Inground test comparing deep on/off with varied gain setttings

[squirrel1]

With all the questions surrounding the deep on/off and gain settings I decided to do a test. I found some clean ground and dug a plug. Inserted clad dime at a measured 5 inches and replaced plug and stomped a few times. With deep off and gain at 24, took the CTX and went into manual sensitivity. I started running the sensivity down to the point where all I got is a good plain high tone (17 manual) on the clad dime at 5 inches. I swept and listened carefully. I then engaged deep on. I could not tell a difference in the loudness of the tone whatsoever. So next I turned deep back off and left my sensivity at manual 17. I then started running the gain down to the point I could only hear a faint whisper when sweeping the dime at 5 inches(gain setting of 5). Next I turned deep on and noticed no difference in the loudness of the tone once again as I swep the dime.
So next I put the gain back to 24, turned deep off and left the sensitivity at 17. I started raising the coil and noticed the conductive number started becoming erratic-bouncing from 41 to 45 as well as the tone. I then turned deep on and the Conductive number stabilized at 42/43 and tone became smooth and clearer. I then changed my manual sensivity to 22 and repeated the test at a higher coil height above the dime, sweeping until the conductive number got erratic with broken/scratchy tone and turned deep on and the conductive number once again stabilized along with the tone. I realized this test is done with a freshly buried target but I think it sheds a lot of light on what gives with the gain and deep settings. Cheers

 

[earthmansurfer]

Hey Squirrel1 - Thanks for doing the test. I think my ground must affect the deep on setting as I have compared it with off and many many deep targets. I have iron mineralization and probably iron flakes in the ground and maybe deep on works better in clean ground (hence you got a result by lifting the coil).

Of note, I run gain at 23 and got a really soft signal, one could easily miss it if not listening. If wasn't a good signal, very iffy and inconsistent but I was curious - a nail at 12" solid, in the side of the hole. After realizing how much gain affects the volume on a 12" target I thought it best not to lower it any more, just in case.

 

[EtracTom-AdirondacksNY]

Thanks Squirrel1 for the testing and I guess that while your out hunting and leaving gain up there at 24 and higher that when you come across a deep target that the higher gain will help you to hear and not miss and that is jumpy then go turn Deep on and it should stabilize things to give you a better idea as to the TID and wether or not you would want to dig based on that TID. I would still dig based on sounds first TID second myself. LOL.

 

[GateKeeper]

I myself, like squirrel had been mesing with the gain with deep on/off. I have found that in my soil conditions that deep on, with gain set at 30
makes coins as deep as 10 inches sound off as if they were right on top of the ground. Now again, that is with my soil. Also, using
combined mode is much more stable than 50 CO. With that being said, every person who ownes a CTX must go through a learning
curve that could take up to several months to learn the little in's and out's of their own machine. Test, test, and test some more.

Every time I go out with my CTX, I learn something new. Good luck to all.

 

[squirrel1]

I only did the test to see if infact the deep on operates as described in the manual. And deep on appears to function as such.