Gold Bug issue or not issue.??

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Hi all. Just bought a used Gold Bug Pro. Can anyone tell me if it is usual for the big numbers to cycle in random numbers while in All Metal mode. Also pretty chattery. Difficult to get a smooth threshold. However if a target is found the numbers display normally reacting to the target. ie a coin for instance will give a solid unwavering number but when searching again the random numbers resume. Two coils came with the machine. Does it with both coils. Never had one of these machines before so just wondering if this is normal behavior. Regards... Ronnie.
 
From low to high. Just saw a utube set up fora new bug. He started it in discrim mode. When he switched to all metal it behaved exactly like mine. Numbers scrolling. So I'm thinking its normal. Bit noisier machine than I'm used too I guess. Prob have to run less gain to stop chatter. Interestingly the tiny coil was way noisier than the 11" black coil. I expected it to be quieter being small.
 
Keep the Gain on 70 and you should be OK. Too high and they go crazy. The big display seems cool until you try watching it - numbers and graphs moving all over the place aren't useful.
 
Thanks Mate. Yes. I found that out. Funny the T2 SE I had was way better in that regard. Steady as a rock even with high gain. So am I going to lose much depth only running at 70??? And also where the gold shaft meets the black one is floppy even when the nut is locked. Any way to fix that??? Not a huge issue. Just annoying being loose. They should have inserted the black shaft deeper imo.
 
ronniecruisin said:
Thanks Mate. Yes. I found that out. Funny the T2 SE I had was way better in that regard. Steady as a rock even with high gain. So am I going to lose much depth only running at 70??? And also where the gold shaft meets the black one is floppy even when the nut is locked. Any way to fix that??? Not a huge issue. Just annoying being loose. They should have inserted the black shaft deeper imo.

I think you'll find you don't have much choice with Gain level, unless you're prepared to go deaf/be driven mad. I haven't noticed a problem with the shafts, only with that silly thin bolt that Fishers have to fasten the coil.
 
Yes. Agree about the bolt. Bit flimsy.! As to the shaft issue its where the reduced flange on the black shaft goes in to the gold shaft. The fit is loose before you lock the plastic nut because the two tubes are a loose fit in the first place. When tightened it goes to the lock position but makes absolutely no difference to clamping the two shafts together. Probably the answer is a new black shaft with a new lock ring. The problem has to be in the lock ring (plastic and prob crook) Cant find them as a spare part. Only the lower plastic coil rod. Id really like to fix it as swinging the coil back and forth produces a bad loose feel every time you swing. Wobbles up and down and sideways.
 
Wobbly shaft fixed with plastic modelling shim. (sheet plastic). Cant use the little round coil though. Machine goes bonkers. Machine gun sounds no matter what mode or setting. Big black coil works ok.
 
ronniecruisin said:
Wobbly shaft fixed with plastic modelling shim. (sheet plastic). Cant use the little round coil though. Machine goes bonkers. Machine gun sounds no matter what mode or setting. Big black coil works ok.

If its the open elliptical coil, I think you'll find it's surprisingly sensitive for its size. Micro jewellery was no problem for mine in dry beach sand. The little coil seems redundant to me, unless you're operating a lot between or around rocks/obstacles.
 
Hi. Grubstake. Yes. Not too fussed about the little guy. Don't know if I'd use it much. And yes its the open black coil I've got. Always loved that coil on the T2. They are a great all rounder. I've discovered the bug is still quite good and sensitive in quiet all metal mode. Just back the thresh dial back till the ratty noises stop. Much nicer to use that way.
 
Hi Ronnie,

I run the F75 which is the same manufacturer and Grubstake is definitely guiding you in the right direction here.

Ive never found anywhere I can run my sensitivity (gain) all the way up to 100 on mine or it will go nuts too. Ill settle for 80 at the top end, and 40 at the lower.

All things being equal get a coin sized target and test your air depth, Im sure you will find even at quite low levels of gain youll get a very good result. At 40 on mine the difference in depth would be less than 20% between flat out at 80. Usability might not mean a huge decrease in depth or sensitivity relatively speaking.

If its anything like my fisher it will also show chatter with mild emi, and the only tool in the box youll have is to adjust gain down. Sometimes changing the direction (walking away from source) will also help.

I would suggest turning the gain up as high as you can and coming back to the number just a couple below where the occasional number is falsing through. This will be the optimal gain setting. Then adjust your threshold from the - toward the +, to give you the threshold you want. On mine I neg it out until it just breaks into a sound which is generally -1, but Im chasing coins.

If your gain is too high not only will it become horrible to use, the target ID will drift up. I think all fishers have a bit extra under the hood, but more like a big block carby fed chevy than a fuel injected sports car. You just got massage it to something tame enough to use properly.

I used plumbers tape on my coil screw to get it solid.

I have no idea why the little coil is so erratic, seems odd to me.

Best of luck to you, I hope this is a little helpful.

Cheers.
 
Thanks OldGT. Didn't have anything like this problem with my T2. Same area. Same detecting spots. Didn't matter where the controls were. Even both fully left the little coil went completely stupid and numbers on the screen wildly changing. Maybe the coil is crook. Might pull the plug to bits and check wiring. I assume cant do the same to the end that goes to the coil. Thanks for your input. Regards... Ronnie.
 
The large numbers being displayed in all-metal are the ground phase readings, you only get target ID's in discriminate mode - hence why your numbers are jumping all over the place..
 
Hi Ronnie,
Sorry to butt in but does the machine have a noise cancel option.This shoud definitely be done every time you turn it on.
Is it chattering away when the numbers are jumping.
 
There's no 'noise cancel'. The controls are all as shown below, there are no menus:

1586043188_gold_bug_pro_control_panel_lge.jpg
 
Your bug sounds like it is fine.

How to Ground Balance your detector:

Ground Balancing procedure with the "GG" touchpad. 1. Turn the detector on and set GAIN at the 12:00 position. 2. Click on the right knob to the ALL-METAL mode. 3. Rotate the THRESHOLD control knob to the point where you hear a slight background hum. 4. Sweep searchcoil across the ground to find a clear patch of ground with no metal present. 5. Press and hold the GG touch pad, and pump coil over the clean ground. Pump coil from within 1" of ground to 6"- 8" above ground. 6. When the GND PHASE settles down to only 1 or 2 numbers in variation, release the GND GRAB button while still pumping the coil. Note that the audio response to the ground changed and "Evened Out" when you released the button. Also note that the GND BAL value changed. After balancing, you can hunt in ALL-METAL... or return to Disc Mode. The most accurate GND PHASE value is the value displayed when "pumping" the searchcoil over the ground in an area free of metal.

The ground Phase will wander around while searching in All Metal Mode until you ground balance using the GG Button.
After ground balance is complete the ground phase reading should be very close to the ground balance reading.
If the ground minerals are beyond the range of the ground balance there will be a large difference between the gb and the ground phase reading and you will not be able to achieve a good ground balance. the ground phase reading will tell you what type of mineralisation you are trying to ground balance. Refer to your operators manual for a clue to what your reading value means.

Some Ground Phase readings:

:0 10 Wet salt and alkali

5 25 Metallic iron. Very few soils in this range. You are probably over metal.

2639 Very few soils in this range -- occasionally some saltwater beaches.

4075 Red, yellow and brown iron-bearing clay minerals.

7595 Magnetite and other black iron mineral.

When there is a large difference between the ground phase and the ground Bal values then you can try lowering the gain or try a different area to detect.
 
Hi. All. Maybe I'm a bit phazed by how different the bug behaves compared to the many other vlf machines I've owned. Never had one so ratty as this one. Compared to the T2se for instance. Chalk and cheese re GBing. Couple pumps with the toggle pushed forward and the T2 was done. The bug procrastinates while GBing. Gets there after a few pumps ie figures match but its noisy and slower getting there compared to the T2. As I said couldn't use the tiny coil at all. Even both knobs fully left (no threshold at all ) produced machine gun type noises and wildly changing numbers. All of this is in the same area on the farm I live on and have used all vlfs here. Having said all that I like the machine. Its definitely very sensitive and picks up my tiny gold samples beautifully. And that's with the 11" coil which seem to work ok. :argh:
 
Unless you have a lot of EMI in the area the detector should be quiet in the All metal mode aside from the threshold tone.
It should gb in a few pumps

With mode in all met and threshold at 1 oclock and gain at zero you should hear a steady medium vol threshold tone.
In disc mode with gain at max the threshold should be just audible and possibly slightly chattery.
If the detector is going ape sh in either mode with gain at min then you may have a faulty machine.

I use my gb at the beach (All metal mode only, Disc is crap over the salt) and it is nice and smooth running right down to the water line even with gain at max unless there is emi. No slop or looseness in the shaft anywhere.
There are some Indonesia made fake gbs about. THey look good but are crap.
 
Hi. Adrian. Took a look inside the bug. Has the date and fisher id marks on the circuit board. Came with the proper fisher manual. Coils also have the multi colored security stickers on them. Without a coil plugged into the machine switching on and winding up the threshold is smooth as silk. On start up also displayed is the two digit scrolling security numbers. Played with it today. Only way I can get a smooth threshold is to wind it up too loud. Any other setting that would be fine is ratty. One thing I do notice is that both coils will sound if they are knocked. Doesn't matter what setting they sound off when bumped even just brushing a twig. Didn't think they should do that. Sooo. Unless yours does the same I'm suspecting the coils are at fault although the pick up targets perfectly with no problem. Its just all the noises in between that are annoying. Works fine if run in quiet mode.(no threshold) but still sounds off when bumped.
 

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