I know that three of the Nokta models help make up my Regular-Use Detector Team, and for a very good reason: They ALL work great for all sorts of hunting needs I encounter. And YES, the FORS Relic model is my preferred detector for a lot of old sites I hunt, especially those that abound if rusty tin and other odd-shaped ferrous trash and excels at unmasking desirable targets in dense iron junk. So does my Impact and FORS CoRe models, but the FORS Relic does have a bit of an 'edge' at times and offers the Tone Break and Iron Audio Volume that help quiet the iron noise for more pleasurable hunting.
That said, I also don't hesitate to grab one of my Relic models for some urban Coin Hunting I do, especially if working sports fields or other places more likely to have lower-conductive lost gold jewelry. Be patient, too, as you work to learn and use the numeric VDI [size=small](Visual Discrimination Indication)[/size] read-outs because, as Tall-Tom mentioned, they are only estimated or suggested TID readings, just like Coin Depth 'estimates' are. Keep in mind that I am sure there is more unwanted junk out there than there are coins, and a lot of the discarded debris we encounter can have a similar conductivity signature to desired targets so it stands to reason we are going to get fooled at times.
As you learn and master the Relic you'll come to get a good understanding of the different search modes and when to select them based upon the site environment, number and types of targets encountered, and the search coil you have mounted. For example, here are my mode preferences based on the hunt site and coil I am using:
7X11 DD standard coil for Coin Hunting large open grassy parks or sports fields, or Relic Hunting a large plowed field, rangeland or spare snagging brush woodland area, that Relic turns-on in Di2 / 2-Tone Mode. I might opt for the DEEP mode if conditions call for it. With this coil I never use Di3-Tone and seldom the 2-Tone SWIFT modes.
5½X10 Concentric coil for hunting low-to-moderately littered sites, especially with iron nails are the primary offender, that Relic will start-up in Di2 / 2-Tone mode. I will then sometimes opt for the 2-Tone SWIFT mode and occasionally DEEP mode, but seldom the Di3 / 3-Tone mode.
5½" DD round smaller coil is my most use Relic & Coil team because I hunt really ugly, densely littered old high-use sites, such as ghost towns and similar places where iron trash abounds. The biggest annoyance is not iron nails or similar wire-iron type targets. It is the terribly annoying rusty tin and similar flat-iron or sheet-iron trash. My Relic equipped with the 5½" DD will start-up in Di3 / 3-Tone mode are best suited for Relic Hunting in these types of very dense trash with a lot of rusty tin as well as nails and other ferrous discards as this mode helps to audibly and visual 'classify' probably tin.
I also like the Relic & 5½" coil when Coin and Jewelry Hunting in a dense trash area or one with a lot of nearby metal structures, such as around high-use picnic bowery's, playground structures, metal fences, and also in and around very brushy places like overgrown shrubs on the fringes of old parks or into overgrown tree growth area of parks and such.
On occasion I might opt for the 2-Tone SWIFT mode when using this coil, but very seldom the Di2 or DEEP modes.
Naturally, not mentioned is the COG mode when discussing the use of a Disc. mode, and I reserve the COG 'Beach' mode for Beach Hunting salt water coastal beaches, salt water inland beaches, and rather wetted alkaline desert places I also frequent when Relic Hunting ... if not controllable in the other modes.
Take the time to master your detector and soon it will master you and how you put it to good use wherever you hunt.
Monte
That said, I also don't hesitate to grab one of my Relic models for some urban Coin Hunting I do, especially if working sports fields or other places more likely to have lower-conductive lost gold jewelry. Be patient, too, as you work to learn and use the numeric VDI [size=small](Visual Discrimination Indication)[/size] read-outs because, as Tall-Tom mentioned, they are only estimated or suggested TID readings, just like Coin Depth 'estimates' are. Keep in mind that I am sure there is more unwanted junk out there than there are coins, and a lot of the discarded debris we encounter can have a similar conductivity signature to desired targets so it stands to reason we are going to get fooled at times.
As you learn and master the Relic you'll come to get a good understanding of the different search modes and when to select them based upon the site environment, number and types of targets encountered, and the search coil you have mounted. For example, here are my mode preferences based on the hunt site and coil I am using:
7X11 DD standard coil for Coin Hunting large open grassy parks or sports fields, or Relic Hunting a large plowed field, rangeland or spare snagging brush woodland area, that Relic turns-on in Di2 / 2-Tone Mode. I might opt for the DEEP mode if conditions call for it. With this coil I never use Di3-Tone and seldom the 2-Tone SWIFT modes.
5½X10 Concentric coil for hunting low-to-moderately littered sites, especially with iron nails are the primary offender, that Relic will start-up in Di2 / 2-Tone mode. I will then sometimes opt for the 2-Tone SWIFT mode and occasionally DEEP mode, but seldom the Di3 / 3-Tone mode.
5½" DD round smaller coil is my most use Relic & Coil team because I hunt really ugly, densely littered old high-use sites, such as ghost towns and similar places where iron trash abounds. The biggest annoyance is not iron nails or similar wire-iron type targets. It is the terribly annoying rusty tin and similar flat-iron or sheet-iron trash. My Relic equipped with the 5½" DD will start-up in Di3 / 3-Tone mode are best suited for Relic Hunting in these types of very dense trash with a lot of rusty tin as well as nails and other ferrous discards as this mode helps to audibly and visual 'classify' probably tin.
I also like the Relic & 5½" coil when Coin and Jewelry Hunting in a dense trash area or one with a lot of nearby metal structures, such as around high-use picnic bowery's, playground structures, metal fences, and also in and around very brushy places like overgrown shrubs on the fringes of old parks or into overgrown tree growth area of parks and such.
On occasion I might opt for the 2-Tone SWIFT mode when using this coil, but very seldom the Di2 or DEEP modes.
Naturally, not mentioned is the COG mode when discussing the use of a Disc. mode, and I reserve the COG 'Beach' mode for Beach Hunting salt water coastal beaches, salt water inland beaches, and rather wetted alkaline desert places I also frequent when Relic Hunting ... if not controllable in the other modes.
Take the time to master your detector and soon it will master you and how you put it to good use wherever you hunt.
Monte