Since the most troublesome adjustments of standard detectors have been automated in the Sabre, the tuning procedure for this detector is simply a matter of selecting the desired operating mode, setting the sensitivity level, and the discriminate levels.
If you select the discriminate mode, you should begin operation with the sensitivity control set at the preset mark.
In most situations you encounter, you will be able to operate at this setting. If there are sources of electrical interference present, or if the area is extremely trashy or mineralized, your detector may give some false signals. These signals are generally short, choppy sounds which can easily be distinguished form a good target response. Turning down the Sensitivity control will eliminate most of these signals, if necessary. It may also be possible in some areas to increase the sensitivity setting.
SEARCH MODE SELECTION AND TUNING
The Golden Sabre Plus offers two basic operating Modes, Pinpoint (All Metal) or Discriminate. The Discriminate Mode also has the further capability of using Notch Discrimination.
FIELD USE
The detector should be held in a position that is comfortable for you. Swing the detector from side to side in about a three foot arc, overlapping succeeding strokes well. This motion is called a “sweep.” The Golden Sabre Plus was designed to get maximum depth without the frantic pace required of earlier motion detectors, so go at a pace that is comfortable for you. In fact, trying to hunt too fast in Discriminate may even cause a loss of depth in heavily mineralized locations.
It would be helpful to bury some coins and trash metal junk items in an area that you know is clear of other metal objects, and then try the unit in its various modes. Check the area in All Metal Mode first to be sure its clear of trash then bury the targets at least a foot apart, and from 2 to 6 inches deep to start. Make a map of the test bed to be sure you know what each target is and how deep it is. Practice on these targets to familiarize yourself with your detector’s target response. This will also help you learn the proper sweep rate for best operation.
Regardless of which mode you are using, try to keep your searchcoil height constant and close to the ground. Most people tend to raise the coil at the end of a sweep, much like a pendulum, especially if they are hurrying. Try to avoid this, as any increase in height will cause a corresponding loss of depth.
In areas with well kept lawns, the easiest way to maintain a constant searchcoil height is to allow the coil to rest on the grass as you sweep from side to side. In rough and rocky areas it is best not to “scrub” the coil on the ground, as the rocks will act like abrasives, and wear away the coil bottom (an optional coil scuff cover will protect against this.) Sweep the coil as close to the ground as possible without touching. Hitting the ground or rocks may cause a false signal much like a desired target would. Sweeping the coil too high above the ground results in a loss of depth.
When operating in the Discriminate Mode, some “false signals” may be caused by heavy concentrations of trash metal objects, by very large trash items, or by electrical interference. These signals will sound different than good target signals because they are generally short, choppy sounds. At the end of your sweep, as you the reverse the coil direction, the detector is most susceptible to trash induced noise. There are two ways to tell whether these sounds are good deep signals or trash “noise.” The first is by repeatability. Trash induced noises will not be regular as you sweep the coil over the suspected target several times, whereas a good target response will be repeatable. The second method is to switch to All Metal Mode and check the target response sound. If the response is weak, it may well be a deep, good target; but if the response is very strong, it is probably trash. Note that a coin close to the surface can give a double beep sound, but it is regular and repeatable. Raising the coil an inch or two will restore the single beep on surface targets. Raising the coil an inch or two will also many times cause surface trash false signals to suddenly disappear, while good target responses just become fainter.
If the trash in an area is so heavy that you are getting lots of choppy sounding false signals, it might be good to change to a smaller coil. If this isn't feasible, you can probably get better results by slowing down your sweep speed, and using shorter sweeps. It would be good to hunt the area twice, the second time at right angles to the first time. This technique will probably allow detection of some targets that were hidden by trash the first time due to the sweep direction.
If there is any doubt whether a target is good or not, DIG IT.
If you don't dig any junk at all, you are surely passing up a lot of good finds, too. Set the DISC LEVEL only high enough to suit the conditions where you are searching, and use the Notch Filter if called for.
The detector is furnished with an 8" concentric searchcoil with an open center. This coil will yield the best results for most coin hunting situations. Pinpointing is greatly simplified by an open center, since you can now see the actual point on the ground where you will dig instead of logging your eyes on the coil center and trying to to follow the coil as you move it out of the way. Optional coils of 4", 7" and 11" are available to allow you to tailor the response of your detector to suit special situations.
The 4" and 7" coils are useful for coinshooting in extremely trashy locations and can actually greatly increase your number of good finds under such conditions, although some loss of depth will be experienced. The smaller coil will allow you to detect coins and other good targets much closer to surface trash items. The 11" coil will yield about an extra inch in depth in most areas, and is an excellent coinshooting coil in relatively clean areas. The increased surface area makes pinpointing a little more difficult, and allows trash to hide the good targets a little easier. The 11" coil is also an excellent relic hunting coil and can provide greatly increased depth on larger targets, especially in the All Metal mode where surface junk won't hide the deep targets.
PINPOINTING
The sweep speed of the Golden Sabre Plus is slow enough to allow pin-pointing in the Discriminate Mode, but will require a little more practice. Move the coil slowly from side to side and then from front to back over the target. Raising the coil slightly and slowing the sweep speed will narrow down the detection area enough that it's easy to tell where the coil center is at the instant of the sound.
Another easy method is to sweep the coil from side to side across the target in very short sweeps, as you slowly move forward and backward across the target. Slow down the sweep rate and shorten the sweeps until you just barely get a response at one spot. The target will be directly below the coil center at this response time. In fact, you will be looking at the exact spot in the ground where you want to dig, because of the open coil center.
The easiest way to pinpoint for most people will be to switch to the Pinpoint Mode, since no motion is required. To pinpoint a target that doesn't saturate the audio, just move the coil forward and back, and side to side until you get the strongest sound. The target will be directly below the coil center. If the audio saturates over a large area, simply push the mode switch to the retune position momentarily over the area to retune the detector. This will narrow its field of response to allow you to once again seek the area of strongest response. It may be necessary to retune more than once with this technique. With a moderate amount of automatic tuning, the detector itself will be attempting to tune back to threshold, which automatically narrows down its area of strongest target response.
BATTERY REPLACEMENT
The Golden Sabre Plus is equipped with a manual battery test circuit so that you can always be sure you are getting top performance from it. The batteries should be checked after the detector has been on for about 10 minutes, and then periodically as you are using it for long periods. To activate the battery test circuit, simply push the BATT TEST SWITCH. The detector should beep loudly if the batteries are fresh. As they grow weak, so will the audio sound in the BATT TEST position. When the sound becomes just a buzz, or isn't there anymore, it's time to replace the batteries.
To replace the batteries, pull the large knobs on the battery door on the rear of the unit. The entire door will pop out. Remove the battery packs from the detector, and then remove the batteries from the packs. Place the new penlight batteries into the packs, being sure that you observe the polarity indicators on the inside of the packs. Slide the packs back into the detector, making sure that the battery clip lead is connected to the pack. Install the battery door back onto the detector making sure the plungers are still pulled out. The door should fit over the screw heads and be completely flush with the front panel. Then push the plungers back in to lock the door in place.
Should you desire to do so, rechargeable Nickel-Cadmium batteries can be substituted for standard penlight cells. Individual AA size cells are readily available at most electronic supply stores, as well as the charges for them, and they can be inserted into the standard holder used in your detector. The initial battery check reading will be slightly lower, but will not drop as much with use, until the batteries are completely discharged.
GENERAL CARE AND USE
If the detector is to be stored for a long period of time, it is best to remove the battery pack from the detector. This will prevent internal damage to the detector if the batteries should leak.
The searchcoil is waterproof and may be submerged in either fresh or salt water. Caution should be exercised to prevent water from entering the chassis, where it could damage the electronic circuitry. After the coil is used in salt water, the coil and lower stem assembly should be rinsed well with fresh water to prevent corrosion of the metal parts. When used in the body mount configuration, you should not allow the cable connectors to be submerged. Several waterproof adapters are available through your dealer which will allow you to waterproof the connection between the searchcoil and the extender cable connectors.
There are several good books to help the beginner learn how to use the detector, where to search and how to recover a target without damaging the environment. A good coin shooter can recover a lot of finds and leave the area looking as though he had never been there. Above all, always fill your holes when you have recovered the target.
TESORO Metal Detectors are sold through independent dealers, who are almost always treasure hunters themselves. They can provide you with you much needed information about how to use your detector, how to probe, plug and dig in your locale, and answer most of your questions about treasure hunting in general.
The use of earphones will benefit you in two ways. Most earphones will very effectively block out most of the ambient noise, such as traffic noise and wind noise, which will enable you to better hear the fainter signals caused by the deeper targets. Obviously, the older, more valuable coins will probably be deeper than the ones which were lost last week, so you should take advantage of anything that will help you hear the weaker signals. Secondly, using earphones will greatly extend the battery life, since it takes much less power to operate them. The Golden Sabre Plus is not equipped with a volume control, but does have a limiting circuit in the earphone jack. If less volume is desired with earphones, you may want to use earphones with a built in volume control. Any good 8 to 16 ohm set with 1/4 inch stereo jack will do.
HAPPY HUNTING, and thank you for purchasing a TESORO.
WARRANTY SERVICE
Your Tesoro metal detector is covered by a Limited Lifetime Warranty, the terms of which are listed below. If your metal detector should require service, you may return it to the Tesoro factory, or tone of the factory authorized service centers. Contact the factory for the name and address of the nearest service center.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact the factory.
LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY
This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other rights which vary from state to state.
This instrument is warranted to be free of defects in material and workmanship as long as it is owned by the original consumer purchaser. This warranty is not transferable, and is valid only if the warranty registration card has been completed and mailed within 10 days of purchase.
During the first two years, TESORO will, at its option, repair or replace any instrument covered by this warranty, without charge, except for transportation charges, at its factory in Prescott, Arizona, or at one of its authorized repair centers. After two years from date of purchase, TESORO will replace defective parts at no charge except a nominal labor change and transportation charges.
This warranty excludes batteries, damage caused by leaky batteries, cable breakage due to flexing on body mount units, and wear of the searchcoil housing. Also excluded are instruments which have been abused, altered, or repaired by an unauthorized party.
If warrant service should be necessary, contact the factory for nearest repair center.