"Iron Mask" feature of V3

[Neil in West Jersey]

Here in Southern New Jersey there are many old cellar holes hidden deep in the woods. I have tried to detect them in the past with limited success due to the extremely high concentration of iron in Jersey Sandstone, which was used in the construction of these old foundations.

I was speaking to a friend who was explaining the Iron Mask feature of the high end Minelab units and after the conversation I realized that the V3 (as well as the DFX, etc) all have a similar feature, known as Track Inhibit. By default this control is enabled which prevents tracking into a target, but by disabling it wouldn't it make sense to let the V3 track into the iron? This would change the phase as it tries to ignore the iron, yet the non-ferrous targets should still respond (although I would imagine the VDI numbers may be way off).

Has anyone used this method to try and detect in areas with heavy iron?

 

[Larry (IL)]

Your Trac Inhibit info is correct but the Iron Mask is not. Iron Mask (Minelab) is a level of discrimination, everything that is black on the screen is discriminated out, the higher the IM #, the more iron is discriminated out. Let us know if the trac inhibit works for you Neil.

 

[Rob (IL)]

Hey Neil, I'm waiting for your follow up. Rob

 

[Rob (IL)]

I've been thinking about this and think If you let the machine track to the iron, you'll probably miss more good stuff then you'd find. I know it is recommended for prospecting. I'm waiting for a reply from my expert in case I am wrong.

 

[Rob (IL)]

My expert doesn't think it would work. There is a discussion about iron mask on Metal Detecting Equipment Forum started by Crazyman. I think mixed mode might be the way to go. Rob

 

[Neil in West Jersey]

I am talking about bog iron country, where EVERY INCH of the ground is iron laden. The actual foundations have high levels of iron, and there is slag everywhere around them.

 

[jbow]

Neil... you cannot say Minelab or "iron mask" on this forum...

and Goat Rancher wants you to figure it out for yourself. There are some of us who never used a White's machine before the V3 and in case no one noticed, a lot of the terms White's uses for functions are different from the terms used by others and there is nothing wrong with that but when new users read explainations in which they do not understand the terms or words used it is hard for them/us to understand until we begin to figure out what is being said. I think people who have used White's machines for years are used to these functions and the terms used to describe them and don't realize that a new user might be lost trying to understand what is being explained in a post... that was my experience at first... besides some other problems that make some things hard for me to grasp at first...

Frankly I will probaby not be asking too many more questions here as I don't want to be perceived as whining. I will either learn to use the machine better or I will sell it but I will give it my very best shot. I guess I feel like this forum has become a bit exclusive... I don't know exactly but I feel a bit restricted and uncomfortable. Some seem irritable and intolerant with those who do not understand the machine after something has, in their oipnion, been explained... but if it isn't understood, it isn't understood... but that is, according to Goat Rancher and his back slappers... the fault of the "person in the mirror".

So... maybe i'll just lurk for a while... I don't want to bother anyone with whining and I don't want to start anything by trying to understand the V3 by mentioning a different machin that I do understand... and I don't intend to use one machine exclusively, my conditions wont allow that.

Anyway... sorry to say this here Neil... I was kidding with you. That other stuff has been bothering me a little, wasn't directed at you and I didn't feel comfortable posting it where everyone was high fiving... sorry.

Julien

 

[Rob (IL)]

Julien,
first of all we have no say about talking about other detectors on the forum. Read the sticky at the top of the forum. No one ever complained about people asking questions. What I don't like is people who don't spend the time to learn the machine blaming the machine. Another beef I have is people who won't follow directions that could find a solution to their problem and continue to bad mouth the V.

As I posted before all questions are welcome. Just work with us. Do they allow other machines to be talked about on the Whites forum? The answer is NO. If you think you haven't been treated fairly, I'm sorry.

 

[Larry (IL)]

I think you are being a little to harsh on yourself Julien. Most of the terms are new to all of us because there has never been anything like the V before no matter how long one has been a White's user. We all had to learn, and I think the owners manual might be a little vague, but the terms you are having trouble understanding are explained in the owner manuals. We are all here to help each other learn the V and I think he was talking to those who blame their misgivings on the machine, something I haven't heard you do. You do not have to know everything about the V to reap the rewards it has to offer. The stock Hi Pro program, for and example, is a heck of a good program as is and it might be a little too hot for some people and their ground. There is no substitute for learning by doing, no matter how much help we might be learning new things and you certainly don't have to use every new feature discovered or used by others.

Hunt with the V and have fun, it sounds like you are making things hard on yourself Julien. By all means sell your V if you don't enjoy using it..... I wouldn't use a detector that I didn't like and I have bought, tried and sold dozens of them over the years.

 

[Neil in West Jersey]

I think you are being a little to harsh on yourself Julien. Most of the terms are new to all of us because there has never been anything like the V before no matter how long one has been a White's user. We all had to learn, and I think the owners manual might be a little vague, but the terms you are having trouble understanding are explained in the owner manuals. We are all here to help each other learn the V and I think he was talking to those who blame their misgivings on the machine, something I haven't heard you do. You do not have to know everything about the V to reap the rewards it has to offer. The stock Hi Pro program, for and example, is a heck of a good program as is and it might be a little too hot for some people and their ground. There is no substitute for learning by doing, no matter how much help we might be learning new things and you certainly don't have to use every new feature discovered or used by others.

Hunt with the V and have fun, it sounds like you are making things hard on yourself Julien. By all means sell your V if you don't enjoy using it..... I wouldn't use a detector that I didn't like and I have bought, tried and sold dozens of them over the years.

Well said, Larry. I like certain forums for posting and seeing other peoples finds, but to me this one is a learning & sharing forum. I like to read about problems or tricks posted by other V3 users. I also enjoy sharing tips that I have learned from trial and error. So I will probably answer the original question myself and post the results for others to learn.

Yes, all of the manufacturers have there own terms for functions and features and the only reason the other manufacturer (Minelab...there I said it again) was mentioned was to try to find out if the Iron Mask was the same as White's Track Inhibit. In theory, I still think the technique I mentioned will work because there will be a phase shift from ferrous to conductive. Ignoring -95 should still respond to +80. The problem is that iron is not really -95, but something below -95 and above +95 and the V3 is set to automatically assign +95 to anything that it cannot identify, which would be some iron targets.

 

[jbow]

Rigght now I really enjoy it one day and am baffled the next. I've read the manual three times and ever re-written much of it into my own words trying to better understand it, some things are hard for me to grasp but I try hard. I tend to overlook little things and miss little things like I didn't pay enough attention to the offset and was thinking that a positive offset was good... then one day I read something here and it dawned on me that there is a frequency offset and a GB offset.. DOH... well, I know I should have known that but somehow I mixed them in my mind. Since I realized (it was already in a sticky) to set the Freq offset in pinpoint with the coil waist high... it has made some difference. It was my own fault and I guess I am a little sensitive about it and that post today seemed a little harsh to me. I think a lot of people truly don't understand and aren't going to understand until being told more than once about some things.

I guess I can only see things from my on vantage point and I assume that others are alsoa little lost but are trying.

It's ok. I forget easier than I remember... andI learn slow... but I do learn eventually.

Thanks Larry,

J

 

[Larry (IL)]

Keep us posted with your results Neil.