what do you do when your metal detector picks up a lot of chatter?

hiyall

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Location
indiana, united states
Detector(s) used
garrett ace 150, Fisher F75
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
i use the fisher f75. basically in trashy areas, this thing is a chatterbox. i have iron discriminated out.

do you just move on to another area with less trash or try to get through it?

sometimes i would just try to go through the trash looking for the strong signals but the hobby becomes unfun really fast doing so. i will often just move along to an area with less trash.
 

Last edited:
Chatter due to EMI, turn down Sensitivity. Chatter due to lots of trash, Equinox.
 

when my bounty hunter does it i cuss it :laughing7:
 

You need to flip through the 7 freq's and pick a quiet one. Also just know that FA, JE, and BP processes are the most susceptible to EMI, you may have to reduce the sensitivity when you swing where EMI is prevalent when running these modes.
 

I normally run if FA mode using the NEL sharpshooter coil or the 5"DD when I hunt trashy areas. I only disc out 1-4, normally run sensitivity at 65 in town and maybe 90 when I am out in the country. In trashy sites I use 3 tone and less trashy areas I run 3H tones so nickels ring in as a high tone. The F75 LTD has been my main machine for 4 years now.
 

I must be doing something wrong. Neither my Cibola or Deus have that issue. I use factory settings mainly.
 

I dig almost everything in the woods, but have a different approach at schools, parks and ballfields. I notch out everything under 70 and don't worry about missing out on nickels or gold. That will get rid of all that aluminum chatter that's so annoying.

The odds are long to find gold at any given spot, so I'd much rather dig a lot of coins and silver. Just my way of looking at it, since it's just a hobby to me and not looking to get rich on the deal.
 

Don't be afraid on the F-75 to turn the discrimination way down; sometimes 30 or 35. And, like Loco said, try different frequencies. Sometimes there is a local source of EMI that is worse on some freq. than others. Some modes can be annoying and I find a lower tone is more tolerable. I cannot tolerate the "flutey" delta-pitch tones that are all different swooping notes. I usually run in 3H (nickels give a high tone).

Also check, if (outdoors) you ground balance and then hold the detector horizontal and shake it back and forth fast it should not false signal. And also tapping the coil with your hand (no ring or watch on) should not cause a false signal. If those do you might have a bad coil or connection. And make sure your coil wire is secure and not moving as you swing.

I noticed at one site for a day after it rained a nearby high-tension powerline would "sizzle" in the headphones.

And some places the groundskeepers just mow over cans and you are picking up targets. "X" the hits and lift the coil as sweeping and that helps narrow down good from trash.
 

When my machine is chattering too much i mentally tune it out. Its a skill i acquired while married to my first wife.
 

I just sent in my Teknetics 8500 for service because of too much EMI chatter and what I perceived as low sensitivity on buried targets. I couldn't detect in my back yard because of the chatter. I never had the issue with my other detectors in my yard. Now the power lines go through the back yard but they are your regular lines, not High-voltage transmission lines. If I was withing 100 feet of them, I couldn't really use the detector. Turning down the gain didn't help much and my deepest targets were about 4 inches. That's no fun.
 

EMI Filter.webp
Try using an EMI/RI filter. It clips around your coil cord just before it goes into the housing, I had to tie a rubber band below mine to keep it from sliding. It boasts a special lining inside of it that specifically blocks out the types of electromagnetic magnetic and radio interference that certain detectors are prone to --- i.e. "chatter." Additionally, it allows you to run higher sensitivity settings. I got mine on eBay and have been impressed with its performance. It's a really cheap fix investment!
HH
-spyguy
 

View attachment 1600021
Try using an EMI/RI filter. It clips around your coil cord just before it goes into the housing, I had to tie a rubber band below mine to keep it from sliding. It boasts a special lining inside of it that specifically blocks out the types of electromagnetic magnetic and radio interference that certain detectors are prone to --- i.e. "chatter." Additionally, it allows you to run higher sensitivity settings. I got mine on eBay and have been impressed with its performance. It's a really cheap fix investment!
HH
-spyguy

From everything I've read from the experts, don't add a ferrite bead to a detector. It does more bad then good.
 

"what do you do when your metal detector picks up a lot of chatter? "
I have the Garrett ACE 400 and it has frequencies that I can switch to.BUT I have found those frequencies
hardly ever stop the chatter.Thus I have to cut back on the sensitivity.That has always worked for me.
I don't like it,but it is what it is.
 

Just like Loco-Digger says, find your quietest frequency and adjust your sensitivity down (if needed) from there. -- Some places will have more RFI/EMI than others and some have tons of foil and iron trash, which add to the noise.

If you can't stand an area, and have tried everything, go ahead and move somewhere else if it is frustrating you, as MD'ing is supposed to be fun and relaxing. If the area is loaded with trash, maybe come back later with a small coil when your patience is higher, as you might be surprised what is hidden in trashy areas...
 

Also consider sending it in to Fisher for a DST upgrade. Push red button and trigger fwd while switching on. If screen displays 9.0 or 9.1 then you have DST already. Still some debate as to which one is actually on...ha ha Read the manual.

Chub
 

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