Zircon HD900 User Manual

EN MultiScanner® HD900 OneStep®

Multifunction Wall Scanner

This MultiScanner® HD900 OneStep® features four scanning modes:

•StudScan: Locates the center and edges of wood and metal studs up to 3⁄4 in. (19 mm) deep

•DeepScan®: Locates the center and edges of wood and metal studs up to 11⁄2 in. (38 mm) deep

•Metal Scan: Detects ferrous (magnetic) metal (such as 1⁄2 inch rebar) up to 3 in. (76 mm) deep and non-ferrous (non-magnetic) metal up to 11⁄2 in. (38 mm) deep

•AC Scan: Detects live unshielded AC wires up to 2 in. (51 mm) deep

1. INSTALLING THE BATTERY

Push in the battery door tab at the bottom of the tool and open the door. Insert a new 9-volt battery, matching the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals to the icons printed on the back.

Snap the battery into place and replace the door.

Low Battery Indicator: The Low Battery Indicator icon displays when the battery level is getting low. While the tool will still operate, the battery will need to be replaced soon. When the battery icon begins

to flash and is the only icon displayed on the screen, the battery level is too low and not sufficient to power the tool for proper operation. Please replace the 9-volt battery with a brand new battery immediately.

2. OPERATING TIPS

For optimum scanning results, it is important to properly hold the MultiScanner® HD900 and move slowly when scanning. The following tips will provide more accurate scanning results:

• Grasp the handle with your thumb on one side and your fingers on the other side. Make sure your fingertips are resting on

the handle and not touching the surface being scanned or the scanning head of the tool.

• Hold the tool straight up and down, parallel to the studs, and do not rotate the tool.

•Keep tool flat against the wall and do not rock, tilt, or press hard when slowly sliding across the surface being scanned.

	SpotLite® Pointer
	Target Spotlight	Backlit LCD Display
	Target Indication Bars
		Auto Correcting
	Signal Strength	Indication
	Indicator
		AC Mode &
		WireWarning®
		Detection
	Edge /Center	Indicator
		Low Battery
	Indicator
	Metal Mode	Indicator
	Indicator
	StudScan /
	DeepScan®
	Mode Indicator
	Power Button	Mode
		Selector
		Switch

Battery (Door Tab)

•Avoid placing your other hand, or any other part of your body, on the surface being scanned. This will interfere with the tool’s performance.

•If you’re receiving erratic scanning results, it may be a result of humidity, moisture within the wall cavity or drywall,

or recently applied paint or wallpaper that hasn’t fully dried. While the moisture may not always be visible, it will interfere with the tool’s sensors. Please allow a few days for the wall to dry out.

•Depending on the proximity of electrical wiring or pipes to the wall surface, the scanner may detect them in the same manner as studs. Caution should always be used when nailing,

cutting, or drilling in walls, floors, and ceilings that may contain these items.

•To avoid surprises, remember that studs or joists are normally spaced 16 or 24 in. (41 or 61 cm) apart and are 11⁄2 in. (38 mm) in width. Anything closer together or a different width may not be a stud, joist, or firebreak.

Always turn off power when working near electrical wires.

SCANNING DIFFERENT SURFACES

Wallpaper: MultiScanner® HD900 functions normally on walls covered with wallpaper or fabric, unless the materials are metallic foil, contain metallic fibers, or are still wet after application. Wallpaper may need to dry for several weeks after application.

Freshly painted walls: May take one week or longer to dry after application.

Lath & plaster: Due to irregularities in plaster thickness, it is difficult for MultiScanner® HD900 to locate studs in Stud modes. Change to Metal Scan mode to locate the nail heads holding wood lath to the studs. If the plaster has metal mesh reinforcement, MultiScanner® HD900 may be unable to detect through that material.

Extremely textured walls or acoustic ceilings:

When scanning a ceiling or wall with an uneven surface, place thin cardboard on the surface to be scanned and scan over the cardboard in DeepScan® mode. If irregular scanning results are received, switch to Metal Scan mode to locate nails or drywall screws that line up vertically where a stud or joist is positioned.

Wood flooring, subflooring, or gypsum drywall over plywood sheathing: Use DeepScan® mode and move the tool slowly. The Signal Strength Indicator may only display 1 or 2

bars when the tool locates a stud through thick surfaces.

MultiScanner® HD900 cannot scan for wood studs and joists through concrete or carpet and padding. In problematic situations, try using Metal Scan to locate nails or screws that may line up vertically where a stud or joist is positioned.

Note: Sensing depth and accuracy can vary due to moisture, content of materials, wall texture, and paint.

WARNING Do not rely exclusively on the detector to locate items behind the scanned surface. Use other information sources to help

locate items before penetrating the surface. Such additional sources include construction plans, visible points of entry of pipes and wiring into walls, such as in a basement, and in standard 16 and 24 in. (41 and 61 cm) stud spacing practices.

3. SELECTING THE MODE

Move selector switch to the desired mode: StudScan for finding wood or metal studs; DeepScan® for scanning walls over 3⁄4 in. (19 mm) thick; Metal Scan for locating metal; or AC Scan for locating live AC wiring.

Unit will remain off if Power button is not pressed.

4. TURNING ON/CALIBRATING THE TOOL

MultiScanner® HD900 can be calibrated anywhere on the wall. It provisionally monitors the subsurface environment 10 times per second and automatically recalibrates, when needed, to successfully find the center of studs in one step.

•Place MultiScanner® HD900 against the wall before pressing the Power button in StudScan or DeepScan® mode.

•Once powered on, tool will automatically perform all calibrations. The LCD will display all icons until calibration is complete. Upon completion of calibration, the SpotLite® Pointer and buzzer will momentarily activate and the tool will begin continuous measurements. Continue to press Power button down and keep the tool flat against the wall and begin scanning.

Note: It is important to wait for calibration to complete (1–2 seconds) before moving the scanner.

ACT™ (Auto Correcting Technology)

During scanning, the tool will automatically recalibrate itself

when needed. This recalibration is transparent and no indication is made.

If an arrow icon illuminates, the tool calibrated near or over a stud and then moved away. The arrow indicates the direction of the missed stud.

5. FINDING A STUD

Always scan for studs with the scanner placed flat against the wall. Move the mode switch to StudScan, place the tool flat against the wall, then press and hold the Power button. Wait for beep to confirm calibration has completed before moving scanner.

Slowly slide tool across surface. EDGE indication will illuminate, indicating location of the stud edge.

Continue sliding tool. When the center of a stud

is located, the three bars on the Signal Strength Indicator, the middle segments of the Target Indication bars, CENTER indication, and SpotLite® Pointer will all illuminate and the buzzer will sound.

In cases of deeper studs (thicker walls), when the center of the stud is located only two bars will show on the Signal Strength Indicator and only the SpotLite® Pointer and middle segments of the Target Indication Bars will illuminate. If you still cannot locate a stud, try DeepScan® mode.

6. WIREWARNING® DETECTION

Zircon's WireWarning® detection feature works continuously in StudScan, DeepScan®, and Metal Scan modes. When live AC voltage is detected, the AC detection warning indicator will appear in the display. If scanning begins over a live AC wire, the AC  indicator will flash continuously. Use extreme caution under these circumstances or whenever live AC wiring is present.

WARNING Electrical field locators may not detect live AC wires if wires are more than 2 in. (51 mm) from the scanned surface, in

concrete, encased in conduit, present behind a plywood shear wall or metallic wall covering, or if moisture is present in the environment or scanned surface.

WARNING DO NOT ASSUME THERE ARE NO LIVE ELECTRICAL WIRES IN THE WALL. DO NOT TAKE ACTIONS THAT COULD BE DANGEROUS

IF THE WALL CONTAINS A LIVE ELECTRICAL WIRE. ALWAYS TURN OFF THE ELECTRICAL POWER, GAS, AND WATER SUPPLIES BEFORE PENETRATING A SURFACE. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS MAY RESULT IN ELECTRIC SHOCK, FIRE, AND/OR SERIOUS INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE.

Always turn off power when working near electrical wires.

7. SCANNING IN METAL MODE

Note: When scanning for studs, use StudScan mode (or DeepScan® mode on thicker walls) to quickly locate the center and edges. Use Metal Scan to determine if the previous reading in StudScan was a wood stud, metal stud, or pipe. In Metal Scan, only metal drywall screws will be found in wood studs, while metal will be indicated everywhere on a metal stud or pipe.

Metal Scan has interactive calibration to adjust to its sensitivity to metal, which can be used to find the precise location of metal objects in walls, floors, and ceilings. Maximum sensitivity is ideal for quickly finding the approximate location

of metal. However, sensitivity can be reduced by calibrating the tool closer to metal. With reduced sensitivity, the area where metal is indicated will be smaller. But in both cases, the metal target is in the center of the area where the tool indicates metal is present.

1.Move mode switch to Metal Scan mode. For maximum metal sensitivity, turn the tool on in the air by pressing and holding the Power button. This will ensure that it calibrates away from any metal objects. (The tool can only be calibrated

off the wall in Metal Scan mode.)

2.(Figure A) While holding the Power button, press the tool flat against the wall and slowly slide the scanner across the surface. Mark the point where you get the highest metal indication (the most Middle bars on the screen). If it is a strong target, the SpotLite® Pointer will also shine a beam of light and a steady beep will sound. Continue in the same direction until display bars reduce. Reverse direction and mark the spot where the display bars peak from the reversed direction. The midpoint of the two marks is the location of the center of the metal object.

If the unit indicates metal over a large area, you can refine the scanning area to more accurately locate the metal target by following steps 3 and 4 below.

3.(Figure B) To further pinpoint the location of the metal target, scan the area again. Release the Power button and then turn the unit back on, this time starting on the wall over one of the previous marks. This will reset the tool to a lower sensitivity and narrow the scan area.

4.(Figure C) To continue to reduce sensitivity and further refine the scanning area, repeat step 3. This procedure can be repeated multiple times to narrow the field even further.

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Note: If any bars display on the screen, metal is present. Small targets or targets deep within the surface may only illuminate some of the bars and not the center line or audio tone. In this case, use the highest indication to determine the metal position.

8. SCANNING IN AC MODE

As with Metal Scan Mode, AC Scan Mode has interactive calibration and works in the same manner.

1.(Figure A) Move mode switch to AC Scan mode. Press the tool flat against the wall, then press and hold the Power button. Wait for the beep to confirm calibration has completed before moving the tool. Once calibration has completed, slowly slide the scanner across the surface. Mark the location where you get the highest AC indication (the most Middle bars on the screen). If it is a strong target, the SpotLite® Pointer will also shine a beam of light and a steady beep will sound. Continue in same direction until display bars reduce. Reverse direction and mark the spot where the display bars peak from the reversed direction. The midpoint of the two marks is the location of the center of the live AC wiring. If the unit indicates live electricity over a large area, you can reduce the sensitivity of the tool to refine the scanning area and more accurately locate the live AC wiring by following steps 2 and 3 below.

2.(Figure B) To further pinpoint the location of the live AC wiring, scan the area again. Release the Power button and then turn the unit back on, this time starting on the wall over one of the previous marks. This will reset the tool to a lower sensitivity and narrow the scan area.

3.(Figure C) Scan in both directions as in Step 2. The area indicated should

become smaller so you can more precisely identify the location of live AC wires. This procedure can be repeated to narrow the field even further.

Note: AC Scan will only detect live (hot) unshielded AC wiring. Please refer to the WARNING statement in number 6, WireWarning® Detection, for more important details and warnings about AC detection.

FCC Part 15 Class B Registration Warning

This device complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules. Operations subject to the following two conditions:

(1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

9. HELPFUL HINTS (See also number 2, Operating Tips)

Situation	Probable Cause		Solution
Detects other objects besides studs	• Electrical wiring and metal/plastic pipes may be	• Scan the area in Metal Scan and AC Scan to determine if metal or hot AC is present.
in StudScan mode.	near or touching back surface of wall.	• Check for other studs equally spaced to either side 12, 16, or 24 in. (31, 41, or 61 cm) apart or for the same stud
Finds more targets than there		at several places directly above or below the first scan area.
should be.		• A stud reading would measure approximately 11⁄2 in. (38 mm) apart from each edge; anything larger or smaller is
		most likely not a stud if not near a door or window.
Area of voltage appears much larger	• Voltage detection can spread on drywall as much	• To narrow detection, turn unit off and on again at the edge of where wire was first detected and scan again.
than actual wire (AC only).	as 12 in. (31 cm) laterally from each side of an
	actual electrical wire.
Difficulty detecting metal.	• Tool calibrated over metal object.	• The scanner may have been calibrated over a metal object, reducing sensitivity. Try calibrating in another location.
	• Metal targets too deep or small.	• Scan in both horizontal and vertical directions. Metal sensitivity is increased when metal object is parallel to sensor,
		located under Zircon logo.
Image of metal object appears wider	• Metal has greater density than wood.	• To reduce sensitivity, recalibrate MultiScanner® HD900 over either of first two marks (Metal mode only).
than actual size.
Constant readings of studs near	• Double and triple studs are usually found around	• Detect outer edges so you know where to begin.
windows and doors.	doors and windows. Solid headers are above them.
You suspect electrical wires, but do not	• Wires are shielded by metal conduit, a braided	• Try Metal Scan mode to see if you can find metal, wire, or metal conduit.
detect any.	wire layer, metallic wall covering, plywood shear	• Use extra caution if the area has plywood, thick wood backing behind drywall, or thicker than normal walls.
	wall, or other dense material.	• If a switch controls an outlet, make sure it is ON for detection, but turned off when working near
	• Wires deeper than 2 in. (51 mm) from surface	electrical wires.
	might not be detected.	Use CAUTION when nailing, sawing, or drilling into walls, floors, and ceilings where these items may exist.
	• Wires may not be live.
Flashing Low Battery Indicator and tool	• Battery level low for proper operation.	• Replace with brand new 9 V battery.
not operating.
ACT, DeepScan, MultiScanner, OneStep, SpotLite, WireWarning, and Zircon are registered trademarks or trademarks of Zircon Corporation.
Visit www.zircon.com/support for the most current instructions.
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