~ A Test For Your Machine That Is Really Worthwhile ~

[SanMan]

~ A Test For Your Machine That Is Really Worthwhile ~

*​

This doesn't require much in the way of materials.

Two sticks of gum, with the foil in place,....
and a few targets that are common finds for your local.
ie: a copper penny, a silver dime, a zinc penny, a nickel, etc.


You lay down the target, and to it's left you put a stick of gum,
and to it's right as well.

The start point is 4" separation. 4" of free space between the objects.

Set up your machine as you normally would.
Sweep at a normal speed, coil centered, over the three objects.

"Were you able to hear all three signals?"
Depending on your discrimination settings you may have cut out the foil.

Get this, "Some machines are "Blind" to all three objects"

As I said, 4" is the starting point. Move the sticks of gum closer to the target.

Say, 3" separation.

Sweep normally, sweep fast, sweep slow,.....

What do you observe?

Keep varying the distance between the objects, vary your settings, vary your sweep speed.

Try different targets,........

Your looking for, "how close can a junk target be to a good target,.. before the overlap
blanks out the good target. Machines that have very fast recovery times have an
advantage here. But there are all the variables to consider. The discrimination circuit
of the machine, the frequency, etc.


Try a wedding band for a target, will your machine knock out the foil and signal on the ring?
How about a silver ring?


The test gives you some insight as to how your machine responds to adjacent junk targets.

You can substitute the sticks of gum for trash targets common to your area.
(screw caps, pull tabs, juice boxes, etc.)


This test gives you an education, for the price of a couple a sticks of gum.




Credit to "Larry Woolis"




SanMan

 

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[cudamark]

Air tests just go so far in testing. You add whatever soil matrix you'll be dealing with (or water composition) and targets at different planes, and you'll get a variety of results with the same machines. As you mentioned, you add various frequencies and recovery speeds, and results will be all over the board.

 

[SanMan]

Air tests just go so far in testing. You add whatever soil matrix you'll be dealing with (or water composition) and targets at different planes, and you'll get a variety of results with the same machines. As you mentioned, you add various frequencies and recovery speeds, and results will be all over the board.

You're 100% right.

The "Variables" are endless.

This test is an experiment along the lines of masking.
And some insight into how your machine discriminates.
How does a particular machine sort out mixed targets.
How close is too close for trash?, what is tolerable?

How well does your machine "Separate".


Of course the objects are on the top of the ground,.....

It would be interesting to compare different machines to see how they differ.

 

[docweiser]

Processing - for example, take a target, no matter what but let's in this case say it's made of a metal. I want to shoot that target and take the information received and produce on a display the view from above the target even though our shot is in the horizontal, processing.

 

[Normsel]

I never do air tests and anyone that has done a lot of detecting will tell you sometimes even good target lying on top of the ground you will miss on the 1st pass of a grid hunt. Rarely do I ever get a signal from foil unless I am using a gold setting. Heck I rarely ever dig a tab in the nickel range because I can pick up the subtle difference in the sound between a tab and a nickel.

 

[cudamark]

I never do air tests and anyone that has done a lot of detecting will tell you sometimes even good target lying on top of the ground you will miss on the 1st pass of a grid hunt. Rarely do I ever get a signal from foil unless I am using a gold setting. Heck I rarely ever dig a tab in the nickel range because I can pick up the subtle difference in the sound between a tab and a nickel.

That may be a valuable talent in a junky urban park, but, jewelry, especially gold, can also be right in that same sound and I.D. range. At the beach, or an old home site, it just doesn't matter, you just scoop/dig it to be sure.

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

Thanks!
Sounds like a REAL test for our machines...!
Coil difference sizes, a types, can be a determiner in separation, also.
But, testing in a controlled situation, is a way to learn about each machine you own...!!!!
And, SANMAN, you sure own a LOT of machines...!

 

[SanMan]

Thanks!
Sounds like a REAL test for our machines...!
Coil difference sizes, a types, can be a determiner in separation, also.
But, testing in a controlled situation, is a way to learn about each machine you own...!!!!
And, SANMAN, you sure own a LOT of machines...!

Thanks,.....

But, Like Normsel pointed out, today's machines make it clear what's in the ground.
There isn't any second guessing.

That test is geared more toward older machines.

Oh yeah, I have a few machines, and a few more since that picture was taken.

Best hobby on earth.

 

[Tpmetal]

Rarely do I ever get a signal from foil unless I am using a gold setting. Heck I rarely ever dig a tab in the nickel range because I can pick up the subtle difference in the sound between a tab and a nickel.

you are passing good targets then...... I don't care how good you think you are, trash can sound like treasure and treasure can sound like trash.

 

[Discriminator]

I've been out of pocked for a couple of years and am in the process of re-learning my DFX. Like all toys...I look at the new stuff and ask if there is really any discernible difference....where it counts....for the cost involved. Thoughts? I recognize SanMan has been on this forum a long time and has loads of experience (I also recall you hated the AT Pros back then..) - what say you?

I'm looking at the V3I (really, thought - that's a lot of money for mostly pull tabs..), after tweaking the DFX no-end, I like the look of the F75 feature mix, and after helping a friend get his Minelab excalibur 1000 going, I am anything but impressed with there construction and support. Thousand-dollar detectors that routinely get defeated by pull-tabs (I fail to understand why someone just can't throw their trash away...) has to make you wonder...

SanMan - thoughts?