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PROJECTS AND CIRCUITS 
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Constructional Project

EPE BOUNTY
TREASURE
HUNTER
THOMAS SCARBOROUGH
An inexpensive, easy-to-build, induction balance design that will find

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a 25mm (1 inch) diameter coin at up to 240mm (9½in.) depth

ETAL detecting is a popular pas- a piezo sounder (WD1) or headphones.

M
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time. The author himself, with his (This has the added bonus, in some coun-
son, located a wreck with an old tries, of eliminating the need for an operat-
ag
EE design – uncovering, among other ing licence.)
things, small items of gold and pinfire
ammunition. GOOD DETECTION
There are two significant barriers, how- The resulting circuit, as simple as it is,
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ever, to owning and operating one’s own bears comparison with some of the best.
metal detector. The first is cost. A good For example, the EE Buccaneer (not now
metal detector may easily cost a hundred available) was described at the time as
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pounds plus, and this may not represent an “outperforming almost any other design of
offhand investment, particularly for young its type” – the EPE Bounty, by compari-
people. son, exceeds its performance by around 40
The second is complexity. A typical per cent.
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metal detector may comprise fifty or a The following is the Bounty’s response
hundred components even without the to a 25mm (one inch) diameter brass coin
hardware, and this would represent a seri- at varying distances, with good tuning:
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ous challenge to many constructors, not to

mention the time involved. 160mm A “singing” tone
Alternatively, one can settle for a sim- 200mm A clear tone
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pler and cheaper design. However, while 240mm A barely discernible

such designs may initially provide good signal
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fun, they typically have poor depth of pen-

etration, a predilection for rusty iron, and The EPE Bounty will detect a pin at
poor stability. 35mm, and large non-ferrous objects at
The author’s aim with this design was to half a metre’s distance and more. Note,
create a minimalist induction balance however, that these measurements apply in
(I.B.) metal detector, while also achieving air, and not in the ground, where depth of
good performance. This method of metal penetration will depend largely on the min-
detection has a good depth of penetration, eralisation present.
and distinguishes well between ferrous and Contrasted with this, it is far more reluc-
non-ferrous metals. tant to pick up tin-foil. A tin-foil disc of the
It is also capable to a large extent of same size as the brass coin is detected at
rejecting iron, and also tin foil. This is a only half the distance in air. This rejection
boon for anyone who is searching in the of tin-foil is due in part to the metal detec-
first instance for coins or noble metals. tor’s low frequency, which avoids what is
called “skin effect”. Besides this, if the two
GOING DIGITAL coils are positioned as described, ferrous
The reason for the simplicity of the metals are to a very large extent rejected –
design is that it largely dispenses with ana- to such an extent, in fact, that a 25mm
logue circuitry, and uses a digital transmit- diameter brass coin looks the same to the
ter and digital peak detector instead. The detector as a lump of iron weighing twenty
full block diagram for the EPE Bounty times as much.
Treasure Hunter is shown in Fig.1. Bounty’s power consumption is conve-
As the search coils pass over metal, niently low – it draws around 10mA,
only digital signals of a certain amplitude which means that it may potentially be
break through. Since these are in the audio powered off a small PP3 9V battery. As it
range, they are immediately transferred to is, it is powered off eight AA batteries in

708 Everyday Practical Electronics, October 2002

 IC1a/b IC2a IC2b IC1c WD1

TX RX
COIL COIL

TX OSCILLATOR SEARCH HEAD PREAMPLIFIER COMPARATOR/ PEAK DETECTOR PIEZO

HYSTERESIS SOUNDER

Fig.1. Block diagram of the EPE Bounty Treasure Hunter.

series (12V), which should provide about the peak current passing through the trans- d.c., virtually any kind of earpiece,
100 hours of continuous use when using mitter coil to 12mA. sounder, or loudspeaker may be used to
cheap batteries. make the signal heard.
ON THE LEVEL
CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION The front end of the receiver section is a SEARCH COILS
The complete circuit diagram for the simple yet sensitive preamplifier, based on The winding of the two search coils is
EPE Bounty Treasure Hunter is shown in IC2a, which boosts the signal from the coil relatively easy, and is not critical – a little
Fig.2. The search head of a typical I.B. Rx. Its gain (about 165) is set to a level give and take is permissible. Both the coils
metal detector comprises two coils – a where signal amplitude shows good varia- are identical. The full coil winding and
transmitter coil (Tx), and receiver coil tion at the presence of metal. It also pro- construction details are shown in Fig.3.
(Rx). In this case, the Tx coil is driven by vides sufficient gain for the following Use 33s.w.g. (about 0·26mm) enamelled
a square wave oscillator, which sets up an stages. copper wire, winding 100 turns on a
alternating magnetic field in the coil. Wired as a comparator or rather, a level 150mm dia. former (see Fig.3). You may
The receiver coil is positioned in such a detector, IC2b detects the peaks of the create the former with a sheet of stiff card-
way that it partly overlaps the transmitter amplified receiver waveform. These peaks, board with twelve pins stuck through it at

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coil – see Fig.3. By adjusting the amount however, are sharp and small, like the a suitable angle (the heads facing slightly
of overlap, a point can be found where the proverbial tip of the iceberg, and this could outwards). The coil should be wound
voltages in the Rx coil “null”, or cancel severely stunt the sensitivity of the circuit. clockwise around the pins, then temporar-
out, so that little or no electrical output is It is at this point that a simple yet vital ily held together with stubs of insulating
produced. A metal object which enters the enhancement is introduced. Resistor R9 is tape passed underneath and pressed

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field then causes an imbalance, resulting in added to provide hysteresis, through posi- together over the top. The coil may be
a signal being generated. tive feedback, thereby returning the signal jumble-wound.
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The transmitter oscillator, built around to a square wave, and effectively tripling Once this has been done, the pins are
IC1a, is a simple clock generator, based on the sensitivity of the detector. removed, and a second coil is wound in
a single gate of a 40106 hex Schmitt The output of IC2b at pin 7 is fed, via exactly the same way. In each case, mark
inverter i.c. While such oscillators tend to capacitor C5, to peak detector IC1c. Since the beginning and end wires. Label one
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be unstable in operation, this is unimpor- IC1c is a Schmitt inverter, only pulses of a coil Tx (transmitter), the other Rx (receiv-
tant for our purposes here – we merely certain amplitude break through to output er). Each coil is then tightly bound by
need to set up the alternating magnetic pin 6. With correct adjustment of the Tune winding insulating tape around its entire
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field in the coil Tx. and Fine Tune controls, VR2 and VR3, circumference.
So that IC1a is not unduly loaded, IC1b there is a point at which the signal just
is used as a buffer. IC1a oscillates at an breaks through in the form of a random FARADAY SHIELD
audio frequency determined by resistor R1 crackling sound. No further amplification Next, each coil needs a Faraday shield.
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and capacitor C1, while resistor R2 limits is required, and since capacitor C6 blocks This minimises “ground and capacitive
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Fig.2. EPE Bounty Treasure

Hunter circuit diagram.
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Everyday Practical Electronics, October 2002 709

effects (electrostatic coupling)” in the
search head. The shield is made with some
long, 20mm wide strips of aluminium or
tin-foil.
Scrape the enamel off the base of the Tx
coil’s “end” and Rx coil’s “beginning”
wires. Now solder a 100mm length of stiff,
bared wire to each scraped area, and twist
this around the coil, over the insulating
tape. This provides an electrical contact for
the Faraday shield.
Beginning at the base of this wire, the
foil is wound around the circumference of
the coil, so that no insulating tape is still
visible underneath it – but the foil does not
complete a full 360 degrees. Leave a small
gap – say 10mm – so that the foil does not
meet after having done most of the round.
Do this with both coils. Each coil is now
again tightly bound with insulating tape
around its entire circumference.
Attach each of the coils to quality
single-core screened audio cable (micro-
phone cable), with the Faraday shields
being soldered to the screen. Do not use
stereo or twin-core audio cable, as this may
cause interference between the coils.

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Gently bend the completed coils until
each one is reasonably flat and circular,
with the wires facing away from you. Both
coils’ beginning wires should be to the left Fig.3. Search head construction for the EPE Bounty.
of their end wires. The Faraday shield con-

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nections should be side by side.
Now bend the coils further (see Fig.3),
until they form lopsided ovals – like capital topside component layout, off-board inter- Once soldering is complete, carefully
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Ds. The backs of these Ds overlap each wiring and full-size underside copper foil check the p.c.b. for any solder bridges and
other slightly on the search head – this is master pattern details are shown in Fig.4. wiring errors.
the critical part of the operation, which we This board is available from the EPE PCB
shall complete after having constructed the Service, code 370. CASING-UP
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circuit. Component values and types are not crit- Prepare the case for the audio cable,
Last of all, wind long, 20mm wide strips ical, although high grade components will switch S1, potentiometers VR2 and VR3,
of absorbent cloth around each coil (thin improve performance. The author’s pre- and piezo sounder WD1. Drill four holes
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dishwashing cloth would suit), using a lit- ferred choice for IC1 was the SGS- for the steel nuts and bolts, which will hold
tle all-purpose glue to keep them in place. Thomson HCF40106BEY, although any the two lengths (one long, one short) of
Later, when resin is poured over the coils, 40106 i.c. should work adequately. p.v.c. conduit (see Fig.5).
the cloth meshes the coils into the resin. Begin construction by soldering the 8 Mount VR2 and VR3 where quick and
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solder pins, the 14-pin and 8-pin d.i.l. easy adjustment is possible. Wire up piezo
CONSTRUCTION sockets and resistors in position. Finish up sounder WD1, tuning controls VR2 and
EPE Bounty’s printed circuit board with diode D1 (note the cathode (k) is VR3, switch S1, and the battery clip to the
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(p.c.b.) measures just 76mm × 46mm. The marked by a band and points away from p.c.b. Keep all wires short. Choose poten-
the edge of the p.c.b.), and the capacitors. tiometers with metal cans (bodies) and
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The search coils positioned with cable ties prior to potting. The potted coils with a small section left for final adjustment.
710 Everyday Practical Electronics, October 2002
 TUNE
FINE
TUNE ON/OFF
COMPONENTS
Resistors
S1
R1 330k
R2 1k
See
VR2 VR3 +VE
TO BATTERY
R3 2209 SHOP
R4, R5 47k (2 off)
0V
R6 120k TALK
R7 150k page
R8 100k
R6
k a G R9 22k
D1
VR1 All carbon film 0·25W 5%
R3
C C + F
C3 + 2 1 C7 Potentiometers
+
C4 VR1 1k cermet preset
C
R1
VR2 100k carbon track (metal can, plastic shaft)
R R IC2 B
VR3 10k carbon track (metal can, plastic shaft)
5 8
R2 IC1 VR4 100k cermet preset
R
4 A
+
C5 Capacitors
R7 + C1, C2 1n metallised polyester film (2 off)
VR4 C6 D E
R9
C3 4µ7 16V radial electrolytic
C4 100µ 16V radial electrolytic
C5, C6 220µ 16V radial electrolytic (2 off)
C7 1000µ 16V electrolytic

Semiconductors
IC1 HCF40106BEY hex Schmitt inverter

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WD1 (see text)
3.0in (76.2mm)
IC2 TL072 dual j.f.e.t. op.amp

Miscellaneous
WD1 piezo sounder

.c
S1 on-off slider switch
SK1 3·5mm mono jack socket (optional – see text)
B1 12V battery (8 x AA)
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1.75in (44.5mm)

Battery holder (8 x AA); PP3 battery clip (for battery holder);

370 100m 33s.w.g. (approx. 0·26mm) enamelled copper wire; print-
ed circuit board, available from the EPE PCB Service, order
code 370; ABS case with external dimensions 150 x 80 x 50mm;
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14-pin d.i.l. socket; 8-pin d.i.l. socket; link wire; solder pins; sol-
der, etc. 3m quality single-core screened audio cable; 2m 20mm
wide strips of aluminium-foil; 100mm stripped single-core wire
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(2 off); control knobs (2 off); quality insulating tape; all-purpose

glue

Hardware
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Fig.4. P.C.B. layout and wiring and full size master foil White masonite 230mm x 200mm (search head baseplate);
pattern. 1m x 5mm dia. wooden dowel (baseplate surround to contain
resin); 1·5m 20mm outer diameter p.v.c. conduit (shaft and
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upper handle); 90° angle bend to suit 20mm p.v.c. conduit

(hand-grip); square rainwater downpipe socket (swivel bracket
plastic shafts for VR2 and VR3, and connect the cans to 0V on the on search head); plastic w.c. seat hinge nut and bolt set (swivel
p.c.b. (perhaps via the potentiometers’ washers) – this is important
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bracket); 500ml polyester resin and hardener/catalyst; 2·5mm

for circuit stability. nylon cable-ties (12 off); 4mm nylon cable-ties (4 off); 5mm x
A slider switch, S1, prevents accidental switching as the unit is 30mm nuts and bolts (4 off); 5mm washers (16 off); 200g Blu-
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transported. If you wish, add a socket for headphones in parallel tack/Pres-stik; epoxy glue.
with, or in place of, the piezo sounder WD1. Make sure that the
battery is secure, and will not move about in the case.
In the case of extremely noisy environments, an l.e.d. may be
used besides the piezo sounder. This is wired from IC1c pin 6, via
a 1k series resistor, to 0V.
Approx. Cost
Guidance Only £20
excluding headset & batts

HARDWARE
Suggested hardware construction using p.v.c. piping and joints
is shown in Fig.5. The author again chose a minimalist approach.
Attach the base of the detector’s shaft (the longest piece of p.v.c.
conduit) to the search head by means of a swivel-joint. Use 4mm
nylon cable-ties to secure the brackets to the search head. The
author made the brackets from a square rainwater downpipe sock-
et sawn in two. The large plastic nut and bolt of the swivel-joint
were taken from a w.c. seat hinge set. Do not use any metal fittings
or fastenings on the search head.
Before bolting the shaft to the control box, feed the audio cable
through it – then bolt it to the side of the control box. Bolt the
shorter length of p.v.c. conduit to the other side of the control box,
and push the 90 degree angle bend onto its bottom end.
Attach the audio cables from the search coils to the p.c.b. as
shown (see Fig.3), with the screen of both audio cables again
The finished prototype p.c.b. D1 has been moved in the final going to 0V. Finally, insert IC1 and IC2 in the d.i.l. sockets. IC1 is
version. static sensitive – discharge your body to earth before handling.

Everyday Practical Electronics, October 2002 711

 Mounting of the p.c.b., controls and sounder in the case. Case mounted between the conduit handle and search head
shaft.

SETTING THE COILS Search Coils cross-head earlier). Adjust

VR2, VR3, and VR4 to their mid-points.
singing. It is at this precise point – not a
fraction of a millimetre this way or that –
The one downside to any I.B. metal
Adjust VR1 to 780 ohms. Attach a 12V that the coils need to be set.

om
detector design is its need for two coils,
which must be very carefully and rigidly battery pack, and switch on. The circuit The main purpose of preset VR4 is to
positioned in relation to one another. The should be “singing” – that is, beeping loud- find the precise point at which there is a
present design does make some room for ly and continuously. crisp transition from silence to singing.
error, though not much. Nonetheless, the Now slowly move the coils apart. When With the correct setting, any intermediate
they are somewhere past the halfway mark, hum should be eliminated. (While the hum

.c
method of setting the two search coils is
simple enough, if one works patiently and the piezo sounder will fall silent. This is does not affect performance, it may be a
carefully. A completed p.c.b. is required where the voltages in the receiver (Rx) coil distraction).
ag
before we can “pot” the coils. “null”. Note that there may be a few peaks
The coils should be potted with clear and troughs in the volume as you move the MAKE YOUR MARK
polyester resin on a hard, non-metallic base coils apart – you need to find a place of vir- Take a marker pen, and mark a series of
(do not buy polyester resin filler). Any base tually complete silence. holes in the baseplate around both sides of
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will do, on condition that it is rigid. The Continue to move the coils apart. At a the coils. These holes are used to pass
author used a piece of white masonite (see precise point, in a very narrow “slice” 2·5mm cable-ties through, to hold the coils
Fig.3), and glued a border of 5mm wood between silence and singing, the piezo tightly to the baseplate. Use five or six
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dowelling around the perimeter to hold the sounder will crackle – or it might hum and cable-ties for each coil, to ensure that they
resin. The potted coil was left “raw” then crackle. are firmly and flatly secured before pour-
beneath the masonite, protected by the Now edge the coils closer together ing the resin.
resin. again, ever so slightly, adjusting preset Also, use cable-ties to secure the audio
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Begin by placing the coils directly on VR4 as you go, so as to maintain a loud cables as well. Further, glue some light-
top of one another, ensuring that they are singing in the piezo sounder (not just a weight wooden ribs across the bottom of
correctly orientated (their Faraday shield hum), until the coils cannot be edged any the search head (to the baseplate), across
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connections being side by side – see the closer while still maintaining the loud the centre of the coils. Their purpose is to
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20mm OUTER
DIA. P.V.C
(APPROX 160mm)

5mm x 30mm SCREENED

THROUGH-BOLTS, AUDIO
WASHERS CABLE
AND NUTS

5mm x 30mm
THROUGH-BOLTS,
90 ANGLE BEND WASHERS
TO SUIT 20mm AND NUTS
OUTER DIA P.V.C

CONTROL BOX

AUDIO CABLES RUN

THROUGH SHAFT

20mm OUTER
PLASTIC W.C. SEAT DIA P.V.C. SHAFT
HINGE NUT AND (APPROX 1.2M)
BOLT SET

SQUARE DOWNPIPE
SOCKET (HALVED)
SECURED WITH
4mm CABLE-TIES

SEARCH HEAD

Fig.5. General construction of the hardware items. The finished search head.

712 Everyday Practical Electronics, October 2002

limit shrinkage in
the resin, since this
could seriously
unbalance the
circuit.
Use some Blu-
tack (or Pres-stik)
to tightly seal the
holes underneath
the baseplate
before pouring the
resin – polyester
resin is very
“runny”, and sticks
faster than many
glues. Make sure
the baseplate’s
dowel surround is
“resin-tight”.
Carefully bend the
coils at the centre
of the baseplate
until you reach the
exact balance at
which there is nei-
ther silence nor Finished control box mounted to the
singing from the handle and search head shaft.

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piezo sounder, but a
crackle.
Also – this is important – cover a small section (about
40mm) of one of the coils, at its centre, with Blu-tack (Pres-
stik), giving the Blu-tack vertical walls. This will be removed

.c
after the resin has set, and allows for final bending of this small
section of coil.
Now you are ready to mix and pour the resin. Use about 80
ag
per cent of the recommended amount of catalyst, so that there
is not too much heat and shrinkage in the resin. Pour the resin
over the cloth which surrounds the coils, so as to soak it, and
keep on pouring until the entire baseplate is well covered with
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resin.
The circuit may no longer function correctly at this point until
the resin has hardened, so make no more adjustments, but switch
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off. Wait at least 24 hours until removing the Blu-tack from the
small section of coil, which will leave the section exposed.
Set tuning controls VR2 and VR3 to their mid-points, and
bend the exposed section of coil (likely inwards) until a crackle
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is heard, between silence and singing. Now pour resin over this
patch also, to fill it.
Finally, preset VR1 serves as an emergency measure to alter the
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gain at the inverting input of preamplifier IC2a, without destabil-

ising the rest of the carefully balanced circuit around IC2a/IC2b.
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Use VR1 in case the setting of the coils did not go well, and the
bending of the small section of coil proves fruitless.
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IN USE
Keep the search head away from all metal, and away from com-
puter equipment, which may cause serious interference with the cir-
cuit – and switch on. Adjust VR2 until the EPE Bounty is at a point
where a crackle is heard, between silence and singing – use VR3 for
fine-tuning. Carefully experiment with board-mounted preset VR4 in
case a low-level hum has been interjected between the silence and
singing.
For best results, keep front panel controls VR2 and VR3 tuned
for a fast crackle. While a slow crackle is more pleasing to the ear,
this will reduce sensitivity. Move a coin over the search head, and
piezo sounder WD1 should “sing”.
In actual use, the adjustment of the EPE Bounty Treasure Hunter
will be affected by the mineralisation of the ground you are search-
ing, as well as temperature and voltage variations. While the design
has good stability, some readjustments to tuning controls VR2 and
VR3 are inevitable.
An investment in a metal case for the electronics, while costing
a few pounds more, would maximise stability, but this is not essen-
tial. A higher value for resistor R6 will give the detector a sharper
edge (that is, a sharper transition between silence and singing),
while a lower value will provide a gentler transition.
For best results, the search head is moved slowly to and fro over www.antex.co.uk
2 Westbridge Industrial Estate Tavistock
the ground, just skimming its surface.
May you be rewarded with much bounty! 6 Devon PL19 8DE Tel 01822 613565

Everyday Practical Electronics, October 2002 713