280-X Aquanaut Automatic Metal Detector for Sea, Surf or Shore Operating Manual FISHER RESEARCH LABORATORY
CONTENTS About Your 1280-X ................................................................. pg. 1 Assembly ................................................................................ pg. 2 Setting Up................................................................................ pg. 3 Hipmounting ........................................................................... pg. 5 Control Panel ......................................................................... pg. 7 Discrimination Points ..........
ABOUT YOUR DETECTOR Fisher Research Laboratory has been producing rugged, high quality, high performance metal detectors since 1931, longer than any other company in the world. Your 1280-X Aquanaut is a product of that proud heritage. Designed for deep sea treasure hunting, the 1280-X will also do the job in fresh water or on land. The 1280-X is easy to use. No fine tuning, no threshold tone and no complicated “ground-adjustment”.
ASSEMBLY Battery Access Panel 8-inch Spider Coil Control Panel LED (Light Emitting Diode) Upper Stem Adjustable Arm Rest Derlin Screw and Nylon Wing Nut Lower Stem Search Coil Cable Waterproof Headphones Arm Rest Screws Spring Lock (Not visible) The 1280-X requires very little assembly. Unpack it carefully and save the carton which may come in handy for future storage or shipment. 1. Remove the headphone, handle and search coil assemblies from the shipping carton.
SETTING UP FOR LAND OR SHALLOW WATER (See Figure 2-A) Put the headphones around your neck to keep them out of the way while making the following adjustments. 1. Adjust the length and coil angle so that the search coil rests flat on the ground about 6 inches in front of and slightly to the right of your right foot (to the left of your left foot for left handers.) Your arm should be straight and relaxed with the handle grip held firmly but comfortably.
SETTING UP 3. You should now be able to move into your “search” position by leaning slightly forward and raising the search coil approximately 1 inch above the ground. Your arm should still be straight and the coil should be parallel to the ground, about 12 inches in front of your foot. The coil angle may have to be slightly readjusted at this point.
HIPMOUNTING For almost effortless treasure hunting, the control housing is easily removed from the handle and attached to a belt clip. “Hipmounting” the 1280-X in this manner takes half the weight off the handle and allows the land or shallow water Treasure Hunter to search much longer without arm fatigue. 1. Grasp the handle grip firmly with one hand and the control housing with the other. 2. Slide the control housing off the mounting bracket by pulling it towards you. 3.
HIPMOUNTING 5. Slip the control housing onto your belt, left side for right handers, right side for left-handers. CAUTION: Hipmounting is not recommended for underwater use. The search coil cable may become entangled with a submerged object, making it difficult for the diver to resurface quickly in case of emergency.
CONTROL PANEL 1. POWER/VOLUME CONTROL: Turns the power on and off. Also controls the target response volume in the headphones. The volume control should be set no louder than comfortable when the search coil is passed over a large, close target. 2. DISCRIMINATION CONTROL: A full range trash rejection control. All types of metal are detected at the zero level and most small pieces of trash are eliminated at the maximum level of ten. 3.
DISCRIMINATION POINTS By adjusting the DISCRIMINATION control you will be able to ignore (or “reject”) small pieces of metallic trash and ground minerals while detecting valuable targets. The lowest setting at which an object is rejected is referred to as the object’s “discrimination point”. Discrimination points are determined by such factors as size, shape, depth, type of metal and ground mineralization. 1.
DISCRIMINATION POINTS are rejected, however other objects may “snap, crackle and pop” as they are rejected. This is a perfectly normal response indicating that the powerful discrimination circuitry is doing its job. 9. Large pieces of trash such as beer cans or jar lids may sound like good targets no matter what you do. With a little practice, however, you will be able to tell the difference between a large target and a small coin sized object. 10.
SEARCHING Good search techniques remain the same whether you’re using your 1280-X in the desert or on the bottom of the ocean. 1. Decide how much discrimination you want to use. a. In relatively non-trashy areas you may wish to search at zero discrimination. In this manner, your 1280-X is at its most sensitive and will detect all metal targets within its range. Once an object is detected, you can increase the discrimination level for further target identification. b.
SEARCHING 1 2 3 4 Figure 7. Search Coil Detection Pattern 1. Minimum Depth a. Very slow or fast sweep speed. b. Discrimination set at “10.” 2. Good Depth a. Moderate sweep speed. b. Discrimination set at “5.” 3. Maximum Depth a. Moderate sweep speed. b. Discrimination set at “0.” 4. Missed Target Many targets within the range of your 1225-X will not be detected unless you closely overlap your swings. NOTE: Other motion detectors may require a very rapid sweep for maximum sensitivity.
PINPOINTING Pinpointing takes practice. The more time you spend with your 1280-X, the faster and more accurate you’ll become. 1. Once a buried target is indicated by the tell-tale “Beep” of the 1280-X, continue moving the search coil from side-to-side across the target in a narrower and narrower search pattern. 2. When you have narrowed your search pattern as much as you can and still hear the target, stop the search coil. 3.
TARGET RECOVERY Once you have pinpointed a target, your objective is to recover it quickly and neatly, leaving virtually no trace of your excavation. There are almost as many ways to do this as there are treasure hunters. Whatever works best for you is good enough as long as you don’t break any laws or leave your search area looking like a World War II Battlefield. Generally speaking, beachcombers and underwater treasure hunters do little if any damage to the environment while recovering targets.
TARGET RECOVERY up by inserting the screwdriver into the ground next to the hole and pulling in towards the center. Do this 4 to 5 times around the edge of the hole until it is no longer visible. PLUGGING METHOD This method of recovery is not allowed in many areas and should never be used in dry lawns or in very hot weather. A good rule of thumb is... “When in doubt, don’t plug”. It’s a good way to recover deep targets however in moist soil where plugging is allowed and when done properly. 1.
TARGET RECOVERY and around the hole. 8. Recheck the hole and the area around the hole with your 1280-X if you still can’t find it. 9. Once you have recovered the target, check the area again. Two or more coins are often found in the same spot. 10. Scrape all loose dirt back in the hole, reinsert the plug and press it firmly in place with your foot. RECOVERY TOOLS 1. Sandscoops designed especially for beachcombers and shallow water treasure hunters are available at many metal detector outlets. 2.
OPERATING TIPS 1. Keep the search coil cable wound snugly around the stem when diving around coral or jagged rocks to keep it from snagging. 2. Divers should make sure the drain holes in the headset are unobstructed. Better yet, wait until you’re on the bottom before putting them on and take them off before surfacing. 3. Divers should also keep the search coil at least two feet away from their body. Metal gear (weights, gauges, tanks, etc.) will be detected by the 1280-X if held too close. 4.
OPERATING TIPS may be difficult to reject. The 1280-X will instead respond with a strong broken signal which will usually disappear if the coil is speeded up or raised slightly. 9. If you hear two beeps very close together and can’t find anything under either one, you’re probably over a nail or some other elonggated ferrous object. But a coin on edge will give the same response and there’s lots of coins on edge down there.
BATTERY REPLACEMENT Eight 1.5V size AA batteries are located in the rear section of the Control Housing. The batteries are sealed off from the electronics so that accidental water leakage into the battery compartment will not damage the circuitry. 1. Remove the battery cover by partially unscrewing the two knurled thumb screws with a coin. (The knurled knobs are “captive screws” and do not have to be completely removed from the battery cover.) 2.
BATTERY RECHARGING batteries will eventually only hold a three-hour charge. 3. Nicads may reverse polarity if discharged too far and will not recharge. Don’t leave your detector on and don’t continue to operate it more than an hour after the battery check tone goes silent. The optional 1280-X recharge kit includes (1) battery pack, (8) nicad batteries, (1) 110v, 60 cycle home recharger and (1 ) 12v negative-ground auto cigarette lighter recharger. 110-VOLT RECHARGER 1.
MAINTENANCE CLEANING Hose down your 1280-X with clean fresh water whenever you’ve had it on the beach or in the water. Pay particular attention to the following areas: 1. Stem adapter. Sand or dirt between the coil “ears” and stem adapter will literally grind away the ears and adapter. 2. Headphone. The ear pads may be removed, rinsed and squeezed out to remove any seawater salt build up. Rinse out the cups to keep the vent holes clear.
SEARCH COILS The 1280-X is available with either the standard 8 inch “Spider” coil or the 10.5 inch “Spider” coil. As a general rule, the 8 inch coil is preferred for tight spots, fast moving surf and high density trash areas. For normal conditions however, the 10.5 inch coil will cover a little more ground with each sweep and will give slightly more depth 5 to 20 percent in air, less in soil, depending on target size and mineralization.
Where To Use Your Metal Detector In The U.S. National Forest and Federal Lands—Metal detecting is allowed only by special permit acquired from the federal government. Each area has a district office. Corps of Engineers, Lakes, Shorelines and Lands—Permission has been granted only on predisturbed sites, such as beaches and attached swimming areas. New Corps lakes and lands must be okayed by the main office of the Army Corps of Engineers. Each area has a district office.
SPECIFICATIONS Length Collapsed ........................................................... 33" 8" Coil 10.5" Coill Weight Complete (with headset) ............................................... Lbs. 5.4 Lbs. Search Coil ................................................................................ 2.6 Lbs. Control Housing ........................................................................ 2.3 Lbs. Frequency VF-Search .................................. 2.
QUALITY Fisher detectors are renowned for their quality. Each detector is hand crafted in the USA with pride PERFORMANCE Treasure Hunters worldwide rely on Fisher. Our detectors are durable, dependable, and search deeper.. REPUTATION Fisher produced the first patented metal detector in 1931. For over 70 years, the Fisher logo has been a mark of excellence.
