I'm trying to nail down this bad machine / good machine thing. I'm thinking it is a mineralization problem and maybe not a bad machine problem (although some units seem defective due to low air tests scores). If anyone could try this scenario and post their finds, I think it would give us lots to think about. There is no easy way to test the mineral content from everyone's area, but I think this is a great and easy way to compare them. If anyone, who is willing, would go to the sites that they were testing earlier, and put it in stock coin mode, and make sure it's in auto sensitivity and don't boost the sens (no +1, +2 or +3). Then tell us the sensitivity reading that the machine uses. This is an easy way to tell how much minerals the machine is sensing. If the people that are finding deep coins, have high sensitivity readings, (24, 25, 26, ...etc) then I'll assume that their soil is mild and that some of the depth is due to that. If the people that report coins shallow (like me) and their auto sensitivity is around 15 ish, then I'll assume their soil is mineralised (hot). Would appreciate people from all over the world (especially UK) to help too. Please remember stock coin, auto sens only, to keep it uniform. I will post mine when I can get to my site. Thanks all. It may be that these machines have an oversensitivity to minerals and may be some kind of filter problem. Hoping this works like I think it will!!
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Need everyone's help PLEASE!
- Thread starter coinnut
- Start date
My F-75 reports my sites that I haven't been getting much depth on as very light mineralisation.
One important point her is that EMI probably effects the auto sensitivity as does mineralisation of the soil.
What I have actually noticed with mine and who knows if this means anything, but, in dense iron my sensitivity in auto drops like a rock all the way down to 10 in +3 auto.
And in some sites where my sensitivity hovered at say 14-16, after it rained, my auto sens hovered between 16 and 20 in the same spot the following day. So it seems moisture is playing a very distinct role in that as well.
My machine may not be the best comparison though.
One important point her is that EMI probably effects the auto sensitivity as does mineralisation of the soil.
What I have actually noticed with mine and who knows if this means anything, but, in dense iron my sensitivity in auto drops like a rock all the way down to 10 in +3 auto.
And in some sites where my sensitivity hovered at say 14-16, after it rained, my auto sens hovered between 16 and 20 in the same spot the following day. So it seems moisture is playing a very distinct role in that as well.
My machine may not be the best comparison though.
tmanfromtexas
New member
I am using a friends etrac while my other non minelab machine is in the shop. The auto sens here in Northwest Indiana dropped to 15ish at a park we hunted this morning. Now just as a comparison, I own an older model CZ3d that air tests a dime at a measured 12 inches. I checked the GB at this park and it was a 2.5. That is smoking hot ground. So the ground here is hot and the CZ doesnt do well in real hot ground but the etrac was doing pretty well. I got several wheaties at better than 6 inches but the ID was off, good high tone, bouncy numbers. Just an observation from this area. BTW the machine is set up in stock coin mode with 4 tones and auto sens. I am thinking as soon as my machine gets back from the shop it will be considered a tradein and the etrac will be worked hard until the snow fall. TMAN...
This is exactly the kind of info I need. Your ground is hot because the E trac is running an auto sensitivity at 15 (low numbers). So I consider that ground hot. You are getting Wheats at around 6". This is consistent with my findings here. My ground is very hot (White's readings -94). So minerals, (so far) greatly reduce actual ground depth from air depth readings. Thanks for the info. Will know more as more reports are in.
Actually your machine may be in line with others. It depends on if the other machines are in areas with less mineralisation, less iron, EMI, and it seems moisture is in the equation too. When more data comes in, it will be interesting. Interested in the Upper Midwest and northern west areas, as these seem to get the most depth so far.Would love to see where their sensitivity readings are. So far I am leaning to the fact that this set up that minelab has programmed into its software, is greatly affected by mineralisation, iron, EMI and moisture to some extent. But this is very preliminary, and probably will change as more data comes in. But I honestly feel I'm on to something here. If you are lucky enough to bypass those harsh conditions, you are lucky enough to get 9" on a Wheat. My intent is to research if the machines are defective or if they are just a normal manifestation of the new technology. If we know that there is nothing physically wrong with the machines (software, coil, etc...) Then it will be a matter of settings to get the best we can. And if we can't get 9" on a Wheat in our conditions? Then this is the limitations of this machine and no amount of tweaking will help.Thanks for the quick reply.
Coinnut-
The park that I go to most often is a park between a hospital and NBC studios in Burbank Ca. The park also has high power lines running down and thru part of the park. I go there because I have an hour for lunch and the park is close by. The auto sensitivity readings that I get are between 10 and 15 with the coin mode. Once in awhile it hits 16 or 17, but usually it hits at 12,13 or 14 range. Hope this helps.
Gary
The park that I go to most often is a park between a hospital and NBC studios in Burbank Ca. The park also has high power lines running down and thru part of the park. I go there because I have an hour for lunch and the park is close by. The auto sensitivity readings that I get are between 10 and 15 with the coin mode. Once in awhile it hits 16 or 17, but usually it hits at 12,13 or 14 range. Hope this helps.
Gary
Jim upstate NY
New member
dont know if its the iron or mineralization, when I have my etrac in auto it has dropped as far as 4, other places 14 and some places stays up around 20.. I think its the iron dropping mine so much... but we do have some bad ground up here.. some places its good some places its terrible... but in the iron it overwhelms it and drops way off.. I run manual anyway... I don't mind hunting slow in a null
sens is 14-16 auto (0) here. I'm seeing exactly the same behaviour as tman reports. 5-6 inches seems to be it for me so far.
My SE (which I sold along with my F75 to get the etrac) was deeper in the same soil and I ran it at auto 32. I'm a little worried that
there's nothing I'm seeing to replace the deep silver tinkle I occasionally got with the SE.
Has anyone with hot soil played with using 'pushed' manual sens to get some depth? The deepest silvers I got with the SE were
probably 9-10" max here and that was in wet/damp soil.
cheers, Pat (toronto)
My SE (which I sold along with my F75 to get the etrac) was deeper in the same soil and I ran it at auto 32. I'm a little worried that
there's nothing I'm seeing to replace the deep silver tinkle I occasionally got with the SE.
Has anyone with hot soil played with using 'pushed' manual sens to get some depth? The deepest silvers I got with the SE were
probably 9-10" max here and that was in wet/damp soil.
cheers, Pat (toronto)
Thanks Pat. It seems that your soil is mineralised. 5-6 inches is what I'm getting and my auto sensitivity settings are like yours. I ran the manual sensitivity up around 24 and it went a slight bit deeper. Signals were more defined. Not sure if I went over anything that was very deep with those settings, but it did hit loudly on a pair of silver quarters at around 5". Had I known that there were two quarters in that hole, I would have raised the coil to see how deep it would have found them. Thanks for the input. I'm starting to think that this machine is going to find targets that are masked by junk or iron, but only at shallower depths! I don't think I will ever get 8" on a silver dime where I hunt. The SE would, but so far not the ET. Thanks for the information
Thanks for the input. Mine was dropping down to 4 when I was on an old torn up gravel road. It handled the Basalt smoothly, probably because it decreased the sensitivity, something I would have never done manually myself! I would have never thought of a setting of 4. I would have over driven the unit and hence probably masked the items! So in a way Auto sens maybe the best first time sweep of an area. This will find the shallower targets among iron, junk or mineralisation! Then re sweep in manual as high as one can go without too much falsing. So far I can not think of a way to set it, in my soil to go past 6".
Erik in NJ
New member
n/t
I have one and a friend of mine has a E-Trac and we both like them and been doing great with them. My serial number is #12802 and his is #12857. I am running the factory coin mode with auto sensitivity plus 3. My auto sensitivity with the X8 coil is running around 14-17 and it does well for me other than getting some very deep nails that sound iffy.
Now I did the air test and reset my E-Trac to factory presets and noise canceled as I did mine indoors on my pool table under florescent lights and used my X8 coil being it is doing good for me. I put a wooden yard stick from the coil to see how far i can get a signals. Used a US quarter and was getting it at 8 inches, but scratchy and 7 it locked on nice. set it to manual as it showed it was 23 and could get a signal at 11 inches, but a good Lock on at 10. Now I up the sensitivity to 30 in manual and got 12 inches with a good lock on at 11 inches. I also notice on each of the test if I wave the coin slower it seems to lose depth while swinging it faster it would get better depth and better lock on too.
Now I put the stock coil on,reset it and did the noise cancel and in auto it would get the quarter at 9 with a lock on at 8. Manual at 23 it gave a signal at 11 inches with a lock on at 10, max the sensitivity at 30 in manual and got 12 inches with a lock on at 11.
Now I know air test with a Sovereign and the Explorer is not as deep as when it is in the ground, so I feel it will go deeper in the ground than these test. Now actual hunting with the 8 inch Sun Ray coil I have dug wheat pennies and 1 IH that were 9 plus inches deep, silver Rosie blasted my ears at 6 inches, but what gets me is some rusty nails that are a bit iffy have been around 12 inches deep.
Now i ask my Friend how deep he has got with his and he too said he has dug around 13-14 inches deep for a 1806 British half penny while most coins locks on real good at 7 inches and at 8 or more the ferrous starts to go to lower numbers with coins being no lower than 10 and as high as 18. He feels the E-trac is better picking out good coins in with nails than he did with the SE or the EX II he had as you can hear the nails and the coin that are with them.
Now I did the air test and reset my E-Trac to factory presets and noise canceled as I did mine indoors on my pool table under florescent lights and used my X8 coil being it is doing good for me. I put a wooden yard stick from the coil to see how far i can get a signals. Used a US quarter and was getting it at 8 inches, but scratchy and 7 it locked on nice. set it to manual as it showed it was 23 and could get a signal at 11 inches, but a good Lock on at 10. Now I up the sensitivity to 30 in manual and got 12 inches with a good lock on at 11 inches. I also notice on each of the test if I wave the coin slower it seems to lose depth while swinging it faster it would get better depth and better lock on too.
Now I put the stock coil on,reset it and did the noise cancel and in auto it would get the quarter at 9 with a lock on at 8. Manual at 23 it gave a signal at 11 inches with a lock on at 10, max the sensitivity at 30 in manual and got 12 inches with a lock on at 11.
Now I know air test with a Sovereign and the Explorer is not as deep as when it is in the ground, so I feel it will go deeper in the ground than these test. Now actual hunting with the 8 inch Sun Ray coil I have dug wheat pennies and 1 IH that were 9 plus inches deep, silver Rosie blasted my ears at 6 inches, but what gets me is some rusty nails that are a bit iffy have been around 12 inches deep.
Now i ask my Friend how deep he has got with his and he too said he has dug around 13-14 inches deep for a 1806 British half penny while most coins locks on real good at 7 inches and at 8 or more the ferrous starts to go to lower numbers with coins being no lower than 10 and as high as 18. He feels the E-trac is better picking out good coins in with nails than he did with the SE or the EX II he had as you can hear the nails and the coin that are with them.
Islandjoe57
New member
Coinnut, I tried your expermint to day and found the following depending what part of the beach I was on.
Results:
Started up the unit as I normally do and balanced the machine. In Auto with no boost I had a 15. Tried to boost and the Max was 18.
Went a 100ft down the beach and tried the same thing. Started up the machine and balanced same. In Auto at 0, I got a 22. Boost the machine to 27.
Durning one of my searches I recevied a target at 22 sens and started digging. Sand changed to a darker color and Sens dropped after resweeping over target. Our soil here (Hawaii) is made up of Voleanic Rock and Basalts is what I was told by a locale college. I kind of figured the voleanic rock part since I can see at least old volcano' s from my window.
Hope this will help with your data.
BOB
Results:
Started up the unit as I normally do and balanced the machine. In Auto with no boost I had a 15. Tried to boost and the Max was 18.
Went a 100ft down the beach and tried the same thing. Started up the machine and balanced same. In Auto at 0, I got a 22. Boost the machine to 27.
Durning one of my searches I recevied a target at 22 sens and started digging. Sand changed to a darker color and Sens dropped after resweeping over target. Our soil here (Hawaii) is made up of Voleanic Rock and Basalts is what I was told by a locale college. I kind of figured the voleanic rock part since I can see at least old volcano' s from my window.
Hope this will help with your data.
BOB
Thanks Bob, I think the auto, is very sensitive to the ground changing. Too sensitive for my liking, but probably a good tool if you have an area all to yourself. You can search it in auto and the re-search it in manual. I have been hunting in manual (as high as I can) all metal, ferrous sounds, 2 tones, deep off, fast on, and have been trying to find the coins between the iron. So far limited results in the iron, but I feel I'm getting better at it every time out. The weather keeps me from doing any consistent comparisons. Snow and cold is not any machine's friend! I have found some targets deeper than 6" now, but the soil needs to be less mineralised and away from the iron areas, and manual sensitivity, for me, is a must. Thanks for your help. George