Frequency discriminator and all-electronic receiver

[WM6]

Wish you best outcome with your surgery.

[Mike(Mont)]

Surgeries with an "s". Thanks. Yeah, one of these times I'll get the bad news that there's no more hope. Didn't like the look on the doctor's face this time and I don't know yet. The stress takes it's toll on the body and mind. As I say, the only cure is death. That's why I say to people "Be thankful for everything, every breath you take."

Since I'm on the bad new kick, my discussion with Bob Fitzgerald was quite discouraging about my project. Basically he said, been there, done that, got every t-shirt ever made, and dumped it. Tell you this much, I'd be a fool not to take heed his advice.

As my grandfather would say "I'm still breathing."

[goldfinder]

Hey Mike,
Think of the Healing Christ Moving through your body Fixing it.

We need you here even if your theories are only half baked!
GoldFinder

[Mike(Mont)]

You mean even if i am a fool? You remember what the Cheshire Cat said to Alice--"..we're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." "How do you know I'm mad?" asked Alice. "You must be," said the Cat "or you wouldn't have come here."

And you might not want to here "the rest of the story" what Fitz said so I won't spoil everyone's day.

[Mike(Mont)]

As for "half-baked ideas" I used to do computer programming. As I would say to a house painter i knew when he was taking about doing a price estimate, it's like all of a sudden you open up a door and find a whole new room that needs paint (or computer programming) that you never knew existed. Same with the locators--always find the new rooms, stuff you didn't know about. And you'll never even get that far if you don't try. I've come to the realization like many others around here that L-rods are just too difficult for most people. It's really not much different than metal detectors where 99% are collecting dust in some closet. So they push the propaganda which in my opinion is dishonesty to make money. That's bad Karma and I got enough of my own. You might not know I'm pretty f'ing senstitive about selling something and making an unhappy customer. Even the rodless design I don't want anybody to be unhappy--just thinking about it gives me anguish. As I say it's like other people's kids and dogs--most people do not like other's bad habits but they overlook their own because they love them.

[Mike(Mont)]

Got the news from the doctor and they said I'm going to die, but not from cancer in the foreseeable future. I guess WM6 should quit his daytime job and go to work for the psychic network. Only have to do one surgery. Talk about getting the monkey off my back. Still no fun but one is way better than three Now they didn't say I wouldn't die when I see how much I have to pay!

Now if I could just get this locator idiot proof so I can use it. Maybe I should name it the "Map Dowser" because it's unreliable and inaccurate. I could think of plenty other banned words. But I like the name of a boat I saw on TV "Cause For Divorce".

[Mike(Mont)]

BTTDB...again!!!! Don't read this thread if you can't stand the sight of blood. Maybe I shouldn't have said that..now there will be many viewers.

My head is swimming with Wile E. Coyote "ideas". My passion has turned to obsession and/or just pure insanity. Like John Lennon said after the Beatles broke up, I'll be writing songs whether I like it or not.

[Mike(Mont)]

Maybe, just maybe, I might have breathed some new life into this Wile E. Coyote contraption. Don't know for sure and I have a very bad habit of jumping first before checking the water. I've been changing everything I can think of in hopes that something good will happen, sort of a CPR if you will. Pretty much every day I try some new Coyote "idea" to try to catch the Road Runner. Actually this one today I went back to an old idea I had shelved many months ago. So after making some other changes it seems I am getting a sharper pinpoint on the target, a little bit easier to separate it out from the background noise. Cold weather has made it impossible to work outdoors so my practice search area is very small--not much of a real test. And the weather is not to improve anytime soon. Also, I have been told by someone in the know that this project is not going to find the large, long time buried treasure. But I'm in this too deep to give up now. Pretty much everything is a compromise--"But someday I'm sure you're gonna know the cost, 'cause for everything you win, there's something lost."

[Mike(Mont)]

Not working so good today. I guess I'd say better have a good psychiatrist on speed dial and some good meds handy if you wade into this pool. That might not be enough. Maybe suicide hotline on speed dial, too. One thing is certain, you will find out if your sanity is firm or not.

[Mike(Mont)]

I guess I'll quit posting about this and save myself from embarrassment. i mean from MORE embarrassment. This is an old design I have been trying to modernize, and there must be some truth to the saying "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." That applies to me, too. You must know i can't help myself. I guess it is some kind of therapy. Who knows where I'd be without it. Maybe I'd have a job, friends, a real life. I read an article yesterday about a guy with gold fever. He had a mining claim and never made one cent off it. He let his whole life, family, friends, house, marriage, everything go to Hell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdwzSXHrZmI

[Mike(Mont)]

Nothing but stress with this infernal contraption. Been working indoors because of cold weather. Made some changes I thought were working. Then took it outside today and found out the changes did not work as well as I had it before. What a letdown. I should know better than to get excited about anything to do with this.

Here's what I am singing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf1B9ktRCkg

[Mike(Mont)]

Maybe I spoke too soon or the blues song helped me get through it (I like that beat.). I went back outside and tried again. Same problem--not locking on to the practice target (half-ounce silver, 14 grams). So in desperation I lowered the power level all the way down and just like that it was hitting the target. What was the problem? I don't know, maybe working TOO good. LOL Okay, quit laughing. Really, the snow must be providing such good something or other. i think even with medium-low power it was pulling to a distant target, somebody's silvered mirror or silverware tray.

Which reminds me of a joke. A hillbilly went into town the first time in years. He happened onto a yard sale and there was a mirror for sale. He'd never seen a mirror and when he looked into it, he thought it was a picture of his father. So he bought it and took it home out to his work shed. For hours and hours he stared at that mirror. Well, his wife started getting suspicious and when he out working she went into the shed to see what was going on. Then she saw the mirror. "Well, I should have known. He bought a picture of another woman, AND SHE'S UGLY AS HELL!"

[Mike(Mont)]

Got the ITMD book today (Inside The Metal Detector) and looks like I have a lot of work to do. I mean reading it. That's not even figuring making any changes to my contraption. Well, it's my own fault. No, really i like the book, have enjoyed reading the first few chapters, and no doubt I will learn plenty. Can't help that because when you start from nothing it's easy to add on.

So to add another motto to my list: "More is greedy." instead of 'More is better.' I did a little tweaking last week and got a stronger signal, but I found out it was causing a case of double vision, and slower lock-on, too. Since changing it back I feel like i went to confession or something, just relieved of my greed sin. One of these days I should quit "fixing" it and learn to follow the saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." But i can't help myself.

[Mike(Mont)]

One of my motto's I made up "Man who pats self on back ends up with broken arm." So I say this with great apprehension because I know the next time the damned thing won't work right, but right now it SEEMS to be working. At least indoors at close range, which is not a good test because it's such a small search area. I put out a gold target and a silver target. Set the device for gold and hit the gold target, then I exchanged places of the targets--gold where the silver was and silver where the gold was. Again, it hit the gold target. Then I set it to silver and did the same thing again with same results. Well, now I need to go find out if I jinxed it.

[Mike(Mont)]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! !!! That's my primal scream. Anybody here need not wonder why i appear to be crazy.

[Mike(Mont)]

Just joking. Really do think I got it working. I want to say "flawless" but let's not push things.

[Mike(Mont)]

Broken down and ordered a PC-based oscilloscope. They're cheap and probably more than I need or know how to use. Anyway, figured it might come in handy someday. Maybe I'll figure out what is going on.

"There's trouble in paradise, the story don't sound too nice
You just can't sleep at night in a solid gold room"

I got that song down all except for the "solid gold room" part.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG7Cruh8RkM

[Mike(Mont)]

Got the Oscope but ain't got a clue how to use it. I have to confess I really hate these electronics instructions manuals. Might as well have been written in Chinese.

Looking of the internet I did find Oscilloscopes for Dummies.

[Mike(Mont)]

I've decided to take a breather on this project. Too much stressright now. Hopefully this Spring I'll revive this. At this point I just don't see how i could ever get something I would be happy to put on the market. There's just too many eccentricities to using one of these. I've been learning it for over a year and really just beginning--haven't even had it out in the field on a real hunt yet. And that's months away, so I'mk taking a vacation from all this mess. I don't need this damned thing to own me, and it has. It's affecting my health.

[Mike(Mont)]

Just a little update on this project. I have been working on downsizing the circuit board and pretty much it has been a comedy of errors on my part. Ended up using some wrong parts and then it took me quite a while to figure out the problems. My eyesight is in need of repair. Got an appointment for new eyeglasses so hopefully I won't be able to use that excuse again. No really, I can't blame it all on poor eyesight, the brain behind it is also having focus issues. But nothing like a failed circuit to sharpen the senses. So yeah, have no choice but to get sharper. So really i still don't know for sure if this board will work properly, but I think so. I got the circuits to partially work already. Time will tell.

[Napsterce]

Post what you have been doing here so that someone can help you.

[Mike(Mont)]

I've been working this project without any external help unless somebody wants to invest $100,000. I used the wrong transistors and the power was like four times too much. So when adjusting the power gain, the circuit would go from zero to full blast. There was only a tiny window of adjustment. So the correct transistors should clear up this problem. Won't know until i get the parts. My concerns centered around the fact that I am electronically ignorant and illiterate. I didn't know what would happen by downsizing the circuit board. I've heard of self-oscillation and it's hard to see through the fog when the parts are wrong to start with. So I am learning as I go and no doubt there will be more obstacles. Thanks for your offer to help.

[Mike(Mont)]

Bad news, the correct transistors didn't help any. So I am going to try to use the P.C. oscilloscope and see if I can figure out how t use it.

[Mike(Mont)]

My latest attempt is to add a resistor on the main input so things are more balanced. I don't know, I may never get this thing figured out. There's just too much stuff I don't know.

[Mike(Mont)]

Still have the "too much power" issue but I got the thing working today with a few loose wires to finish yet. So hopefully soon i'll have this ready to try out in the real world. I don't know why I'm not more excited about this. It's been a huge headache and unbelievable frustration pretty much every day. I guess I don't believe it yet. It still needs work, hard to tune, etc. Still a real PITA.