How Do Metal Detectors Work
Most modern Metal Detectors are made up of 4 main parts, these consist of:
Stabilizer - This is near the hand grip area, usualy it's shaped like an oval or half circle, it sorta surrounds the
forearm area, helping to keep the metal detector stabilized while using it.
System Control Pack - This is the
brains of the metal detector, it's the area that contains the circuitry, control knobs, batteries, microprocessor and more.
Shaft - This is the long pipe or tube
like section(s) that connect the System Control Pack to the Search Coil, this part is often adjustable so you can make it
comfortable for your height.
Search Coil - This is the flat,
mostly round or oval part that is held just above the search area. This part is also named the loop, antenna or search
head.
Currently Metal Detectors use one of 3 types of technology:
VLF (Very Low Frequency) - Metal
Detectors using this technology have two search coils. One coil called the 'transmitter coil' transmits electricity rapidly
many times per second, first in one direction around the coil, then in the other direction.
The other coil called the 'Receiver Coil' acts just like the name implies it receives frequencies or data that come or
'bounce' back from the objects the transmitter coil detects in the search area. This type of Metal Detector is great for it's
ability for being able to distinguish between different types of metals.
PI (Pulse Induction) - Metal Detectors
using PI technology sometimes use a single coil or a series of coils working together as a transmitter and receiver. Short
bursts of electrical current are send through a coil of wire, causing a magnetic field. When the burst of electrical
current ends the magnetic field reverses polarity. A sharp electrical spike is created, then more pulses are created, the
whole process repeats and works like a series of echoes, giving a different report or echo depending upon the metal it
encounters.
This type of metal detector is not very good for discrimination between different types of metals or coins, but it is good
to use where some other types of metal detectors have trouble working, such as in salt-water, and metals can be detected
much deeper with this technology than the others.
BFO (Beat Frequency Oscillation)
- Metal Detectors using BFO technology have two coils of wire, one large coil is located in the search coil of the detector,
the other small coil of wire is located within the System Control Pack. Each coil of wire is connected to an oscillator that
produces pulses of current. These pulses of current pass through the coils generating radio waves. A receiver housed within
the System Control Pack receives the radio waves and makes a series of tones based upon the frequencies of the radio waves.
When the detector search coil passes over a coin or other metal item a magnetic field is created around the coin or metal
item, this magnetic field causes interference with the frequency of the radio waves generated by the search coil. And
changes the tone produced by the reciever.
Metal Detectors using BFO technology are the ones your likely to get when paying under $100 for, that's right, the
cheapies. The BFO technology is the easiest and cheapest to make, thus the prices of the detectors are cheap. The only
problem is, BFO technology is very limited when compared to PI and BFO detectors, and the ability to distinguish between
junk metals and silver or other coins is very poor.
Main
Choosing The Right Metal Detector
Choosing A Metal Detecting Site
Coin Shooting - Coin Hunting
Free! Metal Detecting Computer Software
Metal Detector - Treasure Hunter Professional - Now Free!
This program was made for Metal Detector users by Metal Detector users!
The author (programmer) contacted over 100 metal detector users and asked them what features they wanted in a computer
program for their hobby, and 'Metal Detector - Treasure Hunter Professional' is a result of those top requests.
VISIT THE SITE OF - METAL DETECTOR - TREASURE HUNTER PROFESSIONAL SOFTWARE
Metal Detecting - Books - Videos -
Equipment and more
Visit this great site !
- CLICK HERE -
Click on this link to E-Mail Us: RWBENJAMIN@RB59.COM
Copyright - R.W. Benjamin - All Rights Reserved