Are metal detectors behind their time ?

[bigfoot1]

I personally find that target id is as much a function of the particular coil as the machine the coil is on.An example...if I have my eliptical concentric on it is extremely accurate on coin ids and has little problem with bottle caps.If I switch to my DD than every bottle cap swears it is a coin,but I can work ironised soil and trashy areas better.

Interesting that the sunray probe on my trusty ol machine is almost always exactly correct on id running through same chip as main coil.It would appear that the size alone plays a role as all else is created equal on a given target.

I suppose it is what it is and perfect machines would actuall ruin this hobby as any fool(every fool)would have one and be sucessful.Nothing left for us that paid hard dues for what talent we posess.

 

[Frankn]

I personally find that target id is as much a function of the particular coil as the machine the coil is on.An example...if I have my eliptical concentric on it is extremely accurate on coin ids and has little problem with bottle caps.If I switch to my DD than every bottle cap swears it is a coin,but I can work ironised soil and trashy areas better.

Interesting that the sunray probe on my trusty ol machine is almost always exactly correct on id running through same chip as main coil.It would appear that the size alone plays a role as all else is created equal on a given target.

I suppose it is what it is and perfect machines would actuall ruin this hobby as any fool(every fool)would have one and be sucessful.Nothing left for us that paid hard dues for what talent we posess.

I think you are correct on your coil observations. The smaller coil, as in your SunRay is probably only over one target so it will be a more accurate reading, whereas a larger coil might be over more than one targets and this messes up the guess. The DD coil reads and picksup in different areas at the same time. That why it does not pinpoint as well, but separates better, but only if you understand what is going on down there. Frank...

 

[Alan Applegate]

This statement is ambiguous: Also each metal in the ground has its own resonate frequency, according to George Payne, and the closer you get the oscillators frequency to the particular target you are in search of, then that changes things in the view that you are looking toward.

It is true that all conductive material (metallic or otherwise) has a self-resonance point. However, because of the size of the objects we typically search for, their self-resonance point is well above the frequencies metal detectors operate in, even BFO ones.

What is happening in discrimination machines, is a measurement of a change in frequency and phase shift caused by the object. This signature is then compared to a know set of signatures. How the result is sent to the user varies, but it is typically a sound and/or display. Technically, it is even possible to build a discrimination process into a PI machine, but the same issue plagues all metal detectors—computing power! Thus, there are three very limiting factors which come into play—battery power, weight, and ultimately, the cost.

If we weren't worried about these factors, we could design and build a machine which used interferometry, which could almost literally read the date on a buried coin. But that day is a long way off, if ever, because of a lot of factors not in evidence. Not the least of which, is the fun of getting dirt under our fingernails!

 

[DirtDiggerDaveinMD]

Two words,

AT Pro

Sent from my expensive phone I really don't need

Are you saying the ATP is a bottle cap collectors dream machine?

 

[huntsman53]

Yes, I believe that they are behind the time and technology! In a time when ground penetrating Radar and Satellites can see well into the crust of the Earth, the Moon and other planets, I believe that MD technology could be far more advanced. The problem I see with companies producing such MD's is not only the cost of R&D, parts and production but also because of lower wages, being able to attract Engineers and Scientists with the knowledge to produce a highly technologically advanced MD. In this day and age, MD companies need to be thinking in 2 and 3 dimensional parameters, Quantum Physics and Mechanics and Radar Theory.


Frank

 

[Silver Searcher]

What is this coke you speak of?

Left over from coal fires, the cinder, when we used to have coal burning fires the cinders would be scattered onto fields and then ploughed in along with other rubbish, it ruins a field detecting wise.

SS

 

[MUD(S.W.A.T)]

I just don't see how a machine can't separate a silver quarter at 4" from a aluminum can at 12". How about telling a flat pull tab of any type from a circle shaped gold ring? It just seems like these things are sooo much different that any machine should be able to tell them apart easily... I own an AT pro its great at finding bottle caps but.... Coins are solid hits compared to bottle caps. Bottle caps on the AT pro will jump around much more than a silver coin or clad coin. This is good and bad... Sure you'll dig lots less bottle caps knowing this but you'll also skip more targets. A silver quarter will sometimes ring in choppy once in awhile so skipping those targets could be bad too.. I don't know it just seems like machines could be more accurate.

Thanks everyone for your comments !!
Keep @ it and HH !!