Safari Questions

[coyotebgone]

1. The manual on this unit states that the depth bar represent approximately 12". However, when my gauge is approximately 80% exposed (assuming about 10") I literally dig 18" to get the target. Is the scale controllable?

2. What is the threshold setting designed for.

3. My metal detector shows silver coin on the chart, but it might be anything (lead to steel). What am I doing wrong.

Thanks for any input.

 

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[Longhair]

Thresold should be there, but barely audible. Disturbances in the threshold are metal whether they produce a tone or not. Since you want to hear it, you use it to teach you what speed you need to swing at each site, as well as an indication of deeper targets, and to hunt the perimeters of discriminated objects.

Target ID and depth indications are based on coin sized targets. So a larger deeper target can show up as a shallower smaller one

 

[Bart@Big Boys Hobbies]

The depth chart is gauge for coin sized objects. Although helpful its more of a guess. AUDIO AUDIO AUDIO!

 

[coyotebgone]

this machine doesnt sound any different for a nail than a coin. I can't tell any difference? Any idea on what nuances I should be listening for?

 

[liftloop]

them detectors can get the best of you
just wait till theirs one steady sound and slow down
you will hear it
it's not visual it the audio

I just love the loop weaving showing the target down their

my mxt will spit number as fast as you can swing or read
but it's all the sound

next single
fig-ger out how deep it is j
just stick what ever your digging with
pry back and forth twist
that should break the rusty single and the detector should read it the right way

plus it mite not want to pin point in the same spot
make sure your turning

try that before you stick the dagger


liftloop

 

[Longhair]

The pitch of the tone.
In Conductive Tone mode coins should produce a high tone and iron should produce a low tone.

If all they are doing is breaking the threshold tone, it's because you have them both discriminated out. In every mode except All Metal you will hear a break or null in the threshold tone whenever the coil passes over a discriminated object. This is important to avoid missing targets nearby due to masking. In All Metal the machine registers all objects so the threshold is only broken by tones.

Try passing the coil over the coin, and then press the Accept/Reject button to see if it accepts it and starts producing a nice high pitch tone.

 

[halfstep]

The pitch of the tone.
In Conductive Tone mode coins should produce a high tone and iron should produce a low tone.

If all they are doing is breaking the threshold tone, it's because you have them both discriminated out. In every mode except All Metal you will hear a break or null in the threshold tone whenever the coil passes over a discriminated object. This is important to avoid missing targets nearby due to masking. In All Metal the machine registers all objects so the threshold is only broken by tones.

Try passing the coil over the coin, and then press the Accept/Reject button to see if it accepts it and starts producing a nice high pitch tone.

I have my safari programs crossed saved so it reads in ferrous tones. This puts iron as low tones and coins at high tones.


As far as the id screen, it works pretty good in clean ground but if there is a lot trash, it will show numbers differently than the tone. The trash will interfere with the id reading.

Go by the tones and type of sounds. If you have a high tone, then cross sweep it and find exactly where it is. Then put your coil over it and lift the coil about 3 foot off the ground and then come back down on the target and slightly wiggle it. This will give you a more accurate id number. This will work most of the time unless their is trash within a few inches of the target.

Listen for the high tones and a short sharp repeatable sound. Cross sweep the target and find center. Put your coil right on top of it and wiggle. Then look at the depth gauge to see who deep it is.

If it is very trashy, I will discriminate a lot and just cherry pic for coins. I will block most of everything below 20. It may cost me a few nickels. It will block out gold as well but I will go back later and lower the discrimination and dig more targets. Since there are always a lot of pulltabs, it can drive you crazy and if you block them out, it will block out gold as well. But I will block them out and cherry pick for coins and silver first. Then when I go back, it makes it less complicated to search for other items. Finding rings or jewelry on beaches is a common thing but pretty rare in my neck of the woods. I mainly just coin shoot. The park here is loaded with trash and I haul out a lot of trash. Some places in the park are so trashy, you can't make head or tails unless you discriminate.

Rusty nails, beavertails tabs, bottle caps, steel nuts and lead can throw a high pitch sometimes. If you circle the target while you swing, it will change the tone and help you determine if you need to dig. Pennies can give a silver tone sometimes as well.

My depth gauge works great. Just make sure you are over the target with your coil on the ground and give the coil a wiggle. Just like the id screen, it will pick up on near by trash and throw the depth reading off sometimes. The is a common issue with any detector. It takes some time to learn how to operate and read the tones and sounds of the detector and to set the coil so it id's the target accurately.

Make a coin garden and learn the tones and sounds of different coins and also plant some beavertails and pulltabs to learn their tones and sounds as well. Once you learn the coin tones and sounds, it makes it a lot easier. Don't be afraid to use you discrimination to quiet down the detector until you learn the coins better. You can always go back later and lower the discrimination and dig more targets.

 

[dougofpa]

If this is your first machine..then it will be difficult for you in trashy areas...try not to "chase" every flute it makes..you need to listen for those high tones..or repeatable ones... there will be no break in this tone..depending how the coin is sitting in the ground...go slow and keep the coil close to the ground...you need to practice, practice, practice....it usually takes over 100 hours to become comfortable using it..this machine is all about listening to the tones....don't look at the screen while detecting....if you get a good repeatable tone...look at your screen and the number it gives you...then dig....try to remember these good tones and the number associated with it......it should help you out as you use the machine more.

Don't give up on this machine...its an excellent detector..everyone here pretty much answered your questions...I thought I would add my opinion since I swing a safari

Good luck..HH...if you have any more issues with it....post'em on here...I'm sure we will help you find the answers.

 

[lisfisher]

The depth bar is merely a guide to give you a rough estimate of how deep the target is, however, the variables here play a major role in the accuracy. You can have a can 12 inches down and your depth bar will tell you it is much shallower. Why? Because it's a large target with a signal so strong that it tends to override, or fool the depth gauge. On coins and other smaller targets I have found the gauge to be "somewhat in the general zone", but again, it is not designed to be 100% accurate, so you have to give it a window of a few inches in either direction.

The threshold is best left on auto { I believe the factory pre-set is 12 }, but once you get some experience with this machine, some users like to tweak it a bit and set it around 9 or 10.

As far as other metals showing up as silver, this is somewhat normal and there are again some variables here. I have had pennies that I dug on saltwater beaches that were ringing up as a solid 38 { silver zone } and the same pennies { whether they be all copper, zinc, or a mix } ring up as 34 and 35 inland. Something to do with all those salt encrusted minerals stuck to the pennies in wet sand. Learn your tones! Make a "test garden" with coins of all silver, clad and copper. Spread them out and listen to the different tones. There is a big learning curve with this machine. I've had mine for well over a year and still learning it. I would highly recommend Andy Sabische's book " The Minelab Quattro and safari handbook" - well worth the price. It gives in depth information and more detailed instructions / explanations that the factory user manual leaves out.