Filters, Sweep Speeds and Depth

[earthmansurfer]

I've been reading up on the filter and sweep speeds over at Whites. Nice post: http://forums.whiteselectronics.com/showthread.php?46190-Selecting-Ground-Filters

Question - If the ground has no mineralization and a decent GB, to get the depth I hear this machine getting (9"-13" on coins), is that depth still possible with the higher filters and quicker sweep speeds? Am I going to lose depth using the faster filters or is it just a little? I like swinging about 2 fps or so and wonder the depth that can be achieved there.

I've seen some videos of deep finds and I don't have the patience to (generally) swing a detector 4 or 5 seconds per foot like in the video (using the lowest filter I imagine). The video was at a park is all I remember. I'm wondering what the happy medium on depth is, to a point.

edit - I should add there is often a lot of iron where I hunt.

 

[Rob (IL)]

George gives a lot of information but too many people are spending too much time trying to make it too complicated.

Just bury a coin when you get to a site. Then adjust the detector to give the best reading for the speed you want to swing.

If the ground has no mineralization and a decent GB, to get the depth I hear this machine getting (9"-13" on coins) I hear a lot of things too. One thing I haven't heard is anyone fining a coin with a book.

 

[Larry (IL)]

You can use factory settings or someone else's settings, but the best settings are the ones that work best for you in your ground. The 15 minutes it takes to try each filter setting is time well spent. Once set, forget it.

 

[earthmansurfer]

Thanks guys for the reply's but I don't have a V3i to swing, perhaps I should have said that. I'm waiting a few more months before I buy. Before I have this detector in my hands all I have is the forums and 99% of the time, I just read and don't post. The flexibility of the V3i is the attraction for me and the filters is a totally new area for me, never having had a detector with that adjustment.

I was just thinking about the spots I have, that have next to no mineralization (but lots of iron) and wondered about the questions I asked, because I was afraid that to get depth I would have to swing super slow which I would only do for small amounts of time or in certain small locations. One might say I am just doing my homework before a big purchase.

I have read to adjust the filters for ground mineralization first and adjust sweep speed but that would still mean a really slow sweep speed I thought.

So rcasio44, have you heard anything regarding my question? I do appreciate you time, all kidding aside.

 

[Rob (IL)]

I thought I remembered you didn't have a V3 yet. I was totally serious with my answer. The charts are great, but I don't even know what my swing speed is. There is no reason for me to know, because it makes no difference. I swing one speed and Larry swings faster. We both use the same filter most of the time. As I said all I have to do when I get to a site is bury a coin and swing. I will hear a signal. Which filter is best, the one that works. So all I have to do is try them all and find the one most quiet and with the most accurate signal, so much for charts.

Depth has nothing to do with faster or slower filters. The right one for that site will be the deepest.

A lot of fun is knowing your detector. Only so much can be learned from reading. How many people read all the books and then go skydiving? So have fun reading until you get yours. Don't you have somebody who will let you try one? I was happy with my MXT, I was able to hunt with a V3 and bought one.

 

[earthmansurfer]

Thanks for that and I do see your point. You gave me some good info in that post. I see what you mean about the books and not knowing your detector. I almost wonder if I should buy a detector before winter really is here and just do some practice programming indoors and go in the yard on warmer winter days instead of learning the whole process in the spring...

I think what you said about burying a coin is too obvious, I probably wouldn't have thought of it, but it's a simple thing to do and as long as it's not too deep it should give a very accurate situation.

LOL with not knowing your swing speed. I just discovered mine after reading that post and then figuring it out. Did feel kind of stupid in the living room holding an imaginary detector and swinging...

Thanks again...

 

[5900_XL-1]

Thanks for that and I do see your point. You gave me some good info in that post. I see what you mean about the books and not knowing your detector. I almost wonder if I should buy a detector before winter really is here and just do some practice programming indoors and go in the yard on warmer winter days instead of learning the whole process in the spring...

I think what you said about burying a coin is too obvious, I probably wouldn't have thought of it, but it's a simple thing to do and as long as it's not too deep it should give a very accurate situation.

LOL with not knowing your swing speed. I just discovered mine after reading that post and then figuring it out. Did feel kind of stupid in the living room holding an imaginary detector and swinging...

Thanks again...

One problem in simply burying a coin is that if you want to test for deeper items, you can't simply bury a coin fresh at depths more than 3-4" and count on even getting signals from it many times, especially anything beyond 6-8". So, if you have questions about filters, about swing speeds for detecting deeper coins, IMO you're very limited with "bury a coin" for those discreet answers "under test." It's the best option we have to work with, but it's not a tell-all for the types of questions you've asked. Freshly buried coins have to be relatively shallow. martin

 

[Larry (IL)]

I don't know if you have an owners manual, but here is the link to one. It will help you understand the settings better. http://media.whiteselectronics.com/manuals/V3%20Manuals/spectra_v3i_instruction_manual.pdf

 

[Rob (IL)]

I've got readings on a coin I just buried at 8". It doesn't matter whether you can read a 4", 6" or 8" coin. What's important is which settings give the best readings on that day, at that site. It's a whole lot better than trying to use Florida settings in Illinois. When I get to a site, I seldom get out a book or chart.

 

[jbow]

EMS... I pay no attention to my sweep speed because I figure it is not something that I want to be thinking about all the time when I am hunting. I had to do that with the Sovereign and with the Explorer to a lesser degree and didn't like it.

So, I usually don't bury a target at a site but I find one and, using my regular sweep speed, I adjust the filter to get the best audio, then I may or may not adjust the recovery delay according to how many targets, good and bad, are in the ground or if it is the sort of ground where older targets may be deeper. Lots of my ites have really hard ground and some grade so that one part of the site may have some softer soil but another part may be rock hard and eroded with very old targets just below or on the surface. Of course at most sites if I slow the recovery a lot... I do try to slow my swing but with the V3 or V3i you can still swing faster than you would think with a slower recovery by raising to filter... They work together though and as Isaid, my main reference is getting the best audio on a target. You'll be surprised how well the V3 will hit and ID a deep target with the three frequencies and with the single frequency that is right for the particular target.
Around here I usually find band pass to be better and I usually settle on the 7.5 filter. I run my recovery anywhere from 45 to 100. I have heard that 45 is about the speed of an F75 and it sems about right. I like the D2 coil, the 4x6, and the SEF 6x8. A lot of people like the 5.3 but for me a DD is better. The 8x6 will allow me to run it a little hotter and it is smooth as silk.

It wont take you long to figure it out if you have a test garden.

Remember to use Larrys advice in the sticky about setting the freq offset in pinpoint to kill the EMI. It makes a huge difference.

J

 

[jbow]

Thanks for that and I do see your point. You gave me some good info in that post. I see what you mean about the books and not knowing your detector. I almost wonder if I should buy a detector before winter really is here and just do some practice programming indoors and go in the yard on warmer winter days instead of learning the whole process in the spring...

I think what you said about burying a coin is too obvious, I probably wouldn't have thought of it, but it's a simple thing to do and as long as it's not too deep it should give a very accurate situation.

LOL with not knowing your swing speed. I just discovered mine after reading that post and then figuring it out. Did feel kind of stupid in the living room holding an imaginary detector and swinging...

Thanks again...

One problem in simply burying a coin is that if you want to test for deeper items, you can't simply bury a coin fresh at depths more than 3-4" and count on even getting signals from it many times, especially anything beyond 6-8". So, if you have questions about filters, about swing speeds for detecting deeper coins, IMO you're very limited with "bury a coin" for those discreet answers "under test." It's the best option we have to work with, but it's not a tell-all for the types of questions you've asked. Freshly buried coins have to be relatively shallow. martin

I agree and it is why I just find a target at the site to use for adjustments. The detector does not care if it is a pulltab, a little piece aluminum, or a coin.

J