Just got back from the beach testing 3 units on this small 14k earring. The Gold Bug with the small coil, a Shadow X3 with DD coil and my CZ6a with 8 inch coil.
In the dry sand, all 3 detectors can hit the earring in discriminate mode ( CZ in normal mode) up to 4 inches...the Gold Bug then beats them by an additional 2-2 1/2 inches after that, running gain at 100, discriminate set at 30-35. Hits the earring loud and clear. Gold Bug ID's at 43-44, CZ as foil. In all metal, pretty much the same results. Since the X3 does not have a true all metal, running at the lowest discrimination setting did not increase the depth.
Here is where the Gold Bug beats the pants out of the others. In the WET SAND.
I cannot get the X3 to run stable in the wet sand unless I run at discrimination setting 3.5-4. At that setting, it CANNOT hit the earring. The CZ can't ground balance in normal mode in the wet sand, so I have to run it in salt mode. In that mode, the earring cannot be heard in discriminate mode, and barely, at about 1/2 inch, in all metal.
The Gold Bug hits the earring at 3 inches in the wet sand, ID'ing the same 43-44 in discriminate mode. It hits the earring about 4 inches in all metal, the ID arc at about 40-42.
What is also interesting with the dry sand test is that in all metal, the earring keeps a consistent ground phase number and does not have any Fe meter reading, yet small , rusty iron has the ground phase number all over the place and there are 1 or 2 bars on the Fe meter. Makes me think hunting in all metal mode at cleaner beaches may be the way to go and ID'ing the iron using the ground phase and Fe meter can be useful.
Going to try to make another video using the small coil and the earring in the wet sand. Looks like rain right now, but hopefully later tonight or tomorrow before I head home
JC
In the dry sand, all 3 detectors can hit the earring in discriminate mode ( CZ in normal mode) up to 4 inches...the Gold Bug then beats them by an additional 2-2 1/2 inches after that, running gain at 100, discriminate set at 30-35. Hits the earring loud and clear. Gold Bug ID's at 43-44, CZ as foil. In all metal, pretty much the same results. Since the X3 does not have a true all metal, running at the lowest discrimination setting did not increase the depth.
Here is where the Gold Bug beats the pants out of the others. In the WET SAND.
I cannot get the X3 to run stable in the wet sand unless I run at discrimination setting 3.5-4. At that setting, it CANNOT hit the earring. The CZ can't ground balance in normal mode in the wet sand, so I have to run it in salt mode. In that mode, the earring cannot be heard in discriminate mode, and barely, at about 1/2 inch, in all metal.
The Gold Bug hits the earring at 3 inches in the wet sand, ID'ing the same 43-44 in discriminate mode. It hits the earring about 4 inches in all metal, the ID arc at about 40-42.
What is also interesting with the dry sand test is that in all metal, the earring keeps a consistent ground phase number and does not have any Fe meter reading, yet small , rusty iron has the ground phase number all over the place and there are 1 or 2 bars on the Fe meter. Makes me think hunting in all metal mode at cleaner beaches may be the way to go and ID'ing the iron using the ground phase and Fe meter can be useful.
Going to try to make another video using the small coil and the earring in the wet sand. Looks like rain right now, but hopefully later tonight or tomorrow before I head home
JC
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