My Compadre and the sensitivity adjustment

[Topo]

have been raining in my area this week, so I took out my compadre now that the ground is soft, I went to an area with some bits of trash and I found the detector was too unstable no matter what level of disc I used, so I remember the previous owner of the machine told me in case it gets chirpy to turn the sensitivity pot a bit down, so I did it and I say that now I can hear the differences in sound better and it doesn't false when I hit roots with the coil. So the lesson for me is: sensitivity is not everything, I would think twice to turn the sensitivity pot all the way up on my compadre


Edit: I have to correct, when I say sensitivity I mean gain, because the machine can still pick-up small chains with disc

 

[Woodchuck]

Rule of thumb for any detector in that situation

 

[SkiWhiz]

I like to go inside the Compadre and turn the sensitivity up to it chatters and then back it off just a hair. Kind of like it is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, makes it extra sensitive.

 

[slingshot]

I like to go inside the Compadre and turn the sensitivity up to it chatters and then back it off just a hair. Kind of like it is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, makes it extra sensitive.

I turned mine down, too. Much better, for me and my type of hunting.

 

[BarberBill]

All my detectors have external sensitivity knobs. That said, I've noticed that it takes a fair bit of turning down from max to make much difference in depth on most targets. You can get an idea of how this works using the standard coil and turning down the sensitivity when trying to get near playground equipment. I'm sure target size enters into this as well, but even turned down to minimal you won't be able to get all that close. Using my DeLeon I do quite well with the sensitivity in the 6 -8 range. Fortunately the parks etc. that I coin shoot have mild soil and the DeLeon works very well there in spite of the preset ground balance issue.
BB

 

[REVIER]

My Compadre with the 7 inch coil has the sense turned up jut a hare below max.
Can't get within one foot of tot lot equipment before it goes off but that is fine because I get a double beep if a target is near any big metal and I can always find it.
It never falses or chatters, even if I bump the coil around, and it goes pretty deep even in my severe mineralized and iron laden soil here in Alabama.

I consider myself very lucky.