Tesoro Bandido - User Manual

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BandidoOPERATORINSTRUCTIONMANUAL

CONGRATULATIONS!

YournewTESOROMetalDetectorwasdesignedtoprovideyouwithmanyhappyhoursofenjoymentinthemost

rewardinghobbyIcanthinkof–treasurehunting.Aheadofyouliefascinatingandexcitingexperiencesasyoustepintothe

past–uncoveringartifactslostbypastgenerations.Iwishwecouldsharetheseexperienceswithyou,andwewishyouthe

bestofsuccess.

YourTESOROMetalDetectoriscapableofmeetingyourneedsinanyconceivabletreasurehuntingsituation.Aswith

anydetector,operatingskillandfamiliaritywiththisinstrumentareprobablythelimitingfactorsindetermininghowsuccessful

youwillbe.Werecommendthatyoureadthismanualandunderstandfullybeforeattemptingtousetheinstrumentinthe

field.Asyoubecomemorefamiliarwithyourdetectorthroughpractice,yourrateofsuccesswillincreasedramatically.

TheTESOROMetalDetectorisaprecisionelectronicinstrument,whichwilllastforyearsifproperlycaredfor.Treatit

rightanditwon'tletyoudown.

GoodHunting!JackGifford

GENERALDESCRIPTION

TheBandidoisaTransmitterReceiver(TR)typeofdetectorthatoperatesintheVeryLowFrequency(VLF)portionofthe

RadioFrequency(RF)spectrum.ItprovidestruemineralfreeoperationinboththeAllMetalandDiscriminatemodes.The

Discriminatemodeismotionbased,buttheamountofmotionrequiredissoslightthatpinpointingiseasilyaccomplishedin

thismode.TheAllMetalmodeisnotamotionbasedtype,andsoisexcellentforsearchingaswellaspinpointing.

TheBandidowasdesignedtobeatrueAllPurposetypeofdetector.Itissensitivetosmallgoldparticles,ispowerful

enoughtoserveasarelicandcachehunter,andisplentyfastenoughforcompetitionhunting.Itisequippedwithan8"

concentriccoil,althoughothercoilsizesandtypesareavailable.

TheBandidocanbeassembledasapolemountedarmrestunit,orasabodymountunit.Itcanbeconvertedeasily

withouttools.

Aswithanydetector,thefamiliarityoftheuserwiththeinstrumentwillhaveagreatdealtodowithhowsuccessfulthe

treasurehunteris.Werecommendthatyoureadandunderstandthismanualfullybeforeattemptingtousetheinstrumentin

thefield.

Besuretofilloutandmailyourwarrantyregistrationcardtovalidateyourwarranty.

ASSEMBLY

TheBandidocanbeassembledineitheroftwoconfigurationsoreasilyconvertedfromonetotheother.Theelectronic

controlhousingcanbemountedonthearmrestpole,orcanbebodymounted.Installationofthelowerpoleandcoilisthe

sameforeitherconfiguration.

1. Depressthetwobuttonsontheupperendofthelowerstem,andslideitintotheupperstem.Pushthelowerstem

upsothatthebuttonsclickintothethirdsetofholesfromtheendoftheupperstem.

2. Insertthepoletipbetweenthemountingearsofthesearchcoil,afterremovingthescrewandthumbnut.Alignthe

holesinthepoletipandthoseinthemountingears.Besuretherubberfrictionwashersareinplace.

3. Insertthecoilmountingscrewthroughthecoilandpoletip.Thescrewheadshouldbeonthesideofthesearchcoil

wherethecablecomesout.

4. Installthethumbnutonthescrewandtightenbyhand.

5. Windthesearchcoilcablearoundthepole.

POLEMOUNT

1. Thecontrolhousingisalreadymountedonthepole,asshippedfromthefactory,soallthatisnecessaryistoinsert

thesearchcoilconnectorintothecontrolhousingconnector,andtightenfingertight.

2. Usethetwovelcrostrapstoholdthecabletightagainstthepole.

BODYMOUNT

1. Tousethedetectorasabodymount,simplyremovethecontrolhousingfromtheupperpolebydepressingthe

springnutsintheplasticmountingpiece,andslidethecontrolhousingoffthepole.

2. Insertthesearchcoilconnectorintothecontrolhousingconnectorandthenfingertighten.

3. Usethetwovelcrostrapstoclampthesearchcoilcable.Itwillbebestforyoutosometimesmovethestrapssothat

thewearonthecableisspreadoveralargearea.

CONVERSION

Obviously,convertingtheunitfrombodytopolemountorviceversa,issimplyputtingthecontrolhousingbackonthe

pole,orremovingitfromthepole.Besuretokeepthesearchcoilcablewoundtightenougharoundthepolethatitdoesn'tflap

rightoversearchcoilhousing.TheBandidoisstrongenoughtoseethetinycablewiresmoving,andcangiveyoufalsesignals

ifthecableistooloose.

ADJUSTMENT

Thesearchcoilangleandstemlengthshouldbeadjustedsothattheunitisnotuncomfortableortiringafterlongperiods

ofuse.Thestemlengthisadjustedbydepressingthespringbuttonsandextendingorshorteningthepoletilltheyclickinto

theholesthatgiveyouthemostcomfortablesetting.Thecoilshouldbeaboutoneinchabovethegroundwhilestandingerect.

Adjusttheangleofthesearchcoil,sothatthecoilisparalleltotheground.Tightenthesearchcoilthumbnutbyhandto

maintainthissetting.

Thearmrestontherearofthehandlecanbemovedforwardbyremovingthescrewsandnuts,andreinstallingthe

assemblyintothemostforwardsetofholes.

Specifications

TESOROElectronics,Inc.,reservestherighttomodifyorimprovethedesignwithoutfurthernotice.

CONTROLS

TheBandidohasfivecontrolsonitsfrontpanel,andathresholdadjustonitsrearpanel.Thefrontpanelcontrolsareall

readilyadjustedwiththeindexfingerofthehandholdingthedetector.

1. THESHOLDCONTROL.Thiscontrolisplacedonthebackpanelofthedetector,sinceitrequiresverylittleusage.

Oncethecontrolisadjustedtothedesiredthreshold,itwillnotrequirefrequentresetting.

2. GROUNDADJUSTCONTROL.ThiscontroladjuststheAllMetalmodesamplingsothattheBandidoignoresthe

normalgroundmineralization.Thiscontrolisatenturndevice,anditissometimesdifficulttofeelwhentheendofthe

turnrangeisreached.Thesettingofthiscontrolisthemostcriticaladjustmenttodo,butitisaverysimpleadjustment

tomake.StudythemanualsectiononTUNINGtobesureyoulearnhowtoproperlyadjustthiscontrol.

3. ON/OFF,BATTERYTEST,SENSITIVITYCONTROL.Theprimaryfunctionofthiscontrolistoreducethedetectors

sensitivitytothoseinfluencesthatcouldmaketheoperationmoredifficultforyou.Thiscontrolalsoisusedtoturnthe

poweronandoff.Turningtheknobcompletelycounterclockwiseuntilitclicksdisconnectsthebatteriesfromthecircuit.

Whentheknobisfirstturnedon(clockwise),thedetectorwillautomaticallytestitsbatteries,andgiveyouanaudible

indicationoftheirconnection.NOTE:ThistestshouldbeperformedwiththeModeSwitchintheDiscriminate

position.Freshbatterieswillcausealoudaudioresponsewhichwillgraduallydecayintosilenceoveraperiodofabout4

or5seconds.Asthebatteriesageandbecomeweaker,theinitialaudioresponsewillbeweaker,andwilldecayquicker.

Whentheresponseisjustashortbuzzinsteadofalongbeep,orwhenthereisnoaudioresponse,it'stimefornew

batteries.Itisrecommendedtoalwaysusealkalinebatteries.

Manythingscancausetheresponseofthedetectortobecomeerraticasyouareusingit.Normallyyouwillnothearany

soundfromthedetectorunlessyoupassthecoiloveragoodtarget.Verylargetargetsoramultitudeofcloselyspaced

smallerrejectedtrashtargetscancausethedetectortoemitchoppysputteringsounds.CBradios,radioandTV

broadcastingantennas,intensemineralizationchanges,andothersourcesofelectricalnoisecanalsocausethedetector

toemitfalsesignals.Thesesignalswillgenerallysound"chopped"andwillnotberepeatablesoyouwillnothaveany

troublerecognizingthem.Theycanbedistracting,though,andturningdownthesensitivitycontrolwillhelpreducethem.

Thiswillalsocauseasmalllossoftargetsensitivity,soalwaysrunthesensitivitycontrolashighasyoucan,whilestill

gettingsmoothoperation.

4. MODECONTROL.ThistoggleswitchisusedtoselecttheAllMetalmodeofoperationortheDiscriminatemode.In

theDiscriminatemode,thedetectorsresponsetounwantedtrashcanbecontrolledtoeliminatediggingmuchofthe

commonmetallictrashitemsfoundinlikelyhuntingspots.Thedetectormaybeepbrieflywhentheswitchischanged,

butisreadyforoperatingintheselectedmodeinstantly.InAllMetal,thedetectorwillfindnotonlythehighlyconductive

nonferrousmetals,butwillalsofindtheferrousmetals.Thismodewillbeidealforrelichuntingorghosttownsearching,

sincemanydesirableartifacts(suchasguns)aremadeofironandsteal.

NOTE:TheAllMetalmodeasasmalldegreeofautotuningtohelpnarrowthedetector'sresponsetothetargetwhen

youarepinpointing.ItwilldependonwhichtuningmodetheTuneSelecttoggleisin.Toretunetheunittothresholdfor

eithermode,justpushtheModeSwitchuptotheRetunepositionmomentarily.

5. DISCRIMINATELEVEL.Thiscontrolisusedtoadjustthedetector'sresponsetounwantedmetallictrashwhenused

intheDiscriminatemode.Atthelowestsetting"0",thedetectorwilleliminatemostironobjects,butwillstillrespondina

positivemannertolightfoil,bottlecaps,pulltabsandmostothermetallicitems.Astheknobsettingisincreased,

responsetomoreofthesemetallictrashitemsisreversedsothattheseobjectsgivenoresponse.

Thefigurebelowgivesthecontrolsettingswheresomeofthecommonlyfoundtrashitemscanberejected.



TUNING

Nodetector,regardlessofhowpowerfulitis,canprovideoptimumdepthifitisimproperlytuned.Infact,themore

powerfuladetectoris,themorecriticalthetuningbecomes.Lesspowerfulunitsaremoretolerantofoperatormisadjustment,

butarenotcapableofthedepthofaproperlytunedhighpowerdetectorsuchastheBandido.

ToachievemaximumperformancefromyourBandidobesuretoproperlyadjusttheGROUNDADJUSTandTUNING

controlsintheAllMetalmode.Thesettingsofthesecontrolswillalsoaffectthedetector'sperformanceintheDiscrimmode,

sobesuretoadjustthemproperly,evenifyouonlyplantooperatethedetectorintheDiscrimmode.

TUNINGINTHEALLMETALMODE

1. PuttheModeSwitchintheAllMetalposition.WiththeSensitivitycontrolintheMaxposition.Besurethatthe

thresholdcontrolisadjustedtojustyieldafaintbeginningofsoundsignal.Holdthesearchcoilaboutonefootfromthe

ground,andifthethresholdhaschanged,momentarilylifttheModeSwitchtoretunebacktothreshold.Thenrapidly

lowerthesearchcoiltoabouttwoinchesabovetheground.

2. Ifthereisnochangeinthethresholdsound,youareproperlytuned.Ifthesoundincreasesordecreases,itwill

recoverslowlyduetotheautotune,thereforeyoumustlowerthesearchcoilrapidlyeachtime.Ifthesounddecreased,

turntheGroundAdjustaboutonehalfturnclockwise.Ifthesoundincreased,turntheGroundAdjustaboutonehalfturn

counterclockwise.WhenyouturntheGroundAdjustcontrol,thethresholdsoundmaygeteitherlouderorgoquiet.That

isnormal,andmeansnothingtothetuningprocedure.asthesearchcoilnearstheground,afterliftingthesearchcoilback

intotheair.PushRetunemomentarilythenquicklylowerthesearchcoiltowardsthegroundagain.

3. Movethesearchcoilbackuptoaboutonefootabovetheground,andmomentarilypushtheModeswitchintothe

Retunepositiontoreestablishthethresholdsound.Repeatthestepofrapidlyloweringthesearchcoiltotheground.

ReadjusttheGroundAdjustcontrolasindicatedbythechangeinthethresholdasthecoilapproachestheground.

4. Whenthethresholdchangereverses,thenmovetheGroundAdjustcontrolbackinsmallincrements,untilthereis

nochangeasthesearchcoilisloweredrapidlytowardtheground.RemembertomomentarilyholdtheModeSwitchinthe

Retunepositioneachtimejustbeforeyoulowerthesearchcoiltowardtheground.

NOTE:TheNormalmodeofoperationhasaslowautomaticretuningwhichisjustfastenoughtohelpyoumaintainthe

thresholdsoundasyousearch.Thisslowautotuningcantrytoovercomethemotionofloweringthecoiltotheground,

unlessitisdonefairlyrapidly.

TUNINGINTHEDISCRIMINATEMODE

TuningtheBandidoforuseintheDiscriminatemoderequiresthattheAllMetalModetuningprocedurebeproperly

accomplished,astheGroundAdjustcontrolprovidesformineralfreeoperatinginboththeAllMetalandDiscrimmodes.Also,

thethresholdsettingoftheTuningcontroldeterminestheminimumsoundlevelfordeeptargetsintheDiscriminatemode.Too

littlethreshold,anddepthwillbelost.Toomuchthreshold,andthedetectormaybecomeerratic.

AftertheAllMetalmodeprocedureisaccomplished,theonlysettingsnecessaryforoperationinDiscriminatemodeisto

settheDiscLevelcontroltothedesiredamountoftrashrejection,andtosettheSensitivitycontrolthemaximumsettingthat

willallowsmoothoperation.

SELECTINGTHEPROPERMODEOFOPERATION

TheBandidoofferstwobasicmodesofoperation,theAllMetalmodeandtheDiscriminatemode.Bothmodesare

mineralfreeiftheunitisproperlyadjusted.TheAllMetalmodeistheindustrystandard"VLF"typewhichdoesnotrequire

motionofthesearchcoilforproperoperation.Thismode,whilerequiringaninitialgroundadjustsettingofsoundthreshold,

offerstwoveryimportantadvantages,thesebeingtheabilitytopinpointwithoutmotion,andtoprovideexactground

canceling.TheDiscriminatemodeisbasedonmotionofthesearchcoil,butrequiresverylittlemotion,andoffersthe

advantageofcompletelysilentoperation.

NuggetHuntingrequiresusingtheAllMetalmode,sincetheresponsetosmallgolditemsissoclosetoiron.

Wefeelthatformostnuggetshootinguse,AllMetalAutoTunewillprovidethebestperformance.Sincemostgold

nuggetsarequitesmall,youneedtobesurethatyourdetectoristunedtothresholdatalltimestoavoidmissinganyofthese

littlenuggets.HotRockswillcauseamomentarysilenceasthecoilissweptoverthem,withaloudovershootwhenthecoil

clearsthem.Thesoundissodifferentfromagoodtargetsound,thatitisveryeasilyrecognized.Theonlyproblemwithjust

ignoringthesesoundsarethatasmallnuggetmaybehidingbeneaththehotrock.AdjustingthegroundAdjustcontrolinthe

clockwisedirectionuntilthehotrocksarealmostneutralizedwillhelpdetectsmallgoldnuggetsbutthegroundwillreadasa

positivesignal,soyouwillhavetobeverycarefultokeepyourcoilheightconstant.

RememberthattheautotuningintheAllMetalmodewillcauseanullingofthethresholdsoundifyoupassthe

searchcoiloveraverystrongmetallictarget.

TheDiscriminatemodewillallowyoutocontrolthedetector'sresponsetomostofthecommonmetallictrashitems

foundinmostschools,parks,andbeaches.Thismodeisgenerallyusedforcoinshottingsuchareasinordertoavoidhaving

todigmostofthiscommontrash.TheDiscriminateLevelcontrolisusedtoadjusttheresponsetothesetrashitems.Each

detectorcanvarysomewhatduetothemanufacturingtolerances,soyoushouldexperimentwithyourdetectorandbecome

familiarwiththerejectionlevelsforthesetrashitemswithyourdetector.

Earliermotiondetectorsthatareoperatedwiththe"Threshold"soundwouldgivetheuseradefiniteindicationofmetallic

trashbyeithernullingcompletelyorbygeneratingshort,choppysounds.SincetheDiscriminatemodeoperateswithout

thresholdsound,thereisnonullingtoindicatethattheareaisextremelytrashy.WhensearchingintheDiscriminatemode,

werecommendthatyouperiodicallyswitchtoAllMetalandchecktheareayouaresearchingtogetanideaofhowmuch

trashisreallythere.Inextremelyheavytrashareas,itmaybedesirabletoswitchtoasmallersearchcoil,eventhroughdoing

sowillcausealossofdepth.Thesmallercoilwillallowyouabetterchanceoffindingcoinsbetweentheclosepiecesof

trash.

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Bandido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DISCoperation.

InAllMetalmodeoperation,keepthedetectortunedsothatthereisjustaslightbuzzingofasound.Thisiseasytodo

becausethegroundmineralsdonotaffecttheAllMetalmodeifproperlyadjusted.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1)heavyconcentrationsoftrashmetal

objects,2)verylargetrashmetalobjects,or3)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.

Ifthereisanydoubtwhetheratargetisgoodornot,DIGIT.Forthissamereason,intheDiscriminateMode,itisbest

nottouseahigherDISCLEVELsettingthannecessary.NickelsandmostsmallerringsarerejectedwhentheDISCLEVEL

issettorejectpulltabsonanymetaldetectorthatisaTRDiscriminatorliketheBadido.Ifyoudon’tdiganyjunkatall,you

aresurelypassingupalotofgoodfindsaswell.SettheDISCLEVELonlyhighenoughtosuittheconditionswhereyouare

searching.

PINPOINTING

ThesweepspeedoftheBandido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.

TheeasiestwaytopinpointformostpeoplewillbetoswitchtotheAllMetal/NormalTunemode,sincenomotionis

required.Topinpoint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tuningmodeswitchtotheretunepositionmomentarilyovertheareatodetune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.

RECOMMENDEDRECOVERYMETHODS

Alwaysobtainpermissionfromthepersoninchargebeforehuntingonprivateproperty,schoolyards,parks,churchs,or

stateparks.Evenwhenrelichuntinginthewoods,NEERLEAVEAHOLE!,ordamageanythingontheproperty.

PROTECTYOURHOBBYFILLALLHOLES

BATTERYREPLACEMENT

TheBandidohasanautomaticbatterytestsequencewitheachinitialpowertunon.Tocheckthebatteries,simplyturn

theBandidoofforaboutfiveseconds,andthenturnitbackon.Thebatterytestcircuitwillengageforabout3to5seconds,

withtheaudiooutputloudnessindicatingtheremainingbatterystrength.Asthebatteriesage,thistonewillgetquieter,and

whenyouhearonlyabriefbuzzornotoutputatall,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batteriesfromthedetector,andthenremovetheleads.Replacethenewbatteriesintothedetector,observingthe

polarityindicatorsontheclipleads.Installthebatterydoorbackontothechassis,andpushthnylonfastenersintotheholes

onthechassis,makingsurethattheplungersarestillpulledout.Thenpushtheplungersbackintolockthedoorinplace.

Werecommendwhenyoureplacethebatteries,thatyouchangebothatthesametime,andthatyoualwaysusegood

qualityalkalinebatteries.

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.

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detector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or16ohmsetwith1/4inchstereojackwilldo.

HAPPYHUNTING,andthankyouforpurchasingaTESORO.

Underthecopyrightlawsthisdocumentationmaynotbecopied,photocopied,reproduced,translatedorreducedtoanyelectronicor

machinereadableform,inwholeorinpart,withoutthepriorwrittenconsentofTesoroElectronicsIncorporated,exceptfortheprivate

useofaBandidoowneroroperator,orinamannerotherwisedescribedinthisdocumentation.

©19951996TesoroElectronicsIncorporated.Allrightsreserved.PrintedintheUnitedStates.

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factorfornearestrepair

center.

TesoroElectronics,Inc.715WhiteSparRoadPrescott,AZ,USA8630319287712646

OperatingFrequency 10kHz

SearchcoilType Concentric

SearchcoilSize 8"Diameter

CableLength Approx.3’

AudioFrequency Approx.625Hz

AudioOutput 11/2"speaker

HeadphoneCompatibility 1/4"stereoearphonejack

Weight(mayvaryslightly) 3lbs.

BatteryRequirement

9voltsDC

2ea.9Valkalinebatteries

BatteryLife(typical) 15to30hours

OptimumTemperatureRange 30°to100°F

OptimumHumidity 0to75%R.H.

OperatingModes

AllMetal

Discriminate



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Need help?

Do you have a question about the Tesoro Bandido and is the answer not in the manual?

Summary

Assembly

Pole Mount

Instructions for assembling the detector onto the pole mount.

Body Mount

Instructions for attaching the detector as a body mount.

Conversion

Steps to switch between pole and body mount configurations.

Adjustments

Specifications

Technical details and performance parameters of the detector.

Tuning

Tuning in the All Metal Mode

Procedure to tune the detector for optimal All Metal mode operation.

Tuning in the Discriminate Mode

Guide for tuning the detector in Discriminate mode.

Selecting the Proper Mode of Operation

Warranty Service

Limited Lifetime Warranty

Details of the detector's limited lifetime warranty terms.

The Tesoro Bandido is a Very Low Frequency (VLF) metal detector designed for treasure hunting. It operates in the Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum and offers both All Metal and Discriminate modes for mineral-free operation. The detector is capable of finding small gold particles, serving as a relic and cache hunter, and is fast enough for competition hunting. It comes equipped with an 8" concentric searchcoil, with other coil sizes and types available.

Function Description:

The Bandido is a Transmitter-Receiver (TR) type detector.

All Metal Mode: This mode provides true mineral-free operation and is not motion-based, making it excellent for searching and pinpointing. It detects both highly conductive nonferrous metals and ferrous metals, making it ideal for relic hunting or ghost town searching where desirable artifacts might be made of iron and steel. This mode also features a small degree of auto-tuning to help narrow the detector's response for pinpointing.
Discriminate Mode: This mode is motion-based, requiring slight motion for pinpointing. It allows the user to control the detector's response to unwanted metallic trash, eliminating much of the common trash items found in typical hunting spots. This mode operates silently, without a threshold sound, and is generally used for coin-shooting to avoid digging common trash.

Important Technical Specifications:

Operating Frequency: 10 kHz
Searchcoil Type: Concentric
Searchcoil Size: 8" Diameter
Cable Length: Approximately 3'
Audio Frequency: Approximately 625 Hz
Audio Output: 1 1/2" speaker
Headphone Compatibility: 1/4" stereo earphone jack
Weight (may vary slightly): 3 lbs.
Battery Requirement: 9 volts DC (2 ea. 9V alkaline batteries)
Battery Life (typical): 15 to 30 hours
Optimum Temperature Range: 30° to 100° F
Optimum Humidity: 0 to 75% R.H.
Operating Modes: All Metal, Discriminate

Usage Features:

The Bandido can be assembled in two configurations: pole-mounted arm rest unit or body-mounted unit, and can be converted between them without tools.

Assembly:

Lower Pole and Coil: Depress buttons on the upper end of the lower stem and slide it into the upper stem until it clicks into the third set of holes. Insert the pole tip between the searchcoil's mounting ears, aligning holes and ensuring rubber friction washers are in place. Insert the coil mounting screw through the coil and pole tip (screw head on the side where the cable exits) and hand-tighten the thumb nut. Wind the searchcoil cable around the pole.
Pole Mount: The control housing is factory-mounted on the pole. Insert the searchcoil connector into the control housing connector and tighten finger-tight. Use Velcro straps to secure the cable to the pole.
Body Mount: Remove the control housing from the upper pole by depressing spring nuts. Insert the searchcoil connector into the control housing connector and finger-tighten. Use Velcro straps to clamp the searchcoil cable, moving them occasionally to spread wear.

Adjustment:

Searchcoil Angle and Stem Length: Adjust for comfort and to avoid fatigue during long periods of use. The stem length is adjusted by depressing spring buttons. The coil should be about one inch above the ground while standing erect, parallel to the ground. Hand-tighten the searchcoil thumb nut.
Arm Rest: Can be moved forward by removing screws and nuts and reinstalling into the most forward set of holes.

Controls:

The Bandido has five controls on its front panel and a threshold adjust on its rear panel.

Threshold Control (Rear Panel): Adjusts for a faint beginning of sound signal. Requires minimal usage once set.
Ground Adjust Control: A ten-turn device that adjusts All Metal mode sampling to ignore ground mineralization. This is a critical but simple adjustment for optimal performance in both All Metal and Discriminate modes.
ON/OFF, Battery Test, Sensitivity Control: Turns the power on/off. Turning counterclockwise until it clicks disconnects batteries. Turning clockwise initiates a battery test (in Discriminate position), indicated by an audible response that decays over 4-5 seconds for fresh batteries. Reduces detector sensitivity to mitigate difficult operating conditions.
Mode Control (Toggle Switch): Selects between All Metal and Discriminate modes. Momentarily pushing the switch up to the Retune position re-tunes the unit to threshold.
Discriminate Level: Adjusts the detector's response to unwanted metallic trash in Discriminate mode. At "0," most iron objects are eliminated, but light foil, bottle caps, and pull tabs may still respond. Increasing the setting reverses the response for more metallic items.

Tuning:

Proper tuning is crucial for maximum depth.

Tuning in All Metal Mode:
1. Set Mode Switch to All Metal, Sensitivity to Max, and Threshold to a faint sound.
2. Hold searchcoil one foot from the ground, lift Mode Switch to Retune momentarily, then rapidly lower the searchcoil to about two inches above the ground.
3. If no change in sound, it's tuned. If sound increases, turn Ground Adjust counter-clockwise; if sound decreases, turn clockwise. Repeat the process, pushing Retune momentarily before each rapid lowering, until there is no change in sound as the coil is lowered.
Tuning in Discriminate Mode: Requires proper All Metal Mode tuning first. Set Disc Level for desired trash rejection and Sensitivity to maximum for smooth operation.

Pinpointing:

Discriminate Mode: Move the coil slowly side-to-side, then front-to-back over the target. Raising the coil slightly and slowing the sweep narrows the detection area. For short sweeps, slow the rate until a response is barely obtained at one spot, indicating the target is directly below the coil center.
All Metal/Normal Tune Mode: Easiest for most people as no motion is required. Move the coil forward/back and side-to-side for the strongest sound. If audio saturates, push the tuning mode switch to retune momentarily to de-tune the detector, narrowing the field of response.

Maintenance Features:

Battery Replacement: The Bandido has an automatic battery test sequence upon initial power-on. To check batteries, turn the unit off for five seconds, then back on. The audio loudness indicates remaining strength. Replace batteries when the tone is quiet or absent. To replace, pull the large knobs on the battery door, remove batteries and leads, then insert new batteries (observing polarity) and re-install the door, ensuring plungers are pulled out then pushed in to lock. Always use good quality alkaline batteries and change both at the same time.
Storage: For long-term storage, remove the battery pack to prevent internal damage from leaks.
Searchcoil Care: The searchcoil is waterproof and can be submerged in fresh or salt water. Prevent water from entering the chassis. After salt water use, rinse the coil and lower stem assembly with fresh water to prevent corrosion. If used in body mount configuration, do not submerge cable connectors.
General Use: Maintain constant searchcoil height, close to the ground. In lawns, rest the coil on the grass. In rough areas, avoid "scrubbing" the coil to prevent wear (optional scuff cover available). Hitting the ground or rocks can cause false signals.
Earphones: Recommended for two reasons:
1. Noise Reduction: Effectively blocks ambient noise (traffic, wind), allowing fainter signals from deeper targets to be heard.
2. Extended Battery Life: Significantly extends battery life due to lower power consumption. The detector has a limiting circuit in the earphone jack. If less volume is desired, use earphones with a built-in volume control. Any good 8 or 16 ohm set with a 1/4 inch stereo jack will work.