E-Trac air test

[WV62]

So it has been a couple of weeks and I haven't been able to get out and do any hunting, so last night I setup the E-Trac and air tested it on a silver dime.

I was really surprised that all I was getting was 7" on the dime. So the one silver dime I found a couple of weeks back at a depth of about 6" was just about at its limit. I made several setting changes, one at a time and I was still getting 7".

So when I got to the sensitivity which was set in Auto @ +3, I tried all the + and - numbers and my air test inches were all less than the +3. So I went to manual sensitivity and set it to max 30 and now I was getting 11" on the silver dime. I started backing down from 30 and made it to 28 and was still holding close to 11". At sensitivity 27 I got a drop but was still a little better than 10".

Any thoughts on the above, other than you don't believe in air testing.

Ron in WV

 

[IDXMonster]

I think that in manaual Sens you have about what you'd see in good ground with that air test. Any machine that uses a reference signal to track the ground such as the Minelabs may have funky results but from My useage,in good ground,you're right about in the park. I've also found that right around 27 is where more doesn't make much difference,so I try to keep it stable,sometimes as low as 18-20 in manual. I am almost certain that the machine will report a deeper target in Auto+3 in the ground than it will in an air test,they seem to fall off pretty fast without something to reference. Just my 2c,don't bet the farm on any of it...

 

[sprchng]

Maybe it's just an internet Minelab myth but I have read numerous times how FBS machines always seem to do poorly in air tests and then kick butowski in the field.
Since I don't really believe in air tests , I have never tried to do much air testing and my garage is an EMI minefield so it makes air tests unreliable anyway. I have heard few argue that manual sensitivities seem to go deeper than the same sensitivity in auto. My soil does not allow higher settings as above 22 to 24 in manual gets very unstable because of the iron/minerals.

In his testing of the etrac years ago Dankowski felt there was an unproportional increase in the linear sensitivity at a setting of 26.

 

[Dale(Ia)]

I don't know about air tests........& maybe my soil is different, but I run Auto+3 & I have dug dimes at more than 6-7".........many times! Just say'in....................

Iowa Dale

 

[WV62]

Air testing is just a method I use to compare different coils on the same detector. I only have the stock 11" coil for my E-trac so nothing to compare with, that is kind why I posted the question.
From the comments it sounds like I wasn't completely out in left filed with my testing and question.

I am thinking of giving manual sensitive a try on my next hunt, I have been running Auto +3 for the short time I have had my E-trac.

Thanks for all the comments,

Ron in WV

 

[WV62]

Well the wife went shopping and as soon as she cleared the driveway I loaded up the detector and headed into the park. Only found one clad dime and one wheat penny, but I did get a chance to try manual sensitivity.

I had it set on 27 when I got there, and hunted a half hour or so and thought this thing is still smooth just like like when I was running Auto +3. So I checked the setting and it was still on manual @ 27 so I went to 30 and it was still running smooth. No problems there.

Ron in WV