By JEFF O'DONNELL

Super- Sensitive
Metal Locator
BURIED under the sand of the beach, along with old salami sandwiches,
fruit pits and Eskimo Pie wrappers, is unclaimed treasure -the money
that fell out of people's pockets as they changed into their swimsuits.
There's plenty of it there: pennies, quarters, dimes, and maybe even a
half dollar. If you don't feel sifting a carload of sand is worth a few pennies
and dimes, you can do the job a lot easier and faster with our Super-
Sensitive Metal Locator. It's a fraction of the size, weight and cost of the
metal locator in our September, 1959 issue.
And it's a metal locator straight out of the junk box. You finally can
use those salvaged capacitors and resistors from the shattered transistor
radio because the metal locator is just about the least critical project going.
Even if you're the world's worst coil winder you'll have no problems for
the correct way to make the search -head coil is to scramble -wind the wire.
Just in case your junk box is bare, you can start from scratch with all
new components and bring in the project for less than $5.
The locator works on the beat- frequency (BFO) principle. As you see
in the schematic, the circuit consists of just a broadcast -band oscillator.
Search -head coil L2 is 101 in. in diameter; as it is swept over the ground
any metal within its range causes a change in its inductance which in turn
slightly changes the oscillator's frequency.
The usual BFO -type treasure finder has a variable- frequency oscillator

30 Electronics Illustrated
www.americanradiohistory.com
and a fixed - frequency oscillator tuned to al-
most the same frequency. The beat-frequency
between the two is amplified and fed to head-
phones or a speaker. When L2 is passed over
metal the change in inductance produces a
change in the tone, and you know you've
passed over metal.
In low -cost BFO treasure finders, the os-
cillators have a tendency to lock together
and this reduces sensitivity. Ambient tem-
perature changes can cause the oscillators to
drift apart as the sun heats things up. To
avoid both problems, and to keep the cost at
rock -bottom, our locator uses a standard
transistor radio as the second oscillator, beat
frequency detector and audio amplifier.
Construction. The unit shown is built on
the main section of a 4 x 21 x 15/4 -in. Mini -
box. If your construction experience is
May, 1968
www.americanradiohistory.com
limited, follow the pictorial. If you're an old
pro, do what you please, the component lay-
out is not critical. Just don't substitute for
the specified transistor.
Start by mounting a battery holder, power
switch SI, jack J1 and tuning capacitor C5.
The battery holder is a double AA cell holder
with both terminals on the same end -this
will accommodate a standard 9 -V transistor-
radio battery, such as a Burgess 2U6, very
nicely.
Tuning capacitor C5 can be any miniature
type as long as its maximum capacitance is
approximately 365 µµf. Either use the low -
cost unit specified or the antenna section of a
two-gang tuning capacitor salvaged from a
transistor radio. Install C5 so that the dial will
project above the cabinet so you can easily
turn the dial to change the operating fre-
quency.
The terminal strip shown is a miniature
type, such as would be found in transistor
equipment; a standard -size terminal strip will
be too large for the cabinet.
Layout is not terribly critical but note that re-
sistor RI and capacitors C1,C2,C3 as well as lead
from S1 are all grounded at same point. Watch
the heat when soldering QI or you'll ruin it.
il
 J1
PLI
o
01
BOTTOM VIEW
Metal near L2 changes its inductance canning it
to shift 1,000 kc oscillators frequency. This causes
tone change in nearby radio set to 1,000 kc.
Metal Locator
To avoid soldering -heat damage, QI must
be the last part installed. Do not cut Q1's
leads short-use them full length. The wire
from Ql's collector to JI is ordinary shielded
wire-you can use thin coax-with the shield
connected only at J 1's ground lug. Tape the
shield at the transistor end of the wire to pre-
vent strands from shorting to other com-
ponents.
Winding the Coil. The search head is a
101 -in. dia. piece of 1/2 or 3/4 in. thick stock;
plywood is fine. Drill two holes approximately
1/16 in. dia. spaced about l in. apart from
the top of the head through to the side as
shown in the drawing. Pass about 3 in. of No.
22 enameled wire through one hole so the free
end sticks through the top of the search head
and wind 8 tight turns.
There's no need to be neat, just 8 tight
turns, even a scrambled winding will do. Pass
the free end of the wire up through the sec-
ond hole and then twist the two free ends
together twice to secure the coil. Coil rigidity
is extremely important, so coat the coil with
a thin layer of silicon rubber adhesive such
as Silastic Bathtub Caulk. Let the adhesive
dry overnight. If you don't have any No. 22
enameled wire you can substitute 9 turns of
No. 22 hookup wire or No. 24 enameled wire.
Final Assembly. Salvage the handle from
an old broom or mop, cut an angle on the
32
www.americanradiohistory.com
LY/
PARTS LIST
B1 -9 V battery
C1,C2,C3 -.05 µf, 12 V or higher ceramic disc
capacitor
C4-.01 µf, 12 V or higher ceramic disc
capacitor
C5-10-365 µµf miniature variable capacitor
(Lafayette 99 H 6217)
J1- Miniature phone jack
-2.5 mh subminiature iron-core choke
L1
(J. W. Miller 70F253A1, Allied 54 E 1869,
840 plus postage. Not listed in catalog)
L2- Pickup coil; 8 turns No. 22 enameled
wire (see text)
PL1- Miniature phone plug to match J1
Q1- 2N3860 transistor (GE)
R1-33,000 ohm, 1/2watt, 10% resistor
R2-20,000 ohm, 1/2 watt, 101/2 resistor
R3 -1,000ohm, I/2 watt, 10% resistor
S1 -SPST slide switch
Misc. -4
x 21/4 x 11/2-in. Minibox, terminal
strip
bottom end and attach the handle to the
search head. A single wood screw will hold
the handle to the head if you also use a good
contact cement such as Touch-And -Glue.
Mount the oscillator cabinet on the handle,
about 12 in. down from the top. Connect a
shielded lead to PL1, plug PLI into J1 and
run the wire to the bottom of the handle,
fastening it in place with staples. Cut the free
search head wires short and attach them to
the braid and hot lead of the shielded wire:
it doesn't matter which goes to which.
Checkout. Place a transistor radio near
the box; it can be taped on the handle just
below the oscillator cabinet as shown. Tune
in a reasonably strong station above 1,000
kc-the locator's oscillator does not operate
below 1,000 kc. Carefully adjust C5 until
you hear a loud beat note in the radio. If you
now pass the coil near metal you should hear
the beat note change pitch.
If you do not get the beat try tuning to a
station well above 1,000 kc; depending on
how you made L1 the locator might not tune
all the way to 1,000 kc. If you still can't get
the beat check for a wiring error. Normal
battery current is 2 to 6 ma.
Using the Locator. Tune in your reference
station and slip the radio into a pocket or
tape it to the finder's handle. Hold the search
head a few inches above the ground and ad-
just C5 for a low- pitched growling beat note
in the radio. As you move the search head,
keeping it as close to the ground as is possi-
Electronics Illustrated
 10-314` DIA. X 3/4" THICK

8 TURNS NO 22 ENAMELED WIRE

The search -head coil should be wound on a 101/2-in. dia. piece of ti or 2/4 -in. thick plywood; coil is
scramble wound around edge of wood. Because coil must be as rigid as possible. coat it with a thin
layer of silicon rubber adhesive. Make certain the adhesive completely covers every bit of the wire.

ble, there should be no change in the beat's
pitch until you pass over metal. Then, de-
pending on the type of metal, the note will
slide up or down in pitch. Try to use a growl,
rather than a high pitched beat, as a very
slight change in L l's inductance will cause a
large change in pitch when a growl is used
as the reference.
The locator's sensitivity will depend on
the size of the buried object. Coins can be
detected about I to 2 in. below the surface,
depending on their size. About 25 sq. in. of
metal can be detected from 2 to 4 in. As the
object gets larger the sensitivity gets better.
Very small objects will cause only a barely
perceptible change in beat note, so pay atten-
tion to those minute changes in frequency.
How it Works. As we said, you simply
tune in a strong broadcast station on a tran-
sistor portab!e which can be kept in a pocket
or taped to the handle of the locator. Then,
you adjust C5 until you hear a loud squeal
in the radio. Finally, C5 is trimmed so the
radio tone becomes a low growl. When L2 is
passed over any metal the growl will either
go up or down in pitch, or down to full zero
beat. Since the broadcast-station frequency
is maintained to -!- 20 cps and since the radio's
oscillator is not an integral part of the treasure
finder, the drift of one oscillator, and the
tendency of the oscillators to lock up, is
eliminated.
Coil L2 does not need the usual electro-
static shield. When a shield is used all the
capacitive effect is eliminated and there is no
change in the oscillator frequency as the coil
is brought near the ground. However, a
shielded coil responds only to ferrous metals,
not to aluminum and copper. By leaving off
the shield the locator detects all metals. -4

Radio can be carried in your pocket or taped to the Locator's handle directly below the oscillator.
Don't try to pick up more signal by moving the radio closer to oscillator or the radio will lam.

May, 1968 33

www.americanradiohistory.com