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
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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
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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. You’ll be able to tune
your M-96 to your spec ific needs and c onditions.
But if you just c a n’t 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-96’s 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.
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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 it’s
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)
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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.)
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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 you’re 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 doesn’t 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
It’s 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
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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.
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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 shold” le ve l by pushing the RETUNE button while
holding the c oil away from the target area.
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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.
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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)
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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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