AT Max threshold

[andyb382005]

I keep reading about the AT Max threshold adjustment only being usable in the all metal mode. I called up Garrett and asked how and in what modes does the threshold work and work properly. I was told that the threshold works and can be adjusted in any mode on the Max. If you watch the training videos by Garrett the threshold info they give shows the Max in coin mode being adjusted and in custom mode being adjusted. Can someone explain why you would or wouldn't want to use the threshold setting in a certain mode or not? Neg threshold or pos threshold settings. I'm just trying to learn how to use my new AT Max as efficiently as possible. As a newbie I've learned most of what I know from the people on this forum. All the help is greatly appreciated.

 

[tarajudy]

I do not use any thresh hold at all. Why you ask?? Because I don't need any back round sound when hunting. I only hunt in 0 mode and it works fine for me. Yesterdays 5/10/20 produced 4.53 in change 1 SS EARING 1- 10 K RING. 9" DEEP
IN FRESH WATER LAKE. I only water hunt beaches. 47 years using GARRETT. deepest find NICKLE was 13 inches deep in 4 ft of water. Also I only use wired head phones because they never cut out........

SET YOUR DETECTOR UP IN WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU AND ONLY YOU DO NOT LISTEN TO ALL THE BS

 

[KindManTall]

I also heard you want a very slight hum .. That is to let you know the wireless phones are working / connected

 

[John-Edmonton]

Steve explains in simple terms how the threshold works at the 13:14 mark in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0-X8gtvl4w



[size=large]thresh·old[/size]
ˈ
THreSHˌ(h)ōld/
noun

[size=medium]ie - the magnitude or intensity that must be exceeded for a certain reaction, phenomenon, result, or condition to occur or be manifested.[/size]

 

[andyb382005]

I'd really like to know the reasoning behind using it in only all metal mode and why you say it only works in that mode. I'm sure you have a good reason I'm just not sure why. Again I'm new and just trying to understand it completely.

 

[Ozleif]

Audio threshold is the point where the User can just hear an audible steady sound emitted by the speaker in the detector or attached headphones.

All modes of the AT Max can run with threshold.

The reason for having an audible threshold when detecting is to be able to hear the subtle change often indicated by weak signals when detecting a very small or very deep target not indicated when running with no or negative threshold.

When gold prospecting or micro jewellery hunting on a dry sand beach a slight audible threshold is preferable for above reason.

Having an audio threshold when hunting on a wet salt water beach, is Not practical as the threshold sound become very unstable and unpleasant, there it is preferable to use just enough negative threshold to make the detector a pleasure to use.

Many VLF detectors of yesteryear when used on a salt water beach had to run with reduced sensitivity so as not to "chatter" needles to say it also reduced the depth of detection, so the beach PI detectors became popular as they were not affected by salt water minerals.

With the newer generation of VLF detectors such as the AT Max, we can run with negative threshold and increase the sensitivity to claw back some depth, still not as deep as a good PI detector made for beach hunting but we now have audio and visual discrimination that will eliminate a lot of wasted time and unnecessary digging.

 

[andyb382005]

Thanks Ozleif, I understood how threshold works but couldn't see any reason why you couldn't use it in the other modes. Specifically the benefit of slight neg. threshold instead of slightly lowering the sensitivity. Just dropping to -1 threshold sometimes helps a lot with noise with no loss in depth. I can see the bigger benefit of positive threshold with the low buzz in all metal mode to go deeper.

 

[MikeLab]

Turning down the threshold in noisy ground is like turning down the squelch control on a CB radio. The idea is to get the target sound to jump out at you. If the ground has lots of snap, crackle and pops, you can cut out a lot of that by turning down the threshold into the negative numbers. The All Metal mode is not the same as the other modes so you can't compare. The other modes filter out a large part of the signal that you can hear in All Metal mode.