"Pirate" (metal detector): characteristics, testimonials. Metal Detector with own hands

In our time, many people are keen on finding buried treasures, and sometimes even simple scrap metal. For someone, this occupation has become an interesting pastime, and for someone - a means of earning.

The first sample of the industrial metal detector was created in the 1960s and found wide application in the mining industry and other special works.

Devices are used for demining, for finding weapons, for prospecting geophysicists and archaeologists, for finding treasures, and for finding foreign bodies from metal in food. In the construction industry, they are involved in the detection of reinforcement in concrete blocks and pipelines in the walls. Metal detectors also began to be used by miners and prospectors. And the improvement of the device made it possible not to resort to excavations while finding gold.

Many people have become interested in this device during the last decades. The search for treasures and scrap metal has become a popular hobby. Some, for example, go with such a device on the beach, hoping to find a valuable thing.

Who Invented the Metal Detector

When asked which device was the first, it is difficult to give an unambiguous answer, because at about the same time many inventors in different parts of the world carried out their own development of the named unit.

But if we talk about one particular person who can be considered the ancestor of the device, then this is undoubtedly the English geologist and mining engineer Fox. He discovered the property of passing electricity through metal ores and objects. Around 1830 he developed the first unified locator, which included a battery, several metal rods and wires of suitable length.

The first methods of finding a metal

The first method of searching was as follows: one rod of metal lay in the ground where the ore was supposed to be. It was connected to one battery terminal. Another terminal was connected to the floating wire. Metal bars were jammed into the ground at different points and consistently touched the wires. When a metallic object was found, sparks appeared.

In 1870, the device used two separate rods. The wire connected through the battery dropped to the ground. Upon contact with the metal, a warning bell rang.

The device "Pirate"

And now we will look at modern instruments. Some of them - "Pirate" - a metal detector that functions on the conductivity of electricity, inductive and magnetic properties of the metal. By the way, the device received its interesting name from inventors: PI - impulse principle of its operation, RAT - short for "Radio Scot" (inventors site).

The metal detector "Pirate", whose photo is presented in this article, has a unified design. It includes a generator producing an alternating current that passes through the coil with a magnetic field. If the metal conducting the current is close to the coil too close, then the vortex flows will be directed to the metal. This contributes to the formation of an alternating magnetic field in the metal. Detect the latter makes it possible to use another coil to measure the magnetic field.

Advantages of adaptation

"Pirate" (metal detector) has a simple design and a unified setting, does not contain programmed items, which are so feared by many radio amateurs. The device is perfect for beginners. And remember that he can not distinguish metals.

The metal detector "Pirate", the printed circuit board of which is represented by NE555 chip (domestic analogue KR1006VI1) does not contain expensive or difficult to obtain parts. Technical parameters of its not inferior to foreign analogues, the price of which reaches 300 y. E.

And the main advantages of this device over others are stability of work and response to metal from a long distance.

Unified "Pirate" (metal detector for beginners) has certain technical characteristics. Its power is 9-12 volts, and the level of energy consumption is 3-40 mA. The device senses objects up to 150 cm in size.

Design

Transmitter and receiver are the main nodes that make up the metal detector "Pirate". The circuit board, which is the model NE555 and the high power key on the transistor IRF740 enter the transmitting node. And the receiving node is assembled on the basis of the K157UD2 chip and the BC547 transistor.

The winding of the coil is carried out on a mandrel with a diameter of 190 mm and contains 25 turns of wire SEW 0.5.

Bipolar transistor NPN replaced the model T2 and has a voltage of not less than 200 volts. It can be taken from an economical lamp or a device for charging a mobile phone. In extreme cases, T2 can be replaced by KT817.

As T3, you can use any kind of transistor NPN circuit.

Correctly assembled device does not need additional tuning. It may be necessary to resort to the use of resistor R12, so that clicks in motion appear in the middle position R13.

In the presence of an oscilloscope, it is possible to monitor the duration of the control pulse at the gate T2 and the frequency level of the generator. The optimal pulse duration is 130-150 μs, and the frequency is 120-150 Hz.

How to work with the device

After switching on the device "Pirate" (metal detector), you should wait 15 or 20 seconds, after which the sensitivity knob is set to the position at which clicks are heard during the movement. This will serve as an indicator of maximum sensitivity.

The device has a unified management system, so the acquisition of skills to work with it is not so difficult.

Metal detector "Pirate" with their own hands

Many people ask themselves: how to make a metal detector "Pirate" by yourself? Assembly of such an assembly is possible for people with elementary knowledge in the field of electronics.

Pulsate metal detector "Pirate" has the most usual and available for copying design. The device contains a number of components and an easy-to-perform search coil. If its diameter is 280 mm, then it can detect objects with a size of 20 to 150 cm.

The manufacture of the metal detector "Pirate" by one's own hands is not a difficult task, which is a huge advantage of this device. Assembly components are available and easy to find. They are very cheap. You can buy them at the radio parts store or on the market.

List of necessary parts for manufacturing

Let's try to assemble the metal detector "Pirate" with our own hands. Detailed instructions will help even inexperienced radio amateurs to do it without errors.

The device has two schematic modifications. In the first case, the NE555 chip is used (the domestic analogue of the microcircuit is KR1006VI1) - a timer. But if you could not get this component, the authors also envisaged another version of the circuit, based on transistors.

Nevertheless, it is recommended to assemble the device on the basis of the first scheme, since it has greater stability in operation.

When assembling on the basis of transistors, you need to select the desired frequency and duration, since they have a fairly large spread of technical characteristics. To this end, use the oscilloscope.

Instrument circuit board

The self-made metal detector "Pirate" has several options for wiring the PCB, but most often use the "Sprin Laiot" series card.

After soldering to it the power is connected. To this end, apply any power source with a voltage of 9-12 Volts. You can resort to the use of batteries "Crohn" (3 or 4 pieces) or battery. The use of one "Crown" is not recommended, as this will cause a rapid drop in voltage, which in turn will cause the device to permanently hang up.

Manufacture of a coil for a metal detector "Pirate"

Like other models of impulse devices for finding a metal, the device is undemanding for accuracy when manufacturing a coil. It is perfectly acceptable to use the one that is wound on a mandrel with a diameter of 190-200 mm - 25 turns. In this case, a winding enamelled wire with a cross section of 0.5 mm is used.

Coil turns are wrapped by means of an insulating tape or an adhesive tape. By the way, in order to increase the depth of the device search, it is possible to resort to the winding of the named part, diameter 260-270 mm, 21-22 turns with the same wire.

The coil of the device is fixed in a solid casing, which must be made, for example, of plastic. This is necessary in order to protect the device from impacts against the ground or grass during the operation of the unit. Such a case can be purchased in online stores. In general, when manufacturing search coils, the use of metal parts is not recommended.

The conclusions of the mentioned part are soldered to a stranded wire with a cross section of 0.5 to 0.75 mm. Ideally, these two are self-interwoven wires. Your device is ready!

Reviews

Available on the metal detector "Pirate" reviews indicate that it has become very popular with users. According to them, the device has a high degree of functionality, and things from the metal find in a short time and without the presence of errors. It is easy to apply and not felt in the hand.

The finished device is assembled from several parts, which are easily compiled. The lower part is its base. System operation with the device is very clear. Setting the metal detector "Pirate" is no difficulty.