Understanding Threshold Types

[bigscoop]

Per request, I've reposted this video explaining the different threshold types. This information will also apply to other makes of machines as well. This is an older video and my remarks about the effectiveness of the smaller coil towards the end of the video have since proven true. Anyway, as you will see in the video, a true threshold is what allows us to maximize our depth, and quite often considerably. Hope this video helps!

 

[oldkoot]

Per request, I've reposted this video explaining the different threshold types. This information will also apply to other makes of machines as well. This is an older video and my remarks about the effectiveness of the smaller coil towards the end of the video have since proven true. Anyway, as you will see in the video, a true threshold is what allows us to maximize our depth, and quite often considerably. Hope this video helps!

 

[oldkoot]

Great explanation about the differences between a Reference threshold and a true or live threshold @bigscoop

 

[bigscoop]

Great explanation about the differences between a Reference threshold and a true or live threshold @bigscoop

I wish all detectors had the three tone recognition true threshold like that on the Minelab Excal. A user could/can actually turn off his target volume and still hunt with a fair amount of discrimination at great depths with just that threshold. It's truly amazing.

 

[HistoryHunter22]

easily one of the best videos ive watched that i actually understand!!! few questions. first, sounds like the nox and legend run same sort of threshold? both using only true threshold in gold mode correct? and the last bogger question. if im understanding correctly, with truethreshold on, im really listening and digging for the threshold breaks even with no beep or vdi registry?

 

[bigscoop]

easily one of the best videos ive watched that i actually understand!!! few questions. first, sounds like the nox and legend run same sort of threshold? both using only true threshold in gold mode correct? and the last bogger question. if im understanding correctly, with truethreshold on, im really listening and digging for the threshold breaks even with no beep or vdi registry?

A true threshold will still break on targets that are either too small or too deep to produce a strong enough target signature.

Even with target signature one will notice that this signature becomes less and less reliable as the target moves further and further away from the coil, the return strength gradually growing weaker and weaker until it can no longer produce a strong enough return.

However, a true threshold still knows that the target is there and it can even tell you as much long after the return has grown too weak to trigger a target tone.

Of course this doesn't really help us much on properties where we have to show restraint in our recovery efforts. But at other locations where we can dig with little to no restraints we can recover targets at some incredible depths.

 

[bigscoop]

easily one of the best videos ive watched that i actually understand!!! few questions. first, sounds like the nox and legend run same sort of threshold? both using only true threshold in gold mode correct? and the last bogger question. if im understanding correctly, with truethreshold on, im really listening and digging for the threshold breaks even with no beep or vdi registry?

As you noticed in the video, and while in the disc mode, I was still receiving only threshold breaks with no target signature information at all. I was getting no target tone and no VDI because the returns were too weak to produce an actual target signature.

*** However, “I was still getting a target signature from the threshold, and because I had iron notched out, I know that signature is coming from a non-ferrous metal, and not iron.”

Now it could be an old coin, a deep pull-tab, or any other item that is made of a non-ferrous metal so where do we go from here?

Me, first I switch to all metal because my recovery speed becomes instantaneous and often times I can even get an actual target signature and VDI because the all metal mode functions without any restrictions or limitations. So here I can get a much better feel for the actual size and depth of the target, and even if I'm getting clipping to do to a mashed target situation, etc. Most often this provides me with enough additional target information, sometimes it still isn't.

So, from this point, whenever I can dig unrestricted, such as on a beach, I'll scoop out enough sand until I can get my coil into the hole, thus getting it closer to the target until I start getting a reliable target signature. (The closer I can get the coil to the target then the stronger the returns.)

This is how detecorist gain access to those really deep targets that others swing right over.

**** Another tip here, if an item is laying at an angle in the ground or if it is oddly shaped, your target signature (and/or VDI) will be erratic but never dipping into the iron, or perhaps just slightly so. Those old badly corroded shield pennies will do this, per example. The two old Indian Head pennies I recovered yesterday did this same thing. Some jewelry items will do this because they are oddly shaped, etc.

 

[pepperj]

Good video explanation on the threshold.

In getting a weak TB(threshold break) sounding target do you break (scratch) the soil surface by an inch or so?
(Urban lawn setting this doesn't work well)
Does this improve the signal strength?

In using machines over the past decade and half it seems to really brighten up a lot of questionable signals.

I used to use threshold on previous machines but seemed have strayed away once going to the Dues series.

Notching out iron/turning the discrimination level up from what my limited knowledge being is 2 different things.

So if you have a non-ferrous and a ferrous target in very close proximity of each other does the notching work?

I have read on having a high discrimination level the machine will discriminate out the iron and not have the processing capability of seeing the non-ferrous.

In the Explorer series I had basically opened it up and detected with zero discrimination-and with a threshold.

 

[cudamark]

A couple of questions.....how much do you think the difference in frequency mix affected the results between Park 2 and Gold 2? Also, why did you pick those two modes instead of say Park 1 and Gold 1? I'm also curious if larger coils have the same relative reaction.

 

[bigscoop]

Good video explanation on the threshold.

In getting a weak TB(threshold break) sounding target do you break (scratch) the soil surface by an inch or so?
(Urban lawn setting this doesn't work well)
Does this improve the signal strength?

In using machines over the past decade and half it seems to really brighten up a lot of questionable signals.

I used to use threshold on previous machines but seemed have strayed away once going to the Dues series.

Notching out iron/turning the discrimination level up from what my limited knowledge being is 2 different things.

So if you have a non-ferrous and a ferrous target in very close proximity of each other does the notching work?

I have read on having a high discrimination level the machine will discriminate out the iron and not have the processing capability of seeing the non-ferrous.

In the Explorer series I had basically opened it up and detected with zero discrimination-and with a threshold.

Well, that's a lot of questions/subjects. As per those threshold breaks, and "whenever appropriate" I will I'll do whatever it takes to get the coil closer to the target if switching to All Metal won't bring better returns.

 

[bigscoop]

A couple of questions.....how much do you think the difference in frequency mix affected the results between Park 2 and Gold 2? Also, why did you pick those two modes instead of say Park 1 and Gold 1? I'm also curious if larger coils have the same relative reaction.

I rarely, if ever, use anything but gold modes with the Equinox in my region of the country. I just use them in my videos sometimes as a convenience or when making comparisons.

Also, I'm never at the beach, park, or in the water with any single prioritized target in mind. I know guys who solely detect for just silver coins, or just gold rings, etc. But I'm always in search of all of those things, of every shape and size and every variety. So prioritizing frequencies isn't in my best interest.

As per coil sizes, what we're really talking about are search field sizes and in my experience having used, tested, and played around with them all very little remains relevant once we start increasing and decreasing search field sizes in all but the cleanest and unmineralized of ground.