VAQUERO OPERATOR INSTRUCTION MANUAL
CONGRATULATIONS!
Your new Tesoro Vaquero metal detector is part of a new series of detectors designed to provide
you with many happy hours of enjoyment in the most rewarding hobby I can think of—treasure
hunting. Ahead of you lie fascinating and exciting experiences as you step into the past—
uncovering artifacts lost by past generations, or as you take pleasure in the great outdoors with
family and friends searching for precious metals. I wish we could share these experiences with
you, and all of us at Tesoro wish you the best of success.
Your Tesoro detector is capable of meeting your needs in a wide range of treasure hunting
situations. As with any other metal detector, familiarity with this instrument is probably the
limiting factor in determining how successful you can be. I recommend that you read this manual
and fully understand how to operate this detector before attempting to use it in the field. As you
become more familiar with your detector through practice, your rate of success will increase
dramatically.
The Vaquero is a precision electronic instrument that will last for years if properly cared for.
Treat it right and it won’t let you down.
Good Hunting! Jack Gifford
GETTING STARTED - UNPACKING THE BOX
Your Vaquero was shipped with these parts:
1 Upper Pole Assembly
Fully assembled, including upper pole stem with handle grip, padded arm bracket, and control
housing.
1 Middle Pole Assembly With Pole Lock
1 ABS Lower Pole Assembly
Fully assembled, complete with two friction washers, mounting screw, and thumb nut.
1 9 x 8 Monolithic Searchcoil With 3’ Cable and Scuff Cover
1 9 Volt Alkaline Battery
1 Operator Instruction Manual
1 Warranty Card
If any of these items are missing, immediately contact the Tesoro Authorized Dealer where you
purchased your detector.
Assembly of the Vaquero is simple and requires no special tools. Just install the battery, mount
the searchcoil on the lower pole assembly, connect the pole assemblies together, wrap the excess
cable around the pole and, plug the cable into the control housing. Finally, adjust the pole length
and searchcoil angle and you're ready!
INSTALLING THE BATTERY
Your Vaquero is equipped with a battery test switch so that you can always be sure you are
getting top performance. (See QUICKSTART for operation.) The battery should be checked
after the detector has been on for about 10 minutes and then periodically when used for long
durations.
To install or replace the battery, first make sure the SENSITIVITY control is set to POWER
OFF—turned completely counterclockwise past the “click.” Remove the battery door from the
back of the control housing. Do this by pressing your thumb firmly on the louvered square—at
the bottom of the battery door—and sliding the battery door upward in the direction of the arrow.
Check the polarity on the battery and on the diagram inside the battery compartment. Make sure
that they match and simply drop a fresh 9 volt alkaline battery into the compartment. Note: If the
battery is not installed properly, damage may occur to your detector.
Replace the battery door by sliding it into place making sure the upper mount slots are in line and
the lock tongue is snapped in place.
ASSEMBLING YOUR DETECTOR
1. On the lower pole assembly, remove the mounting screw, and thumb nut from the pole
tip.
2. Insert the pole tip between the mounting ears of the searchcoil and align the holes of the
pole tip and washers with those of the mounting ears.
Note: The pole tip should fit very snugly into the mounting ears.
3. Insert the mounting screw through the holes in the mounting ears and pole tip—entering
from the side opposite the cable connection.
4. Install the thumb nut on the mounting screw and tighten by hand.
Note: Do not overtighten the thumb nut. It should be snug but not too difficult to
loosen up.
5. On the middle pole assembly, depress the two spring buttons and slide the middle pole
assembly into the upper pole assembly until the spring buttons click into the holes,
locking the two assemblies into place. Tighten the pole lock to secure the two assemblies
together.
6. Slide the lower pole into the middle pole until spring buttons click into the first set of
adjustment holes. Turn pole lock to tighten the assemblies into place.
7. Wrap the cable around the pole leaving enough slack near the searchcoil to permit
searchcoil adjustment.
Note: Do not allow the cable to flop loosely over the searchcoil. Since the detector is
sensitive enough to “see” the tiny wires in the cable, a floppy cable can cause false
signals as the searchcoil senses the moving wires.
8. Plug the male cable end into the female connector on the control housing and tighten the
cable thumb nut. You are finished!
Note: You will want to adjust the pole length and the searchcoil angle to your
preference.
ADJUSTING THE P OLE & SEARCHCOIL
The pole length should be adjusted so that the detector does
not become uncomfortable or tiring after long periods of use.
The detector grip should rest in your hand with your arm
relaxed, your elbow straight but not locked, with the pole
extending out in front of you at the approximate angle shown
in the photo.
You should be able to swing the detector back and forth in
front of you—using relaxed shoulder movement—while
keeping the searchcoil as close to the ground as possible. This
swinging movement is often called a “sweep.”
The searchcoil should not touch the ground during your
sweep. The pole length should be adjusted to allow this
without having to lift the detector with your elbow or
shoulder. The searchcoil should rest about one inch above the
ground while you are standing erect. The angle of the
searchcoil should allow the bottom to be parallel to the
ground.
The pole length is adjusted by loosening the pole lock, then
depressing the spring buttons and extending or shortening the
pole until the spring buttons click into the set of holes that
give you the most comfortable pole length.
To adjust the searchcoil angle, simply loosen the searchcoil thumb nut slightly and move the
searchcoil into the desired position. Tighten the searchcoil thumb nut by hand so that the
searchcoil will hold in place.
QUICKSTART - SELF-GUIDED TUTORIAL
The Quickstart is designed to teach you how to use your new Vaquero. It provides a quick and
easy means of learning your detector and the concepts behind all of the functions.
You will need the following items:
1. Your fully assembled Vaquero.
2. An iron target (a small nail or screw will do), a nickel, a quarter, and a couple of different
pulltabs.
3. A nonmetal table top or counter.
Here’s what you will do:
1. Perform Audio Battery Test.
2. Adjust THRESHOLD.
3. Adjust GROUND BALANCE for Air Test.
4. Perform Air Test in ALL METAL Mode.
5. Adjust SENSITIVITY.
6. Perform Air Test in DISC Mode.
7. Perform Air Test in PINPOINT Mode.
8. Super Tune Your Vaquero.
9. Adjust FREQ Switch.
Prepare for the Quickstart
Place your assembled Vaquero on the nonmetal surface. Make sure that there are no metal
objects near the coil and remove any jewelry from your hands and wrists.
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