tnsharpshooter
Hero Member
- Jul 10, 2012
- 921
- 976
- Detector(s) used
- Xp Deus 2, Xp Deus 1, Minelab Etrac, Minelab Manticore
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
I did this test back in Feb this year. After reading ask yourself which detector has the best odds of finding a coin while sweeping with say small iron suspended a small distance below the coin.
I compared the Etrac and V3i today using their respective stock coils-pro coil and 10dd coils.
My test today consisted of a paperclip laying on clean ground with a clad dime suspended .6 inches above the paper clip. For test sake I ID'd the paperclip using a wide open quick mask screen on etrac and it's ID was 35-41/43. Going into a disc setup of 27 ferrous the paperclip would give no hint of a tone on the etrac. V3i's 10dd coil was confirmed RX 15 no overload.
First, the etrac using a disc of 27, high trash, fast recovery, difficult ground, Cond multi tone setup. From my best detectable position sweeping the above setup at 6 inches height above dime, the etrac's coil was alive. In manual sensivity settings of 21-30 it seemed the entire center strip (9 inches plus) was giving a high tone on every pass. Going below manual sensivity 21 and the coils tips seemed to provide more dodgy tone and would sometimes thunk and sometimes none at all. It also seemed at the below 21 settings sweep speed could be slowed/adjusted and still obtain a better tone although not a good signal all the time.
Next, the V3i 3 FREQ best data, 5 Band Pass filter, with no disc, all positive VDIs assigned a tone. A ground balance was obtained with any setting change. First I tried AM 65 Disc 85, Rx gain at 8 recovery delay at 60. Sweeping the target at a height of 6 inches from my best detection position I got good tone. Varying the coils center strip position while sweeping I was able to obtain a tone from a span of 5and 3/4-6 inches of the 10dd coils center strip. Next, I went to RX gain of 12 leaving all other settings alone no change. Next I went to disc 92 rx 12, no change. Next I went to RX 12, Disc 92, recovery delay 100, and again no appreciable change.
Next I removed the paperclip and swep both machines over the dime alone. Etrac's coil provided signal front to back at a distance of 6 inches, the same goes for the V3i-signal detected all the way from front to back of coil.
Since I was working with these detectors, I went ahead and did a small air test comparison at 9 inches above my original setup (paperclip under dime .6 inches separation).
Etrac obtained good high tone at manual settings 23 and higher. Setting of 22 was marginal and 21 was to me very dodgy-just a small short high blip. Interestingly enough 30 manual was a bit washed out tonal quality wise as compared to 27 manual. And I did seem to have a fairly large window of detection at this 9 inch test although I didn't measure.
Next the V3i, in 3 Freq best data 5 Bandpass filter,disc 92 AM 65 RX gain12 recovery settings of 60 and 100. No joy from any position, and to add not even a change/slight change in threshold, notta nothing. Went to single frequency 2.5 khz, 5 band pass filter, AM 65 disc 92 recovery delay at 100. Started with RX gain at 12 and was able to obtain a good tone, sweep speed seemed critical but if held consistent did produce tone. I started running my RX gain down 1 increment setting at a time leaving all other settings alone. I could get a good repetitive tone with RX gain settings down to 6. At levels between 6-8 some tones were loud and clear and some tones were the same tone but lower volumne(whispers). At 5 and 4 the V3i still produced and occassional tone but was intermittent. I did try RX gain 15 and yep the V3i was getting it real well. I did notice even with RX gain 15 setting the window of detection is still at the 9 inch air distance substantially narrower than the etracs span of detection on this particular target and distance.
I compared the Etrac and V3i today using their respective stock coils-pro coil and 10dd coils.
My test today consisted of a paperclip laying on clean ground with a clad dime suspended .6 inches above the paper clip. For test sake I ID'd the paperclip using a wide open quick mask screen on etrac and it's ID was 35-41/43. Going into a disc setup of 27 ferrous the paperclip would give no hint of a tone on the etrac. V3i's 10dd coil was confirmed RX 15 no overload.
First, the etrac using a disc of 27, high trash, fast recovery, difficult ground, Cond multi tone setup. From my best detectable position sweeping the above setup at 6 inches height above dime, the etrac's coil was alive. In manual sensivity settings of 21-30 it seemed the entire center strip (9 inches plus) was giving a high tone on every pass. Going below manual sensivity 21 and the coils tips seemed to provide more dodgy tone and would sometimes thunk and sometimes none at all. It also seemed at the below 21 settings sweep speed could be slowed/adjusted and still obtain a better tone although not a good signal all the time.
Next, the V3i 3 FREQ best data, 5 Band Pass filter, with no disc, all positive VDIs assigned a tone. A ground balance was obtained with any setting change. First I tried AM 65 Disc 85, Rx gain at 8 recovery delay at 60. Sweeping the target at a height of 6 inches from my best detection position I got good tone. Varying the coils center strip position while sweeping I was able to obtain a tone from a span of 5and 3/4-6 inches of the 10dd coils center strip. Next, I went to RX gain of 12 leaving all other settings alone no change. Next I went to disc 92 rx 12, no change. Next I went to RX 12, Disc 92, recovery delay 100, and again no appreciable change.
Next I removed the paperclip and swep both machines over the dime alone. Etrac's coil provided signal front to back at a distance of 6 inches, the same goes for the V3i-signal detected all the way from front to back of coil.
Since I was working with these detectors, I went ahead and did a small air test comparison at 9 inches above my original setup (paperclip under dime .6 inches separation).
Etrac obtained good high tone at manual settings 23 and higher. Setting of 22 was marginal and 21 was to me very dodgy-just a small short high blip. Interestingly enough 30 manual was a bit washed out tonal quality wise as compared to 27 manual. And I did seem to have a fairly large window of detection at this 9 inch test although I didn't measure.
Next the V3i, in 3 Freq best data 5 Bandpass filter,disc 92 AM 65 RX gain12 recovery settings of 60 and 100. No joy from any position, and to add not even a change/slight change in threshold, notta nothing. Went to single frequency 2.5 khz, 5 band pass filter, AM 65 disc 92 recovery delay at 100. Started with RX gain at 12 and was able to obtain a good tone, sweep speed seemed critical but if held consistent did produce tone. I started running my RX gain down 1 increment setting at a time leaving all other settings alone. I could get a good repetitive tone with RX gain settings down to 6. At levels between 6-8 some tones were loud and clear and some tones were the same tone but lower volumne(whispers). At 5 and 4 the V3i still produced and occassional tone but was intermittent. I did try RX gain 15 and yep the V3i was getting it real well. I did notice even with RX gain 15 setting the window of detection is still at the 9 inch air distance substantially narrower than the etracs span of detection on this particular target and distance.
