SIGNAL QUESTION

[LDW65]

I just had a general question about signals. Often while scanning, I will get a signal once and then not get another one while scanning the same place, or it might be a different signal. Any ideas why?

 

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[Tin Nugget]

Most of the time it will be a target right on the edge of where you have your discrimination set. Turn the discrimination down and re-sweep it. Could also be a deep target or semi deep target on edge. If it happens allot it could be a ground balance issue. Sometimes a large iron piece can fool it for a moment and give you a positive signal. My first thoughts, I am sure there are other possibilities.

 

[Woody14]

What does that to me mostly are nails. The tips set my detector off on a frenzy of activity. Makes it look like I have from silver on down.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

"repeatability" is a tool to judge targets by. If you get a random beep, that won't repeat again no matter where and how you swing thereafter, it probably wasn't there to begin with, and you are just hearing flutter. Some machines audio's are just known for this, so users learn to interpret "repeatability" to their advantage.

But if what you're saying is that it repeats on way, but not when you turn 90* and sweep the other way, then there is possibly a rejected target nearby, in that direction of swing.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Just the nature of the beast. As Tom, Tin & Woody have said, it can be a phantom signal, a spot on the edge of any notch or discrimination you have set, a tiny bit of trash or junk iron. Possibly something large and deep or small and just on the limits of your detector's field. Can also be a bit of ferrite or magnitite in the soil, or an area of slightly more concentration of these minerals than the surrounding area. A bottle cap on edge will sometimes read better than it should (I suppose because it is round and the size detectors are designed to detect), but may not signal at all from the returning sweep.

Actually it's often good to get some falses. If you hear nothing you may be ground balanced wrong, have too little sensitivity or be discriminated/notched too heavily for conditions, or your detector may be off.

Also, we tend to lift the coil at either end of a sweep and can bump or skip the coil in the center and that can give a false, as can smacking saplings or tough weeds with the coil. Any time you move the coil aggressivly enough to make the coil connector wire move it may cause a signal (the field goes up AND down, and a moving copper wire in the field is fair game).