E-Trac and 2TF

[lokkenpa]

For starters I would like to say that this might cause a heated debate or people to think that I don't know jack about this machine... I have had it only 18 months and I am always looking for ways to improve my hunting techniques and success... With degenerative joint disease (bad knee, back, ankle...), I need to make my recoveries count... Yes I know a fair amount of trash will be dug, but trying to cut down on this is my goal (if possible)...

I have just started playing around with 2 tone ferrous and have noted a couple of things. I have been using multi-tone conductive exclusively in the past. My biggest question is why do most of the E-Trac users think 2TF is better?

What I have noticed is that it has REALLY slowed me down, which I know is not a bad thing. But in comparison, it seems like I am going slower then molasses on a cold day. Also I have noticed that you must spend time really looking at the FE-CO numbers and from all the reading that I have done about the explanations of these numbers, that there is no "gospel" to go by in regards to being accurate for identification. Things will fluctuate and what works for one person in their part of the world will not work for another in a different part because of many different factors. This I know.

It seems to me that in multi-tone conductive, you can better identify a target better on sound

Currently in milti-tone conductive I am using a wide open quick mask screen to verify "iron" readings.

The other puzzling part of this equation... I thought that Minelab had pretty much flattened the signal line out to the "12" line. I know that there can be a little "bounce" in the FE numbers. Nickles elude me. There is another E-Trac user in the area that says he has found nickles as high as FE 26. A little bounce to me is +/- 5 or 6... Not 14... Ideas?

Here again, I ask why people think 2TF is better and how?

Thanks in advance!

Phil

 

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[Captn SE]

But in comparison, it seems like I am going slower then molasses on a cold day.

Let the amount of trash in the ground dictate your swing speed. If you've got lots of trash in the ground, you should be swinging at snail's pace in order to find the partially masked good targets. If there's very little trash in the ground, you can swing your coil at a faster pace. Still, the E-Trac, just like the Explorer series, is a machine that should be swung slowly and methodically in order to find those elusive targets that have been passed over by countless other detectorists who were swinging fast in the past.

Also I have noticed that you must spend time really looking at the FE-CO numbers

If this is the case, then you aren't using TTF properly, or the area which you are detecting at doesn't warrant the use of TTF. The thing about two tones is that you simply dig everything that's not iron, so there's no need to look at any numbers. High beep: dig. Low beep: move on. You need to be in an area that is loaded with iron, and you want to find and dig every non-ferrous target. Old homesteads, demolition sites, or farm fields, which typically are loaded with iron would be the place where TTF would be utilized with success. If you're in an area with lots of non-ferrous trash (aluminum, bottle caps, foil, pull tabs, zinc pennies, etc.), such as a blighted, turn of the century city park, then you're better off using Multi tones with Conductive sounds, and letting your ear be the judge whether you want to dig the non-ferrous target out of the ground or not.

HH,
CAPTN SE
Dan

 

[lokkenpa]

But in comparison, it seems like I am going slower then molasses on a cold day.

Let the amount of trash in the ground dictate your swing speed. If you've got lots of trash in the ground, you should be swinging at snail's pace in order to find the partially masked good targets. If there's very little trash in the ground, you can swing your coil at a faster pace. Still, the E-Trac, just like the Explorer series, is a machine that should be swung slowly and methodically in order to find those elusive targets that have been passed over by countless other detectorists who were swinging fast in the past.

Hehehe... I was referencing the fact that its making me go slower then the snails pace already...

Also I have noticed that you must spend time really looking at the FE-CO numbers

If this is the case, then you aren't using TTF properly, or the area which you are detecting at doesn't warrant the use of TTF. The thing about two tones is that you simply dig everything that's not iron, so there's no need to look at any numbers. High beep: dig. Low beep: move on. You need to be in an area that is loaded with iron, and you want to find and dig every non-ferrous target. Old homesteads, demolition sites, or farm fields, which typically are loaded with iron would be the place where TTF would be utilized with success. If you're in an area with lots of non-ferrous trash (aluminum, bottle caps, foil, pull tabs, zinc pennies, etc.), such as a blighted, turn of the century city park, then you're better off using Multi tones with Conductive sounds, and letting your ear be the judge whether you want to dig the non-ferrous target out of the ground or not.

This is one of the better explanations on when and how to use this option. I have tried it in parks that have been hammered to try and get that last target that might be masked by iron. This is also indicating that what I think is a snails pace may, in reality, not be...

Dan, thanks for the info. I have new things to try out!

Phil

 

[Dano Sverige]

" My biggest question is why do most of the E-Trac users think 2TF is better? "

Should be:

" My biggest question is why do most of the American E-Trac users think 2TF is better? "

 

[Woodland Detectors]

" My biggest question is why do most of the E-Trac users think 2TF is better? "


No nulling and constant target report to help better separate targets from trash.

 

[FooserPaul]

For starters I would like to say that this might cause a heated debate or people to think that I don't know jack about this machine... I have had it only 18 months and I am always looking for ways to improve my hunting techniques and success... With degenerative joint disease (bad knee, back, ankle...), I need to make my recoveries count... Yes I know a fair amount of trash will be dug, but trying to cut down on this is my goal (if possible)...

I have just started playing around with 2 tone ferrous and have noted a couple of things. I have been using multi-tone conductive exclusively in the past. My biggest question is why do most of the E-Trac users think 2TF is better?

What I have noticed is that it has REALLY slowed me down, which I know is not a bad thing. But in comparison, it seems like I am going slower then molasses on a cold day. Also I have noticed that you must spend time really looking at the FE-CO numbers and from all the reading that I have done about the explanations of these numbers, that there is no "gospel" to go by in regards to being accurate for identification. Things will fluctuate and what works for one person in their part of the world will not work for another in a different part because of many different factors. This I know.

It seems to me that in multi-tone conductive, you can better identify a target better on sound

Currently in milti-tone conductive I am using a wide open quick mask screen to verify "iron" readings.

The other puzzling part of this equation... I thought that Minelab had pretty much flattened the signal line out to the "12" line. I know that there can be a little "bounce" in the FE numbers. Nickles elude me. There is another E-Trac user in the area that says he has found nickles as high as FE 26. A little bounce to me is +/- 5 or 6... Not 14... Ideas?

Here again, I ask why people think 2TF is better and how?

Thanks in advance!

Phil

It is just another tool... In Multi Conductive... Can you tell the difference between 32/44 and 12/44... nope... so in an area with DEEP iron you spend a pretty fair amount of time decerning that you are hearing... by rotating the audio 90 degrees and listening based on Ferrous... that 32/44 is a thud and you keep swinging...

TTF is NOT for site with modern shallow trash... at least for me... TTF allows me to weed through the trash and pick out the goodies that I and other have passed by...

I love using it when appropriate and it has helped me find more goodies :-)

Check out Goes4evers article: http://goes4ever.mymdforum.com/minelab-etrac/

Just my humble 2 cents...

Paul

 

[Born2Dtect]

Every answer on this topic is right on the point. This is possibly the best answered thread I have read on TNET. I tried TTF last weekend. Took a little getting used to but after digging about 20 targets I started trusting it . Did not even check the numbers on the growls just high tone. Dug everything FE 11 and higher (about the 12 line and up). All good finds came in at FE 11-13. I also thought I was slowing down, it had more to do with the two tones and the Relic pattern setting the response to smooth. I found that I liked it better when I put the Smart Find Digital screen the main screen and let the Discrimination Pattern in the smaller upper screen. This made the numbers larger and easier to view. I also adjusted the contrast to see what that would do and found I like a number lower than I have been using for over a year.

Ed D.

 

[lokkenpa]

Thanks for all the replies!!! The waters are now clear as mud... Just need to keep playing with it and using it more in the tear down sites and homesteads then the parks... Thats where I started trying it... Soooo....

Phil

 

[Beercanman]

Everyone is right on. I only use tt ferrous at sites where I have found good really old finds and have hunted them out in multi. It works because you will notice signals that sounded like iron falsy squalls in the past. I think never look at the number.
However, a subject that's is rarely debated is to run wide open or with discrimination. I hadn't found a signal that wasn't detectable in both open ttf and discrim multitone until recently I found a large cent that gave me a blip in discrim ttf. It was a largy that had jumpy pulltab numbers. My discrim I just took the coin mode and extended the bottom by 5 lines or so. I repeat all I got was low through the open ttf prog. The multi all I got was null. Next to the hole was 4 square nail remnants. Anyone else have any results? Also use long signal. This proves to me with ground difficult, trash high, and recover fast, that the processor is actually analyzing and detecting frequencies you would not hear otherwise. In other words if you don't discrim it the detector won't look for the possibility that it is not what it first appears to be or is hiding something is close proximity.

 

[Goes4ever]

The more I use TTF the more I love it for old nickels....I have this tiny OLD park close to my work, a place I can get a short hunt in when I am pressed for time. This place is almost clean of silver, wheats, and even most clad. BUT it has a LOT of iron left and of course old nickels. Amazes me how people are too lazy to dig nickel signals, because they are scared to dig some trash. However in TTF I find old nickels every trip there, so far I have found 9 buffalos and 5 silver war nickels there and a boatload of older jefferson's....it just seems like with the screen wide open, nickels come in loud and clear.

 

[sniffer]

I'm just starting to understand some things about my etrac and I'll be using this info for more finds. thanks