EXP II sensitivity setting (semi-auto vs manual)

[Steve(DE)]

Just want to share something that I found out with the group.

Let me say that I am a beginner and I have had my EXP II about two weeks. I am using the 8" FBS Stock coil. My settings are Sensitivity 26-30 (MANUAL)<----BIG Difference . Threshold-- 7, Discrimination Nails, Iron Mask -16, Audio Vol 10, Gain 7, Audio th tone 6, Audio Variability 10, Audio Limits 10, Sounds Ferrous, Options Response Normal, Fast off, Deep on.


I found out that I could not hear or ID a dime (at all) that I had planted in the backyard at 8'' to 9'' when I had sensitivity setting at 27 (in semi-auto).

However at the same sensitivity setting at 27 (in manual) I could hear the target clearly and ID it.

What a BIG difference it was to take it off semi-auto.

Hope this helps some one.

 

[Chris(SoCenWI)]

Hey Steve,

The auto vs manual debate has been going on a long time. Your findings are pretty consitant with most others. I've found that in semi-auto the actual sensitivity setting can vary hugely from the number displayed on the screen. Try setting sensitivity at 1 and switch from auto to manual; in this case auto is way DEEPER than manual, usually have to turn up sens in manual to 14-15 to get the same depth.

Most (but not all; some hunters have been very successful running semi-auto only) feel that especially in heavy trash the auto tuning will drop the sensitivity far below what it could be at. And 95% of the time less sens = less depth.

One misunderstanding, if you have nails discriminated out it doesn't matter what the iron mask setting is. The discrimiation screen where you can select/reject certain items or build and edit screens is completely seperate from the iron mask screen; they do not run concurrently. I can go into greater detail if need be.

Sounds like you are learning quickly. Biggest mistake new users often make is to follow the book and learn in a few good targets (real tight discrimination pattern), and then crank the sensitivity way up. The machine might be going bonkers and they have no clue. If you are running close to an open screen you will get the pinball machine audio and know that you you have sensitivity too high.

Chris

 

[Rick(ND)]

You said it all and I have seen where semi auto in trashy areas set at 27-30 will not pick up a dime on top of the ground, but switch it to manual and it has no problem. I found that running 17 or lower the auto works great, but if you can run 20 or higher the manual seem to work better. Lot of this has to do with where you detect too and feel the higher you set the sensitivity in auto the more it seem to vary when you get in problem areas.

 

[Steve(DE)]

Hi Chris(SoCenWI),

Thanks for the information every peice helps me understand it a little better.
I have seen some of the threads on the subject but had not understood how to turn semi-auto off and on. I think I will expirment with it a little more and see if it helps me in this park i have been practicing in.

I am still trying to seperate the pull tabs from the coins, However I am making some progress just need a little more time working this park where there are a lot of pull tabs and at least two semi old coins 1924 five phenning and a 1924 ten phenning.

Thanks for your help

Steve

 

[jusme]

Hello Rick,

Your observations are pretty much in-line with what I have been experiencing most of the time. I favor an early 1700's swimming hole, now a city owned facility - pay to swim - which is maintained every so many years. There are plenty of old pictures on the walls of many of the town shops in the area showing packed parking lots filled with vintage 'Tin Lizzies.' Of course this swim area has been beaten to a pulp over the last twenty or so years...but then came the multi-frequency detectors, especially the Minelab units. I use the Explorer-XS and so do a few of my hunting buddies at this hard hit site. The bottom of the swim bed is just a large collection of fill from decades upon decades of improvements, including metal debris of all sorts. Tough cookie to detect, but still a challenge in trying out different settings from time to time. Being that there are so many decayed iron pieces, much of which has been reduced to almost a matrix of the original objects, detecting while discriminating out the rusted iron is rather difficult without missing keepers. We, our Minelab clutch, usually set the level of sensitivity at (and below) 17 with auto turned off, audio-1 is engaged and iron mask is turned off. Basically, we dig everything that does not have the 'sound' of an iron object. Keeping things simple like this really helps to grab many of the old gold and silver rings and coins from the early 1900's. The audio-1 setting helps to place a 'tail' on the targeted item found; the shape of the sound (sounds funny, I know) gives a very good clue as to whether the object is iron, rust or stainless steel. Also, swinging 'v-e-r-y' slowly has a lot to do with the quality of the response signal we hear through our headphones. I've had very good results with the sensitivity set at 11 at this one site...seems to react less violently to the many accumulated elements in the ground while accepting with open arms the real meat and potatoes of a good hit, being a coin or piece of jewelry. Hope this helps or adds to someone's detecting toolbox

Regards,
Ernie

 

[Chris(SoCenWI)]

Hey Steve,

Saw you are finding phennig. Only modern US coin that is hard to seperate from pulltabs is the 5 center. Though some of the older coins can hit in that area.

It takes alot of time to really learn this machine, but it is worth it. The patient ones who have taken the time continue to make great finds year after year; still don't think I've seen a forum for any other kind of metal detector that comes anywhere near the finds made by the explorers.

Keep at it and good luck,

Chris

 

[digitrich]

n/t

 

[Steve(DE)]

Hi Chris,

I live in Deutschland close to Heidelberg.

I am pretty much digging everything right now just to actually test the sounds and the Digital ID too see if I can tell what the target is before I dig it. I am about 80% on pull tabs and "round sounds".

practice practice patients and the silver will come.

Good Luck to you too and thanks for the encouragement.

Steve

 

[Dan-Pa.]

If we all hunted in the same area would be a clean cut answer but as we all hunt in different mineralizations we could debate for hours...
I myself like many feel the semi auto tends to overcompensate and you lose depth so would start out with a midline manual which can be raised as long as you have a stable unit which can be judged by a steady threshold and the lack of many ghost signals...Again no set answer but works for you in your neck of the woods....