New Iron Bias Tutorial (Minelab)

[trojdor]

*Edit*
I deleted the link as it wasn't directly from Minelab .... thus possibly breaking the forum rules.
If you're interested, go to YouTube and search for it.

Note also, that Minelab has updated the downloadable manual to reflect the new F2 Iron bias instructions.

 

[Ted S]

I think it was page 52 in the manual. I printed it and put it into my instruction book. I used a 3 ring binder.

 

[JimmyCT]

Thank trojdor! I was hesitant in downloading because I run 0 iron bias but I'll give this a try and see how it works.


https://www.minelab.com/__files/f/408020/4901-0249-5%20EQUINOX%20600%20800%20Instruction%20Manual%20EN

The Iron Bias F2 Setting provides tone and Target ID response adjustment for a wider range of ferrous targets, including some types of crown cap bottle tops that Iron Bias FE is less effective for. Iron Bias F2 is best used in All Metal Mode, with iron tones audible.

 

[Mark kus]

I downloaded the new update saw the FE2 now that replaces the original FE because the FE2 showed the first time now it just says FE?
mark

 

[Ted S]

Mark...Go to your recovery speed settings. Press and hold the settings button for two seconds. You should be able to see a line under the recovery speed icon.Now there should be FE or F2 on the screen.Press the Accept/Reject button to toggle between FE or F2. Good luck! Ted

 

[jayhop]

Did you switch modes?
You have to select the iron bias you want for each mode and you can switch between FE and F2 with the accept reject button.

 

[Mark kus]

Mark...Go to your recovery speed settings. Press and hold the settings button for two seconds. You should be able to see a line under the recovery speed icon.Now there should be FE or F2 on the screen.Press the Accept/Reject button to toggle between FE or F2. Good luck! Ted

Got it thanks Ted works fine now do the two work together? I usually run iron at 0 so try upping the FE2 for bottle caps?
I’ll probably get some caps burry them see what the results are in dirt and on beach
Thanks Ted

 

[Ted S]

I am thinking they are independent. I hunted an 1898 house yesterday where I got the Indians and nickle trifecta. I didn't use F2 as there wasn't any bottle caps or much iron junk in there. I only came up with some clad for the couple of hours I spent there. I did notice memorial cents are reading 25-26 and clad quarters 29-31...

 

[Donut]

I have a question on the Iron bias.
The new update shoes the same (6) in FE and F2 in Park 1 as default so there is no actual change in park 1 mode ?.
So is there any difference between FE 6 and F2 6.
I do understand that the defaults are changed in F2.
Is the new F2 just a toggle to be able to change to another preset F2.
Is there anything else changing in F2.
I did see that dose change the default is changed in other pattern settings in F2

Hope I explained that right.
Doug

 

[trojdor]

do the two work together? I usually run iron at 0 so try upping the FE2 for bottle caps?
I’ll probably get some caps burry them see what the results are in dirt and on beach
Thanks Ted

Mark,
No, they are two totally different algorithms .... you choose either/or.

From the manual:
"The Iron Bias F2 Setting provides tone and Target ID response
adjustment for a wider range of ferrous targets, including some
types of crown cap bottle tops that Iron Bias FE is less effective for.
Iron Bias F2 is best used in All Metal Mode, with iron tones audible"

mike

 

[Donut]

do the two work together? I usually run iron at 0 so try upping the FE2 for bottle caps?
I’ll probably get some caps burry them see what the results are in dirt and on beach
Thanks Ted

Mark,
No, they are two totally different algorithms .... you choose either/or.

From the manual:
"The Iron Bias F2 Setting provides tone and Target ID response
adjustment for a wider range of ferrous targets, including some
types of crown cap bottle tops that Iron Bias FE is less effective for.
Iron Bias F2 is best used in All Metal Mode, with iron tones audible"

mike

Ok thanks that helps.
I didn’t think about the Algerians.
your saying it’s best tonF2 in all metal mode. So how will F2 affect Park,1 when it’s in discrimination mode.

Thanks Mark

Asking this because many here that will be using Park 1 with F2 in the discrimination mode.

 

[unearth]

My understanding of the Minelab tutorial is, the new IB, F2, works in Multi frequency only and best in all-metal mode. I did a three hour park hunt today with the update in all metal. I've never hunted a park in all metal before and this park is littered with bottle caps. It seemed to me, in park 1, all metal, sens at 17 and 16, recovery at six, F2 iron bias at four and I tried six, I was finding less bottle caps than I usually do. I understand that this was only a three hour hunt but I did dig fewer bottle caps than normal. I can usually tell if the target is a bottle cap by the jumpy vdi. And that hasn't changed. I don't know if the new IB is just showing more bottle caps with jumpy numbers so you don't dig them, or, if the new IB is ignoring more of them. Time will tell.

 

[chuck ky]

How can it ignore bottle caps in all metal?

 

[unearth]

That's a very good question. The tutorial doesn't say all bottle caps, just more bottle caps.

 

[JimmyCT]

Chuck,

They are referring to the old crown caps. Yes, you can be in "all-metal" and use F2 with a setting of 6 and you will hear them break up. I got to experience this situation this evening. I use F2 - '0' with "all-metal" and I dug up one of the old type crown caps. I then adjust the F2 setting until it started breaking up.That didn't happen until I increased it to 6 in F2. It now identifies as iron and you will hear it as such. Hope this helps - Jim

How can it ignore bottle caps in all metal?

 

[trojdor]

How can it ignore bottle caps in all metal?

Note that there is a very big difference between being able to IDENTIFY a bottle cap as trash, and IGNORING bottle caps.

Most long time, experienced users will at least check their targets in all metal .... if not hunt completely in all metal .... because it's much easier to identify that devious rusty iron that's trying to trick you with a high tone.
When you can also hear the iron tone, it's significantly easier to keep from being fooled.

The new update makes composite steel trash sound more choppy, and adds more low iron tone.
With the old FE, I've got a few bottle caps (I've found) that simply sound like wonderful/perfectly dig-able good targets.

 

[RayinAlaska]

What I did was to download the updated user manual (the first one on the link below). Open the Downloads link and then choose 4901-0249-5 EQUINOX 600 800 Instruction Manual EN
https://www.minelab.com/metal-detectors/equinox-800

I also have printed the older manual, and only found a few differences between the old and the new user manual. In this case I removed the following pages and replaced them with the new pages.

New pages:

a. 51 and 52. Page 51 remains the same as the older manual, and page 52 shows the iron bias settings for both the Equinox 600 and 800's FE and F2. You will notice that the default settings for iron bias are different for FE and F2 depending on which detecting mode you use.
.
b. 62. Factory Presets, and again FE and F2

c. 65-66. Page 65 shows the LCD screen backlight for both the 600 and 800
---------------------------

 

[D&P-OR]

Thanks for that info Ray.

 

[BigTony]

Trojdor, thanks now I understand and hopefully I’ll stop digging those choppy sounds
Tony