Cscope Mirage - any good?

[neillroy]

Hello Chaps,

Happily stumbled across this thread, I just bought a Mirage from ebay. I was looking for a British old school detector (I am a British old school guy) that I could learn how to "listen" with. I am also quite short on extra curicular spending pennys and the detector ended at a decent enough price. I had no idea it was quite so old however.
Like you, I find my Mirage very chatty in boosted disc mode. I am a complete newbe though so I though that was perhaps normal if a bit distracting. Having used it on Chalkwell beach a couple of times I find myself using Non-motion mode and just digging everything. As I said, NEWBE, still not bored of kneeling in the shingle/mud.
The depth seems pretty amazing for such an old machine, the second thing I dug up was a very tarnished pound coin at about 8 inches (I am now officially doomed I found gold!)
I love the way the Non-motion self balances and loses any background noise almost as soon as it picks it up, perfect for the beach and doesn't seem bothered about wet sand either.
I contacted Peach and Cscope to see if any information could be had. Derek Peachy is still ticking but retired quite a few years ago, the shop Peach Designs now just sells guitars (from a lovely looking shop) and has no info about the old business. Cscope on the other hand were very helpful and offered an instruction sheet and a short history of the design. It isn't based on any Cscope board layout and is all Dereks. Perhaps explaning the noisy but powerful signal. Their prompt response has guaranteed my custom if I ever get enough tarnished pound coins to buy a new detector.
I stripped the PCB out just to check for corrosion (none) but one of the electrolytics looks a bit bulgy so I might swap that out just incase the chattyness is related (I doubt). Hopefully I won't ruin it.
All I need now is to find a local group that is willing to take new members. Oh and get the courage up to talk to a few farms.
Cheers
Neill

[Widescan]

Hello Chaps,

Happily stumbled across this thread, I just bought a Mirage from ebay. I was looking for a British old school detector (I am a British old school guy) that I could learn how to "listen" with. I am also quite short on extra curicular spending pennys and the detector ended at a decent enough price. I had no idea it was quite so old however.
Like you, I find my Mirage very chatty in boosted disc mode. I am a complete newbe though so I though that was perhaps normal if a bit distracting. Having used it on Chalkwell beach a couple of times I find myself using Non-motion mode and just digging everything. As I said, NEWBE, still not bored of kneeling in the shingle/mud.
The depth seems pretty amazing for such an old machine, the second thing I dug up was a very tarnished pound coin at about 8 inches (I am now officially doomed I found gold!)
I love the way the Non-motion self balances and loses any background noise almost as soon as it picks it up, perfect for the beach and doesn't seem bothered about wet sand either.
I contacted Peach and Cscope to see if any information could be had. Derek Peachy is still ticking but retired quite a few years ago, the shop Peach Designs now just sells guitars (from a lovely looking shop) and has no info about the old business. Cscope on the other hand were very helpful and offered an instruction sheet and a short history of the design. It isn't based on any Cscope board layout and is all Dereks. Perhaps explaning the noisy but powerful signal. Their prompt response has guaranteed my custom if I ever get enough tarnished pound coins to buy a new detector.
I stripped the PCB out just to check for corrosion (none) but one of the electrolytics looks a bit bulgy so I might swap that out just incase the chattyness is related (I doubt). Hopefully I won't ruin it.
All I need now is to find a local group that is willing to take new members. Oh and get the courage up to talk to a few farms.
Cheers
Neill

Hi. Interesting information about Derek Peachy that he's still ticking over as you say. Seems by what you are saying that the chatter in Disc is a normal trait with these machines, must be ground affect and just need to lower the sensitivity to cut it out ?. Cscope serviced mine some time ago, replaced the speaker and gave it a tune up, they seemed to of de-tuned it to try to reduce the chatter, it's definitely lost it's mojo. One thing on the coil - under the word performance of the coil sticker - is a small indentation, which I always thought was damage and was the cause of the chatter but they told me it is normal as it's where they injected the coil and it's a plug, would be interesting if yours is the same ? I Also think the coil connector is not the best quality as mine sounds off when you tap it, maybe there is a better replacement ?. So, these being rare machines - about 70 made - we now know where five of them are, I have had one from new - 1994 - you have one, their is also another member on this thread from France who has one and Cscope have two at there factory in Kent. Anyway, good luck with your Mirage.

[DDEA]

Hello,
I would like to tell than it is the same thing for me, coil connector sounds off when you tap it, on my cs8sst, same thing....
I checked the welds, the presence of corrosion, used a product to restore the contacts, nothing helped, and I am not sufficiently versed in electronics. therefore still the same problem.
The power of this detector is indeed quite high. I got in the air about 12 inches with most coins
welcome to the club Neill !