Excal Newbie Threshold Tone Question

[alienbogey]

Okay, I think I found the answer to this, but I want to confirm it.

Is it correct that the Threshold tone sounds at the pitch of the last target signal?

This has been driving me crazy, because I want to establish a nice, steady, faint threshold, but it will vary between a higher hum and a lower pitch sort of buzz. Typically, when I turn it on and adjust the controls, I'll get the higher pitch hum, which I prefer, but then it will switch to the lower buzz, then after a while switch back, then back again, then back and forth, etc etc etc.

I thought something was wrong with my brand new machine.

I got in the habit of switching to Pinpoint to get the higher pitch threshold, then swinging in Discriminate until it dropped down, then quickly to PP and back to Disc to re-establish the higher pitched threshold.

I searched and searched through many forum posts, until I saw someone mention, rather as an aside, that the threshold will remain at the pitch of the last target detected when in Disc. Is that true?

If so, that explains it, and it sure would have been nice to have the owner's manual state that (unless I missed it, though I've been through and through it).

Thanks in advance.

 

[tvr]

Is it correct that the Threshold tone sounds at the pitch of the last target signal?

Yes

If it settles at an annoying, just coming out of null iron growl, a sweep of the scoop past the coil will bring it into a more pleasant (for me at least) tone to listen too.
Cheers,
tvr

 

[John(Tx)]

n/t

 

[Critterhunter]

You may hate it now, like many do, but once you get used to it you'll find it one of the more deadly aspects of the Sovereign or Excalibur. It'll stop you in your tracks to take a step back and re-check and area to see what caused that threshold change. Now I don't know if I can get used to not having it on another machine. Some people with certain high or low freq hearing problems might think they are in a null when in fact it might have switched to a different pitch they have issues with hearing. Some use the scoop to get the tone back they want. Others stick a nickel in their shoe on land or such to both do that and remind themselves of what they are looking for.

 

[alienbogey]

Thanks for the replies.

At first I thought it was because iIhad the sensitivity set too high for the ground, but the threshold pitch would change even with sensitivity at minimum, and I know the ground here isn't that mineralized. Then I was really starting to think something was wrong with the machine. It sure would be nice if the manual will tell you about the threshold pitch setting itself to the last target.

Thanks for the scoop-past-the-coil or nickel-on-the-shoe suggestions, but I've already gotten rather used to switching to PP and back to reset to the higher threshold pitch. Then again, now that I know that it's normal, I might try letting it change as it pleases and see how I like it.

Actually, after reading numerous threads on it, on a recent Hawaiian beach trip I ran most of the time in PP with the sensitivity on max, a low threshold and high volume. The beach was so clean that targets were rare, and when I got a signal I'd just switch to Disc (set on 1) to get the Excal's opinion on the target. The threshold was perfectly steady on the dry sand and a little ratty in the water but workable, and overall I liked running it that way.

But, I found out today that that may not be the way to go in a trashy area like my own front yard, where there are so many targets that I'm constantly having to switch to Disc and back to PP. In this situation it might be better to run in Disc.

However, I did pull my first ever silver coin today while practicing with it in my yard. I thought I'd dug every good signal there was with my MXT, but I hadn't been practicing for 5 minutes before a signal rang like a bell and I dug this:

 

[dewcon4414]

I dont use the Sov, but the term is called PITCH HOLD. I believe the manual refers to it when talking about iron and the threshold taking on that targets normal pitch. I know this because the Explorers/ET have the ability to use PITCH HOLD. Its purpose was to be a better alert on weak targets developed mostly for the gold fields. You do get used to it and ive found there is no need to keep swinging you scoop over the coil. Most machines you run at barely audiable and thats how you set it up when starting out. Some manuals show you if you set a threshold to high weak signals cant break the threshold and you miss them. But if you set it up properly when you start these higher tones dont seem to have that same affect.

Dew

 

[Critterhunter]

Excellent find. Often I've heard that- That people get a Sovereign or Excalibur and in their own yard or another small patch of ground they've beat up over the years they are amazed to still find coins they had missed before. One guy that comes to mind was a while back was saying he couldn't figure out how even shallow sub-5" coins were popping out of a patch of ground with relative ease that he had gridded the snot out of before. Minerals, masking, or the coin being on edge...These BBS units willl sniff them out at "dead" sites.

Yep- That's when to use PP, when targets are scarce at say the beach, or say to punch down deeper than the lighter "fluff" signals there, or on land to punch down deeper than the more modern trash levels and time travel back before those. That's when to pay attention to how loud PP says the target is. If it sounds beyond the depth of typical VLF machines or even disc on these BBS units for that particular soil, or if it sounds deeper than the lighter fluff signals like tabs or aluminum at your beach, then that's when to dig.

PP has to me about 4 or so unique audio reports to iron that, even being relatively new to it, I can already pretty much figure out what is iron without flipping to disc. Fuzzy approach/leaving over target. One way "zings" that don't sound off the other way (still digging these, as I suspect certain non-ferrous targets on edge might do this maybe and don't want to risk passing them). A much broader report with no clear defined hit spot on them. And perhaps 1 or 2 other types of reports on iron I'm still learning.

It doesn't sound like you suffer any hearing loss at certain pitches, but if you ever find one goes silent and think it's not just an iron null, then that's when to adjust threshold just a tad higher until you can hear it again.

Way to know is to stop moving the coil. Still doesn't come out of the "null"? Then chances are it's a certain threshold tone that you might have trouble hearing. I am told from the doc I suffer from either low or high frequency hearing loss. Never noticed it myself, but if it's true I can at least hear all the tone pitches of the GT with no problem.

One of the bigger perks to the BBS units is the very "robust" and long audio reports they have on targets, to both soak up the target traits in their detail, and also to grab your attention on deep fringe stuff that shorter more processed reports from other machines might not "knock you in the head" with, so to speak. Or, for noticing hints of a high tone mixed in with lows or nulls in heavy trash.

 

[foiled again tab hunter]

Just one more thought about switching back and forth (pp to disc) just to keep the same tone...just my opinion, I think you will wear out the pp/disc switch & will have to send it in for repair....like some of the folks here on this forum do when I get a null tone, I just swing my coil over my scoop & keep on swinging.....HH...Tab.

 

[Critterhunter]

Yep, good idea to wire up a remote PP switch for the Excal with their POT issues if doing that a lot, to keep wear and tear down on using the POT switch. On my GT I used a remote PP that plugs into a stereo jack I wired to the back of the control box. Minelab should have done this with both the Sovereigns and the Excalibur. Many guys though just PP in disc mode. As easy to do to center over targets to dig or scoop as using PP is with a bit of practice. If you get some experience with PP mode you can often tell iron by how it responds without ever needing to flip to disc. I'm still learning that but getting better at it.

What I'm wondering is if there are any Sovereign users out there who use the All Metal mode (not PP mode) to hunt, and find it has any perks over PP for them by way of either depth or target response or such? I think I remember a while back reading of one guy who said all targets below a nickel in conductivity would sound off with a high/low, where as those about a low/high, or vise versa, as you swept into and past a target. I've used the All Metal Fixed mode some here and there, but not nearly enough yet to contrast to PP. Want to get my learning in on PP's abilities before trying All Metal Fixed to contrast them down the road here as to any pros/cons for both.

 

[alienbogey]

Yes, I've seen the PP remote switch threads, but want to wait (another 11 months or so) until my warranty is out before I do that.

Question: Does the PP remote switch mod retain the unit's waterproof to 200 feet capability? Also, can you still adjust the position of the handle as desired? (I like to change it's position as my arm tires.)

 

[dewcon4414]

According to ML.... if you put a remote PP on your Xcal it WONT pressure test. therefore if they needed to do any repairs..... they would have to remove it and put it back original. After awhile you dont switch back and forth as often when PP hunting out there. Everything wears out.....its talked about a lot as one of the issues, but im not certain how often it occurs.

Dew