My new F5...difference between Gain and Threshold?

[Clay Slayer]

OK, so the gain increases the overall sensitivity of a weak signal. Does this mean the detector will take an intermittent signal and give a more solid sounding audible signal as you increase the gain?

Now, a higher threshold increases the audible volume of a target that would otherwise have a very low audible signal level, or none at all, and this allows you to hear a weaker signal without having to turn up the volume and have other solid targets blow your ears off?

Am I even close at describing those two features? It's a little confusing to me and I don't really understand how these two feature interact with each other. Any input is appreciated, thanks.

 

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[IBdiggin]

On my F70 I guess I look at sensitivity as being an adjustment of the strength of the signal being transmitted into the ground. It would be much like the dimmer switch in the lighting of a room only with signal strength instead of light brightness. The threshold, I once read, in the popular article called tips and tricks of the F5 was described as being more like a door or gate. Zero on the adjustment would represent the door being wide open. Minus numbers on the other hand would be closing that door an additional portion with each number down to a -9. Number above zero would be an amplification of the received signal strength an increased portion with each number up to a +9. The minus numbers in threshold also play a part in eliminating small trash targets that may or may not be causing false signals. Start by digging non jumpy reoccurring signals. Hope this helps-----IB

 

[snokid]

pretty much it...
gain is how sensitive it is. threshold is the difference between a weak signal and strong one...
here's what I do every time...
in all metal I turn the gain all the way up and the threshold up till it gets real chatty, then I ground balance, I like manual GB. now I turn down the threshold till it quiets down.
usually 90 or so on the gain, and anywhere from -2 to +2 on the threshold....

 

[Clay Slayer]

Thanks for the input!

 

[Youngster1972]

Clayslayer, are you using a 11" coil? If yes does your f5 show bottle caps as quarters? Thanks - Ed

 

[K1DDO1979]

Clayslayer, are you using a 11" coil? If yes does your f5 show bottle caps as quarters? Thanks - Ed

I'm no expert and I'm not sure on all 11" dd's but some do show bottle caps as quarters when your right over top of them but if you pull back and use the tip of your coil it should turn into a bad tone. A real quarter (silver anyway) will be a good tone the whole time.

 

[snokid]

it was late when I made my last post so now that I'm awake, I will try again.....lol
gain
this is how sensitive the machine is. Pretty simple. How much power is going into the ground....
Threshold
is how strong a signal has to be before the machine tells you about it. Think of it this way you set the machine for a threshold of 0 and you swing over something that's only a -2 your machine will remain quite but if you swing over something that's a +1 your machine will beep and let you know...

As far as bottle cap and quarter I haven't noticed that myself.... sometimes I get A.D.D. while hunting so I set the disc all the way up and clad dig, when I do that I never have gotten a bottle cap.....