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Author Topic: Pulse Induction detector build  (Read 33327 times)
Resurgam
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« Reply #60 on: November 08, 2015, 11:37:12 AM »

                      As an aside, and having seen the project, I was impressed by the initial comfort and balance of the machine. That set me thinking and I wonder if the many complaints I hear about the weight of some machines is as much to do poor balance as it is to do with weight. What do they call it; poor ergonomic design?
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Cymro
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« Reply #61 on: November 08, 2015, 12:13:17 PM »

Thanks for your favourable comments, Chris.

It mostly comes under the heading of taking that extra bit of care. The machine is on the heavy side but with a bit of careful placement it becomes more manageable - it feels like I could swing it all day with no ill effects.

Manufacturers could do the same thing but are possibly disinclined to do so - maybe it's more cost-effective to build them in a certain configuration? Perhaps if they were designed by actual hands-on detectorists they could improve their products even further based on experience of what is usable and what is not.

Following on from that, I'm looking for a larger coil for my DFX; these have a reputation for making the machine too heavy but in the light of your comments perhaps adding a bit of extra weight elsewhere to improve the balance would be a viable option?
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Resurgam
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« Reply #62 on: November 08, 2015, 01:00:58 PM »

                  I got the feeling that any weight was taken up in a direct line from shoulder to elbow and the wrist and forearm would be just all that was required to facilitate the swing, Did make me wonder if fixing a counter balance to an existing detector would make for easier swinging of the said machine. Of course one can always use a bungee harness.
« Last Edit: November 08, 2015, 04:08:30 PM by Resurgam » Logged

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Cymro
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« Reply #63 on: November 13, 2015, 09:45:50 PM »

Been busy with other stuff but still managing to do a bit. What with the time the paint is taking to harden off I really needed to finalise all the work on the main control box so I could paint it and leave it to dry for a couple of days before I tried to assemble it.

Pic 1 shows the PCB I bought off the Bulgarian. What's missing? Holes . . .

This meant that I couldn't screw it to the box in the usual way, so I had to find a workaround. I could have used plastic stand-off pillars but I would have had to drill holes in the uppermost surface of the box, which would have let water in. Thats a Bad Thing.

The two sockets on the left-hand side of the PCB in the photo needed connectors - to be fair it did come with some but they were just a row of pins going through a plastic strip. I didn't like that so I bought some right-angled ones, which I soldered to little bits of Vero board - it's perforated phenolic PCB material with a matrix of holes and copper strips. The connecting wires could then be soldered to the Vero too and turn the connection through 90 degrees, keeping them away from the box - Pic 2.

I decided to turn some small threaded aluminium buttons (Pic 3) and braze them to the box. The register on them is to fit into holes in the box which were then brazed from the outside, sealing the holes against water ingress.

I also made some bobbins from some black nylon round bar (Pic 4) which would grip the PCB and not conduct a current.

 As a belt and braces measure, I also brazed three of the buttons from the inside (Pic 5.) Unfortunately the heat from the brazing warped the box a bit and I had to spend some time with a soft hammer and a dolly to straighten it out. I'm no panel beater so it's less than perfect, but it's as strong as hell . . .

I then screwed some M4 brass studding into the buttons (Pic 6) and then added plastic spacers and the bobbins (Pic 7.)

Finally, I could fit the PCB (Pic 8,) and have it securely supported in an inverted position as I had wanted.

I've now sprayed the control box and an (im-)patiently waiting for it to be hard enough to handle.



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Resurgam
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« Reply #64 on: November 15, 2015, 04:36:59 PM »

We await the final countdown, with baited breath.
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Cymro
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« Reply #65 on: November 15, 2015, 07:08:19 PM »

We await the final countdown, with baited breath.


Was going great guns this afternoon until the visitors arrived. I was working on the control pod, then came that ring at the doorbell. They've just left so I'll get no more done today; off with the detector at low water in the morning so *maybe* I can get a bit done in the afternoon.

Getting quite excited about getting it finished now, I've more or less finished in the PCB housing; got it all wired up and fitted the connector for the coil lead - just got to wind the coil and get the pod wired up and I can switch on for a trial.

So near, yet so far  Roll Eyes


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Dryland
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« Reply #66 on: November 20, 2015, 02:59:46 AM »

Hurry up I'm getting impatient   Wink
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Resurgam
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« Reply #67 on: November 20, 2015, 05:23:58 AM »

Hush. More haste, less speed!  Wink
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Cymro
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« Reply #68 on: November 20, 2015, 07:08:48 AM »

Hurry up I'm getting impatient   Wink

LOL

So am I - but it's a thing that won't be rushed.

I've mounted PCB headers inside the pod to keep it all tidy and so that it doesn't turn into a bird's nest in there, but putting the pins on the plug ends of the wires is incredibly time-consuming and fiddly. It even surprised me . . .

Added to which my daughter's car has demanded my attention so I've been dodging downpours but have had to admit defeat and book it into a diesel specialist. I'll have to limp the 20 miles there on two cylinders (of three . . . ) and get the bus home. That's the morning gone right there . . .

I'll try and get some more pics up soon for my loyal fan-base  Wink

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Cymro
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« Reply #69 on: November 25, 2015, 11:18:56 PM »

Finally got some progress to show for the impatient among us . . .  Roll Eyes Since the weather was solid rain most of the day I lit the wood-burner in the workshop and settled down to getting it done, and I'm quite pleased with it so far.

I wanted to get the control pod all wired up so that I could draw a line under it and start on the coil, which should just about finish the build. I've been going cross-eyed trying to get all the terminals onto the various wires so that if the unthinkable should occur I can just unplug the parts and fix whatever problem it was . . .

Firstly I had to find some way of mounting the speaker - I was lucky enough to find a 40mm mylar unit on The Bay for a reasonable price. Didn't want to bolt it in so I bored some extruded aluminium bar to make a housing, brazed it to the pod back-plate and drilled holes to let the sound out - Pic 1.

Next I wanted to make up a circuit to indicate low battery voltage by means of a red LED - the green one in Pic 2 is to indicate that the detector is switched on.

I mounted all the potentiometers in the pod cover, wired them up and installed the indicator PCB I'd built earlier - Pic 3.

Pic 4 shows the terminal housing which connects to the pots in the cover just prior to attaching it to the back-plate. The gubbins to the left of the terminations are the charging socket and fuse while the one to the right is the headphone socket.

Pic 5 shows the fascia of the control pod after everything was installed.

Pic 6 is the underneath of the pod showing the headphone socket from the outside, and Pic 7 shows the charging socket and fuse.

Technically there should just be the coil to do to get the detector finished, but Murphy's Law will no doubt raise its ugly head . . .









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Resurgam
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« Reply #70 on: November 25, 2015, 11:28:49 PM »

Well, it's looking good.
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Cymro
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« Reply #71 on: November 26, 2015, 07:50:14 AM »

Proof of the pudding . . .  Undecided
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Resurgam
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« Reply #72 on: November 26, 2015, 08:10:22 AM »

I know, I know; but if you are not totally pleased with it's detecting performance, it looks as though you will be able to listen to Radio Luxembourg on it!   Grin

Will you be having it's maiden outing videoed?
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Cymro
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« Reply #73 on: November 26, 2015, 10:31:39 AM »

It looks as though you will be able to listen to Radio Luxembourg on it!   Grin


LOL'd at Radio Luxembourg  Grin Showing your age a bit there, Chris!  Smiley Wasn't it on 208 . . . ? I remember my Dad used to yell at my elder sister to turn it down when I was a kid (and then at me when I was older . . . )

Listen, I'll be a happy man if it does anything after all this - it'll be a bonus if it even turns on . . . As for videoing it, I'm not sure how much humiliation I can take!
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Resurgam
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« Reply #74 on: November 26, 2015, 05:02:32 PM »

                                      70+ to be exact! Oh Ho, and I remember Dick Tracy special agent, PC49, Dan Dare, and Journy into Space. Sometimes have trouble remembering why I came into a room though.  Roll Eyes
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