Nail board test with Gm3

[Finder82]

Hello there, i made this test: http://ahrps.org/_tipsAndTechniques/Nail_Board_Performance_Test.pdf

Here is the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbeJvV_rIfg

Test coin i used in the video is a 10 cent euro coin, Golden mask 3 did ok in the test.

 

[Monte]

Needless to say, I don't have the European detectors here in the US to try. My write-up on the Nail Board Test comes, as you read, from an actual, in-the-field encounter. It really only applies to coins and similar small targets laying in the same plain as the iron nails, but it is surprising how many detectors, modern or not, just can't hit on a coin-target in the Nail Board Test scenario.

I've heard from a few people in Europe who have read the Tips & Techniques write-up, printed out the Nail Board (as you did) and relate to me how some of their/your models do and don't perform. I should mention here, also, that when I am hunting in a very nail infested site I prefer to use a smaller size coil and the Golden mask 3 in the video is a bit large. I also note that Double-D coils can do a bit poorly.

What I didn't see in the video was a sweep over the four nails w/o a coin to verify they were just barely rejected. Also, listening to the audio (since I don't understand the language) I could hear an audio response but it seemed rather delayed and it also appeared to be sort of a hit off the mix of elongated nails.

I wish I had a few foreign detectors to try with a few detecting buddies to get a mix op opinions, but there are only a few current or former US made detectors that I know can hit on a coin, quite cleanly, in these tests. I've had excellent performance in the field in nail littered sites using Tesoro's, such as the Compadre, Bandido, Bandido II and Silver Sabre II plus most other Tesoro's, the Gold Mountain Technologies Cobra and GMT-1650 (same model), and the White's Classic III SL, Classic ID and IDX Pro. Honestly, I'd grab any of these models to pit against most of the modern detector offerings produced today. Much of the digital designs still fall a bit short of what they can do, especially with a 4" to 7" coil.

Again, thanks for the video.

Monte

 

[Finder82]

I've heard from a few people in Europe who have read the Tips & Techniques write-up, printed out the Nail Board (as you did) and relate to me how some of their/your models do and don't perform. I should mention here, also, that when I am hunting in a very nail infested site I prefer to use a smaller size coil and the Golden mask 3 in the video is a bit large. I also note that Double-D coils can do a bit poorly.

What I didn't see in the video was a sweep over the four nails w/o a coin to verify they were just barely rejected. Also, listening to the audio (since I don't understand the language) I could hear an audio response but it seemed rather delayed and it also appeared to be sort of a hit off the mix of elongated nails.

Monte

Hello there, sure you should use smaller DD coil in heavy iron sites, but even if the Golden mask 3 has a large 10,5 dd coil, it has a good recovery speed for it's size. You can buy a smaller 8" dd coil for the Gm3 if needed, but for now the 10,5 dd coil Recovery and separation ability have been enough for me.

As a example how good a concentric coil is amongs the iron, i tried the same test with a X-terra 70 stock 9" concentric coil and the results where poor, the coil could hardly see the coin amongs the iron. The X-terra 70 settings where 2 tones, sensitivity 25, track, pattern 1 to reject the nails, these setting are what i use in a relic hunting, but instead of the pattern 1, i use all metal mode.

I also tried the X-terra 70 6" dd coil in that test and the results where good, the 6" coil could see the 10 cent coin almost in every direction, so it definitely improved the X-terra 70 recovery/separation speed, as i imagined.

I have made two separate videos of the two X-terra coils in my Youtube channel, so you can watch them there, if you are interested...

Golden mask 3 discrimination is a lively kind, it is quite spitty in the iron, but if the machine sees something good the beep sound is very sharp and loud, you really cannot mistake it, but sure if the site is loaded with iron, you have to learn to listen to the quick positive sounds amongs all the iron spitting sounds.

This type of iron discrimination is not for everyone, but i like it very much...

Because this iron board test is a bit extreme, the positive signal beep is not the best, but the gm3 could still see the coin amongs the iron nails quite good and of course if you use the headphones, the signals can be heard far better that without headphones.

The Gm3 iron discrimination and audio could be perhaps compared to a Xp goldmaxx power and a little bit of Garrett AT pro and of course to many similar machines made in Europe.

Golden mask 3 is intended for the more expirienced detectorist, not really recommended for the beginners, because the audio system and discrimination used in the Golden mask machines are not the easiest to master.

Here is a better video of the test, where i first test the nails before i put the coin in place. You can hear how the iron nails give a spitty sounds, so you can identify the different sounds far better in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VTYWblqEmo

Hope you like it and many thanks to Monte for creating this iron nail board, so i can test various coils and detectors.

 

[Monte]

Hello there, sure you should use smaller DD coil in heavy iron sites, but even if the Golden mask 3 has a large 10,5 dd coil, it has a good recovery speed for it's size. You can buy a smaller 8" dd coil for the Gm3 if needed, but for now the 10,5 dd coil Recovery and separation ability have been enough for me.

You summed it up with your comment ... "enough for me" ... because that's how everyone ought to evaluate each of their detectors and coils. To know what they can do and ensure that it is "enough for them" for the task at hand.

As a example how good a concentric coil is amongs the iron, i tried the same test with a X-terra 70 stock 9" concentric coil and the results where poor, the coil could hardly see the coin amongs the iron. The X-terra 70 settings where 2 tones, sensitivity 25, track, pattern 1 to reject the nails, these setting are what i use in a relic hunting, but instead of the pattern 1, i use all metal mode.

I had the X-Terra 70 and it was okay for some of my hunting, but I found the delayed response time a bit annoying, and while it has a lot of discrimination segments, I prefer a variable adjust design.

Also, I didn't care for the performance in the trashier sites with the stock 9" concentric coils, or any of the larger coils that were available then. The 6" wasn't out yet. Usually I could go to pattern 1 and then accept -2 and maybe -4 and still just reject iron nails. At the standard Pattern 1 setting it had too much discrimination to work well in most nail littered sites I hunted.

I also tried the X-terra 70 6" dd coil in that test and the results where good, the 6" coil could see the 10 cent coin almost in every direction, so it definitely improved the X-terra 70 recovery/separation speed, as i imagined.

It wasn't out when I had my X-Terra 70, but after it came out I borrowed a dealer's unit and the smaller coil. Yes, it was better, but I still didn't like the delayed response for the trashier sites I usually hunt.

Golden mask 3 discrimination is a lively kind, it is quite spitty in the iron, but if the machine sees something good the beep sound is very sharp and loud, you really cannot mistake it, but sure if the site is loaded with iron, you have to learn to listen to the quick positive sounds among all the iron spitting sounds.

I, too, can handle some 'spitty' sounds at times, but it depends on the overall performance.

This type of iron discrimination is not for everyone, but i like it very much.

Very true, and honestly a lot of modern detector performance, with various makes and models, can be quite good, but isn't for everyone. That's where a patient, skilled operator can excel.

Because this iron board test is a bit extreme, the positive signal beep is not the best, but the gm3 could still see the coin amongs the iron nails quite good and of course if you use the headphones, the signals can be heard far better that without headphones.

It is a touch nail test, but not 'extreme', really, just an actual duplication of reality as I encountered it in the field. Not easy for many detectors today to 'pass' that test.

Golden mask 3 is intended for the more expirienced detectorist, not really recommended for the beginners, because the audio system and discrimination used in the Golden mask machines are not the easiest to master.

Wouldn't it be great if a manufacturer would state that a particular model just isn't recommended for beginners, and that it requires ample patience and time tom master? So many are promoted as being 'high-tech' and easy to use and, (too often) touted as being very accurate in TID, too.

Here is a better video of the test, where i first test the nails before i put the coin in place. You can hear how the iron nails give a spitty sounds, so you can identify the different sounds far better in this video:

Nice video as it's good to hear both the iron rejection as well as the response with a coin. Thank You!

Hope you like it and many thanks to Monte for creating this iron nail board, so i can test various coils and detectors.

Yes, I liked the video and I hope you and others will enjoy working an assortment of detectors and coils over it to see just how well they might, or might not, handle iron nail,trash.

Monte