Minelab F3 User manual

F3 Metal Mine Detector

INSTRUCTORS NOTES AND SYLLABUS

Issue 1.3 March, 2006

F3 INSTRUCTOR NOTES

Minelab Countermine Division Safety Through Excellence

WARNING

THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS MINELAB ELECTRONICS

LIMITED RIGHTS TECHNICAL DATA OR RESTRICTED

RIGHTS DATA OR BOTH.



Minelab Electronics

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as

permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part

may be reproduced by any process without written

permission from Minelab Electronics

118 Hayward Avenue, Torrensville

South Australia.5031



F3 INSTRUCTOR NOTES

Minelab Countermine Division Safety Through Excellence

SLIDE DESCRIPTION

INSTRUCTORS NOTES

These Instructor Notes are produced to assist instructors in preparing for the

F3 Operator Training Course. They are provided as a guide and are not

intended to be prescriptive. They should be used in combination with the

information contained in the F3 Operations Manual and Field Guide.

The confirmation of a student’s ability to operate the F3 will be achieved

through a series of performance objectives completed after each lesson.

Personnel attending the course will be required to pass an outdoor operator

confirmation exercise to qualify as a proficient operator on the equipment.

One

INTRODUCTION

The instructor will provide a short welcome and brief the students on the

course. This can include some background information on Minelab and its

countermine product range.

Students will be organized into pairs and issued one F3 mine detector per

pair.

Students will complete course registration administration as required.

Two

COURSE OUTLINE

The Minelab F3 Operator Training Course includes lectures and practical

sessions. The course is conducted over two to three days (depending on

language translation requirements) and consists of the following lessons:

• Introduction

• LESSON 1 – General description and preparation

• LESSON 2 – Functional description

• LESSON 3 – Operating procedures

• LESSON 4 – Care & Trouble Shooting

• Outdoor training

• Operator Confirmation Exercise

• Award of Course Certificates

F3 INSTRUCTOR NOTES

Minelab Countermine Division Safety Through Excellence

Three

LESSON 1 – GENERAL DESCRIPTION & PREPARATION

Aim. Correctly describe and identify the F3 and prepare it for use.

Classroom Instruction. The training aids required are:

Chalk board or white board

Computer Projector

F3 Operations Manual

F3 Operator Training PowerPoint presentation

One F3 inside a Hard Case and one F3 in its soft Carry Bag

F3 detectors - one per two students (including Hard Case)

The major teaching points of this lesson are as follows:

Safety

Equipment Specifications

Description of Main Components

F3 Preparation

Three

TEACHING POINTS

Safety. Emphasize the need to become very familiar with the equipment and

the need to be able to identify all parts. Relate this to safety issues during the

demining process. All components should be checked for correct operation

before operating the equipment. If a fault develops, an operator must be able to

correctly name the part of the detector that is at fault. Explain the importance of

the Test Piece.

Four

Equipment Specifications. List the basic specifications. Explain that the

entire detector is waterproof to IP67. Explain the need to use good quality

alkaline batteries and not carbon batteries. When using rechargeable batteries,

they should have a minimum capacity of 3Ah (3,000mAh), batteries with a

capacity of 4.5Ah (4,500mAh) are recommended.

F3 INSTRUCTOR NOTES

Minelab Countermine Division Safety Through Excellence

Five

Mine Detecting Set

Using the F3 in the Hard Case identify the following components:

•Hard Case

•Detector with Black Endcap

•Soft Carry Bag

•Earset (with Volume Control)

•Red Low Sensitivity Endcap

•Four D Cell Batteries

• Test Piece

• Operations Manual

• Field Guide

•

Six

Soft Carry Bag

Show the F3 in the Soft Carry Bag and locate the following:

• Detector with Black Endcap

• Red Low Sensitivity Endcap

• Earset (with Volume Control)

• Four D Cell Batteries

• Operations Manual

• Field Guide

• Test Piece

Explain and demonstrate the correct packing of components in the Soft Carry

Bag.

Seven

F3 Major Components

• Using the assembled detector identify the following components. Avoid

giving detailed descriptions of the function of each component, as this will be

covered in Lesson 3.

o Endcap. The sensitivity of the detector by using either the Black

(maximum) or Red (minimum) Endcaps.

o Arm Rest and Strap. Designed to ensure a comfortable fit for the

operator’s arm and adjustable when fitted to the detector. Note

the strength of the material and the Camlock adjustment for

comfort.

o Electronics Pack. Houses all electronics of the detector and is

permanently fixed to the Upper Shaft of the detector. The detector

is water resistant to IP67 (with Battery Pack mounted on Shaft).

Note: Although rated to IP67, the detector is not designed for

underwater operations. For example, underwater diver clearance

operations.

o Battery Pack. The F3 comes with a removable Battery Pack

which holds four alkaline ‘D’ cell batteries as standard. However,

F3 INSTRUCTOR NOTES

Minelab Countermine Division Safety Through Excellence

if the client has purchased the option of a Battery Charger then

four NiCad ‘D’ cell batteries will have been provided. The Battery

Pack can be removed to reduce weight for periods of prolonged

use provided the optional Battery Pack Bag & Extension Cable is

included with the detector.

o Upper, Middle and Lower Shafts.

Identify Upper Shaft:

•Made of aluminum for robustness.

•Provides mounting for handle, Battery Pack,

Electronics Pack and Armrest.

Identify the Middle Shaft:

• Made from aluminum for robustness.

• Adjustable for operator comfort and differing

demining positions.

Identify the Lower Shaft:

• Made of impact resistant carbon fibre

• Adjustable for operator comfort and differing

demining positions.

o Upper, Middle and Lower Camlocks.

Identify all three Camlocks and note that they are self-cleaning

and are the mechanisms to lock the position of the Coil, Lower and

Middle Shafts.

o Handle.

Designed for comfort. Includes Earset Connector and all F3

Controls.

o Coil. It is important to mention that part of the F3’s superior

capability is due to its coil design. Give a brief description on the

monoloop design explaining that no separate transmission and

reception coils exist. Emphasize that the closed waterproof coil

eliminates interference from vegetation. Other points:

•Can be rotated 180 degrees.

•Monoloop design ensures consistent sensitivity around the

entire circumference and across the complete surface of the coil.

•Design permits edge detection (explained in Lesson 3).

•Extremely tough.

o Skid Plate. The skid plate provides protection for the coil. It has

no effect on the sensitivity of the coil even when wet and is easy to

replace.

F3 INSTRUCTOR NOTES

Minelab Countermine Division Safety Through Excellence

Eight

F3 Preparation

To prepare the F3 for operations the following procedure should be followed:

• Open the Hard Case or Soft Carry Bag.

• Remove the F3 and inspect for obvious signs of damage.

• Check that the correct Sensitivity Endcap is selected and mounted

correctly. (Changing Endcaps discussed in Slide 10).

• Battery Pack and Inserting Batteries

o Invert the F3 being careful to rest the Endcap either inside the

Hard Case or Soft Carry Bag to keep it clear of dirt, remove the

Battery Pack and insert four D Cell batteries as follows:

P0615-A

Battery

Map

Battery

Pack

Battery

Pack Lid

Battery

Lock

Lever

o Carefully unlock the Battery Pack Lid by rotating the Battery Lock

Lever counter clockwise one-quarter turn. Once unlocked,

carefully pull the lid away from the Battery Pack (the lid will stay

attached to the Battery Pack by a tether).



o Using the battery maps, located on the side of the Battery Pack

and on the inside of the Battery Pack Lid, insert four D cell

batteries. Replace the Battery Pack Lid and rotate the Battery

Lock Lever clockwise one-quarter turn. If the batteries are

inserted incorrectly, the F3 will fail to function when switched on.

o If the Battery Pack was removed (Note: removal of the Battery

Pack to replace batteries is not necessary) ensure that the Lock

Lever at the front of the Electronics Pack is in the unlocked

position and position the Battery Pack on the rail underneath the

Upper Shaft.

F3 INSTRUCTOR NOTES

Minelab Countermine Division Safety Through Excellence

P0616-A

Electronics

Pack

Lock

Lever

Battery

Pack

Upper

Shaft

o Slowly slide the Battery Pack towards the Electronics Pack until

the connector is firmly engaged. Secure the Battery Pack by

rotating the Lock Lever in a clockwise motion into the locked

position.

o If required, the Battery Pack can be separated from the Upper

Shaft thereby reducing the overall weight of the detector. Using

the bayonet connectors at each end of the Extension Cable

connect the cable to the Battery Pack and feed the cable through

the base of the Battery Pack Bag before connecting to the

Electronics Pack. The Battery Pack Bag can then be clipped onto

a belt worn by the operator.

P0653-A

Nine

F3 Preparation

• Extend Middle and Lower Shafts to suit demining Position

Upper

Camlock

Middle

Camlock

Lower

Camlock P0617-A

o Open the Lower Camlock and rotate the coil to the desired

position. The normal operating position of the coil is in line with the

shaft

. However, the coil can also be positioned at right angles to

F3 INSTRUCTOR NOTES

Minelab Countermine Division Safety Through Excellence

either side of the shaft (required if the F3 is to be used in the prone

position). Once the position of the coil is selected, lock it into

position by closing the Lower Camlock.

P0618-A

P0619-A

P0620-A

o In sequence, extend the Lower and then Middle Shafts to suit the

deminer’s height and selected demining position.

NOTE

The Lower Shaft must be extended at least 100mm (4ins). Incorrect operation

of the detector may result if the detector is used with the Lower Shaft fully

retracted.

• Connect Earset

o Undo the dustcaps from the Earset plug and Earset socket on the

detector. The Earset plug can only be connected to the socket in one

way. Gently hold the Earset by the rubber collar using thumb and

index finger (raised double arrow should be uppermost). Align the

plug with the Earset socket and firmly slide the collar onto the socket.

Confirm the plug is locked into position by gently pulling back on the

rubber collar.

P0638-B

NOTE

The Earset connector is waterproof and it is most important that it is connected

and disconnected from the Earset socket by holding the rubber collar. Do not

attempt to connect or disconnect the Earset by pushing or pulling on the strain

relief or wire at the rear of the rubber collar.



Adjust Armrest and Armstrap as Required.

F3 INSTRUCTOR NOTES

Minelab Countermine Division Safety Through Excellence

Ten

Changing Endcaps

• A unique feature of the F3 is its ability to change sensitivity through the

exchange of Sensitivity Endcaps. This design feature eliminates the

possibility of an operator selecting the wrong sensitivity through manipulation

of dials or switches. The Sensitivity Endcap provides an obvious visual cue

that confirms the level of sensitivity selected in the F3. The F3 is supplied

with one Black (maximum sensitivity) and one Red (low sensitivity)

Sensitivity Endcap.

• The F3 can be used with Black or Red Sensitivity Endcaps.

The decision on which Endcap to use will be provided by the

local authority.

• To change a Sensitivity Endcap:

o Ensure the F3 is switched off.

o Place the thumb of one hand in the centre of the Endcap and curl

the fingers under the base of the Endcap.

o Gently push inwards with the thumb and simultaneously pull the

base of the Endcap away from the Electronics Pack.

o Fit the selected Endcap by gently positioning the inside of the

base of the Endcap under the base of the Electronics Pack. Using

the palm of the hand, apply light pressure to fit the Endcap into

position.

• The Black Endcap is for Maximum Sensitivity.

o The Black Endcap MUST be selected when searching for

minimum metal mines or when maximum clearance depth is

required.

• The Red Endcap is for Minimum Sensitivity.

o This feature may be useful when there is a need to ignore small

metal fragmentation on the surface but still detect large targets at

depth.

P0650-A

P0651-A

Other manuals for F3

Table of contents

Other Minelab Metal Detector manuals

Minelab

Minelab F3 User manual

Minelab

Minelab X-Terra 705 User manual

Minelab

Minelab EQUINOX 600 User manual

Minelab

Minelab Gold Monster 1000 User manual

Minelab

Minelab GPX5000 User manual

Minelab

Minelab CTX3030 User manual

Minelab

Minelab VANQUISH 340 User manual

Minelab

Minelab Musketeer ADVANTAGE User manual

Minelab

Minelab Musketeer ADVANTAGE User manual

Minelab

Minelab VANQUISH 540 User manual

Minelab

Minelab EQUINOX 900 User manual

Minelab

Minelab gpz 7000 User manual

Minelab

Minelab GO-FIND Series User manual

Minelab

Minelab MF5 User manual

Minelab

Minelab F3 User manual

Minelab

Minelab GO-FIND Series User manual

Minelab

Minelab Quattro MP User manual

Minelab

Minelab VANQUISH 540 Quick start guide

Minelab

Minelab X-TERRA705 User manual

Minelab

Minelab Excalibur 800 User manual

Minelab

Minelab F3 User manual

Minelab

Minelab Explorer SE User manual

Minelab

Minelab F3 User manual

Minelab

Minelab X-Terra 70 User manual

Popular Metal Detector manuals by other brands

Garrett

Garrett MAGNASCANNER CS 5000 owner's manual

Valex

Valex 1800200 Use and maintenance manual

Gauss

Gauss MIL MD operating manual

Velleman

Velleman CS130 user manual

Sears

Sears 321.596370 owner's manual

Eriez

Eriez X8 reference guide

Steinberg Systems

Steinberg Systems SBS-MD-22 user manual

Zircon

Zircon MetalliScanner m60c instructions

nalanda

nalanda MD027 owner's manual

REV Ritter

REV Ritter CB-7005 instruction manual

Fisher Research Labs

Fisher Research Labs F70 user manual

Steinberg Systems

Steinberg Systems SBS-MD-12 user manual

GOLDEN MASK

GOLDEN MASK 5 user guide

Grizzly

Grizzly YM 203 manual

Fisher Research Labs

Fisher Research Labs 1280-X Aquanaut operating manual

Treasure Cove

Treasure Cove Vibra-Probe 560 quick guide

Accurate Locators

Accurate Locators XL16 IMAGER user guide

Teknetics

Teknetics G2 owner's manual