I need advice. Manual at max and noise cancel at 9 or 2?

[lespaul]

I always run in manual sensitivity. Most the time I will max out and run at 30 even if my machine chatters when I lay it down to dig a target. I have tested this on silver coins that have not been dug yet and are in the 7-9" range at trashy parks and have noticed that if I turn my sensitivity down, even to 25-26 It will occasionally not hit that coin. I have been reading that when running in CO and in max sensitivity that its better to have the noise cancel channel at 2. Ive been running at 9 and doing well. I always ground balance my Etrac before hunting. Sometimes during the hunt if I think it needs it. Has anyone else had experience with these settings? I'm always looking to get the best performance out of any machine I use.

 

[jarid]

When I first get to a spot I always start in channel 2 and manual sens as high as possible. If I cant stand the noise I use the noise cancel feature and then reduce sens (only if needed). the only time I run auto sens is if I am just out messing around. There is no doubt that manual sens goes deeper.

 

[Digger]

I always ground balance my Etrac before hunting. Sometimes during the hunt if I think it needs it.

Did you mean Noise Cancel instead of Ground Balance?

There are two choices for ground setting.....Neutral and Difficult. Choosing the right one for a particular site could improve your results by reducing false signals, improving TID stability and improving the accuracy of the depth gauge. If the Sensitivity level is running low, either in Auto or Manual, you could be better served using the Difficult Ground setting.

As to specifying one Noise Cancel channel is "deeper" than another...... Noise Cancel channels only slightly alter the operating frequencies of the detector. And when properly selected, it will reduce the influence of harmonic frequencies being induced into the ETRAC by EMF, RFI etc. By minimizing the amount of outside interference, you maximize the target's response. I know some folks say one channel works "better" than another. And I agree that some are "better", based on how well they minimize the influence of the induced interference. A "proper" NC channel will vary from site to site, depending on the type and levels of interference. In my opinion, the amount of additional depth you might get with one channel, compared to another, is dependent on how well you minimize interference in the Xmt/Rcv signals. Not due to that channel's specific frequency offset. JMHO HH Randy

 

[lespaul]

Absolutely meant noise cancel. My mistake. I do not have many problems with any interference in my area. So I run max sens and difficult ground setting. I also run in multi tone and relatively open screen. Fast on, deep off. I mainly hunt in audio and confirm with ID and depth meter. I was just wondering about the different noise settings and what others used. If I'm using 9 and getting good results the moving channel to 2 isn't going to make any difference as long as any falsing is taking place? Ive used many detectors over the years and this one has many more options for different sites. So far I'm using the same settings for all the sites Ive been to that been hit for the last 30 years.

 

[Digger]

The electronics are much more capable of sensing outside interference than our ears are. So I make an effort to use the one Automatically selected by the ETRAC. With that said, I don't think switching channels should make any difference in target detection, due to the very slight alteration in harmonic shift. The only way to know for sure is to compare different channels on a few targets, before you dig. Then you'll know which channel worked best on those targets at that site, on that given date and time. But you won't really know if it is due to the frequencies of any specific channel, or there was some "noise" your ears couldn't detect. Sometimes we can't hear the interference. But many times we can see the cursor moving slightly on the screen, while holding the coil still, about a foot above the ground.
Based on what little you've said about your settings, I'd try running with Deep ON, to see if that increases your depth of detection. Deep ON affects weak target signals (strong signals are unaffected), enhancing identification of deep targets. HH Randy

 

[Rolladex]

I let the E-TRAC do it's thing.