Chris Coffee Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 As some of you may know, I purchased a Minelab Eureka Gold this week and I love it. However, there is one downfall that I am hoping there is an easy fix for. I suffer from tinnitus (loud constant ringing in the ears) and the very slight whispers of a signal I have a really hard time hearing. I am worried that because of that impairment I am going to miss a lot of gold. I have heard that there is supposed to be ways to increase the volume such as amplifiers or the like. I ALWAYS use headphones. Any help or ideas on this problem would be so greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Soloman Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 As some of you may know, I purchased a Minelab Eureka Gold this week and I love it. However, there is one downfall that I am hoping there is an easy fix for. I suffer from tinnitus (loud constant ringing in the ears) and the very slight whispers of a signal I have a really hard time hearing. I am worried that because of that impairment I am going to miss a lot of gold. I have heard that there is supposed to be ways to increase the volume such as amplifiers or the like. I ALWAYS use headphones. Any help or ideas on this problem would be so greatly appreciated.Watch this Chris http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfWnlngWxYI about 2:45 pay close attention! I think this will help you a lot - Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayray Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 After that video, "I'll take two... ". Great little machine as a backup. Jason ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 As some of you may know, I purchased a Minelab Eureka Gold this week and I love it. However, there is one downfall that I am hoping there is an easy fix for. I suffer from tinnitus (loud constant ringing in the ears) and the very slight whispers of a signal I have a really hard time hearing. I am worried that because of that impairment I am going to miss a lot of gold. I have heard that there is supposed to be ways to increase the volume such as amplifiers or the like. I ALWAYS use headphones. Any help or ideas on this problem would be so greatly appreciated.Chris, I can absolutely relate to your issue (and then some). I have Meniere's disease, and although I had a jose-ca.html'>Labrynthectomy back in Jan. of '09 to stop the drop attacks and vertigo (ie: I don't fall down any more), it wasn't able to stop the roaring tinnitus as that is neurological. Not sure what pitch you get with yours, but even though I am 100% deaf in my right ear I would swear there is a DC-9 engine running in there 24/7.. With only one functioning ear (it has the disease also but not severe, yet) it is difficult to hear anything when there is background noise, etc. I have a Fisher CZ-6A, and have learned that quality headphones with individual volume controls are a huge help. You might check with an ENT or Neurotologist and see if they can determine what frequencies your hearing is "clipping" out, and then see if the detector audio output falls within that band. It may be that the factory can alter the audio output frequencies to a band that doesn't parallel the tones of your tinnitus. Some folks have a "hissing" sound, and others like me get the pulsating high pitch that never goes away. Most of the OTC remedies for reducing tinnitus are nothing but junk, but there are a couple things you can do to reduce the level. Minimizing your salt intake is the best way, so avoid the salt shaker (and foods like pizza) before you head out to detect. MSG (food additive) is another thing that can run my tinnitus to the point I am useless in a conversation as unless I read their lips along with hearing the words I can't make out what the other person is saying.Hope that's of some help. You're not alone with this, but there are only so many things one can do to reduce that constant racket in our skulls. :eee: Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank c Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Chris I have and have had the same issues since my 20's I'm 58 now and its only gotten worse thru the years. The best single thing I have done to greatly improve my detecting is a set of Black Widows headphones they are designed for the hearing impaired and they work.I used them for years on my GMT and also use them in conjuction with an amp on my P.I. machine. For the hot summer months you can buy an amplified speaker at radio shack and a patch cord to plug it in to you detector. Its not a real good quality speaker but it will improve the situation when its too hot for earphones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paratrooper Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 Get comfy , I got a story . Not to mention an opportunity for someone smarter in electronics than I . Back in Texes there was a strip of land where there was FOR SHURE gold coins but beeping was NOT allowed . It was located in the middle of Padre Island . One of the things that guys tried is as follows . The area is patrolled by Rangers in (then) Broncos . Soooo a few cagey guys developed a system of using a beeper without sound . Without headphones and at night they got around the problem .They found a way to channel the sound into a series of red LED (or some such)lights that numbered 1-10 . These lights were in a string , that is to say , in line , on a card that clipped to the bill of a baseball cap . A soft signal might light up 2 or 3 lights whereas a stronger signal would light up a bunch of lights .This accomplished 2 purposes . No headphones were needed and as anyone that developed photos (or jumped out of a plane at night)knows red light is NO light . They could beep , hear the Broncos and avoid detection . Since the area under the bill of the ball cap is dark it might help even now with hearing snakes not to mention that a fella could be stone deaf and still detect anytime . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 That's one helluva creative approach to the problem Tom.. Back when I was young I used an old BFO machine, then finally upgraded to a Compass 420, then to a Whites, etc. That change in tone or pitch caused by the target is critical to the detector user, as that often defines if it's a "dig" or "no dig" target. The CZ-6a I have now has a distinct sharp tone for a good target, and silver coins (to me) sound like a high pitched beep through a pillow..it's an unmistakable sound. Can't get that with LED's, unfortunately. Now, if I was hunting nuggets odds are I would dig everything, so then the LED's might be the cat's meow. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Dorado Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 Chris and others, I feel for ya. Ever since a 122 rocket landed way to close to me in '68 I am constantly reminded of that from the near constant ringing in my ears. I have come to accept the fact I will always be the one that finds less gold then my partners. However, it is a grand day when I do get a piece...... Fortunately the 4000 and above have an adjustable tone sound to help make up for that the pitches I can no longer hear. I have found two things that help me out. Amplified speakers on my harness right below my ears and I also use a custom fit ear-mold with high quality earbud speakers....... loud is my only help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garimpo Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 Chris I've been using this set-up for several years now and I love'm...there's no more clamping your ears or head....no more sweat running down in your ears or neck...you can wear a ball cap...ahat or head scarf....and the sound is fantastic right square in the middle of your head...and I still get a littlewind noise and can still hear snakes or two legged snakes trying to sneak up on me...I get mine made by a hearing aid company in Okla. City and yes they are pricey but their form fitted for just your ears...I have two sets...one is for a back-up and the last time I was at the company they were $200.00 for a set...not much more than a good head set....El Dorado may have a closer place to have them made...and the clips are IV clips that you can get in a drug store to hold the cord close to your body.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Dorado Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 Chris.... www.earinc.com will help. Here is The way I did it, a bit different than Garimpo, his speakers are built right into the ear-mold. I decided that the wires were just to fragile and if I broke one I would only have to replace the ear-bud set itself, not the whole unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldfinger Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 (edited) Hi Guys-I was born with a severe hearing loss but that hasn't stopped me any from finding gold. I have used Koss TD 80- 81- or KW-100 headphones with excellent results. No need to spend $$$$$$$$ on custom earphones unless you have money to burn.. :twocents: And by the way - I suffer from moderate tinnitus too but it never bothered me not one iota so don't let that hamper you one bit.. Just get to know your machine and make sure you have a good set of headphones.Steve Edited May 8, 2011 by Goldfinger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garimpo Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Goldfinger get a set of "earphones" like El Dorado and me and then go back over the areas where you've found goldin the past and get the ones you didn't hear before....another thing that helps a lot (depends on what detector your using) if one before the GP4000 then get the gold screamer from Doc in Vegas....if your using a 4000 or aboveget the Minelab battery with the sound enhancer inside....Doc told me years ago when I bought my GP Extreme from him if I didn't have a sound enhancer that I was walking over gold....he was sure right.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderer Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Chris Coffee,Doc carries a special amp for all VLFs to (it just plugs inline inbetween the MDer & headphones) (I myself have Black Widows( I like the separate ( R & L ) volume controls). Don't know if the amp has separate volume control adjustments.wonderer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldfinger Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Goldfinger get a set of "earphones" like El Dorado and me and then go back over the areas where you've found goldin the past and get the ones you didn't hear before....another thing that helps a lot (depends on what detector your using) if one before the GP4000 then get the gold screamer from Doc in Vegas....if your using a 4000 or aboveget the Minelab battery with the sound enhancer inside....Doc told me years ago when I bought my GP Extreme from him if I didn't have a sound enhancer that I was walking over gold....he was sure right....Garimpo- I've never had a GP series detector but I did have some VLF and VLF machines and tried a "Depthmaster" and another sound enhancer with them. Both of them were pretty much worthless since all you wound up doing was turning the volume back down to a more comfortable level thus probably negating any advantage. As far as going back to finding more nuggets in a patch- how can you be sure wouldn't have found those without the sound enhancers? I have gone back to old patches and found more nuggets without any extra advantage and I'm sure many others have too. I'm still skeptical about sound enhancers. :twocents: Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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