Myers Depot Metal Detectors

Look what I found at the Goodwill Store

GLASSHOPPER1955

GLASSHOPPER1955

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"Antique" Heathkit GD-48 "Metal Locator". Also had the build manual. For $3.99 I got it just as a wall hanger/curiosity. It takes an obsolete battery with a clip like a 9 volt but bigger. The plastic is cracking and looks like someone added a connector. Anyone know what year these are from?
 

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GKL said:
.....

"The first was the GD-48 which was listed as new in the 1969 Summer catalog."

the above quote was from this page -

http://www.w6ze.org/Heathkit/Heathkit_053_GD48.pdf ....
Click to expand...

Good sleuthing. I was going to guess "very early 1970s". I think a kid from my elementary school had a heathkit (not sure if it was that particular model). And ... it could actually find coins. Albeit perhaps only 3".
 
bbqfreak said:
wonder what the price was ???
Click to expand...

"The first Heathkit metal locator, the GD-48 originally cost $59.95. By 1976 the price had increased to $69.95; but in the fall of that year it was offered again for $59.95 on a “save $10” special. The last catalog (1977) I have showing it listed had the price back at the original $59.95."

The above quote was from the page at this link -

http://www.w6ze.org/Heathkit/Heathkit_053_GD48.pdf
 
it takes a 9 volt battery

Nice find.

it takes a 9 volt battery according to the schematic it looks like to me. Of course it may be a different sized as you say. but a little wire and solder could allow this thing to work. It can use a regular battery or a rechargable battery and has an optional battery charger.

If I remember correctly it was going to make all other metal detectors obsolete since you could build it yourself. It would be so much fun to get that thing working and see if it could out hunt the Equinox 800.

I wonder what the new price of that unit was back then?
 
Nice save on a piece of history. I'm sure it will make a good addition to the display
 
GKL said:
"The first Heathkit metal locator, the GD-48 originally cost $59.95. By 1976 the price had increased to $69.95; but in the fall of that year it was offered again for $59.95 on a “save $10” special. The last catalog (1977) I have showing it listed had the price back at the original $59.95."

The above quote was from the page at this link -

http://www.w6ze.org/Heathkit/Heathkit_053_GD48.pdf
Click to expand...

Good sleuthing once again. Loved that link. And now that I see the date-ranges of when that was sold, that confirms my suspicion that my fellow 5th classmate had one of those. Eg.: 1973-ish, right in that date range of offerings.

He had seen a man on our school grounds after school one day (our school blt. early 1940s). He had followed the man around, and seen him dig some coins. He went home and begged and pleaded with his dad to get a detector for his birthday. His dad bought him one of those heathkits. I joined this classmate, and .... distinctly recall that we dug some coins . But ... I doubt any were deeper than 3".

I had to chuckle at this line, from your brochure link : "The GD-48 is capable of detecting dime-size metal at 6 ”, quarter - size metal at 7-1/2” ..... It might have done that in an air-test. But I think a person would have been hard-pressed to replicate that in the ground !

What a trip down memory lane. It was that experience, seeing my friend with his, that eventually led me to want a detector myself, by Jr. High age :)
 
I grew up in New York City during the 50's and 60's and I remember going to the Heathkit electronics store. They used to put out a catalog too.
 
ROBOTCOP13 said:
I grew up in New York City during the 50's and 60's and I remember going to the Heathkit electronics store. They used to put out a catalog too.
Click to expand...

My first transmitter for Amateur Radio was a Heathkit I built. Hate that they don't offer much any longer.
 
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