDI
39
Lost Treasure Field Test
by Andy Sabisch
Reprinted with thanks from Lost Treasure December 2000
Jack Gifford founded Tesoro
Electronics nearly 20 years ago and
since then his company has developed
the reputation of building high-quality,
dependable metal detectors at affordable
prices.
Over the years, Tesoro-users
worldwide have recovered coins, jewelry and artifacts spanning thousands of
years, often in areas that had been heavily hunted with competing
brands.
Jack and his staff are continually working on developing
new models to provide users
with greater performance and
flexibility in the field. With
the popularity of beach and
water hunting, they focused
their efforts on producing a
unit that builds on the success
experienced by their Stingray
II and Sand Shark models.
Since I am an avid water
hunter myself, I was anxious to see how
well the new unit, the Tiger Shark, performed in some of the lakes and ocean
beaches near my home.
FEATURES
When selecting a metal detector, beach and water hunters have been
forced to make a choice based on where
they planned to hunt most often; i.e.,
fresh or salt water. While VLF detectors
offered discrimination, they were usually adversely affected by the conductivity
of salt water resulting in erratic operation. On the other hand, pulse detectors
could handle these conditions; however,
they lacked the discrimination found on
VLF units and as a result, users were
forced to dig almost every target they
40
came across-good and bad!
The only solution was to purchase two different detectors if
you hunted both fresh and salt
water sites or look into one of
the $1,000 plus units operating
on multiple frequencies.
After two years of design and
testing, the microprocessor-controlled
Tiger Shark was born. In the NORMAL
mode, the Tiger Shark utilizes the fieldproven ground balance circuitry found
on other popular Tesoro models such as
the Eldorado and Bandido. What sets
the Tiger Shark apart from other VLF
detectors is the SALT mode which acti-
Threshold and Sensitivity.
The Tiger Shark uses the same
control housing that has been used on
all of the other water detectors that have
been built by Tesoro. Rock-solid, this
case has developed the reputation of
being leak proof even after years of
service and is rated waterproof to 200
feet. The shaft assembly allows for the
detector to be used in several different
configurations including pole-mounted,
hip-mounted or as a short-handle dive
unit. No additional parts or kits are
required for these conversions.
The Tiger Shark is powered by
8 AA batteries which, according to the
manual, provide between 10 and
20 hours of life. I tend to think
you will get more than this as I
used the unit extensively during
the field test and never had to
replace the batteries.
Rechargeable batteries can be
used in the Tiger Shark with no
adverse results. The battery pack
has also been redesigned and is
now a drop-in system that eliminates the potential of breaking the
battery leads.
vates a completely separate set of internal settings and circuitry which allows
the adverse effects of salt water to be
compensated for with no loss of performance. Tested in a number of different areas over the two-year period, the
two modes-NORMAL and SALT-make
the Tiger Shark a truly versatile detector
unaffected by mineralized ground or salt
water.
The Tiger Shark is controlled
through four knobs on the control housing face and three small potentiometers
inside the housing. The external knobs
are TUNE SPEED (All Metal
Slow/Fast/Motion Discrimination);
MODE (Off/Normal/Salt); DISC
LEVEL and GROUND ADJUST.
Internal adjustments include Volume,
FIELD TEST
My initial testing was conducted at a few local land sties such as
schools and private yards to get the
hang of adjusting the Tiger Shark and
seeing how it responded to various targets. Like other Tesoro models I have
used in the past, the Tiger Shark did an
above-average job in handling
the
mineralized ground found in central
Pennsylvania and located targets including a few wheat cents, three silver
dimes and other items at depths up to 9
inches deep.
The first water site I visited
was a small public lake in a nearby
town. Unfortunately, the summer of
2000 in the Northeast has been one of
rain and cool temperatures, which kept
I switched to the SALT mode and
the crowds small to non-existent on
ground balanced the unit. Sweeping the
most beaches throughout the season.
coil across the wet sand, a few "popsHoping to find at least a few "keepers"and-chirps" were produced. The sensiwhether from this season or previous
tivity was still set fairly high from the
ones, I set the sensitivity near maxifreshwater sites I had been searching
mum, ground balanced the unit and
which was causing the background
walked into the shallow roped-off
noise. Turning my back to the wind, I
swimming area. As expected, signals
opened the control housing and lowered
were few and far between. One thing
the Sensitivity slightly. Closing the case
that I noticed immediately was the lack
and re-ground balancing the detector, I
of any chatter or false signals as I
found it to be silent as I swept across
searched. This beach was in the center
the wet sand. Even as I approached the
of the coal mining area of Pennsylvania
area where waves were washing up,
and when I had hunted here in the past I
there was no falsing typically experihad been plagued with "noise" from the
enced when hunting saltwater areas with
coal cinders that were buried in with the
most VLF-type detectors. Brian and I
sand. The new circuitry was doing an
planned to crosscheck each other's sigexcellent job ignoring the "hot rocks."
The first signal was quite
Long view of Tiger
loud and turned out to be a
Shark with head phones
new Maryland quarter just
under the surface.
Continuing out towards the
rope, I received a faint but
repeatable signal. Digging
down to the clay layer
under the sand, I found a
nals to see how the Tiger Shark comsmall 10KT gold hoop earring-not
pared to his pulse detector. He hit the
worth much but I'll take any gold target!
first few signals; however, the Tiger
The impressive thing was that the Tiger
Shark did not produce any response
Shark had detected a target this small
when I checked them. In each case the
almost 7 inches down in sand that contargets were ferrous trash-sparklers from
tained hot rocks. Over the next three
the 4th of July, wire ties, small pieces of
weeks I hunted four more freshwater
a rusted can, etc. The first signal I
beaches and despite the cool weather
received was clear but faint. Brian
and competition from local hunters, I
checked it and also received a faint sigrecovered nearly $25 in coins, several
nal. From just over 8 inches we pulled
keys, a nice dive watch (still running)
out a well-corroded quarter slightly on
and 11 pieces of gold including a rope
edge. Over the next hour we found sevchain that most detectors would have a
eral coins, a key, two Matchbox cars
hard time seeing even when placed on
and a few other non-ferrous items.
the coil itself.
Brian had also recovered more than two
Since moving up to
Pennsylvania from Georgia, I was closer dozen pieces of rusted metal which is
the downside of using a pulse detector.
to ocean beaches than I had been in the
As we started working our way back to
past which was convenient for testing
the boardwalk, I received a signal and
detectors in this environment. I called
called Brian over. He was not able to
an old friend of mine-Brian Wilkin-who
get a signal despite hearing the response
lived on the New Jersey shore and
from the Tiger Shark.
arranged to meet him on the beach near
Curious as to what the target
Toms River, N.J. He is an avid saltwater
was, we carefully scraped the wet sand
beach hunter and was anxious to see
away. Four inches down we found a
how well the Tiger Shark performed in
small (0.5" x 0.25") thin gold cross. It
his area. We started out in the wet sand
wasn't until Brian's coil almost touched
in front of the boardwalk as Brian had
the cross did he get any signal at all. On
done well here over the past few weeks.
the other hand, the Tiger Shark could hit
it almost an inch or two deeper than it
had been found. We hunted this beach
and two others the rest of the day and
while we found only one more piece of
gold, a small nugget ring, we did find
several dollars in coins and other interesting "trinkets." Brian was impressed
with the Tiger Shark's performance and
was considering switching from his ol'
dependable pulse unit for his daily
searches on the New Jersey coastal
beaches.
SUMMARY
The Tiger Shark's unique hybrid
circuitry is extremely effective in allowing it to be used in both salt water and
fresh water environments as
well as all types of land sites.
Treasure hunters can now have
a single detector that works well
in all areas rather than being
forced to sacrifice performance
or buy two different detectors.
Tesoro detectors have developed
the reputation of being extremely sensitive to even the smallest of gold
objects and the Tiger Shark continues to
fulfill that reputation. Considering most
beach and water hunters are searching
for gold jewelry in addition to coins and
artifacts, the Tiger Shark won't be a disappointment.
The only drawback with the
unit is the need to open the case to
adjust the sensitivity (typically the volume and threshold would not require readjustment once you set them). On land,
this is not a problem; however, one
should be careful to protect the internal
electronics from blowing sand and spray
when making an adjustment on a saltwater beach.
The Tiger Shark comes with the
standard lifetime Tesoro Electronics
warranty and sells for $749.
Tesoro offers an optional 7-inch
and 10.5 inch searchcoil, which further
enhances the Tiger Shark's versatility.
If you are looking for a quality
detector that is equally at home on a
beach or underwater as well as the local
park or even a long-forgotten battlefield,
you should take a close look at the new
Tiger Shark.
MDI
41
FIELD TEST
by Ron Barnes
Reprint from MDI 20
This report began with a phone
call from James Gifford of Tesoro
Electronics asking me if I would be
interested in doing a report on their new
I.D. detector-the DeLeón. Would I?
Show me the detector!
In a few days, the familiar
brown truck rolled up to my shop. In all
of about 45 seconds, I had the carton
opened and had begun the assembly
process. In approximately 3 minutes, I
had the DeLeón ready to go. My first
impression was "Wow! How do they put
so much into such a small, lightweight,
well-balanced machine?" When you hold
the DeLeón in the proper detecting
stance, it feels like it is merely an extension of your arm. When swinging this little "dynamo," you cannot believe how
effortless it is.
When assembling the DeLeón, I
want to stress the fact that you "snap" the
battery doors close after fully inserting
the battery packs. After a few moments
out in my test garden, I noticed one of
the battery compartment doors had
opened. If this happened out in the field
or woods, I would have had a problem.
After inspection of the door, I discovered
that it was operator error and not the
machine. I had not followed the directions in the manual and had not fully
installed the battery pack. Read the book
first.
My test garden consists of the
following basic targets: penny, nickel,
dime, quarter, gold ring, pulltabs, and an
iron nail. All of the targets are a measured 6" deep. The DeLeón detected and
identified each target accurately. It wasn't
until I held the coil between 3 and 5
inches off the ground that the machine
started giving the "I am not sure" type
response. Folks, that kind of depth on a
good target I.D. is remarkable. I have
42
machines in stock at
twice the price that
can't do that.
The DeLeón's controls are simplicity exemplified. Three knobs and one
toggle switch control this powerhouse of
a detector. The threshold knob is set to a
light buzzing sound and with that done,
you can simply forget that control. The
next knob is the on/off sensitivity control, which in essence controls the depth
(achievable) and stability of the detector.
The remaining knob discriminates out
unwanted targets. Just remember that the
higher you set the discriminate control,
the more good
targets you can
be shutting out.
Also, at the higher discrimination
settings, there is
normally a slight
loss in depth.
That leaves one
control, the toggle switch,
which enables
the following 3
modes: battery
check, discriminate mode, and all metal mode. At full
battery charge, the battery check displays
8 squares. As the charge drops off, the
squares start disappearing. I like this system because you can tell at a glance
approximately how many hours you have
left on your power supply. After about 20
hours of "off and on" detecting, my unit
was still showing about 75% (6 squares)
of power left. I think Tesoro's estimate of
10 to 20 hours of battery life is very conservative.
Now for the fun part folks. This
is a fun machine to use for hunting.
None of the ground balancing touch pads
or programming to fiddle with. Turn this
lightweight powerhouse on and go get
'em!! Targets, that is.
This detector will actually show
you if the target is too close to the coil
for proper I. D. "Raise coil" will appear
when the machine is in overload. Simply
raising the coil will give the detector the
breathing room it needs to analyze the
target and give its opinion. The DeLeón
gives you several important bits of information to help you decide to dig or not
to dig. The large display numbers are a
real benefit to all of us but especially
helpful to those who have trouble seeing
the numbers on most meters. The depth
number is displayed to the far left on the
screen and is very accurate on buttons
and coin-sized targets.
The most helpful piece of info is the
bar graph. The manual
advises that if more
than one segment is
displayed, then it is
probably an iron target. I can say with certainty that if one segment of the bar graph
locks in and the number displayed locks on,
you can "bet the farm"
on the I.D. of that particular target. If you had several segments displayed, it was iron! I used the
DeLeón on several beaches, lawns,
woods, and even used it in a competition
hunt down south that's notorious for the
amount of iron remaining in the ground.
For the novice to the average competition hunter, the DeLeón could save them
a lot of time in proper target identification.
The best test of the DeLeón's
power came in a field that I had just gotten permission to detect. The field was
adjacent to a major highway that I traveled daily. I did some research on the
area and learned that several businesses
had existed along the field dating back to
the late 1700s. I had about 2 hours left in
the afternoon before I wrapped up this
field test. I took along an extra Tesoro
for the property owner and would you
believe that he hunted
with me? I spent a good
deal of time checking his
targets with the DeLeón
meter. He came up with a
pistol ball and musketball
from the War of 1812
and/or Civil War period. I
found a copper badge
with a number on it in old
English script, still to be
identified. But by far the
icing on the cake for the
DeLeón was a Seated
Liberty half-dime dated
1848 at a measured 11+
inches and an 1865 Indian cent from
10+ inches. Both finds were witnessed
by a curious detectorist who walked out
into the field. I was digging the halfdime while he chatted. When I got
down to the top of my trowel, I could
see the, "He's got a beer can or a horseshoe," look on his face. All the time I
was mentally saying, "Baby, don't fail
me now." When I finally checked the
hole again and didn't get a response, my
spectator grew
silent. I started
brushing away the
rich humus dirt
when lo and
behold, there was
lady Liberty smiling at me. He asked
me to put the trowel back in the hole.
He had to see it
again-11+ inches.
About thirty feet
farther out in the
field, the same scenario. I took a 6" to
8" deep plug and started scooping out
more dirt. Bingo! An 1865 Indian cent
in great shape at 10+ inches deep. He
said, "I think I need to upgrade my
machine to a lower priced one." He
asked if I had a business card with me. I
told him to follow me to my vehicle.
As I was walking off the field, my host
advised me that the machine I loaned
him was great, but he wanted the one I
was using. Oh well, I guess I can part
with another DeLeón.
I even got two of my grandchildren involved in the field test. Crystal
and Matthew thought it was a cool
machine. I don't know whether that
statement was due to the fact that there
was actually an inch of snow on the
ground or because it found money.
Later, I was assured that it was because
of the coins found. Success! Two new
converts to the hobby.
The only feature that would
complete this detector would be a frequency shift for use in competition
hunting. Although there were only a
couple of detectors that caused interference, it was still a distraction. But let
me emphasize right now that I honestly
do not believe there is a better I.D.
machine on the market in or out of this
price range. Lightweight, easy to operate, accurate, out standing depth, and a
lifetime guarantee. Tesoro has done it
again!MDI
Testimonials
Several months ago, I returned
my metal detector to your organization
for repairs. The detector now works perfectly, and I am very pleased with its performance. I am even more pleased with
the customer service that I received. I
feel you went above and beyond the call
of duty in helping me with my problem.
Once again thank you for your
help. You may be assured that I have
passed along what a great company you
have many times.
Bruce Rowan
Quincy, FL
(Tesoro Cutlass µMax)
I recently sent in my Inca Metal
Detector for repairs… It is rare that I
write letters, especially letters of gratitude and thanks. But after dealing with
you company and your staff I felt compelled to do so. Let me start by saying
everyone that I had spoken with, including the receptionist that answers calls, to
the technician, Rusty Henry was a
delight to speak with. They spoke perfect
English (a rare occurrence in today’s
business) and were very knowledgeable
regarding your product line and my service needs. All my questions were
answered quickly and I felt comfortable
knowing my product was in good hands.
To me TESORO means quality,
not treasure. Your corporation sets the
standard for which other companies
should strive to achieve. I can think of no
other companies which produce a product
line with such high standards of quality
and craftsmanship that they back it up
with a lifetime guarantee. I give your
staff, your company, your workmanship
all a 5 STAR rating.
Tesoro fan for life.
Calvin Henderson
Phoenix, AZ
Dear Tesoro (Gifford family, Rusty and
everyone)
I just wanted to write and give
you my sincerest thanks for fixing up my
stingray detector. I just sent it in because
I felt the sensitivity has decreased over
the years. You all fixed it up like it is
brand new. For that I am very grateful to
all of you that work hard to give us a
great product! I have always been a fan
of Tesoro and will always be one. I love
the Stingray since the day I bought it back
in ‘94/’95. I just bought a Tejon too this
year and love that detector as well. Thank
you for taking such wonderful care of
your customers and your detectors.
Sincerely,
Don Weston
Sinking Spring, PA
I know the Lobo is a great
nugget machine, but it’s also a terrific
coin and relic hunter. While relic hunting
an old rach site, I found my first silver
dollar, an 1883 Morgan in good condition. The same hole produced an 1897
Barber half in very good condition. The
Lobo covers the ground really well and
sicriminates the iron while still finding
the elusive dollar gold coins.
Andy Kmetz
Cheyenne, WY
43
FIELD TEST
by Joe Patrick
Reprinted with permission from Lost Treasure March 2001
In the mid 1980's, Tesoro
Electronics introduced a new type of
metal detector that gave operators a way
to eliminate digging most pulltabs without eliminating nickels, gold rings and
coins. This technology was named
Notch Discrimination.
I remember very well one of my
early experiences using an original
Golden Sabre…
I was attending a local club
hunt, at the site of an old picnic grove
near Pittsburgh, Penn. Understanding
the advantage that notch would give me
over my no-notch competition, I decided to use the notch function during one
of the hunts.
As you might imagine, there
were many searches, all covering the
same small plot of ground during the
45-minute hunt. As I followed about
100 feet behind, I watched two club
members "run" a pattern just below the
top of a small ridge. As I got to where
they had just searched, I heard the
unmistakable sound of a good, but
weak, target. As I began my retrieval,
Frank and his partner walked over to see
what they had just missed. Well, their
eyes about "bugged-out" when I pulled
a 1922, 10K, Curry College class ring
out of the hole! That single discovery
convinced me of the power and advantage of using Tesoro's notch system.
Tesoro's Golden Sabre detectors
have been very popular with detectorists, so it's no wonder that Tesoro
"fans" have been asking lately, "When's
the 'next generation' Golden Sabre coming out?"
Well folks, it's here-and I can tell you
that it is one, sweet metal detector that is
just loaded with new features and performance.
44
FEATURES
One of the most striking and notable features
and improvements of the
new Golden µMax is its new 9 by 8-inch
oval, concentric searchcoil.
Not only does this coil improve
detection depth, but I have noticed that
it can actually sense shallow targets that
are slightly outside of its perimeter. This
makes its ground coverage ability outstanding.
The new coil has a very thin
profile and open frame design making it
lightweight and easy to handle for such
a "large" size.
For the past several years, many
Tesoro users have been commenting
about, requesting and waiting for Tesoro
to add audio tone identification to their
new models. Well, the wait is over. The
Golden µMax has both audio tone identification and VCO (voltage controlled
oscillator) all-metal pinpointing.
The audio tone ID works in the
discrimination mode and has four distinct and different tones to indicate a
large surface target or overload condition.
When a target is too close to the
coil, it creates a very large signal. The
Golden µMax responds with a "double
beep" signal to let you know when this
occurs.
The other four audio tones are:
240 Hz for iron, foil and very small gold
rings; 315 Hz for foil, nickels, small
gold rings and some pulltabs; 370 Hz
for most pulltabs, some gold rings and
screw caps. The highest and last tone is
500 Hz for pennies, silver and clad
coins, etc.
There can and will be some
overlap of target signals and tones and
target ambiguity, but I found the audio
tone ID to be an immense aid in "classifying" unknown targets still in the
ground-although, I wish it had a little
more frequency spread (separation)
between the four tones.
Once a target is located, switching to the pinpoint mode activates the
VCO pinpointing audio. This is a slowmotion all metal tone that varies from
260-420 Hz depending on the target's
size, depth and metallic composition.
The closer you are to the target and its
center, the higher the tone of the pinpointing signal. I found this feature to
work well and found I began to like it
more as I used it.
I, personally, prefer Tesoro's
single-tone modulated audio for pinpointing and I wish they had incorporated a switch to select either standard or
VCO audio for pinpointing. Some may
disagree with me on this, but it would be
my preference if possible.
The Golden µMax's notch feature has "NORMAL," "WIDE," and
"OFF" settings. The Normal and Wide
settings are used in conjunction with the
"NOTCH WIDTH" control to eliminate
the unwanted target(s). This feature
works well enough but may be a little
too difficult to understand unless you
have a Golden µMax in hand. Basically,
you adjust the DISC control to a low
setting, perhaps to just eliminate iron
and foil. Then, you adjust the notch to
eliminate pulltabs. By doing this, you
have the best chance at finding most
coins and many types of gold rings
without digging pulltabs. This is just
one example of many that can beaccomplished by using notch discrimination…and it is exactly how I found the
1922 Curry College class ring. It does
require careful adjustment though and a
total understanding of its operation to
obtain maximum results.
Tesoro's Golden µMax has four
controls and two switches that control
its operation. At the top right side is the
THRESHOLD control, which is used to
set the All Metal threshold audio. Just
below it is the SENSITIVITY and
POWER on/off control. At the bottom
right side is the DISCRIMINATION
control. At the left side is the NOTCH
WIDTH control as explained above.
Located at the bottom center is a threeposition toggle switch used to set the
notch OFF, NARROW or WIDE. The
other toggle switch is used to test the
battery and to select either the ALL
METAL or DISC operating modes.
The BATT TEST used on the
new Golden µMax is also something
new. Previous Tesoro models have used
the "tone-on-power-up" method to test
the battery. With the new Golden µMax,
you can test the battery at any time by
simply pressing the toggle switch to the
BATT TEST position. A new, fully
charged battery will produce 6 or 7
beeps. When you hear only 1 or 2
beeps, it will be time to replace the battery. I like this battery test method, but
sometimes, during pinpointing, I would
move the switch too far to the left and
unintentionally enter the battery test
mode.
The Golden µMax weighs just
2.2 pounds and is housed in Tesoro's
miniature µMax housing. Their standard 3-piece locking pole assembly is
used. Tesoro's typical high-quality is
readily apparent in the Golden µMax
and overall, it provides an outstanding
combination of performance, comfort
and ease-of-use.
FIELD USE
I had an opportunity to use the
Golden µMax at several different locaTESORO ELECTRONICS, INC.
tions. My first time out, I searched a
high vista overlook above the
Monongahela river. This site produced
several Indian Head cents and an old
metal button. The tone ID, VCO pinpointing and overload signal made
detecting very informative-something I
am not accustomed to for such a small,
lightweight detector. I can tell you that
the Golden µMax makes a great
"woods" detector. The only complaint I
have is that the open coil design catches on branches and stubble. A solid coil
cover would eliminate this problem.
Other than that, I was well pleased with
its performance and features. I am
amazed at what it provides for such a
small package.
Its sensitivity, depth capability
and discrimination are all "typical"
Tesoro. Those who are familiar with
Tesoro detectors know that they discriminate very well, have above average depth capability and are very sensitive, especially to small targets. Having
used Tesoro detectors for many years, I
can tell you that the new Golden µMax
now ranks as one of my favorite
Tesoro's.
Site number two turned out to
be a dud. It was the location of a 1793
homesite, with the home still standing!
Unfortunately, too many things have
happened over the years including
landscaping, scrap auto parts and
numerous outbuildings being constructed…all of which left little original ground available for detecting. I did
discover though that the Golden µMax
handles trash very well and the overload signal saved a lot of unnecessary
digging.
Having no luck at this site, I moved to
the location of another old colonial
home a few miles up the road. Using
the Golden µMax with notch off and
preset discrimination, I was able to
identify good targets by listening to the
tone ID…this was enjoyable detecting.
Having about two hours to
detect, I managed to find a few early
Wheat cents, an old Crucifix, several
old buttons, a brass Terret ring (horse
harness) and an 1896 Indian Head
cent…which cleaned up very well.
CONCLUSION
I have been a big Tesoro fan
and advocate for many years now and
can honestly say that I have not used
any Tesoro metal detector that did not
perform well. Since the early 1980's, I
have used most of their models at one
time or another. Always, I have found
Tesoro detectors to provide high performance and ease of use at a price that
is very reasonable.
The new Golden µMax continues that
fine tradition and shows that Tesoro, as
a company, is still listening to the wants
and wishes of their customers. The
Golden µMax is a fine detector with a
lot of surprising features and is certain
to please many coin and jewelry
hunters. I also believe that it is quite
capable of relic hunting, as many
Tesoro models have proven to be, especially now with the new 9 by 8 and larger searchcoils.
At a retail price of $529.00, the
Golden µMax comes with a 9 by 8
searchcoil, 9-volt Alkaline battery, 26page operator instruction manual and
Tesoro's Limited Lifetime Warranty
coverage. Be sure to check one out…I
know you will be impressed…I am!
MDI
Great Treasures
I recently bought a Tiger Shark. I
have used other brands for about 8 years
now, but I have to say that I love this
machine-it picks up the smallest items.
I like to snorkel with my water
machines. I tend to find a few items that
other people do not. It is a little more
work, but it is great exercise. A friend of
mine knew about this so he sent a person
my way. To make a story short: a guy was
holding onto his future wife's engagement
ring at his parents' cottage and lost it. It
took me 3 tries but I did find it in about 8
feet of water. The grass was approximately waste high in the water with nearly 6 inches of silt. To replace this ring
would have cost $2,500. The main stone
is 1 CT with 5 stones on each side of the
ring.
Thank you for a great product!
Jason Houle
Greenfield, MA
45
FIELD TEST
by Michael O. Smith
Reprinted with permission from Western & Eastern June 2002
I’ve owned and used Tesoro
detectors for years, so when I received the
new Cortes for field-testing, I couldn’t
wait to get started. The box was smaller
than I had expected, nice for
packing/shipping. The unit has three poles
that interlock by button snaps, and the
S-shaped pole has a padded armrest
with the battery compartment underneath. This compartment holds two
AA battery packs of 4 batteries each.
They pop in by simply compressing
one end. Just forward of the armrest is
the control box. The most notable difference is the meter display. Another
obvious difference is the slightly elliptical, 9 X 8” concentric, spoked search
coil. I had already used a similar coil
on another detector and knew that this
was going to be a great asset for the
Cortes.
I was pleased to see how comprehensive and thorough the instruction
manual is, since I was about to jump into
uncharted waters. The first day it was
raining cats and dogs, as we say in the
South, and I was homebound. So, I read
the manual twice, through and through,
carefully following the one, two, three’s
and A, B, C’s of Cortes’ operation. I was
encouraged by the ease of these instructions and the predictable results I got.
The specifications for the Cortes
include a built in 2 ¼” speaker on the back
of the housing, with louvered openings
that help keep out dirt. This is also where
the ¼” headphone jack is located.
Headphones are a must since they not
only accentuate those faint fringe signals,
but also help extend life to the batteries.
After 30 hours of field testing I decided to
change batteries, even though I still had ¼
of the battery graph left on the meter.
46
The detector operates at 10kHz
and has an optimum operating range from
30° to 100° and from 0 to 75% humidity.
It has the option of interchanging a variety
of coils, as well as previous Tesoro 5-pin
uMax and Series II coils. One of the fea-
Front face of control box.
tures I like the most is Tesoro’s lifetime
warranty. I have taken advantage of it
more than once. What a plus! Weight?
How about 2.98 lbs. I hunt all day with
such a light machine.
The basic features include four
operating modes: No-Motion, All-Metal;
Sum Discrimination; Silent-Search
Discrimination;
and
Notch
Discrimination (narrow & wide). The discrimination mode is factory-preset ground
balanced. The All-Metal mode is a manually ground-balanced mode with
adjustable threshold level. The two Notch
modes have factory preset widths. The
Sum Discrimination mode provides
improved target identification by averaging signal information and utilizes a 9tone audio ID. There is a backlit display,
high or low, for hunting in dim or no light
situations. The digital display identifies
targets in three ways: Displaying numerical, alpha characters, and a bar graph. It
shows the probable target depth (best suited for coins) and battery life remaining.
The meter works in all modes simultaneously, and also makes it easy ot tell
whether the target is iron or other metal.
The meter shows basic groupings
of likely targets as follows: Iron and foil;
nickels and pull-tabs (round and square);
zinc cents and screw caps; copper cents
and silver coins. However most of your
attention will be on the bar graph which
shows how much signal is in each of these
categories, and most important is the
number of the target response with 0
being iron and 95 being silver. There are a
few tricks on some of the variants ou get
with iron, but usually it reads as 0. The
Sum toggle has 9 tones that correspond to
the 9 bar graphs, which allows you to get
a cleaner signal from your target and also
adds the dimension of a tone-related
identification.
The
basic
tone
response/quality of the machine is still
the same as with previous Tesoro detectors.
I actually relied on the sound
more than any other identification feature. In All-Metal, you get a louder and
wider signal the closer you are to the target. This being said, the meter number
and bar graph help break the tie on
whether to dig or not. It is also tremendous fun to second-guess your target
before digging it up – sort of a personal
contest between you, the detector, and
reality. With experience you will be right
most of the time, especially in recognizing targets as ferrous or nonferrous. The
two usual exceptions were when the meter
read 95 but had multiple bars lit up, and
less often when there was a high ID number and no bars lit up. It does not take long
to figure these readings out.
To use the Sum switch, you simply push the toggle to the left and move
over the target with a 2-3” sweep, and as
the sound becomes one tone you will also
see the bar graph settle down to one or
two bars. At this point your reading is better defined, and the ID number is usually
accurate. Most often you will be able to
identify the target without the help of the
Sum feature. Again, if it sounds good
from at least one direction, dig it.
Remember that the bar graph and depth
are set for coins; as well as any modified
there is a red “Boost” area on the sensitivcoin or artifact can vary your readings, so
ity control that goes beyond 10. In areas
identifying it as a good sound , or a target
of low mineralization, I have found that I
response on the meter, is the only excuse
can go full Boost, which means higher
you need to dig.
gain and greater depth. Also, I have
The notch feature has a wide and
encountered no instability except around
narrow setting. Narrow will phase out
some type of electrical interference.
pull-tabs and Wide phases out pull-tabs
Enough basic information. The
and Zinc cents. Remember that you can
next
thing
I did at home was to gather a
lose some gold rings at these settings. The
wide variety of
central portion of the
test
targets
response graph allows a
such as artiwide
separation
facts
and
between metals and
coins. I air
helps separate nickels,
tested these
rings, and pull-tabs
and had my
more accurately. When
wife,
Sue,
Discrimination
and
write
down
the
Notch is being used, the
readings
from
meter will still indicate
about 6”. I
what the target is and
have included
how deep. This is an
the
results
outstanding feature. As
along with this
you can imagine, phasfield test. I
ing out something while
Cortez with finds. Finds made by
must note that
still being able to know
Nathan Spalding
there is some
what it is has advanvariation
due
to
different
soils,
humidity
tages. Also, being able to see that you are
of
the
soil,
the
orientation
of
the
item and
in an iron-rich area without getting a posits
mass
and
distance
from
the
coil. A
itive signal from iron truly helps you pick
good idea is to learn the likely response
up on home sites or areas of concentrafrom distinct groupings. For example, the
tion.
civil war Minie ball is around 70; a 2 cm
When you use All-Metal mode,
lead shot, 75. This will give you an idea of
you should ground balance the machine
what to expect, especially if that is a likefirst. The procedure is very simple. All
ly target in your area. In contrast, a zinc
you do is lower your coil straight down
cent is 77, so if you use the wide notch
from about 10” to 1” above ground. If the
setting to miss that pull-tab or zinc cent
sound increases, lower the ground balance
you may also miss the Minie ball, or a
by turning the knob counterclockwise. If
Spanish ½ real, which reads 75.
it increases, turn it clockwise. There is no
Always remember that there is
need to reune, just repeat this operation
overlap in readings from coins and variuntil there is no change in tone. The only
ous relics. Most U.S. or larger foreign
trick is finding an area free of iron to
coins, as well as thick copper/brass, tend
ground balance on; however, this only
to read higher. Most .22 shells read about
takes a minute or less. The other modes
7-9; foil and small aluminum reads very
are preset and require no ground balanclow, around 2-7; shot gun shell readings
ing. All-Metal gives a little extra depth, a
may be anywhere from 18 to 43 dependmore accurate reading, and requires no
ing on the make and size of the shell, as
motion, which helps with pinpointing.
well as orientation. Shot at 2 cm is 75,
Again, the meter will work in All-Metal
1cm is 41, and ½ cm is 22. This machine
and show what the likely target is, thus
is so sensitive that I actually picked up a
allowing you to leave the iron and pick up
positive signal at 2-3” on a #8 shot, 1mm
all the other targets. This, too, has its uses,
the Gereral Service eagle read in the 55
as when you are trying to find a new site
range. A thin gold ring was 6-12 and a 2
in a wooded area, or are looking for those
cm brass flat button was 64; however
ultra-deep targets in a worked-out site.
sideways it was 30 to 50, depending on
Sometimes the meter will give a response
the angle, thus reflecting potential variaeven when there is no sound indicating
tions in readings – another good reason to
such targets. In the Discriminate mode,
dig if it sounds good or is other than iron.
Now let’s take a look at what this machine
can do in the field.
I started with some open areas, as
I wanted to keep things as simple as possible during initial testing. I have some
locations which, for all practical purposes,
are worked out, but still have deep targets
remaining. Most of these produced rich
finds in their hey-day. Of course, when I
do find something, I want a reasonable
chance of it being a nice relic or coin. Of
the seven sites selected for this evaluation, six were in that category, and one
was new. It presented a 50’ section of firebreak and the corner of a field. It was,
however, pre-Revolutionary War… more
on that in a minute.
Site #1 was an area of couple of
open fields next to a bluff. This area was
well worked, but with each new machine
I had tested it produced deeper or more
difficult finds. Anything found here
would represent an improvement in depth
or sensitivity. At the end of the day, I had
four deep .50 caliber round shot, eight flat
buttons, a nice 3 cent piece, a 2”
escutcheon plate from furniture, which
was 10” deep, and about 10 other targets.
One surprise was a coat-size, two-piece
eagle “I” button with 50% gilt. This was
most encouraging, so now it was time for
a different type of site.
Site #2 was a wooded area, mostly pine trees with a moderate amount of
undergrowth and moist sand. Here I found
14 flat buttons, most of where were 6-10”
deep. To my surprise, I found a Georgia
state seal button. Unfortunately it was
bent, and part of the back was missing;
nevertheless, I had found a confederate
button.
I had never found any Indian
trade items along the Georgia coast, but
this was about to change. I found a brass
arrowhead and a Spanish button from the
1500s. This was remarkable since the first
settlement of the U.S., San Miguel de
Gualdope, 1526, was less than a couple
miles away. I also found a handful of
varying sizes of shot and few other items.
We had previously found relics there from
the 1700s through the late 1800s. I have
found a number of Colonial silver thimbles, but was pleasantly surprised to
unearth an ornate silver one from the mid
1800s.
47
Site #3 was dry and sandy, with a 1700s. One 3” piece of flattened lead gave
lot of cactus. It had been a fairground in me a good signal at 16” and read 80. This
the 1920s, but we had found no more
was in pure, moist sand. Needless to say,
Wheat cents on the last several trips. It I was no longer worried about depth. The
was littered with trash, and that too was a other surprise I had from this site was a
problem, especially an endless number of field-made pewter button with a dogwood
.22 short casings. These gave a reading of flower on it, a design attributed to British
6 and I was able to ignore them without lieutenants, buttons just prior to the
fear. Closely observing the meter, I got a Revolutionary War. What a great find, and
“quarter” reading of 95, which turned out one that will have to be added to future
to be a silver quarter. Next came a button books. This button was 8” deep,
Mercury dime dated 1943 and two Wheat and read 20, and is solid and 1 cm in size.
cents, one of them a 1910. I also found a
Site #6 was one I had not visited
Mercury wing skate charm that read 30. I for about ten years, and the pine trees
knew that this should be a good target and were now big. Here I found a nice Indian
it was.
Site #4 was a semicleared area, an old home site
that had yielded some
Confederate buttons long ago.
I had searched a number of
times, hoping to find one
more, but did well to get two Longview of the
or three flats. Next to a big
Cortes
tree, my friend and I searched
again, as several of us had done about four trade tomahawk and another Indian trade
times this year. In the same area I had item, bronze and in the shape of an eagle’s
found a round shot three months earlier. I talon. I also found a 1772 ½ real and a
got an iffy signal at 6” that read 65. I beautiful bronze candlestick from the
could not believe my eyes… a beautiful 1700s.
GMI button! My first. That one button
Site #7, the last, was a “mixed
would almost pay for the detector. I also bag” area that again had been largely
found the trigger guard of a large Colonial worked out. Here I hit a little spot that I
blunderbuss at about 12”. I was surprised guess had been missed before. I found
at how many small shotgun pellets I was four escutcheon plates and two drawer
finding. This reassured me that I was pulls from the same piece of Colonial furmissing very little. I like to use the criss- niture, two Indian brass tinklers, and the
cross and circle method of pinpointing, front brass fitting of a flintlock gun. One
mentally computing exactly where the other surprise was a 1 cm pewter eagle
center of the signal is. The small circle of button from 1811. I was sure that we had
the coil is the most acute pinpointing area worked this area out.
of the coil. Just before leaving, I got
At this point, I felt very confident
another good signal at 6” that read 60. It that I had covered most of the conditions
was an eagle “I” cuff button, or so I needed to offer an informed evaluation of
thought. When I got home, I discovered the new Cortes.
that it was actually an “R” with some of
As with any new machine, there
the gilt remaining.
are a few things that might be improved to
Site #5 was new, but within 100 suit the individual. I have a vision probyards if a Colonial home site we had hunt- lem with contrast and glare, so for me a
ed heavily. It was a firebreak along a bigger display screen and glare proof
bluff. The home site was recorded as glass would be better. Also, I found that
c.1735, but we had never found any but- going through thick woods could pull the
tons earlier than the revolutionary war. In battery door open. The batteries remained
the firebreak and on one corner of the tightly in place, though. A different catch
field, I found a 1723 British copper in
might be better. Finally, I like the black
Very Fine condition and an 1838 Spanish search coils instead of white, but those
½ real, plus a lot of flat buttons. A couple were the only changes I would consider. I
were a type from the late 1600s and early did have some trouble in heavy iron areas
48
when I set the discrimination above iron
and used the notch. I lost some depth and
had trouble picking up a good target next
to a bad one. That being said, I was most
impressed with the performance of the
Cortes in these conditions and at different
settings.
When I set up between minimum
and iron, I could tell that a target was iron
without digging, and also if it was a good
target, even next to a piece of iron. This
did not seem to influence depth or the
quality of the signals. In conclusion, I was
most comfortable hunting at this discrimination setting and listening for any good
signal, from at least one direction. If the
sound was good, I planned to dig but still
spent a little time trying to identify the
targets by the meter readings for depth
and ID number. This was a lot of fun. If it
was possibly iron, not reading as 0, I
worked the meter for a while to help
make the final decision to dig or not to
dig.
The new Tesoro Cortes is a very
versatile detector and light enough to
swing all day. The batteries could last as
long as 40 hours, and over 30 for sure if
you are using headphones. There is a wide
range of hunting settings to use with this
machine. When I hit one area of wet salt
marsh where I was getting back some
false positive signals, I backed the sensitivity back to 8. The result? No more disturbance, just smooth performance. I
placed an ordinary plastic bag over the
detector during a rainstorm and had no
problem with it operating erratically. In
areas with heavy concentrations of pulltabs or .22 shells, the target ID number
and notch features saved me a lot of time
and backaches. A number of times I dug
good signals that I would not have otherwise, due to the meter readings. Finding
occupied areas in the woods was also very
easy, and I cannot say enough about being
able to determine target depth and identity in All-Metal mode – a major advantage.
As for price, I probably paid for a couple
machines with the finds I made during
these field tests.
I would highly recommend the
Cortes to anyone who has some good sites
and wants to work them for all they’re
worth. You will find it easy to use, with a
lot of options and little room for disappointment.
MDI
Hammered, an
Edward III, also a
Bandido find, was
lost again the
same day. I had
put it in a small
clear plastic envelope and put it on
a wooden mantle
piece of the fire
surround at home.
When my son visited us that day my wife
showed it to him. She put it back on the
mantle piece but unknown to her it had
fallen down a gap between the wall and
the shelf. This was the conclusion I came
to when it was nowhere to be found. It
was later in the year when I recovered it. I
had to remove the wooden skirting to
reveal a gap at the bottom of the surround
and with a hacksaw blade managed to
hook it out.
In August 2004, I was on a club dig
when I had a good signal on my Hawkeye.
I dug at the spot and four inches below the
surface, I unearthed a small circular
object. A Finds Liason Officer from the
Berkshire Museum was on site. I showed
my find to the officer, who upon cleaning
off the soil, said it was Treasure Trove.
We have Treasure Act in the U.K., where
any finds older than 300 years or having
precious metal content are classed as
Treasure Trove and have to be declared.
The officer retained my find giving
me a signed receipt saying that it would
be sent to the British Museum in London
for inspection to determine if it was
Treasure Trove. I later received a letter of
confirmation from the Museum that they
had received it, and after a few months, I
was sent a treasure report informing me
that my find qualified as treasure under
The Treasure Act 1996 in both age and
precious metal content. Oxfordshire
Museums Service had expressed interest
in acquiring it, subject to valuation. The
treasure report identified it as a circular
brooch of silver dating from the late thirteenth or early fourteenth centuries. An
inquest and valuation would be held and I
by Ben Marshall
My interest in treasure hunting was
aroused when I read a magazine called
Treasure Hunter. I went to a local metal
detecting club which held a meeting once
a month at the Oxford bus company premises. A club member had a used Tesoro
Bandido for sale which I purchased. The
club had digs every Sunday at farms surrounding the city of Oxford.
After eight years, I am still using a
Tesoro and have my first Bandido as a
backup. My second detector was the
Bandido II µMax. I had it about two years
but exchanged it for a Cortés, which I was
pleased with and had some success. I now
have the Laser Hawkeye.
My first Roman coin looked like a
flat disc with a smooth green patina. It
was the size of a dollar. After immersing it
in descaler for a while, I used a wooden
toothpick to remove the corrosion to be
able to identify it. It was an Antoninus
Pius (138-61)-still my oldest coin. Not a
very good example after 1,860 years but
still a find nevertheless.
My most recent Roman find was a
bronze Constantine I (307-37) Victory on
Prow (very fine condition as you can see
by the photo). I also found a Constantine I
with wolf and twins (on the reverse) two
years ago at a different location.
I found my first silver Hammered
King Charles I penny on a footpath running through the farm a few inches below
the surface (using my first Bandido). It
was smaller than the original size as it had
been cropped. The silver was clipped off
around the edges to save, and then when
enough was accumulated from a number
of coins, it was then melted down to be
sold, illegal of course. My next silver
will be notified in due course. At the time
of writing this article two years has
elapsed.
UPDATE
Bringing you up to date on my silver
brooch find. My find is on The Portable
Antiquities website (www.finds.org.uk)
but described as a Cholsey Silver Filigree
Buckle-Cholsey being the location of the
find.
The British Museum held a Treasure
Inquest at Oxford County Hall on the
21/02/2007 which I had to attend as a witness. The coroner deemed that it was
Treasure Trove and sent the report to The
British Museum. I was then notified that
the Treasure Valuation Committee had
recommended a value of £240-00 which I
accepted. I will have to share the reward
with the farmer as we had a 50/50 agreement. I had another letter from The British
Museum saying all parties had agreed to
the valuation and I will receive my reward
within four months. So at last after three
years it has come to a conclusion.
The other photographs are a small
selection of my Roman and silver
Hammered finds plus some artefacts-crotal bells, musketballs, buckles, clothes
fasteners, thimbles. It is wondered why so
many thimbles were found in the fields. I
put it down to that the produce harvested
was put into sacks for transportation. The
openings of the sacks were sewn together
to seal them. Plenty of thimbles but not
any needles?
The Elizabeth I Sixpence Hammered
is my favourite at the moment. This find
won me the Find of the Month certificate
in May 2002 at the club. Also, the Henry
III cut quarter is so small but the Hawkeye
detected it. That is how they used to give
change in the old days, cut halves and
quarters.
In the eight years I have been
involved in this fascinating hobby, I have
yet to search on a beach. I must do that
some time. Finding present currency will
be a new and instant profitable experience.
MDI
49
Great
Treasures
I bought a new Tesoro
Vaquero and love it. Recently, I
took it out to a Revolutionary War
site that was hunted heavily
before. After spending only about
20 minutes, I got a hit near an old
log. It was a good loud solid hitthe type that makes you think to
yourself that it is a can. Well, I am
someone who likes to see it no
matter what I think it is. And let
me tell you that this strategy paid
off. I cut about a 6-inch deep plug
and scanned it. Nothing. It was
still in the hole. So I pinpointed it
and it was directly in the center. I
stuck my knife in and kept digging
and out popped the most gorgeous shoe buckle I had ever seen
in perfect condition and totally
intact. My eyes were as big as dollars as I yelled for my friend to
come see what I had found. I
couldn't believe it. This was my
first war relic ever and it was nice.
I have tried all types of
detectors in the past and this is by
far the best I have used. It works
just as well as super-expensive
detectors and is affordable. Just
look at this buckle. That's why the
saying is true, "Tesoro does mean
treasure." My only regret is that I
waited this long to try a Tesoro. I
will be upgrading to the 12x10 coil
so I can cover more ground with
this amazing machine. Thanks for
letting me ramble on. I am on
cloud 9.
A very happy Tesoro owner.
Howard Whittaker
West Hurley, NY
RECOMMENDED RECOVERY METHODS
There are almost as many recovery techniques as there are treasure hunters, but the methods
shown here are two of the most popular. Whichever method you choose, remember that responsible
treasure hunters take pride in their ability to leave the soil and vegetation undamaged. Irresponsible
treasure hunters give the rest of us a bad name and may ultimately destroy the hobby for everybody.
METHOD 1: “PROBE
& DRIVER”
Used in less moist
lawns where targets are not so
deep (1 to 4 inches) and where
“plugging” is objectionable.
This method requires more
practice but is much less damaging to grass than Method 2“Plugging.”
After pinpointing the target, use a nonmetallic probe
such as a modified fiberglass
fishing rod or a metallic probe
such as a blunted ice pick (the
former causes less damage to the target) to locate the target depth (Fig. 1A). Next,
insert an eight-inch screwdriver on center just above the target and rotate slightly to
open the ground (Fig. 1B). Now, insert the screwdriver just under the target at an angle
and lever the target to the surface (Fig. 1C). Brush all loose dirt back into the hole and
close the hole by exerting pressure all around the opening (Fig. 1D).
METHOD 2:
“PLUGGING”
Used only where allowed in
natural wooded areas and
very moist lawn areas.
Plugging in hard dry ground
can damage grass roots
leaving yellow “dead spots”
in time.
After pinpointing the
target, use a six-inch sturdy
hunting knife to cut three
sides of a four-inch cube
around the target center
(Fig. 2A). Cutting a
“hinged” cube-shaped plug
rather than a complete coneshaped plug will properly orient its return, prevent its removal by a lawnmower, and
lessen the chance of scratching the target. With the knife blade, carefully pry against
the cube side opposite the “hinge” and fold back (Fig. 2B). Sweep the searchcoil over
the plug and hole to isolate the target location. If the target is in the plug, carefully
probe until located. If the target is in the hole and is not visible, probe the bottom and
sides until located, then remove it (Fig. 2C). Repeat sweep for additional targets.
Replace all loose dirt with the plug. Seat the plug firmly with your foot (Figure 2D).
Adapted from “Tools ’N Techniques” by Robert H. Sickler
50
VLF/TR VLF/TR
17.5 kHz 10 kHz
Tiger Shark
DeLeon
Lobo SuperTraq
Golden µMax
Tejon
Vaquero
VLF/TR VLF/TR VLF/TR VLF/TR VLF/TR
10 kHz 14.3-14.7 kH
14.3-14.7 kH
17.2-17.6 kH 10 kHz
Cortes
Detector Type VLF/TR
Operating Frequency 12 kHz
Cibola
Compadre
Silver µMax
TESORO METAL DETECTOR COMPARISON CHART
VLF/TR
10 kHz
VLF/TR
10 kHz
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌ
ÌÌ
ÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌ
Ì
ÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
Recommended Uses
Coin & Jewelry Hunting ÌÌÌ
ÌÌ
Relic Hunting
Gold Prospecting
Competition Hunting ÌÌ
Cache Hunting (using largest coil)
Fresh Water Hunting - shallow wading Ì
Beach Hunting - wading salt water
Diving - underwater salt or fresh
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌ
ÌÌ
Ì
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌ
Ì
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌ
ÌÌ
ÌÌ
Ì
ÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌ
ÌÌ
ÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
Ì
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
z
P
z
P
z
M
M
P
A
z
P
M
M
z
z
z
z
z
ÌÌ
ÌÌÌ
ÌÌ
Operation
Motion All Metal Mode (silent search) z
All Metal Mode (threshold based)
Auto Tune (automatic threshold retune)
Normal Tune (manual threshold retune)
Adjustable retune rate
VLF Silent Search Discriminate Mode z
Pinpoint Mode
Operrating Frequency Shifter
z
Features
P
Ground Balancing Type
Turn-On-And-Go Operation z
Target ID Display
Notch Filter Discrimination
Multiple Tone ID
Target Summing Mode
Adjustable Audio Frequency
Max Boost Sensitivity
2
Approximate Weight (lbs.)
Convertible to Body/Belt Mounts
Interchangeable Searchcoils
Power Supply 9VDC
Batteries 1-9V
Battery Life (hours) 10-20
z
Automatic Battery Test
Waterproof Control Housing
Speaker and Jack for Headphones z
Water Resistant Built-In Headphones
Searchcoil Size 5.75" RC
z
z
z
2.2
z
2.2
z
2.2
z
z
2.9
z
9VDC
1-9V
10-20
z
9VDC
1-9V
10-20
z
z
9VDC
1-9V
10-20
z
z
12VDC
8-AA's
20-30
z
z
9VDC
1-9V
10-20
z
z
z
z
8" RC
9x8" C
9x8" C
9x8" C
z
2.2
z
3.5
z
z
12VDC
8-AA's
20-30
z
z
2.9
z
2.9
z
12VDC
8-AA's
10-20
z
z
12VDC
8-AA's
20-30
z
z
z
z
z
9x8" C
10" EW
9x8" C
9x8" C
4.5
z
z
12VDC
8-AA's
10-20
z
Y
z
z
8" RC5
ÌÌÌ Excellent Choice ! -- Outstanding performance to al other detectors in its class
ÌÌ
Performs Well ! --Though not specifically designed for primary use in this type of hunting.
Ì
Not designed for this purpose but can function adequately as such if needed.
no stars -Not designed or recommended for this type of treasure hunting.
Searchcoil
C = Concentric
RC = Round Concentric
EW = Elliptical Widescan
RP2 = Round Pulse
RC5 = Round Concentric waterproof search coil
Ground Balance:
A = Automatic
M = Manual
P = Preset
Footnote
X
Pulse induction detectors not
affected by ground mineralization
Y
Detector is waterproof to depths
of 200 feet.
All searchcoils are water resistant
51
by Casey Stern
There will be many models to consider when purchasing your next metal
detector. The key to figuring out which
detector suits your needs and budget is
to ask yourself some key questions.
Whether you have years of experience,
or are new to the hobby, these questions
and answers will help prevent you from
buying the wrong detector. Your experience, the type of hunting you intend to
do, and the detector’s functions are the
primary factors you should consider
when choosing your next detector.
How much experience do you have?
This would appear to be a straight forward answer, unless you are an experienced land hunter who would like to
start detecting underwater for the first
time. Maybe you have been hunting
coins and relics for 20 years, but would
like to begin prospecting for gold
nuggets.
Not only are the searching and digging
techniques different, but the detector
requirements also vary depending on the
targets you are trying to find. In these
situations, a veteran detectorist may be
somewhat of newbie. On the other
hand, the expert may be looking for
more precise controls than their current
detector offers, building on prior knowledge and skills with the latest technology. Your experience level should play a
role in the complexity of the detector
that you are considering.
What are you trying to find?
Many people want to start metal
detecting, but are not sure whether they
will be specifically looking for coins,
jewelry, coins, gold nuggets, or relics.
Generally, the beginner wants to find a
little bit of everything, but does not realize that different detectors are engineered for finding different targets.
There is no one BEST detector that can
do it all. However, there are some great
general purpose detectors that can do a
little of everything well, just not any one
thing exceptionally well. If you are new
to the hobby, a general purpose detector
is usually a good choice.
When engineers design a detector,
52
they must design it specifically for the
intended targets. For example, if you
are going prospecting for gold nuggets,
a specialized nugget-detector with a
very high gain is recommended. This
sensitivity to tiny pieces of metal can
help locate the gold nuggets which tend
to be very small compared to a coin. A
coin hunter using a nugget-detector
would find this annoying because they
would be finding all of the bits of trash,
such as pull-tabs that have been ground
up by a lawnmower. That being said, a
nugget-detector can do a good job finding coins, just not as good and efficiently as a coin-detector.
What are the ground conditions?
Knowing where you will be hunting is
very important. Most experts know
whether their ground conditions have
low, moderate, high, or varying
amounts mineralization. For instance,
most locations where gold nuggets can
be found have a fairly high concentration of minerals that can interfere with
locating nuggets. The detector requirements vary depending on the ground
conditions where you will be hunting.
The amount of ground mineralization
present determines whether your detector will need an adjustable ground balance control or not.
In areas with low to moderate mineralization, a detector with the factory
preset mineral rejection will work sufficiently for most detectorists. The preset
mineral rejection should not be confused with an automatic ground tracking
function, which continually ground balances as you detect. Some manufactures advertise preset mineral rejection
as automatic ground balance, which can
be confusing. Detectors are either preset to compensate for most conditions,
or have the ability to be ground balanced either manually or automatically
by a computer.
When the soil is “hot” due to a lot
of mineralization being present, either a
computerized ground tracking system
or a manual ground balance control is
recommended. The ground balance
function will help prevent the
mineralization in the soil from
interfering with locating targets. Ground balancing keeps
the detector stable, and operating at optimum performance.
Being able to ground balance
when needed is a must for both the
expert and beginner. Having your
detector ground balanced correctly to
the ground matrix will increase your
depth and sensitivity to targets.
Determining the soil conditions where
you will be hunting may be difficult for
the beginner. The best way to find out is
to consult your local dealer, metal
detecting club, or an online detecting
forum. You may find that you do not
need a ground balance control for your
area, which is an advantage for most
beginners.
What are the water conditions, salty
or fresh? Salt water produces conductive conditions that must be compensated for by the metal detector. This is the
case whether you are detecting on wet
salty sand or underwater in the ocean.
When these water conditions are combined with mineralization, or a lack
there of, it is very important to understand some specifics so you do not end
up purchasing the wrong detector.
Most people who are unhappy with
their water detectors bought the wrong
one because they did not understand the
difference among detectors that were
designed for a very specific set of mineral and water conditions. A pulse
induction (PI) detector tends to work
best in wet salty conditions with moderate to high mineralization. Very low
frequency (VLF) detectors are best suited for wet fresh water conditions with
varying degrees of mineralization. This
generalization does have a gray line.
There are VLF detectors that work
well in wet salty conditions, if the
ground mineralization is not too high
and if the salt water is no too conductive. The VLF detector is more sensitive to smaller items such as gold chains
and small jewelry. It also has the ability to discriminate amongst items that
are not valuable, such as iron and pull
tabs. Pinpointing targets using a VLF
detector is much easier compared to a PI
machine. The VLF unit is an ‘allaround’ detector, where as the PI
machine is very specialized. This
makes the VLF detector very versatile
for those who would like to work in
both wet and dry conditions.
The PI detector is more stable than a
VLF in wet salty conditions with higher
concentrations of mineralization. A PI
unit is not generally used on dry land
unless it is a soft sand beach that is easy
to dig. PI detectors are an all-metal
machine due to the lack of discrimination ability, meaning you dig everything, including trash. The pinpointing
is not as precise, which is the reason
why most people use them in soft beach
environments using large scoops.
Ideally, you would have both a VLF and
a PI detector if you hunt in both salty
and fresher water conditions.
Since most people do not have a large
enough budget to buy both machines,
some compromises must be made. If
you plan on spending most of your time
in the wet salty sand, or in the ocean a
PI unit is probably the best choice,
unless you do not want to dig all targets.
If you will not be spending the majority
of your time in wet salt conditions, the
VLF may be best for the occasional salt
beach hunter who primarily hunts in
fresh water conditions. Many people
use a VLF unit successfully on the salty
beaches and in the ocean, but this is
because the ground is not highly mineralized. The VLF users also understand
how to tune their detector in less than
ideal conditions to maximize their finds.
The key to picking the best waterdetector is to understand the ground
conditions, and how much of your time
will be spent at both fresh and salt water
beaches. You also need to be aware that
the PI detector is more stable in the wet
salty conditions, but also has some disadvantages when it comes to digging.
Consulting with other local dealer or an
experienced detectorist in your area is a
good idea. They often know whether
one or both machines will work on the
beaches that you plan on hunting.
How many controls do you need,
given your experience? Novices and
experts often have different needs. The
number and variety of controls that one
needs depends on several variables. An
advanced detectorist may need more
knobs, meters, displays, and switches to
fine tune the machine. This can give
them an edge in achieving the maximum depth and sensitivity capabilities
to find the elusive targets that others
have missed. A machine that matches
your experience level will increase the
odds of success.
Having too many controls is generally a disadvantage for the person picking
up a detector for the first time. The
beginner might spend more time adjusting the detector than actually hunting
targets, which can be frustrating and
cause them to miss targets due to
improper settings. Fewer controls will
definitely get a less experienced user
into the field faster with less of a learning curve. A seasoned detectorist with
an entry level detector can generally do
better than a novice with an expensive
machine with all of the bells and whistles.
Which detector suits your needs? ....
Now that the basics have been covered, you should have some answers
that will guide you towards a specific
type of detector. You should know
whether you want to find a little of
everything, or if you will be going after
specific items such as gold rings or gold
nuggets. You should also understand
the importance of mineralization in the
areas where you will be hunting, and
whether you will need a ground balance
control or not. If you are not sure at this
point, a general purpose detector is a
good start.
Do you want to find a little bit of
everything? A general purpose detector typically has fewer controls and is
designed for both beginners and
experts. Most of these units have a preset ground balance which can handle
most ground conditions. These units
are ideal for coins, jewelry, relics and
dry beach hunting where there is low to
moderate mineralization. They are easy
to use, yet have sufficient depth and
sensitivity capabilities for all levels of
experience.
Tesoro offers the
Compadre, Silver UMax, and Cibola for
those areas that do not have high mineralization. Should you find that you
have moderate to high mineralization in
your area, the Vaquero will fit your
needs with an adjustable ground balance to compensate for the hot ground.
Are you looking for coins and jewelry? Detectors designed specifically for
coins and jewelry can give you information about the target using one or
more indicators. Audible and visual
indicators are the most common ways of
giving the detectorist information. This
information can be used to decide
whether to dig or not.
These target identification detectors
(TID) use multiple distinct tones to indicate whether you have found a pull tab
or a coin, while others have a visual
LCD screen. Some units have both. The
TID screen gives a variety of information about the composition of the target,
depth, and other useful data.
It should be noted that both visual and
audible target indicators are very accurate, but not 100%. For instance, round
and square pull tabs are very close on
the conductivity scale to a gold jewelry.
In this instance, an amateur may not dig
the gold ring because they think it is a
pull tab not realizing how similar they
appear to the detector. The more experienced detectorist will dig if there is
any uncertainty as to whether the target
is a gold ring or just a tab. When targets
are located on the opposite ends of the
conductivity scale, such as iron and pennies, the target identification is much
more accurate. The beginner will learn
through experience when to trust the ID,
and when to doubt it.
Three Tesoro detectors haveTarget ID
capabilities: the Cortes and DeLeon
have
visual
LCD
displays.
Additionally, the Cortes has a tone ID
and a notch discriminator that helps
increase the accuracy when trying to
discern the pull tabs and screw caps
from the jewelry. The Golden UMax is
more compact, and offers a multi-tone
ID as well as notch discrimination to
separate the trash from the treasure.
Would you like to find relics? Relic
hunters want a detector that goes very
deep and is sensitive to objects that are
smaller than coins, such as civil war
buttons. Tesoro designed the Tejon with
these needs in mind. The Tejon has a
high output transmit oscillator to push
the signal deeper and an increased gain
for sensitivity to the deeper and smaller
items that other detectors missed. When
this is combined with dual discriminators, the relic hunter can efficiently separate the trash from the good targets that
everyone else missed.
Do you have gold fever? Prospecting
for gold nuggets is very specialized.
Gold nuggets tend to be very small the
53
majority of the time. If you want to find
them, you will need a detector with
increased sensitivity. The Lobo Super
TRAQ has the ability to locate very
small nuggets while automatically
ground balancing as you hunt. This
keeps the detector stable in highly mineralized ground which is typical in gold
country. You do not have to worry
about manually adjusting the ground
balance as the mineralization matrix
shifts throughout your hunt. The Lobo
also has a discriminate function for
hunting coins, jewelry, and relics when
you are not out looking for nuggets.
Will you be underwater, or on a wet
beach? If you plan on spending most of
your time hunting in wet salty sand, or
in the ocean, the Sand Shark is probably
the better choice between the two
underwater detectors that Tesoro manufactures. The Sand Shark is a pulse
induction detector that is designed for
high mineralization areas that also have
wet salt conditions. This unit can be
completely submerged, so you can hunt
the areas that the land detectors cannot
reach. If the ground is not too mineralized, there is an alternative.
The Tiger Shark works well in the
ocean when there are low to moderate
amounts of mineralization present.
When considering which detector is
best for you, finding out whether you
have hot ground or not, is very important. The Tiger Shark is best suited for
those who primarily hunt in fresh water
conditions or occasionally in wet salty
conditions. There are many ocean
beaches where the Tiger Shark works
quite well but this is not always the
case. The Tiger Shark is great for those
who hunt both fresh and salt water conditions.
Are you still undecided? The most
important general topics have been covered but there may be some technical
questions that are unanswered. Finding
out about your local mineralization may
be the hardest question to answer, but
your local detectorist or dealer should
be able help answer this question. The
nice folks at Tesoro and your local dealer can assist you with any other technical questions that you may still have.
The detector reviews in this issue of
MDI are also a valuable reference for
deciding which detector is best for you.
MDI
54
Tesoro Does It Again
By: Robert Terry
I just wanted to write this message to thank you for building some of
the best detecting machines in the market today. I have several friends who go
detecting on a regular basis and they
use other brands. We all do pretty well;
however, I do get some comments on
the small Tesoro control boxes, but the
comments are always ended by "Those
are some great finds!"
Currently, I have four detectors
that I use. Three are Tesoro units and
the fourth is another brand given to me
as a gift, but when I go detecting old
sites, I always rely on my Tejón and
Eldorado. I really do believe that they
are the best for relic hunting.
Earlier this year, a friend and I
went detecting on a site that was once a
colonial plantation. After parking our
cars and hiking a mile and a half, we
were there. Seeing that we were searching for relics and that most of them
would be iron, I mounted a widescan
coil on the Tejón. After ground balancing, I made a couple of passes and I got
a deep signal. Sure enough at about 8 to
10 inches, I dug up 3 square nails.
There were so many iron targets that I switched to the 5.75" coil.
After ground balancing again, it was
back into the fray. We moved to an area
where we thought the blacksmith shop
might have been. I found some chunks
of iron and then I got a signal that was
deep. After digging down about 8 inches, I picked out an odd-shaped piece of
iron and placed it in my pouch. Later
that day, while we were taking a break,
I got a better look at the iron. I carried a
small brush for cleaning, and after lightly brushing the iron off, I found it had a
hook-type shape. I thought it might be
some type of latch but felt I would be
better able to tell when I got home and
put it in a solution of lemon juice and
water with an electric current passing
through the piece and solution.
After cleaning the nails and the
iron, I got a little surprise. The hookshaped piece was more intricately
shaped than was first seen. I really
couldn't tell what it was. The friend who
I was detecting with had a book on colonial artifacts, and after looking through
it, we found that I had found half of the
bit on a bridle circa 1730 to 1760.
Tesoro does it again!
Some people say that you
should start with the top-of-the-line
models and grow into them. I am on the
other side of the coin on this matter. I
had not been detecting since I was
young and that made for a span of about
20 years. So I started looking at the
beginner/entry units. The Compadre
stood out because of its simplicity. I
purchased one and after getting used to
it, I went to a local park. The Compadre
performed flawlessly. After a few more
months, I moved up to the Eldorado. I
still use both of them even though I
have the Tejón now. Why do I keep
them? Because it makes sense to have
backup units when you go relic hunting,
especially if you are a long ways from
home. That and I have a niece and
nephew that are starting to get interested in detecting. They come over to the
house sometimes and we will detect the
old flower beds. So far they have found
several half dollars and other change.
They love it! My sister asked me if I had
any idea that there were that many coins
around the house, and I had to tell her
that I had salted the old flower beds
with the coins. Since then, I have
brought my niece and nephew to different parks and they have had a great
time, even if they don't find as many
coins as they did at "Uncle Bob's." One
day I may have to tell them why there
were so many coins at the house.
So thanks again for making such fine
machines. I look forward to many years
of using them.
MDI
FIELD TEST by Andy Sabish
Reprinted with permission from Lost Treasure, December 2003
Jack Gifford founded Tesoro
Electronics more than twenty years
ago with the goal of building highquality, dependable metal detectors
utilizing cutting-edge technology at
prices that wouldn’t strain the family
budget. Jack’s sons, Vince and James,
have become active members of the
Tesoro team and along with their
staff, have continued to develop new
detectors that fit Jack’s original philosophy. Over the years, I along with
my family have used many of the
Tesoro models in all types of treasure
hunting ranging from coin hunting to
beach hunting, relic hunting and
prospecting with a high degree of
success. When James told me about
the new Tejón and described some of
its features, I was anxious to see if it
performed as well as it sounded.
Features
The first thing you notice
when unpacking the Tejón is its
unique color scheme. Unlike the typical “Tesoro brown” found on their
other models, the Tejón sports a new
gray and blue look. Based on my discussions with James before receiving
the detector, I knew that real enhancements were inside and was looking
forward to getting it outside into its
element. Tesoro’s engineers expended almost two years of research &
development in designing a detector
that would meet the demands of coin
and relic hunters around the world.
The Tejón is controlled by six
knobs on the faceplate and a threeposition toggle switch on the bottom
of the control housing in front
of the hand grip. The knobs
are labeled “Threshold,” “
Alt.
Disc
Level,”
“Sensitivity,” “Disc Level,”
“VCO Tune,” and “Ground Adjust.”
Most of these controls are selfexplanatory based on their names;
however, a few deserve some additional attention. The Tejón features an
easy-to-master manual ground balance control that allows for maximum diction depth in even the most
adverse ground conditions. The
ground balance adjustments are used
in both the all-metal and discriminate
modes so no matter what your preferred mode of hunting is, mineralization will not affect target detection
once you have made the necessary
adjustments. The ground balance cir-
cuit is one that greatly enhances the
ability of the Tejón to handle the
worst ground conditions; however,
many detectorists cringe when they
hear that a detector has manual
ground balance. It is extremely easy
to adjust and the instruction manual
provides very clear step-by-step
directions to ensure you can make the
appropriate adjustment in the field.
After a few practice attempts, becoming proficient at ground balancing is
a snap!
The “VCO Tune” control provides users with a choice of audio
response based on their personal preferences. When turned fully counterclockwise he VCO or Voltage
Controlled Oscillator circuit is activated. In the All-Metal mode, both
the volume and pitch of the audio
response will change based on the
size and depth of the detected target.
Many detectorists find that this
option is extremely useful in accurately pinpointing targets. If you
decide that the VCO response is not
for you, turning the knob clockwise
will allow you to vary the pitch of the
signal produced by a target in both
the All-Metal & Discriminate search
modes. This is a nice feature since
each of us has a specific tone that we
find easier to discern and the Tejón
allows the ideal tone to be selected
for optimum performance in the field.
The Threshold control is used
to set the audio level when searching
in the All-Metal mode. The
Sensitivity control serves multiple
functions. First, it is used to adjust the
gain or signal amplification of the
detector. The knob is labeled with
values from 1 to 10 with an additional area labeled “Max Boost.” When
searching under certain conditions
such as areas with low mineralization, the Max Boost range will allow
you to obtain increased detection
depth and overall sensitivity. Like
other detectors, this control should
only be set as high as possible while
still obtaining stable operation; i.e.,
no false signals or audio chattering.
The three-position trigger
switch is another innovative feature
found on the Tejón. In the center position, the normal discrimination
55
circuit is activated. Pulling the trigger
towards the hand grip activates a fastretune all metal pinpoint mode. This
allows you to accurately determine
where the target is since the coil does
not have to be in motion in order to
produce a signal. Note: This is not a
search mode. If you want to hunt in
All Metal for maximum detection
depth or to locate any metal object in
the area, simply turn the discriminate
control fully counterclockwise where
it will click into the All Metal mode.
Pushing the toggle switch to the forward position activates the Alternate
Discriminate circuit. The second discriminate circuit allows you to check
signals at different discrimination
levels to aid
in target identification. An
ideal way to
use these two
controls is to
set the primary control
in the AllMeal mode
and then select a level of discrimination for the type of hunting and area
you are searching. When you get a
signal, simply push the toggle switch
forward to determine if the target is
worth recovering.
Weight is a feature that
Tesoro has never felt necessary to
build into any of their detectors. The
Tejón is not exception and even with
all the performance and features built
into this newest model, it tips the
scales at just under three pounds with
the standard coil!
The Tejón provides nearly 30
hours of operation from a set of eight
AA alkaline batteries and rechargeables can be used with no loss of performance. The two 4-cell battery
packs simply snap into the compartments under the armrest. A standard
¼” headphone jack is located on the
rear of the control housing.
56
removed dirt and rechecked the hole,
I reached the 10-inch mark before my
probe touched something at the bottom edge of the hole. Carefully prying it free with my knife, I could see
that it was a coin. Curiosity got the
better of me so I waked down to the
edge of the river and washed some
dirt from the coin to avoid damaging
it. The details were quite striking for
an older copper coin in this part of
Pennsylvania (fertilizer & mineralization usually pits their surface) and
the date 1822 was clearly visible on
the large cent I held in my hand. Over
the next hour, I recovered several
more targets in the nine- to fourteeninch depth range including two buttons, several wrought iron
square nails and some items I
am still trying to identify.
The next site was an
old foundation in the woods
near my house that had not
produced much in the past
but dated back into the 1800s.
Longview of the Tejon using the same discrimination
settings as I had at the ferry
ed as the river flooded its banks over landing, I started hunting near the
the past 150 years. Opting to hunt in back of the old home. Signals were
All Metal (Disc) and set the Alt Disc plentiful; however, by checking them
circuit to check signals (set just under in the Alt. Disc. Setting, I could tell
Foil), I set the Sensitivity control at 9 they were pieces of iron. Since I had
and ground balanced the Tejón. Even a limited amount of time, I set the
along the river, mineralization is a Disc control to FOIL and moved the
problem since coal cinders have been Alt. Disc knob to just below the Tab
dumped into the river for close to 200 mark. Despite the numerous iron taryears; however, the Tejón was gets that littered the area, the Tejón
extremely quiet indicating the ground ran silent until a target that fell above
balance circuitry was doing its job. the discrimination setting was detectAs expected, signals were few and far ed. In the area immediately surroundbetween but they were there. The first ing the foundation itself, I found that
few signals produced small, unidenti- the 9”x8” coil tended to be susceptifiable pieces of copper and brass ble to “target masking” (multiple tarfrom depths up to seven inches deep. gets under the coil at the same time;
A strong signal near the base of an old however, a trick that helped me pick
tree caught my attention and I out several keepers was to lift the coil
removed a six-inch plug. I was sur- up a few inches off the ground and
prised to see that the signal was still slow my sweep speed down just a bit.
in the hole considering how loud the A smaller coil would have really been
audio response had been. As I slowly effective in this situation. Two hours
Field Test
I received the Tejón just in
time to take along on a trip back to
Pennsylvania over the Labor Day
weekend. I wanted to see how it did
in two types of areas—trashy sites
and areas where targets were
extremely deep.
The first area I visited was the
site of an old ferry landing along the
shore of the Susquehanna River just
north of Bloomsburg that had been in
use during the mid-1800s. I had
found the site a few years ago and
while it did hold some old targets,
they were very deep due to the
amount of dirt that had been deposit-
was all I could afford to spend here
before my wife sent out a search party
but the pouch full of relics was more
than I had recovered in the previous
three trips to this site.
Returning to Atlanta, I took
the Tejón to several Civil War sites
that were well-known and considered
by many to be hunted out. As a matter of fact, I ran into three relic
hunters at the first site who had been
searching it most of the morning, an
area being cleared. After some conversation and taking a look at what
they had found, we all picked up our
detectors and went back to hunting.
One of them had agreed to my request
to check each other’s signals so we
began hunting parallel to each other.
The first few targets were shallow
and we both got clear signals from
them. I received what sounded like a
deeper signal (a bit fainter than the
previous ones) and called Bill over to
check it. Knowing where it was
helped but even scrubbing the coil
over the area, he only received a signal once in a while. He said he doubted he would have even picked up the
signal much less deciding it was
worth recovering. Hoping for a keeper, I started to dig in the hard red clay.
At almost 11”, a dropped .58 caliber
Williams Cleaner bullet came to
light. Over the next few hours, this
scenario was repeated several times.
Targets that the Tejón detected with
clear, repeatable signals were either
not detectable or produced broken,
intermittent signals from two of the
three other detectors being used at the
site. All of us were quite impressed at
the detection depth and sensitivity
exhibited by the Tejón—several bullets, small percussion caps, brass
fragments and a few iron artifacts
wound up in my collection that day!
I used the Tejón at other sites
and found that the ground balance
circuit handled even the most adverse
conditions I came across. Small rust-
ed iron, which many other detectors
find impossible to ignore, was cleanly rejected with the discrimination
control set just about the IRON mark.
Even in areas littered with ferrous
trash, the Tejón exhibited no falsing
or chattering while easily picking out
lead, brass and copper targets at
impressive depths.
Summary
The name “Tejón” is Spanish
for badger, which is an animal known
to be tough and capable of digging
deep. Tesoro seems to have selected
the Tejon’s name accurately for while
it doesn’t dig, it definitely detect
deep!
Some detectorists have ignored
Tesoros in the past assuring themselves that the small control housing
can’t equate to top-notch performance; however the Tejon’s in-field
performance should convince even
the most jaded treasure hunters that
they should consider a Tesoro for
their next detector. Many of the finds
I made with the Tejón came from
depths that very few other detectors
are capable of reaching and when you
combine the lightweight of the detector with this performance, it makes
hours of searching an enjoyable and
often extremely productive experience.
Tesoro offers additional
searchcoils for the Tejón including
round and elliptical concentric and
widescan coils ranging in size from
7” to 11” that further enhance its versatility. It should be noted, however,
that only the coils from the Tesoro
Lobo SuperTRAQ are interchangeable with the Tejón due to its new circuit design.
The Tejón lists for $699 and
comes with the legendary Tesoro lifetime warranty—something that has
always told me that the company has
a high degree of confidence in the
quality of the equipment they build.
Great
Treasures
I have been using Tesoro
detectors for sometime now and have
grown to really like the Golden
µMax. This little machine really
hunts great in the trash and heavy
iron.
Today, I decided to hunt a
Girl Scout camp which has been
closed for 20 years. It was recently
turned into a county park. The camp
dates back to the early 1940’s and
has been littered over the years with
bottle caps and pulltabs and the
ground is extremely mineralized with
iron. I detected for almost 3 hours
and managed to find a 1958 quarter
and a 1952 dime. My finds also
included 6 clad quarters, 6 nickels, 5
clad dimes, 1 wheat penny, a 1948
dog tag, a guardian angel medallion,
and a belt buckle. Most of the coins
came from depths of 6 inches with
the 1958 quarter at 8 inches. I did
not clean these coins for the picture
as I wanted all to see the iron
deposits.
My brother hunts with one of
those multi-frequency detectors
which he paid a $1000+ for and he
has hit this area hard. I had to email
him a picture of my finds and to tell
him that he needed to get a Tesoro!
He is seriously considering it. I’ve
detected with him many times and the
Tesoros just coast through the iron
with no problems for me, while he
keeps playing with the adjustments
on his brand X.
I want to thank Tesoro for
making such quality machines and
for standing behind their products
with the only lifetime warranty in the
industry! Keep making these GREAT
detectors!
Larry Kuehn
Valparaiso, IN
MDI
57
Treasure Hunter’s Glossary
Air Test: A test performed by moving vari-
Conductive Salts: One of the major min-
ous sized metal samples beneath the
metal detector searchcoil to check the
detector’s features and target response.
This test is not an accurate indicator of
ground depth penetration capability.
Alkaline: A type of battery able to sustain
longer periods of current drain with
greater storage life when compared to the
standard carbon-zinc type.
All Metal: Any operating mode or control
setting which allows total acceptance of
any type of metal targets. Usually associated with the Ground Balance mode.
Audio ID: See Tone ID.
Audio Response: See Target Response.
Auto Tune: Circuitry which continuously
retunes the detector’s threshold to the initial manually tuned audio level. The retuning rate following target rejection or drift
can be preset or variable.
Back Reading: A false signal, when operating in the discriminate mode, caused
by a rejected target coming within one
inch of or contacting the searchcoil bottom.
Bench Test: An air test to determine at
what approximate discriminate settings
various metal samples are rejected or
accepted. The test is conducted in a nonmetallic area.
Black Sand: One of the most extreme
components of nonconductive, negative
ground minerals. Also called magnetite
(Fe304) or magnetic iron oxide.
Body Mount: A configuration whereby the
control housing is separated from the control shaft and fastened to the operator’s
body lessening arm fatigue and expanding usability for shallow water hunting.
Also known as hip mount.
Cache: Any intentionally buried or secret
hoard of valuables.
Carbon-Zinc: The most common standard dry cell battery type.
Coil: See Searchcoil.
Coin Depth Indicator: A visual indicator
used in conjunction with calibrated circuitry to indicate depth of buried coins in inches or millimeters.
Concentric: A searchcoil configuration
using one or more transmit and one
receive windings having unequal diameters aligned on a common center; most
recently arranged on the same plane and
called coplanar concentric.
eral types which make up the positive
ground matrix. Wet, ocean-salt sand produces a positive rise or metallic type
response on an air tuned threshold.
Conductivity: The measure of a metal target’s ability to allow eddy current generation on its surface.
Control Housing: A metal or plastic box
which holds circuit boards, indicators,
meter, controls and power supply.
Convertible/Combination: A metal
detector configuration allowing versatility
in operator handling, i.e., hand held to
body mount.
Coplanar: Any searchcoil configuration in
which transmit and receive windings
occupy the same level or plane.
Crystal Controlled Oscillator: A transmit oscillator employing a crystal to maintain stable output frequency.
Depth Penetration: The greatest measure of a metal detector’s ability to transmit an electromagnetic field into the soil
matrix and produce a target signal.
Detection Pattern: The densest or
strongest region of the searchcoil’s electromagnetic field where detection occurs.
Its shape is balloon and changes in size
directly proportional to target surface
area.
Detuning: Adjusting the audio threshold
into the null or less sensitivity tuning zone.
Also a method of narrowing a target signal width manually for precise pinpointing.
This is accomplished by retuning to audio
threshold over the target response area.
DISC: See Discrimination.
Discrimination: Adjustable circuitry which
ignores or nulls audio responses from a
specific conductivity range allowing positive responses to be heard from metals
higher in conductivity above the discriminate control setting. Designed primarily to
eliminate audio response from trash metals. See also Motion Discrimi-nator.
Double Blip: A signal characteristic common to elongated ferrous targets such as
nails or coins lying close to the surface
detected in the All Metal no-motion mode.
Double-D or 2-D: See Wide Scan.
Drift: A loss of threshold tuning stability
caused by temperature change, battery
condition, ground mineral content or
detector design.
Eddy Currents: Small circulating currents
produced on the surface of metal by the
58
transmitted electromagnetic field. These
currents then produce a secondary electromagnetic field which is then detected
by the searchcoil receiver windings resulting in inductive imbalance between the
windings.
Electromagnetic Field: An invisible force
extending from top and bottom of the
searchcoil created by the flow of alternating oscillator frequency current around
the transmit winding. See also Detection
Pattern.
Electronic Pinpointing: An automated
detuning feature which narrows signal
response for the purpose of target pinpointing.
Elliptical Coil: A searchcoil with an ellipse shape. This coil can be either concentric or wide scan type.
Faint Signal: A sound characteristic of targets that are sometimes deeply buried or
very small in size.
False Signal: An erroneous signal created
by over shoot, ground voids or highly mineralized hot rocks. See also BackReading.
Faraday-Shield: A metal foil wrapping of
the searchcoil windings or metallically
painted searchcoil housing interior for the
purpose of eliminating electrostatic interference caused by wet vegetation.
Ferrous: Descriptive of any iron or iron
bearing material.
Ferrous Oxide: An oxidized particle of
iron which generally becomes nonconductive and makes up the natural negative ground mineral matrix. Hematite,
which is also an iron oxide (Fe203), will
respond as positive or metallic. See also
Black Sand.
Frequency: The number of complete alternating current cycles produced by the
transmit oscillator per second. Measured
in cycles per second.
VLF Very Low Frequency = 3 to 30 kHz
LF Low Frequency = 30 to 300 kHz
MF Medium Frequency = 300 to 3000 kHz
HF High Frequency = 3 to 30 MHz
Frequency Shift: A feature which suppresses the audio interference (crosstalk) between two detectors using identical
transmit frequencies in close proximity.
Ground Balance: A state of operation
using specialized circuitry to ignore the
masking effect that iron ground minerals
have over metal targets.
Ground Balance - Factory Preset: A
feature which eliminates the manual
ground balance control and its adjustment
from the operator’s setup procedure. This
adjustment is performed internally by the
factory to optimize operation over an
average range of nonconductive soils.
Ground Balance - Manual Ad-justed:
A feature requiring a manual control
adjustment procedure to neutralize the
effects of negative minerals in the search
matrix.
Ground Balance - Self Adjusting: A
feature which senses change in ground
mineral content and continuously readjusts the ground balance while in operation. Sometimes called Ground Tracking
or Automatic Ground Balance.
Ground Filter: Complex circuitry found in
motion-type detectors which separates
mineral signal from the metal signal allowing it to be further processed by the discrimination circuitry.
Hand Held: A metal detector configuration
whereby the operator holds a shaft or
handle which supports the searchcoil and
control housing. Also called pole mount.
Head: See Searchcoil.
Hz or Hertz: Cycles per second. See also
Frequency.
Hip Mount: See Body Mount.
Hot Rock: A rock which contains a higher
concentration of nonconductive ground
minerals than the surrounding matrix to
which the detector is balanced. A metallic
(positive) response will be heard in the
motion and non-motion modes and a null
or negative drop in threshold is heard in
the all metal, ground balance mode over
these rocks.
Isolator: A nonmetal stem which attaches
the searchcoil to the control shaft eliminating metallic interference in the detection pattern. On some detectors, the
entire lower shaft is made of a nonmetal
substance.
kHz or Kilohertz: 1000 cycles per second. See also Frequency.
LCD or Liquid Crystal Display: Used
on a metal detector as a graphic visual
indicator same as a meter/needle indicator.
LED or Light Emitting Diode: A semiconductor which produces an illuminated
visual response.
Loop: See Searchcoil.
Matrix: Refers to the total volume of
ground penetrated by the transmitted
electromagnetic field—which may contain
varying amounts and combinations of
minerals, metals, salts and moisture.
Metal: Metallic substances such as iron,
foil, nickel, aluminum, gold, brass, lead,
copper, silver, etc.
Metal Detectorist: A person operating a
metal detector in the field. This name is
preferred by many over Treasure Hunter.
Meter: A detector component that provides
visual information to aid in target identification. Meters feature either an LCD or
needle indicator which may display intensity of signal, target depth, target identification, type of metal, or battery condition.
Mineral-Free Discriminator: Any
metal detector that can reject or ignore
trash metals while simultaneously balancing ground mineralization.
Mineralized Ground: Any soil that contains conductive or nonconductive components.
Mode: A condition of operation, selected by
the operator, for specific desired function(s).
Motion Discriminator: A detector type
that requires searchcoil motion to activate
its simultaneous ground balance and discriminate functions. See also MineralFree Discriminator and VLF/TR.
Narrow Response: A target that produces
an audio response so short that pinpointing is almost not needed.
Negative Ground: Soil that contains nonconductive minerals which have a negative or nulling effect on an air-tuned
threshold.
Neutral Ground: Soil that has no nonconductive or conductive mineral properties. Lacks mineralization.
Ni-Cad or Nickel-Cadmium: A
rechargeable type of battery cell.
Non-Ferrous: Not of iron. Metals of the
precious class (i.e., gold, silver, copper,
etc.)
No-Motion: Refers to any mode of operation that does not require searchcoil
motion to trigger target response. Also
called non-motion.
Notch Accept: Operation whereby all target responses are “tuned-out” except
those the instrument is adjusted to accept
in the notch “window.”
Notch Discrimination: Filtering circuitry
which allows a “window” of desirable targets to be accepted within the entire
rejection range of unaccepted targets, i.e.,
rejecting nails, foil and pulltabs while
accepting nickels and gold rings of the
same conductivity. This circuitry can also
be adjusted to reject all metal targets
while accepting only a specific conductivity range.
Notch Level: A control used to select the
target level or target conductivity which
the notch filter will act upon.
Notch Reject: Operation whereby all targets within the notch width at chosen
notch level will be “tuned-out.”
Notch Width: A finite discrimination range
of target conductivities (“window”) at the
chosen notch level.
Null: The zone just below audible threshold
in metal detector tuning. This also refers
to the momentary drop or quiet response
of threshold sound as the searchcoil
passes over a discriminated or rejected
target.
Overlap: The amount of searchcoil swing
advance not greater than the searchcoil’s
physical diameter.
Overshoot: A common false signal heard
as the searchcoil passes over a rejected
target when using a no-motion all metal
mode in conjunction with automatic
retuning. Excessive tuning restoration
pushes the audio above threshold level
creating a positive response at the edges
of target detection periphery.
Phase Response: The length of time
between eddy current generation sustained on a metal’s surface and the
resultant secondary electromagnetic field
effect on the searchcoil’s receive winding.
Related to target conductivity.
Pinpointing: Finding the exact target location with respect to a searchcoil’s designated center. Accomplished by interpreting the centers of audio response width in
perpendicular directions or scans. See
also Detuning.
Positive Ground: Soil which contains
conductive minerals or moist salts which
have a positive or upward effect on an
air-tuned threshold.
PI or Pulse Induction: A mode of operation where the transmitter circuit pulses
an electrical current into the ground
before it quickly shuts down. The eddy
currents dissipate immediately from poor
conductors such as wet salt sand and
ground minerals. Metals hold eddy currents because they are better conductors.
When the receiver circuit comes on, it
picks up the returning signal from metal;
the eddy currents in the ground minerals
have already disappeared.
Quick Response: A short time period
between metal sensing and peak
audio/visual indicator indication usually
associated with all frequency ranges of
TR detectors.
Rejection: An indication of target nonacceptance by a null in threshold or broken
sound while operating in a discriminate
mode.
RF-Two Box: A radio frequency detector
having its own transmit and receive windings separate and in an orthogonal configuration. This detector is capable of
deep large object detection while naturally ignoring small targets such as nails and
individual coins.
Scan: Refers to 1) the effective searchcoil
detection width or 2) searchcoil movement over the ground.
Scrubbing: The searchcoil is pressed and
held in contact with the ground while
searching to maintain even audio thresh59
old. With newer detectors, this technique
is used to gain depth.
Searchcoil: A circular (or other shaped)
plastic housing containing single or multiple transmit and receive windings (wire
coils) in a specific configuration. A searchcoil emits and receives signals from the
ground and metal targets. Also called
loop, coil or head.
Searchcoil Cable: An electrostatically
shielded cable of conductors (wires)
which convey signals to and from the
searchcoil and control housing.
Sensitivity: The capacity of a metal detector to perceive changes in conductivity
within the detection pattern. Generally,
the more sensitivity a detector can
smoothly provide, the more depth it will
achieve in sensing targets.
Signal: An audio response or visual indication alerting the operator that a target has
been detected.
Signal Width: The total distance of
ground an audio signal is sustained during searchcoil travel or scan.
Silent Search: Refers to detectors capable of producing a target signal while
operating below the threshold audio. Also
called silent operation.
Scuff Cover: A protective cover for the
searchcoil bottom. Also called coil cover
or skid plate.
Slow Motion: A description of searchcoil
speed required to operate the motion discriminate mode.
Stability: The ability of a metal detector to
maintain manually adjusted tuning
threshold under the effects of outside
interference. See also Drift.
Surface Area: Refers to the area of a target closest to the searchcoil where eddy
current generation can take place.
Surface Mount: The art of mounting electronic components on the surface of a
printed circuit board rather than using the
“through board” method. This allows
more technology in a much smaller space
and with much higher tolerances.
Sweep: The motion employed in moving
the searchcoil across the ground.
Target: Refers to any object that causes an
audio or visual response in a detector.
Target Masking: When large sizes or
high concentrations of trash metals drive
the threshold into the null zone suppressing weaker, positive responses from
deeper or smaller targets.
Target Response: See Signal.
Ten-Turn: A control which can be manually rotated ten times to cover the full electrical range of the function. Usually associated with tuning or ground balance function.
Test Garden: A mapped plot of buried tar60
gets at various depths to aid in learning
characteristic target responses and in
comparing metal detector performances
under a given ground mineral content.
Also called test plot or test bed.
TH’er, TH’ing: Universal word contractions for treasure hunter and treasure
hunting. Also known as Metal Detectorist.
Threshold: Continuous tone that establishes a reference point for tuning the
detector to ground balance it. The threshold tone also establishes the minimum
sound level for deep targets in the discriminate mode.
Tone ID: Circuitry producing different
audio tones for each target’s conductivity
range, i.e., low tone for nickel, high tone
for coins.
TR or Transmitter-Receiver: Term
describing method of operation of early
detectors. Some manufacturers still produce this type of detector. Electromagnetic field distortion caused by mineralized ground interferes with depth penetration as this type of detector does not
ground compensate. It does balance conductive salt water effects, so it is primarily used in salt water and on low mineral
salt water beaches or low mineral inland
locations.
Visual ID: A feature in which a visual indication is produced to help identify the target.
Visual Indicator: A meter, LCD or LED
that signals a target’s presence.
VLF or Very Low Frequency: See
Frequency.
VLF/DISC: Term associated with detectors capable of mineral-free operation in
both the discriminate and all metal
modes.
VLF/TR: A class of detector that can
operate in both the all metal, ground balance mode and the no-motion discriminate, non-ground balance mode.
Wide Response: A target that produces
an audio signal over an area wider than
the searchcoil diameter.
Widescan: A coplanar searchcoil with two
“D” shaped transmit and receive windings
positioned back to back and overlapping.
This searchcoil type is capable of detecting a target across at least its full diameter. Also called Double-D or 2-D.
Zero Discrimination: Used to describe
detectors whose discrimination control
allows the acceptance of all metals at
zero setting.
With special acknowledgment to
Western and Eastern Treasures
Buyer’s Guide
1. Always check federal, state, county,
and local laws before searching. It is
your responsibility to “know the
law.”
2. Abide by all laws, ordinances, or
regulations that may govern your
search or the area you will be in.
3. Never trespass. Always obtain permission prior to entering private
property, mineral claims, or underwater salvage leases.
4. Do not damage, deface, destroy, or
vandalize any property (including
ghost towns and deserted structures), and never tamper with any
equipment at the site.
5. Never litter. Always pack out what
you take in and remove all trash dug
in your search.
6. Fill all holes, regardless how remote
the location, and never dig in a way
that will damage, be damaging to,
or kill any vegetation.
7. Do not build fires, camp, or park in
non-designated or restricted areas.
8. Leave all gates and other accesses
to land as found.
9. Never contaminate wells, creeks, or
any other water supplies.
10. Be courteous, considerate, and
thoughtful at all times.
11. Report the discovery of any items of
historic significance to the local historical society or proper authorities.
12. Uphold all finders, search, and salvage agreements.
13. Promote responsible historical research and artifact recovery and the
sharing of knowledge with others.
TESORO AUTHORIZED U.S. DISTRIBUTORS
Tesoro Distributors are authorized, independent warehouse and
retail operations serving Tesoro dealers and consumers. If you
can’t find an Authorized Dealer near you, please call the
Distributor of your choice and they will be glad to assist you.
Jobe Wholesalers
Hickory Valley Det. Sales
13911 Pioneer Rd.
Apple Valley, CA 92307
(877) 698-8881
(760) 961-8700
6916 Lee Highway
Chattanooga, TN 37421
(423) 892-0525
Detector Electronics Corp.
Homestead Detector Co.
7515 S. Pennsylvania, Ste E
Oklahoma City, OK 73159
(405) 685-3130
23B Turnpike Rd/Brickyard
Plaza
Southborough, MA 01772
(508) 460-6244
(800) 446-0244
Outdoor Outfitters
824 N. Hartwell Ave.
Waukesha, WI 53186
(262) 542-7772
(800) 558-2020
TESORO DEALERS—CANADA
NOVA SCOTIA
Sweet Dreams Detectors
R L Dennis Associates
Pettipas The Prospector
ALBERTA
Touchwood Enterprises
Rich's Ventures
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Northcoast Metal Detectors
K & B Enterprises
ONTARIO
Candian Treasure Seekers
Oshawa Metal Detectors
Northshore Metal Detectors
RDSI
Ackert Supplies
Middlesex Detector Sales
Golden Treasure Metal Det.
E.E. Johnson Enterprises
Golden Horseshoe Detector
NOVA SCOTIA
J. Tech Equipment Sales
MANITOBA
O.K. John Metal Detectors
SASKATCHEWAN
All Tech Mining & Forestry
Kentville
Lakeside
Westville
902-678-7264
902-455-2311
902-396-3509
Edson
Rocky Mnt. Hou
780-723-2943
403-845-3718
Terrance
Westbank
250-635-5676
250-707-0618
Corunna
Enniskillen
Hagersville
Markham
Norwich
Parkhill
Scarborough
Shelburne
Stoney Creek
800-965-8470
905-263-2969
905-768-7876
877-201-2343
519-424-2549
519-294-6623
416-261-1347
519-925-5274
905-643-2668
Londonderry
902-668-2912
Winnipeg
866-667-6556
Saskatoon
306-934-1666
TESORO AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS OUTSIDE THE U.S.
The following Tesoro Distributors are authorized independent wholesalers who provide Tesoro products and warranty service to resellers and consumers
in their country. For information on establishing a distributorship in a country not represented, please contact the Tesoro factory.
AUSTRALIA
North East Metal Detectors
P.O. box 5218
Wodonga Plaza
Wodonga , Victoria
AUSTRALIA 3690
Tel: (61) 2-6059-1666
Website: www.tesoro.com.au
BULGARIA
SOPHILCO Ltd.
1330, Sofia
Blvd. Vardar, Block 65
BULGARIA
Tel: (359) 2-920-0131
CANADA
CANADIAN TREAS. SEEKERS
601 St.Clair Pkwy
Corunna, Ontario N0N1G0
CANADA
TEL: 800-965-8470
CZECH REPUBLIC
Marek mlejnsky
Prazaska 572
542 01 Jilove U Prahy
CZECH REPUBLIC
Tel: 420-604-490003
FRANCE
INTERNATIONAL DETECTION
SERVICES (IDS)
22 rue Charles Baudelaire
75012 Paris, FRANCE
Tel: (33) 1 43 07 55 02
Fax: (33) 1 43 07 07 16
Website: www.planete-detection.com
GERMANY (includes service to
Austria & switzerland)
ABENTEUER-SCHATZSUCHE
Am Wald 11
32694 Dörentrup, GERMANY
Tel: (49) 5265 955879
Fax: (49) 5265 955882
Website: www.abenteuer-schatzsuche.de
NETHERLANDS
DETECT METAALDETECTORS
Wooldriksweg 88
7512AV Enschede
NETHERLANDS
Tel: (31) 53-4300512
Fax: (31) 53-4345558
Website: www.detect.nl
GREECE
BARBARA MITTA
Venizelou 44
GR-54624 Thessaloniki, GREECE
Tel: (30) 231 0286 577
Fax: (30) 231 0281 488
Website: www.tesoro.gr
PERU
SERPERUANO.Com S.A.C.
Calle Independencia #208
Of. 201 Miraflores
Lima 18
PERU
Tel: (51) 1-4452898
Fax: (51) 1-4216177
Website: www.tesoroperu.com
HUNGARY
HASZONFEM KFT.
Szabo K. u. 20
4030 Debrecen
HUNGARY
Tel/Fax: (36)52-425-847
Website:www.tesoro.uni.hu
ITALY
E.B. ELETTRONICA DI BARTOLINI
& C. SNC
Via del Lavoro 4
Zona Ind. Montaletto
48015 Cervia (RA), ITALY
Tel. (39) 0544-965378
Fax: (39) 0544-965036
Website: www.detectorcenter.it
POLAND
DENAR-Wykrywacze Metali
ul. Lipowa 6A/17
81-572 Gdynia, POLAND
Tel: (48) 58-781-0889
Website: www.denar.republika.pl
RUSSIA
RODONIT
P.O.Box 20
Moscow, 111394, RUSSIA
Tel: (7) 95-165-9018
Fax: (7) 95-301-2514
Website: www.rodonit.com
SLOVENIA
PJ Engineering, Inc.
Ljublijanska 31
2310 Slovenska Bistrica
SLOVENIA
Tel: (386) 2-818-2858
Fax: (386) 2-818-2859
SPAIN
EURODETECTION, s.l.
Ctra. Canillas, 138-2º 11-B
28043 Madrid, SPAIN
Tel: (34) 9 1 388 6782
Fax: (34) 9 1 759 9996
Website: www.eurodetection.com
TURKEY
AZIM ELEKTROMEKANIK Tic. Ltd.
Sti.
Gazi Bulvari No:87-606
35230 Cankaya-Izmir, TURKEY
Tel: (90) 232-4412756
Website: www.azimelektronik.com
UKRAINE
GEOTECH
4 Kondratuka Street
Kiev, UKRAINE 04201
Tel: (380) 44-462-3149
UNITED KINGDOM
(Includes Service to Ireland,
Scotland)
TREASURE WORLD
192 Albany Street
London, NW1 4AP, ENGLAND
Tel: (44) 207-387-3142
Fax: (44) 207-388-2714
61
Tesoro Authorized U.S. Dealers
A next to a Dealer’s name indicates a “Gold Star” Dealer who has exceeded Tesoro sales and service goals.
The state in which they are listed is where they resided at the time of this MDI’s printing. Though they may be on the road and visiting
treasure shows, they still may be reached to help you with your Tesoro purchase or to answer questions.
ALABAMA
Deep South Detectors
Florence
Confederate State Arsenal
Birmingham
Southern Skin Divers Su
Birmingham
Bear's Detector Sales
Bridgeport
Southern Tresures
Tuscaloosa
ALASKA
Alaska Mining & Diving
Anchorage
Debbie's Old Coins
Wasilla
ARIZONA
A & B Prospecting
Mesa
Rusty's Detectors 'n Nuggets
Prescott
A & B Prospecting (PV)
Prescott Valley
Gold Miser
Quartzsite
Morey Detector Sales
Tucson
Promack Treasure Hunter
Apache Junction
Black Canyon City Detectors
Black Canyon City
Crown King General Store
Crown King
Citigold
Kingman
Arizona Hiking Shack
Phoenix
Rockazona Inc.
Peoria
Miners Creek
Wickenburg
Treasures Unlimited
Winslow
Pro Gold Prospecting EquipmentYoungtown
DeTorres Detectors
Yuma
ARKANSAS
Treasure Cove
Barling
Medicine Man CB
Clarksville
J Wammack Sales
Mena
CALIFORNIA
Big Valley Metal Detectors
Citrus Heights
Columbia Metal Detectors
Escondido
Gold Gulch
Felton
Gold Fever Prospecting
Hesperia
A & S Company
Santa Clara
Rusty’s Gold & Treasure
Anaheim
Shasta County Gold
Anderson
Capricorn Enterprises
Canyon Country
49ers Mining Supplies
Columbia
Fielding Trading
Coulterville
Trans Bay Metal Detectors
Foster City
RCM Enterprises
Fresno
Legends Prospecting
Hemet
Gold Prospecting Adventrures Jamestown
Anton Enterprises
Lancaster
Valley Detector Sales
Modesto
Jack’s Metal Detectoring
Oxnard
Rich Rego Detectors
Pioneer
The Miners Cache
Redding
Pedersen’s Metal Detectors
Santa Ana
Dr. Looney's Tackle
Stockton
Ray's Metal Detectors & Prosp. Turlock
COLORADO
Mr. Detector
Montrose
Treasure Hut
Centennial
Dewitt Enterprises
Colorado Springs
Gold-n-Detectors
Golden
Crime Prevention Resources
Grand Junction
CONNECTICUT
TC Metal Detecotrs
Windsor Locks
Snow's Metal Detectors
Gaylordsville
DELAWARE
JB's Speciality Merchandise
New Castle
Treasure Quest Shoppe
Ocean View
FLORIDA
JR's Metal Detectors
Deltona
Reily's Treasured Gold Inc
Pompano Beach
American Hardware
Edgewater
B & G Metal Detectors
Lake City
Bob Uhl metal Detector
Lakeland
Golden Eagle Products
Melbourne
BJ’s Detector Sales
Ocala
Gold Prospecting Supply Co.
Orlando
Ann Arbor Metal Detectors
Spring Hill
62
256-767-7535
205-836-0357
205-595-3052
256-495-9171
866-849-7732
800-478-3444
907-357-3643
480-832-4524
928-445-6451
928-772-4319
928-927-7150
520-323-0071
480-983-3484
623-374-9044
623-492-0600
928-692-5035
602-944-7723
623-979-7400
928-684-7014
928-289-3503
623-975-7573
928-782-2480
479-785-2466
479-754-2076
479-466-0867
916-225-9150
760-743-8516
831-335-2901
760-948-3333
408-248-1233
714-397-4615
530-378-0851
661-252-6408
209-588-1635
209-878-0820
650-346-2848
559-281-4202
951-929-1826
209-984-4653
661-948-8957
209-577-5839
805-485-4360
209-295-3315
530-410-3122
714-771-6463
209-242-1100
209-604-7870
970-252-0429
303-881-6748
719-473-0330
303-278-6622
970-257-7725
860-623-1153
860-488-5694
302-328-0946
302-537-5334
386-490-7040
800-875-6102
904-428-9784
386-755-3516
863-602-7057
321-254-5513
352-873-9953
407-595-7478
352-597-1911
Toms Fish Pond & Water
Capital Coin & Diamond
Myers Metal Detectors
GEORGIA
Bonnie Blue Metal Detectors
Southern Metal Detectors
Ocmulgee Pawn Trading
North Georgia Relics & Detecto
Stone Mountain Relics
Dan's Metal Detectors
Relic Recovery Detectors
Brasher Enterprise
Count-D-Mony
Richmond Hill Pawn Shop
HAWII
All Island Treasure Detectors
IDAHO
Gerry's Metal Detectors
Signs Unlimited
Grunberg Scholoss’ Cabinet
Rosehill Coins & Jewelry
Dean's Discount Emporium
Conn's Wampum Hut
JC’s Metal Detecting
Finder Keepers
North Idaho Prospecting Supply
ILLINOIS
Windy City Detectors
M's Treasure Shop
Detecting the Past
Steves Guns Inc.
Seek the Treasure
W. Allen Collectibles
INDIANA
Wray's Treasure Shop
NW1 Detectors
Mike's Metal Detectors
New Concept Metal Detectors
Discount Detector Sales
Webb's Metal Detectors
Brunck Sales
McCarts’ Treasure Shop
IOWA
Double Eagle Detector Co.
DJ's Detectors
KANSAS
Smokey Hill Detectors
Flatland Detectors
KENTUCKY
Twin Lakes Hunting Supplies
Southview Corp.
Marilyns Medical Freedom Inc.
LOUISIANA
Bruce Treasure Corp.
Louisiana Detectors
MAINE
Hobby House
MASSACHUSETTS
Colonial Metal Detectors
Corporate Security Electronis
Peabody Estate Buyers
J & E Enterprises
Henderson Metal Detectors
MARYLAND
Bay Country Metal Detector
MICHIGAN
DM Outstanding Bargain Xchan
Treasures Down Under
Mandelo Corporation
RJ’s TV & VCR Repair
Prospecting Mining Detecting
Pro/Stock Detectors
Northern Michigan Treasure
GTC Metal Detectors
St. Augustine
Tallahassee
Tampa
904-827-9727
800-392-2646
813-237-1939
Dallas
Kennesaw
Macon
Ringgold
Stone Mountain
Carrollton
Fayetteville
Jesup
Kingsland
Richmond Hill
404-556-1480
770-380-9436
478-746-1066
866-364-3137
770-469-1425
770-296-8285
770-461-1044
912-530-8204
912-510-7108
912-756-2266
Aiea
808-486-3602
Boise
Boise
Sandpoint
Boise
Fruitland
Gardem City
Lewiston
Nampa
Silverton
208-345-8898
208-785-8229
208-263-7871
208-343-3220
208-452-4573
208-343-2813
208-746-6121
208-467-2666
208-556-0337
Chicago
Cisne
Downs
Rock Island
Witt
Zion
773-774-5445
618-673-2862
309-378-4218
309-788-5765
217-594-3372
847-872-0959
Seymour
Valparaiso
Georgetown
Lafayette
Crawfordsville
Muncie
Newbuck
Orleans
800-842-7916
219-766-2879
812-366-3558
866-460-9608
765-866-0320
765-282-0774
812-490-2340
812-849-4069
Brayton
Ottumwa
712-546-2410
641-777-8229
Ellis
Wichita
785-726-3318
316-838-5188
Leitchfield
Nicholasville
Pakucah
270-287-0152
859-885-6416
800-489-2022
Sheveport
Lafayette
318-222-2682
337-981-7084
Dover-Foxcroft
207-564-5157
Blackstone
Southborough
Peabody
South Yarmouth
Taunton
508-883-8232
800-446-0244
978-531-3393
888-412-9430
508-821-1555
Prince Fredrick
301-769-4352
Wyoming
Cassopolis
Chesaning
Goodrich
Livonia
Plainwell
Spruce
Traverse City
616-531-7571
269-445-1577
989-720-7030
810-636-7542
734-464-9815
269-685-1776
517-471-5210
231-313-5245
MINNESOTA
Mission Metal Detector
Coon Rapids
Metal Detectors of Minneapolis Minneapolis
MISSOURI
Pictures & More
Brighton
Clevenger Detector Sales
Kansas City
Metal Detectors of SWMO
Springfield
Central Missouri Detectros
Ashland
Jim Batson Hearing Service
Golden City
Four State Vending
Joplin
Parkers Metal Detectors
Leasburg
Mid Missouri Metal Detectors Sedalia
Max's Metal Detectors
West Plaines
MISSISSIPPI
CS Relics
Glen
Beste's Lawn & Patio Suppl
Warren
Peddler's Outdoor Power
Natchez
Sit-N- Bull
St. Ignace
MONTANA
Gold Miser
Libby
Modern Prospector
Helena
Gold West Prospecting
Philipburg
Big Sky Metal Detectors
Ronan
NEBRASKA
Hayneedle, Inc.
Omaha
Oak Creek Collectibles
Cairo
Quality Business Services
Elkhorn
T & K Metal Detector Sales
Omaha
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Coin & Stamp Shop
Manchester
NEW JERSEY
Gold Digger Metal Detectors
Rariton
De Marco Detector Sales
Millville
Detectors Unlimited
Somerset
NEW MEXICO
Caudill Enterprises
Albuquerque
NEW YORK
Upstate Metal Detectors
Schenectady
Frank W. Pandozzi Ent.
Chittenange
Reliatech Sales & Service
Hamburg
North East Wholesalers
Oneonta
Point Detectors
Point Lookout
NEVADA
Desert Outfitters
Las Vegas
Reno Prospectors Supply
Reno
Junior's Gun & Pawn
Yerington
NORTH CAROLINA
Barbee Detector Sales
Burlington
Common Cents Detectors
Shallotte
Eastern Treasure Hunters
Apex
All Around Asherville
Asherville
Mills Machine Co.
Concord
Grenade Factory
Gastonia
Coastline Metal Detectors
Willard
Diggin’ Dixie Detectors
Winterville
NORTH DAKOTA
Contact a U.S. Distributor on page61
OHIO
Baringer's Metal Detectors
Kidron
Mark's Metal Detectors
Hubbard Heights
Treasure Center "1" Inc.
Hubbard
Gold Digger
Mount Vernon
OKLAHOMA
Wayne's Detector Sales
Oklahoma City
Capital Detectors
Arnett
Indian Nations Detectors
Broken Arrow
Great Plains Detectors
New Castle
The Pirate's Chest
Stigler
Indian Nations Detectors
Tulsa
Tracy's Detector Sales
Wagoner
OREGON
Blue Bucket Mining Co
Bend
Heather Cove
Shady Cove
Blue Bucket Metal Detectors
Baker City
K & D Detectors
Clatskanie
Gold Rush Trading Post
Dallas
Accurate Locators Metal Det
Gold Hill
Black Cat Mining
Harrisburg
Double R Detectors
Irrigon
Bill & Ruby's Rock 'n Ore Hous Myrtle Creek
Cliff's Metal Detectors
Salem
763-755-9449
800-876-8377
417-376-2159
800-999-9147
417-886-4222
573-657-6139
417-869-6638
417-483-5213
573-205-6144
660-827-1529
417-293-5724
662-415-9121
586-776-1794
601-445-0795
906-643-6672
406-293-8679
406-442-0044
406-859-7100
406-253-1678
800-958-6038
308-380-9024
402-289-3976
402-333-9389
800-499-2440
908-595-9933
856-825-6009
800-450-5287
505-857-0596
518-393-0624
315-687-9631
716-649-5400
607-287-2060
516-650-2330
702-362-7177
775-329-7553
775-463-3017
336-584-9289
910-754-6154
919-439-4165
828-242-5407
704-782-7644
704-866-7044
910-289-7583
252-378-8363
800-837-9844
937-237-0672
330-534-4482
614-206-1766
405-685-3130
580-885-7788
918-906-9912
405-387-9882
918-967-8291
918-906-9912
918-485-3595
541-318-1131
541-878-3777
541-523-7406
203-728-2094
503-623-2062
541-855-1590
541-995-5137
541-922-4547
540-863-6111
503-581-3395
Back Country Prospectors
Sumpter
Boulder Patch Mines
Sumpter
Jon Allerman
Strayton
Oregon Prospecting
Sweet Home
PENNSYLVANIA
Gettysburg Electronics
Gettysburg
Tim's Detectors
Imperial
Burke's Pot o' Gold
Kingston
Time Capsule Metal Detectors S Quakertown
Greater Pittsburg
Crescent
Diamondback Detectors Sales McClellandtown
CR Scientific LLC
Mill Hall
Dream Detectors
Roulette
RHODE ISLAND
Contact a U.S. Distributor on page 61.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Rebel metal Detectors
Charleston
Carolina Treasures
Columbia
Relic Hunter Supply
Ridgeway
Carolina Metal Detectors
Greenville
Hunter's Hardware
Greenville
Coastal Metal Detectors
Myrtle Beach
Andy Sabisch’s Treasure HuntingRock Hill
Indy Jones Trading Co.
Spartanburg
SOUTH DAKOTA
Black Hills Jewelers Supply
Rapid City
TENNESSEE
Hickory Valley Detector Sales Chattanooga
Backwoods Detector Sales
Greeneville
Detector Depot
Knoxville
Dixie Metal Detectors
Madison
Metal Detectors R US
Hillsboro
Red Bank Swap Shop
Hixson
S & P Treasure Finders
Kingsport
Shiloch Civil War Relics
Shiloh
TEXAS
John's Metal Detectors
Blackwell
Accurate Laser Metal Det
Corpus Christi
Texas Premium Detectors
Keller
American Detectors
N. Richland Hills
Treasure Fish
Richmond
Lost and Found Metal Detectors Brownwood
D2 Detectors
Grapevine
Royal Coins
Houston
Liberty Equipment Sales Inc.
Houston
Ancient Gold
Katy
Old Town Metal Detectors
Krum
Piney Woods Metal Detectors Longview
Get-R-Done Metal Detector
Tyler
Victoria Coin & Precious Metal Victoria
VIRGINIA
Sgt. Riker's Civil War Trading Ashland
Aldridge Metal Detectors
Richmond
Dave’s Detectors
Broadway
Lovin’ Gold Prospecting
Dillwyn
Automotive Sounds
Disputanta
The Picket Post
Fredericksburg
Gore Grocery
Gore
Whitmore’s Good As New Ship Kenbridge
Artifact Recovery Supplies
Palmyra
Staunton Trains & Hobbies
Straunton
Land & Sea Treasure Outfitters Toano
Digger Jays Detectors & Treasu Verona
WASHINGTON
RC Gold Prospecting Supply
Bellingham
Morgan Creek Outfitters
Sedro-Woolley
Bowen's Hideout
Spokane
Get ‘Er Dug Prospecting SupplieSpokane Valley
Nugget Man’s Pay Dirt
Vancouver
WISCONSIN
Badger Metal Detectors
Madison
Outdoor Outfitters
Waukesha
Doug's Treasure Den
Wisconsin Rapids
Ground Vew Metal Detector
Spencer
WEST VIRGINIA
Michael D. Vick
Beckley
Electronic Supply
Huntington
WYOMING
metaldetectorspro.com
Cheyenne
Intermountain Metal Detectors Mountain View
208-739-8689
541-894-2544
503-769-1914
866-367-4061
717-334-8634
412-600-1364
570-331-0600
215-536-0796
724-457-0720
724-439-1380
570-726-4114
814-544-1441
843-763-1115
803-238-1841
803-427-5464
864-232-0794
843-525-0554
843-450-7202
803-327-1709
864-809-0652
605-343-5478
423-892-0525
423-360-1242
800-966-1109
615-860-4333
615-653-5488
423-877-6281
423-349-4474
901-689-4114
325-282-2329
361-949-9595
817-431-5891
817-498-7100
254-368-1166
325-998-4468
817-925-3212
800-97-COINS
281-987-8708
281-578-9281
940-230-7699
903-238-5715
903-593-2953
361-573-4653
804-798-6848
804-271-9523
540-896-6465
434-983-1300
804-943-6287
540-371-7703
540-858-3139
434-676-2654
804-545-3095
540-885-6750
804-457-2726
540-248-6126
360-733-5750
360-855-1620
509-534-4004
509-995-5553
360-891-8317
608-213-6622
800-558-2020
715-423-2287
715-659-5592
304-523-6443
304-523-6443
Internet only
307-871-1100
63
A Tale of Tesoro
The Family that Prospects Together, Prospers Together.
Prospecting for treasure is a fourth-generation family passion
for James and Vince Gifford, and they’re justifiably proud of their “Made
In America” Tesoro Electronics products. Their father, Jack, founded
Tesoro in a Phoenix, AZ, garage in 1980-the result of his affinity for electronics combined with the treasure-hunting legacy handed down to him by
his father and grandfather.
At the turn of the 19th century when gold fever was running
high, Morgan Gifford, Jack’s grandfather, moved his family from their
ranch in Idaho to Oregon, where he started a gold mine. Prospecting was
a family affair, with Morgan’s sons Aubrey and Norval (Jack’s father)
working in the mine together. During harvest season, though, the family’s
focus changed; they labored as farm hands and traveled across Idaho,
Montana, North and South Dakota. It was during one of these harvest
times that Norval met his future wife, Mayme. They soon married, and
Norval moved his family to Arizona, where he worked for the Inspiration
Mine in Miami, one of Arizona’s richest copper-mining areas.
Norval and Mayme had three children: Glenna, Gloria, and
Jack ( who was born in Miami, AZ). After several years of mining and as
his family grew, Norval relocated to Phoenix and took a job with Arizona
Public Service (APS). When Jack graduated from high school, he, too,
began working for APS. Before long it was clear that Jack’s inherited talent for creating electronic instruments had grown-along with his love of
the historic City of Prescott-into a true calling. Jack’s vision for a company of his own was fulfilled in 1980, when with the help of his wife Myrna,
Tesoro Electronics was founded. It took nearly a decade more before their
dream of living full-time in Prescott became reality, but in 1989 the Gifford family-and Tesoro-were finally home.
Just as his father and grandfather had done, Jack shared his love of the
hunt for treasures with his sons James and Vince. He involved them in every
aspect of the family business, and the boys couldn’t have hoped for a more dedicated teacher. They learned all about the rich history of mining and prospecting, the wide variety and evolution of tools used over the years, and how radically things had changed since their great-grandfather Morgan Gifford had
begun his Oregon gold mine so many years before. Jack taught James and Vince
the importance of quality and meticulous attention to detail in Tesoro’s manufacture of metal detection instruments, keeping them abreast of all the latest
developments in technology. The boys were hooked. In 2004, Jack and Myrna
were finally able to retire, knowing that the family business would now be in the
capable hands of the sons who so fully embraced their twin passions: treasurehunting and Tesoro.
With James and Vince at the wheel today, Tesoro-the name that means
“treasure”-remains an industry leader, with an exciting array of quality metal
detector, all backed by lifetime warranties, Jack and Myrna’s sons continue to
carry the family legacy with pride, sharing the pleasure of modern-day treasurehunting with their growing family of satisfied customers worldwide.
Lifetime Warranty
Tesoro metal detectors are manufactured in the U.S.A. by Tesoro
Electronics, Inc. For 30 years now, we have backed every new
detector with our exclusive Lifetime Warranty. Nothing says more
about a company;s confidence in its product than its factory warranty.
This is your greatest assurance of a quality built Product.
The name that means Treasure
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715 White Spar Rd., Prescott, AZ 86303
(928) 771-2646 - www.tesoro.com
See your Tesoro Dealer Today or call 800-528-3352 for a catalog and dealer near you.
Your Tesoro Authorized Dealer

Metal Detector Information

Transcription

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