1. Assemble the 2 half-rods into a single straight rod (but assembly into an "L" shaped part is also possible and may be more convenient to use if the local field direction is almost horizontal). "Capture" the multi-colored ribbon cable near the center and top of the rod with the clear plastic spirals. The white sensor block should be near the white pointed end of the rod (the "bottom" of the rod).
   
2. Set all three offset knobs to zero. The upper knob is in 12 "clicks"; the lower two are continuous.
   
3. Turn the MILLIGAUSS RANGE to 1999.9, and put the white pointed end of the rod on the ground. You'll find that there is a certain direction to point the rod so that the digital display reads a maximum positive number. This maximum number is the true magnitude of the Earth field (+/- .5% of reading +/- .5 milligauss) at that location. If you are in the southern hemisphere, you may need to slide the sensor block off the rod and slide it back on in the reverse direction in order to make the number read positive when the rod is vertical.
   
4. If you press (and release) the black button, the analog display "holds" the field strength at that instant; whenever the field at a later time is higher than the "hold" number, the needle will go to the right of center. Whenever you rotate the rod so it "sees" lower field than at the time you pressed the button, the needle will go left. The digital display, however, is not affected by the button (in this 1999.9 range).
   
5. Use this needle to locate the direction of maximum field. Press (and then release, of course) the button when you're pointing the rod near the maximum field direction, and then change the direction of the rod while looking at the needle to find where the needle points most to the right. The needle is most sensitive to changes in field when the needle is close to center position. To find the direction of maximum field, press the button a few times as you get closer and closer to the maximal direction. This will keep the needle near the center. Watching the needle like this can help you find the azimuth and elevation directions of the rod to maximize the field easily. You are pointing the rod in the maximal-field direction if when you increase or decrease elevation angle (like latitude on a globe), or if you increase or decrease azimuth (like longitude on a globe), the needle will go more toward the left. That is, the needle goes more left with any change in direction of the rod. Imagine the white top of the rod being capable of sweeping out the shape of a half-sphere (centered at where the bottom of the rod touches the ground). Imagine this half sphere as the northern hemisphere of the Earth (even though it's not really oriented in same direction as the Earth). The "latitude" on this half sphere is the elevation angle (0 - 90°) and the "longitude" is the azimuth. With the top of the rod touching this imaginary half-sphere at an arbitrary latitude and longitude, imagine the two ways that the top point of the rod is capable of moving on that half-sphere: A tipping motion (elevation) which moves it up and down in latitude, and a motion which looks like an arc of a circle, as seen from above (azimuth), which moves it back and forth in longitude, but at fixed latitude. If the rod is pointed to the exact "latitude" and "longitude" (elevation angle and azimuth angle) for maximum field, you can push the button that resets the analog display's zero, and any motion away from the correct elevation and azimuth will make the needle travel to the left.
   
6. While still in the 1999.9 range, click the COARSE OFFSET knob so that at the maximum field, the display is made to read a lower number. It must read a positive number that is between 000.0 and 199.9 (and preferably between 000.0 and 100.0). Usually, "-4" is selected on the knob. This represents only approximately a 400 milligauss subtraction. The actual subtraction that occurs when you set the knob at "-4" may be something like "-413.86", but it will always be that number, even if you measure again days later.
   
7. Switch the range to 199.99. This causes the digital and analog displays to act slightly differently from the 1999.9 range.
   
8. Press the black button. This resets the digital display now, and this display now shows and holds the highest (in the positive sense) number that the sensor was exposed to since the most recent button push. The analog display is also slightly different; it can only go as high as the center line now. The analog display is showing the current field strength minus the highest field strength since the last button push. Therefore, the analog display can never read higher than the center line. This is because, by definition, the "maximum" strength is always at least as high as the current strength.
   
9. Press the button, and then start at 90° elevation (rod straight up) and tip approximately toward the direction of maximal field. You'll see the analog display stay near the center line as you get closer. The digital display will continue to read a higher and higher number. When you finally overshoot the maximal field direction, the needle will then go to the left, and the digital display will stop increasing and hold its number. If you reverse and go back up in elevation, you'll find an elevation where the needle is highest (but this will be just below the center line). Then hold the rod at that elevation angle and vary the azimuth angle. This will look as though the top of the rod is moved through a circular arc, as seen from above. Stop at the azimuth angle that leaves the needle at the closest to the center line, and try varying the elevation again while holding at constant azimuth. After some practice, you'll be able to find this point in about 5 seconds per reading. This "point" is a circle about one inch (2.5 cm) in diameter on the imaginary half-sphere (or half-globe). If the top of the rod passes through any part of this one inch imaginary circle, the digital display will lock onto the correct strength of the Earth field within .01 milligauss, and will hold that reading, even if the rod is re-pointed to a different direction.
   
10. The bottom two knobs will subtract an adjustable amount from the digital display. The MEDIUM OFFSET will subtract up to slightly more than 100 milligauss, and the FINE OFFSET will subtract up to about 5 milligauss. These two lower offsets only work on the 199.99 range, and not on the 1999.9 range. You can adjust the held digital number down to zero by using these two knobs. Then you can compare the field at any other location to this field. You can also use the knobs to display absolute field, except that the top digit will be missing. For example, if in the 1999.9 range, you made a measurement of the absolute field at 513.6 milligauss, then you went to the 199.99 range and measured the (relative) field at 19.26, you can adjust the bottom two knobs to make the held number read "13.60", which is the actual field, but without the "5" (500) digit. This allows the display, which can read only up to 20,000 counts, to show a high number in high resolution, like "(5)13.60". In order for this to work correctly, the COARSE OFFSET when using the 199.99 range, would have to be set at -5 (or perhaps -4). This is what would approximately subtract the "500" milligauss from the reading. However, use COARSE OFFSET at "0" when on the 1999.9 range. Remember that whenever you use the 199.99 range, the COARSE OFFSET must be adjusted so that the display is not over-range while the button is being pressed and while the rod is pointing in the approximate direction of maximum field. Therefore, the COARSE OFFSET knob will generally be set to -3, -4, or -5 when on the 199.99 range.
    
11. There is a fast-scan function. Set the range on 1999.9 and the COARSE OFFSET to 0. (The other two offset knobs don't affect the reading on the 1999.9 range). Walk in the east-west direction to do this fast scan. Face east or west and hold the rod near the center, where it is balanced. Tip it to the direction which reads maximum field, and then press (and release) the button. The analog display will help you find the direction. You might want to press the button a few times as you get closer to the correct direction. Once you've found the correct direction for maximum field, it's fairly easy to keep holding the rod pointing in that direction (+/- about 1 milligauss) as you walk east or west. As you walk along, both the analog and digital displays will show the magnetic deviations from average. You will need to find the maximum field direction again every once in a while. You would have to tip the rod (accidentally) about 4 degrees off maximum direction to get the reading to drop 1 milligauss. Holding the rod to +/- 4 degrees is relatively easy.
    
12. Interpretation: Buried magnetized (or at least magnetizable) objects may either increase or decrease the field strength in the vicinity. Generally, directly over a buried object, the deviation of field strength is at a maximum. For example, the field may be “1.62” milligauss directly over an object, compared to an average around “0.00” in the field surrounding the object. As you approach this object, the deviation becomes larger and larger, peaking at -1.62, which is directly over it. A certain distance away from this peak is a zone on the ground where the deviation is only about half as much, or -0.81 milligauss. (This “zone” will actually be approximately a circle surrounding the object). The depth that the object is buried is generally between 1 1/3 and 2 times the radius of this circle, or 1 1/3 to 2 times the distance between the point where the deviation is maximum, and any point where the deviation is half that much.
    
    Contrary to popular belief, underground water generally does not produce any magnetic field. This is true whether or not the water is flowing. The only way that water can produce a (DC) magnetic field is if (DC) electric current is flowing through it. Without any DC current, the presence of water can only occasionally be inferred in instances where the underground stream of water displaces magnetic minerals; in other words, if the “absence” of magnetic minerals is atypical of the area.
    
    Certain objects, such as cell phones, GPS devices, boot zippers, and key chains, may be magnetized. If these are too close to the sensor block, the readings may be affected. You can check to see if anything you’re wearing will affect the sensor (and how close you have to get to affect the sensor). Set the rod against a wall pointing in approximately the direction of maximum field. Set the RANGE on 1999.9 and look for any changes in the display as you walk closer or move the questionable objects near the sensor block. Remember that the orientation of the objects in space (if held up-down, or east-west, etc) will affect the amount of the reading. In the field, keep these objects at least twice as far away as the distance required to make the display change by 0.1 milligauss. The battery in the meter may also affect the sensor block, but it will not if kept at least 2 ½ feet away from the sensor.
    
    You can make high-resolution instantaneous readings to resolution .01 milligauss, by disabling the peak-hold function. To do this, just press and continue to hold the button.

Accuracy: Although this meter has a maximum inaccuracy of +/- .5% of reading +/- .5 milligauss, actual shift with temperature is under .01 milligauss (= 1 gamma = 1 nanotesla) per °C. Therefore when reading the difference between points in the earth field, this difference is accurate to +/- .5% and the offset due to temperature will generally change slower than natural variations in the earth field, which is typically about .30 milligauss from day to night. When LOW BATTERY is displayed, slide off the back door and change the alkaline battery. Battery life is about 8 hours with an alkaline. This meter has a one-year warranty.

Made by
AlphaLab, Inc.
1280 South 300 West
Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Tel: 1-801-487-9492.