CZ21 Settings Help

Bayoutalker

Sr. Member
Sep 30, 2012
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Highlands, TX
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Minelab Equinox 800
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I finally got to the beach with my CZ that I bought a few years ago due to several factors. I found a few coins in the dry and wet sand but I really don't think I've got the settings right. Before I get in deep water I want to make sure it (and I) are working properly.

Can some of you experienced CZ hunters help me out? What are the normal settings you use on the salt beaches?

Any info would be appreciated.
 

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sandmartin

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Feb 20, 2015
296
284
Scarborough, England
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Minelab Equinox 900.
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I finally got to the beach with my CZ that I bought a few years ago due to several factors. I found a few coins in the dry and wet sand but I really don't think I've got the settings right. Before I get in deep water I want to make sure it (and I) are working properly.

Can some of you experienced CZ hunters help me out? What are the normal settings you use on the salt beaches?

Any info would be appreciated.

I'm sure Casper can give you some great advice on the CZ21.
 

bravobob

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Feb 16, 2017
329
2,167
Santa Barbara,Ca
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Fisher CZ6A
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Ground balance well, then go all metal , volume 5, sensitivity 3 to 6. and go for it ! Dig everything !
 

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Bayoutalker

Bayoutalker

Sr. Member
Sep 30, 2012
360
326
Highlands, TX
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Garrett AT Pro
Minelab Equinox 800
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Ground balance well, then go all metal , volume 5, sensitivity 3 to 6. and go for it ! Dig everything !
I run the volume up a little over 7 to get the boost for deep targets. The sensitivity I was able to run almost wide open in wet sand. The thing I was not doing was going low enough on the disc.
 

DJWEHAGE

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Volume 10. Ground balance 4-6. Sensitivity as high as possible (usually between 8-9). Auto Tune on Disc. Sweep slowly and deliberately. When a target is located, switch to "0" and scan. I dig all medium and high targets as well as most that bounce in between, especially deep ones.
 

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Bayoutalker

Bayoutalker

Sr. Member
Sep 30, 2012
360
326
Highlands, TX
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro
Minelab Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
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Volume 10. Ground balance 4-6. Sensitivity as high as possible (usually between 8-9). Auto Tune on Disc. Sweep slowly and deliberately. When a target is located, switch to "0" and scan. I dig all medium and high targets as well as most that bounce in between, especially deep ones.
I think I'll try on 0 disc. I have the box mounted below the shaft and it is a pain to switch from Auto to 0.
 

sws33

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Mar 15, 2013
195
213
huntington beach ca
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white's 5900 di pro, Fisher CZ20, Fisher 1280, Garrett Infinium LS, Teknetics T2 SE and Teknetics Omega 8000, Makro Multi Kruzer, Garrett Sea Hunter Mark II and Fisher CZ21, White's TDI Beach Hunter
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I think all CZ 21's are different from one another. I know everybody says to use autotune but I have yet to find anything in auto-tune that I cannot find in zero discrimination. And for me it's just easier on my black sand beaches. I don't think there's any real magic when it comes to ground balancing them, you can pretty much put it between 4 and 6 and be good to go and just about every situation you'd come across. Sensitivities just going to depend on your environment, if the machine seems a little too chatty turn it down. you won't lose much depth lowering the sensitivity until you get below around 5, at least that's how it is on my machine. It will sort of refine the tone so to speak. if you have your sensitivity cranked up to 10 and go over a relatively shallow quarter it will hit really hard and loud depending on your volume, if you have your sensitivity down around 6 it will still hit hard but somehow it seems like a smaller tone. again this is just speaking from experience with my machine. I had a CZ 20 years ago and it was an entirely different beast compared to the CZ 21 I now have. got some good advice here with good starting points but ultimately you will have to fine-tune your own settings based on the machines idiosyncrasies.
 

CASPER-2

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Jan 3, 2012
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I own 3 cz21s and all are different - my #1 which is a "hot" machine - goes deeper in auto tune than the other 2
I set ground about 5 and crank sensitivity till I get a good hum so I can go for the slight fluctuations
problem with hunting in zero ID - you only get signals when you are right over targets
you wont usually read deep or small targets at edge of coil as good as you will in auto tune
ive been using cz21s longer than most - on deep whisper targets in all metal - ive clicked over to zero
and targets have gone off as mid and low tones that were actually gold and silver because target is so deep it can not
send back a strong enough signal to give a high one - so you could be passing up deep gold and other good metals
because you passed on a deep target that went off as a low tone and you thought was junk
I fan sand on all faint targets that read mid or low and 9 out of 10 times after re check - the tone will
then gone from low to mid or mid to high
only time I hunt in constant zero is totally iron saturated areas - I have used on relic hunts and hit spots with 20
signals in one swing (saturated with nails) and used zero and plucked a mid or high target under iron
I got a gold ring under a handful of nails once - guys passed spot up because of all the steel - foot prints and holes all
around - I cleaned the nails out too
 

CASPER-2

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this white gold 1 carat was over a foot down at a hammered beach - my batteries were a little low
and it went off as a low tone - i was surprised when i saw in scoop
csad.jpg
 

CASPER-2

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its important to have good batteries - you run them real low - you will get lower tones and lose depth
 

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Bayoutalker

Bayoutalker

Sr. Member
Sep 30, 2012
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326
Highlands, TX
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Casper, thanks for all that info. That's a lot to consider. I'll surely give it all a try and see what works for me.

One more thing, can you give me some test that I can try to make sure this thing is getting as deep as it should? Maybe some air test or such? I get about 7.5" in air with a dime. Is that good or?
 

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CASPER-2

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for whatever reason - I don't know why my 3 seem to set up and work differently - I sent the other 2
in and was hoping to get them back - hot like my #1 - but they did not
yours may be different then all of mine
:dontknow:
my advice to any one with any machine is learn your machine
when I was a kid I had a starter machine and I was lucky - it was considered a "hot" machine
it was around a $99 land machine but I could go deeper than a lot of the guys with $500 models
I learned my machine and pushed sensitivity to its limits - I tell friends (and people here)
- just kidding
:tongue3:

that it works and sounds a lot like my first machine and that is why I like the cz21s
I used my land machine with loud back ground hum and went for the whisper or slight fluctuation
signals in old areas - others I knew cranked their discrim. and lost depth - I know they passed up
a lot of nickles and white gold - then and now
air testing usually does not mean a thing - machines were made to hunt in sand and dirt - not air
it was years that I learned on my own that I would lose a lot of depth when batteries got low
I passed that on
- just happened that I went to a 100yr old beach after hitting other spots all day long
My batteries were very low but I pulled a v nickel from there before sunset over a foot down - it was a whisper
next day I changed my batteries and went back and it was like a brand new spot - nothing was under a foot down
but I was getting faint signals down deep left and right - but I also noticed that I would get a low tone really faint
and fan about 5-6 inches down then recheck and now was getting mid and high tones and was getting goodies
that even with fresh batteries targets that were close to 2ft down would go off as low (after hitting in auto tune -all metal
and clicking to zero) - Ive gone back to a lot of places said to be cleaned out and gone for these whisper targets and done
darn good - there is one spot on the Cape and I know a few hunters here that go there -Its called Silver Beach
- it can be good for fresh drops in the summer - but the older stuff is down really deep - there is usually no sand movement here - it is sheltered and
I still get deep gold and silver there when many others cant - some I know its cause they crank their discrim. - some because they go to fast or don't keep their coil to the ground - you gotta to do what works for you
I saw guys waving their coil 2-4 inches off the ground - thought they were newbies and nicely tried to help them
and they bit my head off - said they been doing it for yrs - they got nasty and I told them "You hunt here often?" …"yup" ..
"I can show you a handful of gold you missed then the last few yrs and most of it is older" "I can see why"
We can all tell you how to hunt - we all have our own ways - some may be similar - some may work for you - some
may not...you may come up with something totally different yourself
I tell people I think its 33% man …33% machine and 33% luck
you have all 3 that day and you have a good day - you have the first 2 and can have a bad day
Ive hunted with some of the best out there with the first 2 - many guys on youtube at large hunts and seen them come up empty
that day
the first CW relic hunt I used my cz21 on - place had been hunted by 100s on other hunts
after the first day I was told I was in about the top five for finds out of like 150 guys
I was getting stuff down super deep in spots that were hammered
I seen newbies with the last 2 (good machine and luck) do fantastic on a hunt
Good Luck and hope to see some goodies from you
if you have not been there - link to some articles ive written
https://www.flickr.com/photos/casper-2/
some may help - some may inspire
 

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Bayoutalker

Bayoutalker

Sr. Member
Sep 30, 2012
360
326
Highlands, TX
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Garrett AT Pro
Minelab Equinox 800
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I'm gonna keep this topic bookmarked and refer to it often. Thanks for taking the time to write it. I don't mind taking the time to learn the machine. That is if this wet weather ever lets up. Our beach crowds haven't started yet but they will soon. I hope they drop a lot of goodies when they get here. In the mean time, I have started going and learning the area and this machine. I have already learned a lot but I've got a long way to go. Your info and input will really help in that endeavor. I wish I had someone local to learn from but there are not many water hunters here. Your help is greatly appreciated.
 

CASPER-2

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Jan 3, 2012
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I have helped 100s over the yrs - been in hobby since 1975 at age 12 - I don't know it all
and im an old dog that still learns new tricks - I know my machines but don't know a lot
of the new ones out there but have friends that do - always here to help though if I can
and if I cant im sure I know someone that can
 

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Bayoutalker

Bayoutalker

Sr. Member
Sep 30, 2012
360
326
Highlands, TX
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Garrett AT Pro
Minelab Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
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I went to the beach Wednesday and tried your settings. Hunting in Auto was a no go due to the amount of iron in the sand. I spent most of my time in 0. This area has seen its share of hurricanes and there are the remains of a lot of beach homes scattered about. I did find 8 dimes at 8"+ in wet sand so it looks like it is working better than before. Thanks again for the help.

I'll keep working at it to learn those sounds. Now if I can just get the weather to cooperate.....
 

DJWEHAGE

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Nov 30, 2012
530
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Aberdeen, MD
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I went to the beach Wednesday and tried your settings. Hunting in Auto was a no go due to the amount of iron in the sand. I spent most of my time in 0. This area has seen its share of hurricanes and there are the remains of a lot of beach homes scattered about. I did find 8 dimes at 8"+ in wet sand so it looks like it is working better than before. Thanks again for the help.

I'll keep working at it to learn those sounds. Now if I can just get the weather to cooperate.....
Yeah. All that iron, 0 is probably your best option for now unless you want to pull all that junk out and find what may be lying beneath. Good luck!
 

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Bayoutalker

Bayoutalker

Sr. Member
Sep 30, 2012
360
326
Highlands, TX
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro
Minelab Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Yeah. All that iron, 0 is probably your best option for now unless you want to pull all that junk out and find what may be lying beneath. Good luck!
I dug a bit of it but it gets old really quick. I found lots of chunks of unidentifiable ferrous material.
 

CASPER-2

Gold Member
Jan 3, 2012
17,158
19,959
NEW ENGLAND
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I dug a bit of it but it gets old really quick. I found lots of chunks of unidentifiable ferrous material.

but if a spot you are going to hit over and over - best to get all that older iron out --or you will hit it over and over
so you "waste" time taking it out now or waste time EVERY time you go there hitting it over and over
I wrote an article on taking out the trash - it just touch the iceberg - I have found lots of silver and gold under or next to iron
 

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Bayoutalker

Bayoutalker

Sr. Member
Sep 30, 2012
360
326
Highlands, TX
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro
Minelab Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
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but if a spot you are going to hit over and over - best to get all that older iron out --or you will hit it over and over
so you "waste" time taking it out now or waste time EVERY time you go there hitting it over and over
I wrote an article on taking out the trash - it just touch the iceberg - I have found lots of silver and gold under or next to iron
I do remove any trash I dig but I haven't started digging everything I hear.....yet. The place we were has a large amount of iron. I could spend days trying to dig it all and normally there is only a short window when the tide is out. Gulf beaches don't work like ocean beaches. We don't get the wave action unless there is a hurricane and tides are not as severe. I'm sure I'll get it done but that will have to wait for better weather.
 

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