NOTCHING QUESTION

[ppearce43]

I have a Teknetics Gamma 6000. CATEGORIES can be notched on this machine, which is a great feature. However, is there a detector in the same general price range that enables the operator to notch out just one level of discrimination? Or several discrete levels?
The 6000 shows digits in the target ID screen from 00 to 99. The manual says that there are 80 "levels" of discrimination. Each CATEGORY is comprised of several of these levels of discrimination. So notching the Nickel CATEGORY, for instance, applies discrimination to all of those levels in that CATEGORY. I'd like to be able to notch out, for example, just the response associated with, say, level 59. Or 59, 60, and 68. Is there a detector that has this capability?
Thanks, I learn a lot by lurking here, but I've been wondering about this question for sometime so figured I'd speak up. I guess I'd term this ability as "Full Spectrum Notching Capability" (or in marketing terms, FSNC).
I hope I've explained my question clearly enough.
Thanks.

 

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[LawrencetheMDer]

There isn't a better discriminator than the Minelab CTX3030, that discriminates in not one (e.g., 0-99) but 2 dimensions totaling 35x50=1,750 discrimination points. Discrimination along 2 dimensions allows for much better discrimination of specific targets.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Even the old school whites had this ability. Like the Eagle, the spectrum, the XLT, etc...

Sometimes it can come in handy. Like if you're at an area where a certain size bullet shell is driving you crazy. You can edit out *just* that TID. And sure, you might get a "flicker" if it's on the fringe of in-&-out of that zone. But you can watch your screen on suspected targets and make decisions.

One time years ago, with the Whites eagle, under a bleachers/grandstands demolition, I had edited out a certain recurring pesky square tab. The square tab was reading at 47-ish. So I knocked out everything from 47 and down (too much aluminum, and we were only cherry picking for silver). I ended up getting a $5 gold, and .... after air testing it, could see it read 48 to 49-ish. TALK ABOUT CLOSE CALL ! Any other machine, with wider categories/groupings of notches, would have lumped that gold coin in the beefy-square tab range. So there is an example where micro-categories #s can be helpful.

But only for when needing to cherry pick. Obviously of no use if you're in a site where you're in relic mindset (ie.: dig all except iron).

 

[bigscoop]

Whenever you notch you risk missing good targets. Per example, gold rings come in 8k,9k,10k,12k,14k,etc.,etc.,etc. At 10k you are only .385 gold, the remaining alloy being several different possibilities, which is why these gold rings can register anywhere from a penny to a pulltab to nickle, etc., even with machines like the CTX these rings can fall into several different ranges.

 

[ppearce43]

Please allow me to repeat my question: "I'd like to be able to notch out, for example, just the response associated with, say, level 59. Or 59, 60, and 68. Is there a detector that has this capability?"
I'm pretty familiar with the fact that any level of disc. will knock out targets, some of which may be "good". I started MDing in 1981 with a Compass that had no discrimination. Last detector I owned before my present one was a Teknetics 8500 Coin Computer. What a great detector! Way ahead of its time.
So thanks for the advice and admonitions; however, I just was wondering if there was a $400-$600 machine being sold today that has this discrete notching capability. None of the ads that I see tout that feature.
Thanks again for the well-intentioned replies. Perhaps no one knows the answer.

 

[TerryC]

It's not that no one knows the answer, the question you are asking is hard to answer without the "except this and except that" kind of answer. That is to say, the display is a "guess" and not definitive. I am very much against displays. Gold will "display" very much the same place pulltabs will. The SOUND is the thing! Use the display as an added tool but learn the sound first. The sound of gold and pulltabs are more different than the display for both. Many good detectors allow notching out trash targets but use that function sparingly or you will miss some good targets. TTC

 

[foiler]

If it's selective notching that your looking for the Minelab Xterra lets you notch any target number you wish. You can preselect through the menu or if while hunting a particular bothersome item is frequent in your hunt area hold the item over the coil and hit the 'reject' button.

 

[bigscoop]

Notch is really just another word for discriminate and there are many machines out there that allow you to set selective discrimination in various ways. So with this in mind, might I suggest that you go online and pull up the user's manuals of those machines that offer discrimination and then see how each one operates.