I just broke down and purchased my first detector... a DFX. been wanting one for years... and all the research got me here.... lol. Well i have hunted with it over the weekend and have noticed not once was the depth correct... i keep getting readings of 4-6" and when digging it is just below the sod. i am running it just on the grass blades in pinpoint mode... and just wanted to know if anyone else is having the same. I did have a couple readings show up 10 and 12" and ended up finding foil at about 7-8"... so at least i am figuring it is running about 3-4" off.
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DFX depth never right
- Thread starter bgpark1
- Start date
It is not 3-4 inches off. First it is just a signal strength meter and second it is only calibrated for coin sized objects. I also is calibrated to the stock 9.5 inch coil. So small tin foil will read deeper than it is and a can will be deeper than it reads. The meter reads the total distance to the target,the distance in the ground and the air under the coil. When I hunt in a school yard it is nothing for the grass to be 3 to 4" thick.
Rob
Rob
Jim McCulloch
New member
It has to be realized that depth reading is calibrated for dime-sized targets. Targets larger or smaller will read closer or deeper, respectively. A flattened aluminum can buried 18" deep may read out as "3 inches," whereas a .22 caliber lead slug at buried 3" deep may read out as "& inches deep." Don't get discouraged, just keep at it. HH jim
Tin Nugget
New member
At least they are trying to help him instead of chastising him!
I am more than willing to help him too! But that is awfully strong to say the readings are never accurate! If anything accuracy in readings and pinpointing is one extreme point that even former dfx users that jumped to explorers have mentioned. Also why not post in a different way on the dfx forum and ask for some help????
RayB Fort Worth
New member
n/t
first,do you have VCO turned on? If not you may want to turn this feature on. When pinpointing you must have the coil centered over the target, even being off an inch or two will change the reading. Another thing that has been mentioned is that all detectors that give depth reading are designed to read coin size objects. Any object larger or smaller will corrupt the accuracy of the response. For the present you may want to keep Ratchet Pinpointing on as this combined with repeated sweeps over the target will shrink the the target response. I find the 950 coil to be very precise when pinpointing and the DFX to be about the best of any detector I have used. What I think you may want to do is calm down, practice, and learn the unit. Are you still running the factory programs? If not I suggest you do. If you are then simply try practicing with a coin on the ground surface with the coil a few inches above the ground and with your eyes closed work on centering the target before opening your eyes.
Pap
Pap
OUCH!! the reason i posted this is to find out if i have a problem with the machine. I did practice all weekend... 4-5 hours each day... and it was very accurate in pinpointing objects (isolating them to the center of my standard coil)... that was easy. I also used the standard settings of coin, coin&jewelry, jewelry/beach, High trash, and pro. All of which seemed to work very well locating objects (too well i cleaned more trash from the ground then anything saving all those feet at the beach).. just kidding i know i am suppose to remove all items and did... don't want to set anyone off.
But regardless of which program i used it was always saying the object was deeper then it really was... VDI always came up accurate... coins showed as coins. I just wondered if i should keep the coil further off the ground for better depth readings or if sweeping it along the ground level skiming the grass was proper (vidoes show people swinging 6-8 off ground).
Just looking for insight from users... been reading forums and extras all weekend... and thank those of you that gave me pointers... i will try those tonight.
But regardless of which program i used it was always saying the object was deeper then it really was... VDI always came up accurate... coins showed as coins. I just wondered if i should keep the coil further off the ground for better depth readings or if sweeping it along the ground level skiming the grass was proper (vidoes show people swinging 6-8 off ground).
Just looking for insight from users... been reading forums and extras all weekend... and thank those of you that gave me pointers... i will try those tonight.
Larry (IL)
Well-known member
It is possible that your DFX is not calibrated correctly. I have never seen one that was off that much, so it is not likely. Do you know someone with a DFX or have been hunting for a while to take a look at it? Maybe a local dealer? Is there a local detecting club? You can send it to White's and have it checked out too although I know that is the last thing you probably want to do. Most of the guys here are just trying to help, just remember that the depth is from the bottom of your coil to a coin sized target and you are correct to keep the coil as close to the ground while hunting without causing interference. Every inch your coil is above the ground is an inch of depth loss in the ground. If you still have problems, send me a PM with your phone # and I will give you a call. Good luck.
maybe it just came out wrong...but for those using a dfx believe me it did not sound right! Some basics I would try air test and field test different items. Readings even with my small coil are almost exact. remember the problem could be many things...from masking (you may be picking up two targets at once) possibly one good one bad. Also could a second target is deeper. I have dug right past pull tabs and popped a lot of my coins. Larry as he mentioned is more then willing to help and if you stop in the dfx forum you will get a ton of suggestions...good luck! Hopefully nothing is wrong maybe you were getting some type of falsing...maybe from emi...could be coil could be detector...could be defective user<<<
just kidding but someone will cry about it!
When I first got my dfx I thought wow this is crazy!
Give it time grasshopper, if it is not working properly have it fixed but try the air/ground tests. Make sure you pinpoint switch is not pushed forward not sure if you have a second coil to try...battery properly charged??? Try a quick system reboot...take battery out while detector is on..wait a minute put back in and see...Could be something but your readings should not be off more than .5 inch....
just kidding but someone will cry about it! When I first got my dfx I thought wow this is crazy!
Give it time grasshopper, if it is not working properly have it fixed but try the air/ground tests. Make sure you pinpoint switch is not pushed forward not sure if you have a second coil to try...battery properly charged??? Try a quick system reboot...take battery out while detector is on..wait a minute put back in and see...Could be something but your readings should not be off more than .5 inch....clondike clad
Member
I had one and it was on the mark.
You need to learn the detector and plant a test garden.
Go to www.firstontop.com and look at my test gardan.
THE KEY IS TO LEARN THIS DETECTOR IT IS A TOP END UNIT.
THE DEPTH IS SET FOR US COINS IN CLEAN DIRT AND THE COIN ARE FLAT IN THE GROUND.
THE DFX WIL TAKE SOME TIME TO LEARN.
ONE OF THE BEST COIN DETECTOR ON THE MARKET.
I use MY XL PRO 99% OF THE TIME FOR COINS.
THAT WAS THE ONLY REASON I SOLD MY DFX.
You need to learn the detector and plant a test garden.
Go to www.firstontop.com and look at my test gardan.
THE KEY IS TO LEARN THIS DETECTOR IT IS A TOP END UNIT.
THE DEPTH IS SET FOR US COINS IN CLEAN DIRT AND THE COIN ARE FLAT IN THE GROUND.
THE DFX WIL TAKE SOME TIME TO LEARN.
ONE OF THE BEST COIN DETECTOR ON THE MARKET.
I use MY XL PRO 99% OF THE TIME FOR COINS.
THAT WAS THE ONLY REASON I SOLD MY DFX.
Inaccurate depth can be because of several reasons. Here is a list of the most usual;
1. Like Larry said, the calibration can be off. A lot of DFXs' come messed up from the factory sometimes.
2. Depth really is a relative term. Most people don't realize it, but they don't take into account other factors-like if you are detecting a grassy area. The detector may say 5 inches, but you dig only 4. The grass counts as an inch. There also may be night crawler bumps, etc.
3. Depth is measured, as someone said for coin-sized objects.
4. A normal work-around is to lower or raise you DC sens. That it the simplest and best IMHO idea.
5. A defective coil or loose cable can also cause this problem.
6. You will note-DFX-Gregg is how should we say....a little defensive about his detector of choice. Some on some other boards have been downright rude to him. He is a good guy.
7. I would think (without playing with it) that the problem is due to a defection in the coil or the internals. Try the DC sense thingy and let us know if it worked. This will compensate for factory mishaps in this area.
HH!
Todd
1. Like Larry said, the calibration can be off. A lot of DFXs' come messed up from the factory sometimes.
2. Depth really is a relative term. Most people don't realize it, but they don't take into account other factors-like if you are detecting a grassy area. The detector may say 5 inches, but you dig only 4. The grass counts as an inch. There also may be night crawler bumps, etc.
3. Depth is measured, as someone said for coin-sized objects.
4. A normal work-around is to lower or raise you DC sens. That it the simplest and best IMHO idea.
5. A defective coil or loose cable can also cause this problem.
6. You will note-DFX-Gregg is how should we say....a little defensive about his detector of choice. Some on some other boards have been downright rude to him. He is a good guy.
7. I would think (without playing with it) that the problem is due to a defection in the coil or the internals. Try the DC sense thingy and let us know if it worked. This will compensate for factory mishaps in this area.
HH!
Todd
Depth reading as has already been said is for a coin size object when the stock coil is used at the correct height above the ground.
His readings are always to high as it sounds like he is almost brushing the ground. Better performance is normally achieved with motion machines with the coil being swept an inch or two off the ground (more if extreme mineralisation). With the old non motion TR and IB machines scrubbing the ground with the coil was employed but nowdays its recognised that the coil if to near the ground will pick up to high a ratio of ground effect in relation to the response of a small target.
When there's no ground effect say over dry sand or chalk then you can sweep as low as you want but as the ground mineralisation increases then keeping the coil higher can improve performance.
His readings are always to high as it sounds like he is almost brushing the ground. Better performance is normally achieved with motion machines with the coil being swept an inch or two off the ground (more if extreme mineralisation). With the old non motion TR and IB machines scrubbing the ground with the coil was employed but nowdays its recognised that the coil if to near the ground will pick up to high a ratio of ground effect in relation to the response of a small target.
When there's no ground effect say over dry sand or chalk then you can sweep as low as you want but as the ground mineralisation increases then keeping the coil higher can improve performance.
I believe you misunderstood the original post. I agree with everything you said when it comes to searching for an object and the accuracy of the target i.d., but that has absolutely no validity that I know of when it comes to the accuracy of the dc readings (in pinpointing mode), as per the original question, as the ground has already been measured and locked into program, unless he has the track inhibit turned off. Either way, ground minerization is irrelevent for several reasons;
1. Autotrack.
2. Track inhibit.
3. Target i.d. and depth are measured against factory presets for known values.
4. Depth accuracies/inaccuracies do not rely on ground mineraliztion. They are measured by dc oscillation, according to signal strength, which, of course has absolutley nothing to do with mineralization.
5. "...while too high of readings (indications of greater depth than actual) while in the pinpinting mode may be corrected simply by lowering your dc sensitivity."---quote by Mark D. Rowan, author and lead engineer of said detector.
You can, of course, get a better target i.d. in some circumstances by lifting the coil slightly off the ground, but again the ground effect, to my knowledge has nothing to do with pinpointing depth readings. I would be very curious to where you obtained such information regarding pinpointing an object in non-motion mode (dc-not ac). My response has been obtained through various sources, including Mark Rowan, experience as a dealer and professional treasure hunter for the past 20 years and my distributor. If I am misundersatanding something here, I need updated information and will be happy to pass that info along to my distributor and Whites.