Fisher Metal Detector M 96 User Manual

M-96  
Va lu e, P ed esta l a n d Box Loca tor  
Operating Manual  
F I S H E R R E S E A R C H L A B O R A T O R Y  
 
ABOUT YOUR DETECTOR  
The Fisher M-Sc ope Model-96 offers the utility industry a n  
unc omplic a ted detec tor for finding pa ved-over or buried meta llic  
objec ts. The waterproof searc h c oil and the rugged elec tronic s  
housing make the M-96 an ideal detec tor for field utility use.  
The entire VLF (Very Low Frequenc y) opera tion of the M-96  
ha s been reduc ed to just two c ontrol knobs a nd a pushbutton.  
Adjusting these knobs gives the opera tor ma ximum depth while  
e limina ting a nnoying ground e ffe c ts, usua lly c a use d by  
minera liza tion in the soil.  
The M-96 fea tures sta te-of-the-a rt, surfa c e-mount elec tronic s  
in a sea led c ontrol housing.  
The Fisher M-96 offers a ea sy, unc omplic a ted method of finding  
buried meta llic objec ts.  
1
 
CONDENSED OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS  
FACTORY PRESET TURN-ON-AND-GO’ MARKS  
Your Fisher M-96 is fa irly simple to opera te, espec ia lly when  
c ompa re d to othe r me ta l de te c tors. Eve n so, we strongly  
rec ommend that you read this entire manual. Youll be able to tune  
your M-96 to your spec ific needs and c onditions.  
But if you just c a nt wa it a ny longer, a nd you’re a n experienc ed  
detec tor user, here’s some quic k instruc tions to get you going:  
1. Unpac k your M-96 c arefully, and save the box. It  
may come in handy if you need to ship the instrument.  
2. Ta ke a look inside the loc k nut on the upper  
ha ndle to see if the yellow loc king pa d is on the  
left-ha nd side for a lower ha ndle with a fla t on one  
side. Loosen the loc king nut by rota ting it fully  
c ounterc loc kwise. This is the c onfigura tion for a ll  
M-96s up to Seria l #62230. Units with Seria l #62231  
a nd a fter ha ve a loc king pa d a t the top a nd a  
round lower stem with a stem loc k button fitting in  
one of the holes a t two (2) inc h interva ls on the  
ba c k side of the upper ha ndle.  
3. Slip the lower stem into the upper ha ndle, ma king  
sure the fla t side of the stem is a ligned with the  
loc king pa d inside the loc k nut, (Seria l No. 62230  
a nd before).  
4. Adjust the stem length a nd c oil a ngle so tha t the  
sea rc h c oil rests fla t on the ground a bout 6-12  
inc hes in front of a nd slightly to the right of your  
right foot (to the left of your left foot for left ha nders).  
Your a rm should be stra ight a nd rela xed, the grip  
he ld loose ly. The ste m le ngth is a djuste d by  
loosening the nylon wing nut on the sea rc h c oil.  
NOTE: Re me mbe r, the longe r the shaft, the more you’ll  
have to bend your elbow to keep the c oil off the ground  
and the sooner your arm will get tired. The M-96 is balanc ed  
for c omforta b le se a rc hing in a tight se mic irc le a round  
the front of the operator.  
2
 
C ONDENSED OPERATING INSTRUC TIONS  
5. With the stem length properly a djusted, wra p the  
sea rc h c oil c a ble snugly a round the lower stem  
a nd the upper ha ndle. Lea ve just enough sla c k  
nea r the c oil to a llow it to be tilted c ompletely  
ba c kwa rd a nd forwa rd.  
NOTE: A loose c able near the searc h c oil may c ause false  
signa ls, but d on’t wra p it so tightly tha t it pulls a ga inst  
the housing or the c oil.  
6. Rec onnec t the c oil c a ble to the c ontrol housing.  
Be c a reful not to c ross threa d it a nd ma ke sure its  
snug - but ha nd tighten only!  
8-inc h Sea rc h C oil  
Spea ker  
Mode Knob  
Upper Ha ndle  
On/Off G round  
Rejec t Knob  
Retune Button  
Foa m ha nd grip  
Pa dded Arm Rest  
Sea rc h C oil  
Adjustment  
Nylon Wing nut  
He a dphone  
soc ket  
Lower Stem  
Stem Loc k Nut  
Stem Loc k Button  
Ba ttery  
C ompa rtment  
(both sides)  
3
 
C ONDENSED OPERATING INSTRUC TIONS  
START-UP PROCEDURE  
Watch the meter (and listen  
to the speaker) for  
Set Mode Knob  
to NORMAL  
indications of a target.  
Remove protec tive  
plug and insert the  
headphone plug to  
Press the  
RETUNE button  
Set GROUND  
control to 5.  
hear target signals.  
.
Turn-on-a nd-go fa c tory preset c ontrol ma rkers a re c olored red. The Mode Knob is set  
to Norma l a nd the G round Knob is set to 5.  
7. With the sha ft length a nd c oil a ngle properly  
a djusted, you should be a ble to move into your  
sea rc h position by lea ning forwa rd very slightly a nd  
ra ising your a rm.  
8. If the a rm rest is too wide or na rrow, you ma y  
bend it slightly inwa rd or outwa rd to your exa c t  
requirements.  
9. Plug your hea dphones (a n a c c essory) into the  
hea dphone ja c k (if you don’t use hea dphones, you  
c a n use the built-in spea ker.)  
4
 
C ONDENSED OPERATING INSTRUC TIONS  
10. The two knobs c a n be a djusted with your thumb  
w ithout re moving your ha nd from the grip,  
pa rtic ula rly if youre right ha nded. Set the c ontrols  
of the MODE a nd G ROUND switc hes to the red  
preset ma rks: NORMAL for the MODE c ontrol a nd  
5 for the G round c ontrol. You should hea r a tone.  
11. Press the RETUNE button.  
12. Begin searc hing. Walk slowly, sweeping the M-96  
search coil in front of you in a tight semicircle. Remember,  
the M-96 is a no-motion detec tor, meaning the searc h  
c oil doesnt have to be moving to detec t a target.  
13. Keep the sea rc h c oil pa ra llel to the ground.  
14. When you get a good, repea ta ble signa l in your  
hea dphones a nd on the M-96 meter, pinpoint the  
ta rget by pa ssing the sea rc h c oil over it both side-  
to-side a nd top-to-bottom (a t 90 degree a ngles).  
15. Wa tc h the meter a nd listen to the ta rget signa l.  
The ta rget will lie direc tly benea th the c enter of  
the c oil when the meter a nd a udio signa l pea k.  
16. Although the M-96 is one of the ea siest-to-  
opera te meta l detec tors a va ila ble toda y, skill with  
a meta l detec tor ta kes pra c tic e. If you’re ha ving  
problems with your sea rc h, refer to the deta iled  
opera ting instruc tions c onta ined in this ma nua l,  
beginning on the next pa ge.  
5
 
SETTING UP  
Your sea rc h position should be  
c omforta ble a nd rela xed, with the  
detec tor gra sped loosely in your  
ha nd.  
FITTING THE DETECTOR TO THE OPERATOR  
1. Sta rt by gripping the foa m ha nd grip a nd letting  
your a rm ha ng c omforta bly by your side.  
2. The length of the ha ndle sha ft a nd the a ngle of the  
sea rc h c oil a re both a djusta ble. Adjust the sea rc h c oil  
a ngle so tha t it is pa ra llel to the ground.  
3. Loosen the loc k nut found midwa y down the sha ft,  
and extend the lower shaft slightly. If the serial number  
is 62231 or la ter, there is a stem loc k button on the  
lower sha ft tha t fits a t 2 inc h interva ls in the ba c kside  
of the upper handle to make it a double loc king stem.  
Be sure tha t the button enga ges in the hole c losest for  
your best opera ting length. After a djusting the length  
of the shaft, tighten the loc k nut with your hand. (Refer  
to the photo on pa ge 4.) Never use pliers or other  
mec hanic al forc e to tighten this nut.  
4. Aga in, c ompletely gra sp the foa m ha ndle a nd let  
your arm hang at your side with the searc h c oil parallel  
to the ground. Bring your a rm forwa rd a nd try a few  
side-to-side motions with the detec tor. The sea rc h c oil  
should be a bout 1 inc h a bove a nd pa ra llel to the  
ground without stra in to the opera tor. If the position  
feels stra ined to you, your ha nd holding the detec tor  
is too fa r in front of you or the sha ft length a djustment  
is too short. Rea djust the sha ft length a s nec essa ry.  
6
 
SETTING UP  
NORMAL MODE  
The NORMAL MODE of opera tion is genera lly used when  
searc hing for larger objec ts, suc h as manhole c overs, telephone  
pedesta ls in the snow a nd va lve boxes. The NORMAL MODE,  
whic h is marked in red, is also used for loc ating smaller, shallower  
objec ts. No adjustments are required in most searc h areas, and  
most small piec es of metallic trash – suc h as bottle c aps, pull tabs  
and nails – will be ignored.  
1. Hold the sea rc h c oil 3 feet off the ground a nd  
a wa y from a ny meta l objec ts.  
2. To test the ba tteries, turn the MODE knob to BAT  
a nd turn the G ROUND knob to 5. The meter should  
rea d a t lea st 80. If not, repla c e the ba tteries.  
3. Turn the MODE knob to NORMAL.  
4. Push a nd relea se the RETUNE button. You should  
now hea r a fa int hum from the spea ker, a nd the  
meter rea ding a bout 10. The fa int hum you hea r is  
c a lled the threshold sound.” You a re now rea dy  
to begin your sea rc h.  
Ma ke sure the  
sea rc h c oil is  
a lwa ys pa ra llel to  
the ground while  
sea rc hing.  
7
 
SETTING UP  
HIGH MODE  
1. Rest the sea rc h c oil on the ground in a n a rea  
you a re rea sona bly sure is free of meta l objec ts.  
2. After going through BAT test in the NORMAL  
MODE, turn the MODE knob to HIG H.  
3. Turn the G ROUND knob to 5.  
4. Push a nd relea ses the RETUNE button. The meter  
rea ding should be a bout 10 a nd the spea ker should  
ha ve a slight hum, or “threshold sound.”  
5. Ra ise the c oil stra ight up a bout 12 inc hes a nd  
note a ny c ha nges in the meter indic a tion a nd  
spea ker volume.  
6. If there is little or no c ha nge in the meter rea ding  
a nd volume, the M-96 is properly ground a djusted  
a nd you a re rea dy to sea rc h. If there is a c ha nge,  
proc eed to step A or B.  
A. If the needle a nd sound level drop when you  
ra ise the c oil, set the sea rc h c oil fla t on the  
ground, turn the G ROUND knob to 4 a nd push  
a nd relea se the RETUNE button. Now ra ise the  
c oil 12 inc hes from the ground a nd repea t steps  
4 a nd 5, ma king minor a djustme nts to the  
G ROUND knob until the me te r re a ding a nd  
sound rema in the sa me whether the sea rc h c oil  
is fla t on the ground or 12 inc hes in the a ir.  
B. If the needle a nd sound level inc rea se when  
you ra ise the c oil, set the c oil fla t on the ground  
a nd turn the G ROUND knob to 6, push a nd  
relea se the RETUNE button. Ra ise the c oil 12  
inc hes from the ground a nd repea t steps 4 a nd  
5, ma king minor a djustments with the G ROUND  
knob until the meter rea ding a nd sound rema in  
the sa me whether the sea rc h c oil is fla t on the  
ground or 12 inc hes in the a ir.  
The rule of thumb is this: if the volume inc rea ses  
when the c oil is ra ised, turn the G ROUND knob  
up. If the volume dec rea ses, turn the G ROUND  
knob down.  
8
 
CONTROL PANEL  
Battery Condition  
Signal Strength Meter  
MODE Knob  
Headphone Jack with  
protec tive plug inserted  
ON/OFF GROUND  
Knob  
RETUNE Button  
On/Off GROUND Knob  
The O N/O FF G RO UND Re je c tion Knob, w he n turne d fully  
c ounte rc loc kwise , c lic ks into the off position, turning the  
detec tor off. By turning the knob c loc kwise, the detec tor is turned  
on. The numbers, ra nging from 0 to 10, indic a te the degree of  
ground rejec tion, or elec tronic c ompensa tion, to c ountera c t  
ground minera ls. G round minera liza tion c a n c a use fa lse signa ls  
or a fa lse indic a tion tha t the sea rc h c oil is c lose to meta l.  
Mode Knob  
The Mode Knob has three positions: HIG H, NORMAL and BAT (for  
ba ttery testing). Use HIG H sensitivity when sea rc hing for sma ller  
and/or deeper objec ts. Use NORMAL sensitivity when searc hing  
for larger, shallower objec ts, suc h as paved-over manhole c overs.  
RETUNE Button  
The Retune Button is loc a ted a t the bottom c enter of the c ontrol  
pa ne l. Use it to re tune the M-96 to pre va iling ground  
minera liza tion just before pinpointing.  
9
 
C ONTROL PANEL  
HEADPHONES Jack  
The HEADPHONES Ja c k is loc a ted to the right of the RETUNE Button.  
A pla stic plug c a n be inserted into this ja c k to keep dirt a nd wa ter  
out when not in use.  
SEARCH METHODS  
Its a good idea to esta blish a systema tic sea rc h pa ttern for  
your selec ted area. A systematic approac h to searc hing will avoid  
a imless wa ndering, whic h c ould c a use you to miss the sea rc h  
objec t and lengthen the amount of time required to do the job.  
As you walk along, your sweep pattern should be in a slow, half-  
c irc le motion from side-to-side and with the c oil as c lose to the  
ground a s possible. When the M-96 sea rc h c oil pa sses over a  
c onduc tive (metallic ) objec t, it will be indic ated by an inc rease in  
both sound and meter reading. Bec ause of the sensitivity of the M-  
96 searc h c oil, a large and/or c lose-to-the surfac e objec t may be  
detec ted before the searc h c oil is direc tly above it. Passing the  
searc h c oil over the objec t from several different direc tions and  
marking the edges of the objec t will indic ate its c entral position.  
Your sea rc h should be slow  
a nd methodic a l, sweeping  
in a semic irc le a nd  
overla pping for ma ximum  
ground penetra tion  
10  
 
SEARC H METHODS  
HELPFUL HINTS  
Ra ising the c oil vertic a lly in the a ir is a nother method of  
reduc ing the ta rget size (a s seen by the detec tor) a nd pinpointing  
the ta rget. Bec a use the a rea of grea test sensitivity is in the c enter  
of the sea rc h c oil, it isvery ea sy to pinpoint the loc a tion of a ny  
me ta llic obje c t, la rge or sma ll. Also, se e the se c tion on  
Pinpointing, beginning on pa ge 12.  
1. Hold the sea rc h c oil a bout 1 inc h or less a bove  
the ground a nd begin your sea rc h by sweeping  
ba c k a nd forth a s shown on pa ge 10.  
2. Keep the sea rc h c oil pa ra llel to a nd a s c lose to  
the ground a s possible.  
3. Overlap your sweeps for uniform depth penetration.  
4. Sea rc h slowly a nd systema tic a lly. Pa y a ttention  
to where you are going and where you have been.  
5. During your sea rc h, the meter rea ding should  
remain at about 10 for maximum sensitivity. However,  
a s you pa ss over c ha nging ground minera liza tion  
or metallic trash, the needle may drift up or down  
slightly. A quic k push of the RETUNE button will  
instantly retune the M-96 to its threshold” sound.  
SEARCHING IN WATER  
The sea rc h c oil is wa terproof a nd the lower ha ndle ma y be  
used in wa ter; however, the wa ter must not c ontra c t the c a ble  
c onnec tion a t the box, nor should the box itself be immersed.  
If you a re sea rc hing in sa lt wa ter, be sure to flush the lower  
ha ndle with fresh wa ter a fter every use. If not, c ontinua l exposure  
to sa lt wa ter ma y c a use the nut to freeze up.  
11  
 
PINPOINTING  
Ac c ura te pinpointing with the M-96 ta kes some pra c tic e but  
not muc h. With a little experienc e, you should be a ble to pinpoint  
buried ta rgets in just a few sec onds.  
1. O nc e the pre se nc e of a burie d ta rge t is  
indic a ted by a sha rp inc rea se in the a udio signa l  
a nd ne e dle move me nt, c ontinue moving the  
sea rc h c oil from side-to-side a c ross the ta rget a rea  
in a na rrower a nd na rrower sea rc h pa ttern.  
2. Stop the search coil over the spot where you receive  
the loudest response and highest meter reading.  
3. Now move the c oil slowly forwa rd a nd stra ight  
ba c k a c ouple of times, a ga in stopping over the  
strongest response.  
4. Move the search coil side-to-side one more time and  
stop over the strongest signal onc e again. Your target  
should be direc tly below the c enter of the searc h c oil.  
5. For quic k a nd a c c ura te pinpointing of strong  
signa ls, push the RETUNE button momenta rily, c lose  
to, but not over, the ta rget a rea . This will detune”  
the M-96 so tha t it responds over a sma ller a rea ,  
ma king pinpointing of the objec t ea sier. Detuning”  
a lso reduc es depth penetra tion.  
C AUTION:  
The ultra-slow auto-tune c irc uitry is c onstantly retuning the M-  
96 just fast enough to c ounterac t any drift c aused by humidity,  
te mp e ra ture c ha ng e s, e tc . If the se a rc h c oil is he ld for a  
prolonged period of time over a target, the M-96 will eventually  
tune out” the target and the signal will fade. A brief negative-  
me te r re sponse may also re sult whe n the c oil is move d away  
from the target. In either c ase, the M-96 may be instantly retuned  
to the thre sholdle ve l by pushing the RETUNE button while  
holding the c oil away from the target area.  
12  
 
CHANGING BATTERIES  
To c ha nge the ba tteries, slide the side c overs on the ba ttery  
housing loc a ted undernea th the a rm rest in the direc tion of the  
a rrows. Remove the ba ttery holders one a t a time. Repla c e a ll 6  
AA c ells, ma king sure tha t ea c h one is inserted with pola rity  
(+ or -) in the sa me direc tion a s the ones you remove.  
The M-96 power supply is loc a ted under the a rm  
rest a t the top end of the stem.  
G ra sp either side of the M-96 ba ttery c ompa rtment  
by the top a nd bottom edges.  
Slide the c over a bout ha lf wa y off towa rd the  
opposite end of the detec tor.  
G ra sp the nylon pull ta pe a nd dislodge the ba ttery  
pa c k by pulling up. Repla c e a ll six AA ba tteries.  
Re turn the ba tte ry pa c k to the c ompa rtme nt,  
ma king sure it sna ps into pla c e. Also, be c a reful to  
keep the nylon pull ta pe within rea c h.  
Hold the end of the ba ttery pa c k down, a long with  
the nylon ta pe, a nd slide the c over ba c k i into  
position. Repea t steps 1-6 on the other side of the  
ba ttery c ompa rtment.  
13  
 
SPECIFICATIONS  
Opera ting Environment  
+33° F to +120° F (0 to 50° C ) ................ with c a rbon zinc ba tteries  
-4° F to +120° F (-20 to 50° C ) ....................... with a lka line ba tteries  
Sea rc h c oil submersible in wa ter  
Opera ting Frequenc y of Sea rc h C oil ........................................ 4.5 KHz  
Sensitivity ......................................................... 0.2 mv RMS for full sc a le  
Sensitivity Adjustment Ra nge .......................................................... 12:1  
Output Indic a tion ..........Meter ........... 1 millia mp, 0-100 linea r sc a le  
Speaker.......................... 16 ohm impeda nc e  
Hea dset (optiona l) ......... 8 ohm impeda nc e  
Audio Frequenc y................................... 450 Hz  
Power Supply ............................. ±9V, ea c h c onsists of 12 x 1.5V AA  
ba tteries in (2) 6-ba ttery pa c ks  
Power C onsumption ................. (-9V) 13.8 mA,  
(+9V) 8 mA min  
7.5 - 18.5 mA @ a udio threshold  
5 0 mA ma x  
Threshold ..................................................................... 50 mA ma x sound  
Ba ttery Life .................................. C a rbon/Zinc ................... 35-45 hours  
Alka line ............................. 100+ hours  
Sea rc h C oil C onfigura tion ................................................................. 2-D  
Weight......................(with 8-inc h c oil)........................3.74 lbs. (1.7 kg)  
(with 11-inc h c oil) .......................4.26 lbs. (1.9 kg)  
Dimensions......Length.....40 to 54 inc hes a djusta ble (101 to 137 c m)  
Shipping Weight.......(with 8-inc h sea rc h c oil) ........... 7.0 lbs. (3.2 kg)  
(with 11-inc h sea rc h c oil) ............ 7.0 lbs. (3.2 kg)  
Shipping Dimensions..............................5 1/2 x 12 1/4 x 34 3/4 inc hes  
(14 x 31 x 88 c m)  
14  
 
15  
 
Q U A L I TY  
Fisher detec tors a re renowned for their qua lity.  
Ea c h instrument is ha nd c ra fted in the USA with pride  
P E R F O R M A N C E  
Our detec tors a re dura ble, dependa ble, a nd sea rc h deeper.  
R E P U TA TI O N  
Fisher produc ed the first pa tented meta l detec tor in 1931. For  
over 70 yea rs, the Fisher logo ha s been a ma rk of exc ellenc e.  
2 - Y E A R W A R R A N TY  
Fisher believes in the produc ts we produc e a nd ba c ks this  
belief with a 2 yea r limited wa rra nty, Wa rra nty ma y va ry out-  
side the United Sta tes. See your dea ler for deta ils  
S E R V I C E  
Fisher is c ommitted to providing you, our va lued c ustomer, with  
superior servic e. Eac h and every instrument is rigidly tested and  
c arefully inspec ted during assembly and before shipment.  
Should you have any questions or problems, contact:  
FISHER RESEARC H LABORATORY  
200 West Willmott Roa d.,  
Los Ba nos, C a lifornia 93635  
Tel 209.826.3292 Fa x 209.826.0416  
www.fisherla b.c om ema il:info@fisherla b.c om  
EXPORT DEPARTMENT  
P.O. Box 1896  
New Ha ven, C T 06508 USA  
Tel 203.288.1638 Fa x 203.287.8099  
ema il: mb@exportdept.c om  
 

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