Holy EMI batman! Beware of the invisible fence!

[Phishfindr]

I received a 600 for Easter, and used it for the first time yesterday. I hit the beach, and kept to dry sand, as it is loaded with junk, and I want to start learning the tones. I spent a couple of hours with it on Beach 2, and it hit bottle caps, a deep beer can, one pull tab, and some bottle screw tops. I did manage 4 quarters, 2 dimes, and 2 pennies. I'm using my Z-Link wireless MS-3 headphones with the transmitter attached to the 600. It works great. Overall, I like the 600 for a variety of reasons so far.

Today I was at my sister-in-laws property expecting some decent relics from the back woods. To my amazement, when I turned on the machine, it went nuts. Numbers all over the place, would not settle down no matter what I tried. I even went back home (30 minutes away) to see if there was anything on the internet that might explain it. Thanks to a video tutorial, I found out how to do a factory reset, and it went back to normal. So I returned to my sister-in-laws.

Not to sound stupid, but as I stood on the edge of the woods, looked up for power lines or anything running to the house, and finding none, shutting off my cellphone, and finding no change, it finally hit me. As I scanned the edge of the lawn I see a tiny white flag. And then another. And then I see them everywhere. It's a freaking invisible dog fence that they just had installed!! I even brought out my AT Pro to see if the 600 was having some other kind of issue, and the Pro did the same thing.

On a side note, I got a chuckle when I put the 600 in All Metal for the first time. I hit the horseshoe symbol, and my first hit was....you guessed it...a horseshoe!

 

[Echoplex]

Since dog fences typically emit 7.5-10 kHz, so you should be able to use 5 or 15 kHz individually on the 600 with silence and possibly even max sensitivity.

 

[Phishfindr]

Since dog fences typically emit 7.5-10 kHz, so you should be able to use 5 or 15 kHz individually on the 600 with silence and possibly even max sensitivity.

Thanks for that tip. I was drawing a complete blank on how to quiet it down. I lowered the sensitivity A LOT but kept it on multi not knowing that single set to 5 or 15 would do it. It's going to take me a while to learn and understand this machine...

 

[parkgt]

Thanks for that tip. I was drawing a complete blank on how to quiet it down. I lowered the sensitivity A LOT but kept it on multi not knowing that single set to 5 or 15 would do it. It's going to take me a while to learn and understand this machine...

I have to remember to unplug mine when I head to the test garden; real easy to tell when I forget. I don't even try the other single frequencies.

 

[smokeythecat]

Going to a single higher frequency should do it.

 

[cudamark]

Thanks for that tip. I was drawing a complete blank on how to quiet it down. I lowered the sensitivity A LOT but kept it on multi not knowing that single set to 5 or 15 would do it. It's going to take me a while to learn and understand this machine...

How about just turning the fence off when you hunt?

 

[DizzyDigger]

Since dog fences typically emit 7.5-10 kHz, so you should be able to
use 5 or 15 kHz individually on the 600 with silence and possibly even max sensitivity.

Actually, buried dog fences use a variety of frequencies, depending on the
model. Some go as high as 600kHz, and others as low as 5kHz. There's
even a couple that operate in the FM band (88-108 MHz).

https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/kdb/forms/FTSSearchResultPage.cfm?id=20410&switch=P

Also, in the case of the 7.5 kHz, the first harmonic would be 15 kHz, right on top of
the operating freq. of the detector.

Just ask them to turn the dog fence off while you're detecting...solves all the potential issues.

 

[Phishfindr]

How about just turning the fence off when you hunt?

If it was my home, I certainly would have. Unfortunately, no one was home at the time to do so.

 

[flgliderpilot]

Since dog fences typically emit 7.5-10 kHz, so you should be able to use 5 or 15 kHz individually on the 600 with silence and possibly even max sensitivity.

Maybe, but 5 and 15 are harmonics of 7.5 and 10 so I have my doubts.

 

[lucky92]

When I turn my 800 on and I'm searching for my headphones it sets off my dogs wireless collar, which he doesn't find as amusing as I do.

 

[wingmaster]

Yep the invisible fence is bad for any detector and has a far reaching range, it doesn't matter what kHz you run it seems. All you can really do to help out is turn the gain way down but you will lose lots of depth. HH