metal detector concept.

i have a design in mind for a new metal detector, is a concept/design patentable or a drawing/written description of the machine protected by copyright????. would love to have carl m's, tom d's and dave j's opinion on this! i could fairly easily and probably should build a prototype minus the electronics, and maybe with a little help, build a working prototype!!!! it is a very different concept and right up dave j's alley(keep it simple stupid)

also have an interesting accessory item used on all detectors in mind.

"the key to getting ahead is getting started", so thats exactly what im trying to do!

chuck.

The patent office doesn't protect inventors like it used to when you could mail yourself a self addressed registered letter with your idea. Now it's basically first one to the patent office secures the idea.

Aaron

If your intent is to create a new platform for metal detecting for yourself in your name and for financial gain, I have great respect.
Yet if, you wish to bounce ideas into an open source, I commend that as well.
I myself have ideas that I willingly throw into the arena just for advancement of our hobby. So here goes:
1) why not look at EMI as a tool instead of a nuisance, as it penetrates
the ground , and reacts with metals, producing eddy currents just like the electro magnetic near fields our coils emit, thereby using them
In conjunction, and tuning our rx coils to detect the combined effect on the precious metals we seek?
2) Instead of producing tones of differing frequencies, for differing conductors ,why not use tones of differing timbres, much like an electronic synthesizer, utilizing (attack, delay,sustain,release) using non sinusoidal waveform inputs in order to maintain differnces in conductors detected?

Just my thoughts.

Aaron, the old "registered letter" myth is just that, and was never recognized by the USPTO.

Chuck, a copyright won't do anything for you, and a patent is a sure-fire losing deal. If you have a design idea then you'll need to build a fully working prototype, take it to a manufacturer, and demonstrate it. If you don't have the know-how to build it and can't get anyone to do it for you, then you're pretty much out of luck. Hate to say, but metal detector ideas are incredibly plentiful and most of the companies have a long list of ideas that exceeds their manpower. It's getting those ideas to actually work that's excrutiatingly painful and expensive.

- Carl

Chuck,

I have to chime in as I can relate to having some ideas that I would like to see developed, even if they do not prove to advance detecting technology. My dad, the electronics tinkerer, has made some progress on a coplanar design that we think is unique, but I am not going to venture to say it has never been tried before. I have wanted to hook a tablet up through the headphone jack and record all signals for a visual representation of targets that I don't want to hear but would like to be able to review for hot spots. Then there is the rolling swinger for insuring good griding of manicured lawns plus less fatigue on your arms anyway some of my ideas that no doubt have been thought of by others. Time, health, family prevent much progress...

some kinda machine that works in stealth mode will be required in the future due to more bans on where you can go

Good luck in your ventures but remember its tough for the little guy to get a foothold...Just ask Troy. As far as patents and such would contact a lawyer well versed and well we all would welcome new concepts..

thanks everyone!! yes, there are a million ideas out there and im sure some are very good but they never advance past the idea stage due to a lack of persistence and or ability to bring their concepts to fruition!!

chuck.

Good luck Chuck...

I myself have wants for the Perfect metal detector ...Yet I may be the only one who would find it perfect...LOL!!!


heres what I would want

1-variable freq selection from 5Khz to 50Khz in increments of tenths of a Khz ..
2- ability to fine tune disc in any conductance range...By this I mean say a nail is reading 15 let me then open that area up to let the disc resolution become really finite say 14.98/14.99/15.00/15.01/15.02 /15.03 etc ..Pulltab reads 65 dot he same in that area allow me to choose to expand the resolution.. Beaver tails the same...
3-setting's to allow clean disc or noisy disc...Filters if you will
4-Ability to slow or speed up target response..
5-Ability to allow the disc to break the tone not just the low tone for iron to high tone but actually say im dialing in the pulltab allow that tone range to change also with the finite setting's...
6-allow me to lower the volume of any tones I want to..
7-provide a large I.D. screen polarized and matte finish scratch resistant..
8-build lightweight DD Butterfly coils in diffrenet sizes but build them the same design..
9-Li-Po power supply with 100+ hours battery life between wireless charges..
10-true Mixed mode operation...For superior depth when needed ..disc one ear ,,all metal the other...
11- dive proof IF easy to use coil connectors can be used or better yet figure out how to allow for wireless use underwater via coil and headphones to the controol housing.. maybe use a freq band in the 1khz range .. it just needs to go 3 feet..
12-Boost mode of some sort for over the top performance when allowable...
13-Allow the audio to be very blendy ( tones on top of each other stereophonic)
14- Keep it under $2000.00

Never say Never

Keith



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/2014 11:25PM by Keith Southern.

Okay, lets start our own open source metal detector design and share it with the world. I can help with the electronic engineering.

Let me add I like the atx telescoping rods concept...I backpack into steep,rugged canyons, packing up small is a plus.

All that and,...... switch on and go ;-)

Keith Southern Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good luck Chuck...
>
> I myself have wants for the Perfect metal detector
> ...Yet I may be the only one who would find it
> perfect...LOL!!!
>
>
> heres what I would want
>
> 1-variable freq selection from 5Khz to 50Khz in
> increments of tenths of a Khz ..
> 2- ability to fine tune disc in any conductance
> range...By this I mean say a nail is reading 15
> let me then open that area up to let the disc
> resolution become really finite say
> 14.98/14.99/15.00/15.01/15.02 /15.03 etc ..Pulltab
> reads 65 dot he same in that area allow me to
> choose to expand the resolution.. Beaver tails the
> same...
> 3-setting's to allow clean disc or noisy
> disc...Filters if you will
> 4-Ability to slow or speed up target response..
> 5-Ability to allow the disc to break the tone not
> just the low tone for iron to high tone but
> actually say im dialing in the pulltab allow that
> tone range to change also with the finite
> setting's...
> 6-allow me to lower the volume of any tones I want
> to..
> 7-provide a large I.D. screen polarized and matte
> finish scratch resistant..
> 8-build lightweight DD Butterfly coils in
> diffrenet sizes but build them the same design..
> 9-Li-Po power supply with 100+ hours battery life
> between wireless charges..
> 10-true Mixed mode operation...For superior depth
> when needed ..disc one ear ,,all metal the
> other...
> 11- dive proof IF easy to use coil connectors can
> be used or better yet figure out how to allow for
> wireless use underwater via coil and headphones to
> the controol housing.. maybe use a freq band in
> the 1khz range .. it just needs to go 3 feet..
> 12-Boost mode of some sort for over the top
> performance when allowable...
> 13-Allow the audio to be very blendy ( tones on
> top of each other stereophonic)
> 14- Keep it under $2000.00
>
> Never say Never
>
> Keith

HH
Johnb