More Questions

[Ward]

What are the advantages to having your unit in the Polar Plot mode, if any ?

 

[Rob (IL)]

I don't use it because for me it doesn't give me any more information then I get from the search screen and pin point screen. But here is information.

POLAR PLOT will show phase information for targets, probably most useful where not digging deep, or in ground that isn't mineralized. Coins and nice targets tend to have nice straight lines. Bottle caps give curved lines. Iron has a tendency to loop from the 2nd quadrant to the first quadrant as the electrical characteristics of an iron target changes as the coil is passed over it, hence the loops shown on the graph. The ground is going to have the biggest effect of how deep you can see bottle caps vs. coins, it starts getting hard to tell coins from bottle caps below 6".
The vectors that are being shown are not the normalized vectors. The polar plot is not normalized whether or not normalization is on or off. Normalization is only on the VDI calculations. The polar plot is not plotting VDI, but x and y. X is the horizontal axis, y is the vertical. So there is no normalization on it, other than scaling to make the size match the expected frequency signal strengths. Hence with the 22.5kHz the high conductive targets (quarter) will be shown toward the X axis un-normalized with a VDI of 90-91, while 7.5kHz will be above this with VDI of 83 and finally with 2.5kHz the line will be above both 22.kHz and the 7.5kHz line and the un-normalized for the 2.5kHz should be around a VDI would 67.
The resolution is how many data points are used to draw the graph, the higher the number, the less data points but the faster the plot time. If you set it to 1, you really see it taking it's time to draw each point. The plots are just a tool, use what works for you.

 

[Low-Boy/LCPM]

My responce is if you can hear it and like what you hear and then dig it by the time you analize it you could have moved on to your next target...But for those that like that the V3 has it and a lot more.

 

[Neil in West Jersey]

I like Polar Plot. I find it is much more useful than the default "Sizing" feature.

Not to dispute the replies above, but I do find it is useful on the ID of deep targets, well past the 6 inches that others have mentioned before. Although I do not rely on it for positive target identification, it can help determine if the target is iron or a good target.

I also find it useful in identifying buttons which have curved or triangular lines, vs. the swirls of junk or the straight lines of coins.

I am working on a camera mount for my V3i and plan on making a video showing how the Polar Plot feature can be useful.

Like others before have said, audio is the number one indicator of a good target, followed by the VDI and Spectragraph, however the Polar Plot can be helpful to make the final determination on questionable targets.

 

[Rob (IL)]

If you have read many of my posts the thing I always say is, "use what works for you". I've never said to do what I do. That's what's nice about the V. You can adjust what you want and use or not use any feature you want.

I'd like to see your video when you get it made Neil.

 

[PokerShark]

I like Polar Plot. I find it is much more useful than the default "Sizing" feature.

Not to dispute the replies above, but I do find it is useful on the ID of deep targets, well past the 6 inches that others have mentioned before. Although I do not rely on it for positive target identification, it can help determine if the target is iron or a good target.

I also find it useful in identifying buttons which have curved or triangular lines, vs. the swirls of junk or the straight lines of coins.

I am working on a camera mount for my V3i and plan on making a video showing how the Polar Plot feature can be useful.

Like others before have said, audio is the number one indicator of a good target, followed by the VDI and Spectragraph, however the Polar Plot can be helpful to make the final determination on questionable targets.

Well said indeed. Polar plot is a good final indicator to dig or not to dig when it comes to a questionable signal.

It only takes a few seconds and unless you are using a team of excavators to open and close holes for you "while you move on to your next target" I really do not understand why folks insist that it takes so long. Click the switch forward, sweep back and forth, and read the data. I could not kneel down and stand back up in that time - much less pinpoint with the detector, kneel, get out my pinponter and digger, dig, pinpoint again,locate the target, pocket it, store the probe, cover the hole, store the digger, stand up, and move on. It is a great group of good detectorists here and they are very nice and helpful, but sometimes exaggeration, like in the case of an inefficient light - only creates more heat than light. Sticking to the facts is much better than personal preferences backed up with little else.

As Rob says, find what works best for you and do it. Some like Polar Plot and others don't. The great thing is the V3i offers many options so you can take your pick and leave the rest. I recommend trying them all first and then making your own determination.

Good luck,

The Shark

 

[earthmansurfer]

In my brief time with Polar Plot (2 hunts) I have liked it. Also, I agree with Neil in that it is helpful to identify iron that is deeper than 6". I'm still digging too much iron - both to learn what the detector is telling me (making sure there was indeed not a masked coin there) and also because we had rain, and the ground iron just falses too much. I did lower my disc and Rx to solve the problem. Regarding iron again, without fail the iron falses (spikes), can be verified by pinpointing the target. Most every time thus far the "falses" when pinpointed are off center and the actual target is large - but again, we need to make sure sometimes that it's not a coin off to the side (other ideas guys?)