FERROUS DEPTH TEST FOR METAL DETECTORS HELP

[BIGALL42]

I can't seem to find any sources out there,that either ground test or air test metal detectors for ferrous metal detection. It would be nice to know how deep different metal detectors can go on picking up on ferrous metal objects. Anybody out there with any such info,I would surely appreciate hearing from you. Please give your make & model of your metal detector. Thanks for your time!

 

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[DDancer]

Welcome to the forum Bigall42,
Mayhap some of the relic hunters will share their thoughts on your question. As you've probably figured out most people are not looking for ferrous items. Detectors by and large are engineered to discriminate against ferrous material due to the fact its so prevalent in the environment. As to how deep any detector can find solid ferrous materials~ iron, steel nickel and such~ it will follow the same rules as any other material. Two things you may want to take into account if you want the best performance for such material are your ground balance, provided your machine is adjustable, and your sensitivity. More than likely you'll have to work in all metal mode with most machine's to get the best performance.

Ground balance is important because in its calibration your machine is negating the effects of ferrous material in the soil as well as salts. If you can adjust positive or negative of this balance you should be able to pick up ferrous material more easily but expect a lot of chatter. When I used a Gold Bug to hunt for black sands I would adjust for a slightly positive GB to enhance its reaction to larger deposits magnetite.

Increasing sensitivity helps with how deep your detector picks up targets. It can be detrimental in that if there are large interferences nearby~ radio tower, electrical utitlities ect...~ you'll have a lot of chatter. It will also increase chatter due to salts in wet conditions. I found this to be true with the Gold Bug, GTI2000 and 2500 as well as my current DFX.

On the question of depth Coil size and type of detector also come into play. You want deep Iron the best machines for that are PI units. By nature of their design they can adjust for good ground balance and are very sensitive to solid ferrous objects. I have a GP3000 and it loves iron. Coil size with either a VLF or PI will ultimately determine depth of search~ though, again, a PI will actually punch deeper than coil size for iron objects~ when taken into account GB and Sensitivity.

Just some thoughts for ya.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

bigall42, d-dancer has good and logical answer. I would add the following: You don't see any comparative charts like what you're looking for (for either ferrous or non-ferrous), because of the following reasons:

a) Because it is size relative. There's no one single "depth" on a certain type of metal. You have to have a size involved. Ie.: a coin-sized item ? A domino sized item? A soda can sized item? A volkswagon ? etc...

b) Even once you set a "standard" test (think you can test a variety of machines on the same target, and make a spread-sheet of comparative results), it's still speculative and arbitrary. Because to make it equal and fair, the tester has to have a relative sensitivity setting on each machine. And no two manufacturers have calibrated sens. level settings. Ie.: mid-way on the dial on one machine, may equate to 3/4 setting on another machine, and so forth.

c) And go figure: if you, for example, (to get a equal sens. testing benchmark basis) set each one on "maximum" sens, then .... seriously now .... there is no soil on earth that would be akin to testing through thin air. There's machines that can be made to do AMAZING air tests, but you can never replicate those results in the ground.

d) the point at which an object ceases to be heard in an air test (and ground tests), is also highly dubious . One person may insist "I still hear it" (because he hears a random flutter). While the other says "no, it's faded to the point of non-useful info". And subtleties like how fast you wave the target (or how slow) can make subtle differences on depth. And slight tilts in the object as you wave, etc.... And do you count one-way signals as "still being there" ?

Thus is the reasons you will never see a "Consumer reports" side-by-side comparison charts, like in the way you'd compare stereos, or television sets, or cars, etc...

 

[Frankn]

Why don't you get a bar of iron and test them yourself with an air test?

Ok here's mine from experience.
Whites XLT- 2' for license plate
Surfmaster PI- 4' for boat anchor
Hays 2 Box- at least 6' for a .50 cal metal ammo box.
Vibratector - 6" for a Prince Albert tobacco tin in a wall.

They may go deeper, but that is as far as I have gotten with them so far.
Frank...-