Sensitivity ?

[Jason in TN]

Interested in how folks are running there sensitivity. Found at the beach that auto ran much better for me. Have not got to do much dirt hunting yet. For those guys doing well are you running auto or do you find running manual is working better.

Jason

 

[C&RHunter]

It's still so dry here in Missouri, I haven't gotten to do much land hunting. I've used both manual and auto. Auto seems to be much more stable the few times I've been out. The sensitivity can be as low as 16 or so,and I've seen it get up to the mid 20s. I have used auto +2 or +3 the most. But am still trying to find what seems to work the best for me....Sure would like to get some rain so I can get a better judge on the sensitivity and how this machine is going to work for me, in "normal" ground conditions......So far I really like the CTX, and for many reasons..HH

 

[TIM CLARK]

Auto +2 for me in my bone dry ground in Eastern Indiana.

 

[Gonehunting]

Here in Oklahoma very dry.. been using +3, in the red clay sometime +2.. Manual just isn't stable except in the really clean, non mineralized soil..

 

[spdnj]

Minelab does not recommend ground balancing or auto sensitivity per the manual at the beach so at the beach I run manual. Inland I try to run manual also, the only time I go to auto is if the area is just solid targets whether iron, junk or good. When the machine is constantly sounding off with almost no breaks being in auto allows it to run much smoother. I think when the trash is that thick getting down deep below it is almost impossible anyway, my goal shifts to just picking targets out in-between trash. If you like a quiet machine with a beep and dig mind set auto will work, I think if you want to get the more difficult targets manual is the way to go.

 

[Jason in TN]

Minelab does not recommend ground balancing or auto sensitivity per the manual at the beach so at the beach I run manual. Inland I try to run manual also, the only time I go to auto is if the area is just solid targets whether iron, junk or good. When the machine is constantly sounding off with almost no breaks being in auto allows it to run much smoother. I think when the trash is that thick getting down deep below it is almost impossible anyway, my goal shifts to just picking targets out in-between trash. If you like a quiet machine with a beep and dig mind set auto will work, I think if you want to get the more difficult targets manual is the way to go.

I too saw that in the manual it says do not use auto sensitivity at the beach. But after a lot of use at the beaches I hunt in SC auto runs much better and higher than I can get manual to run. A lot smoother and target id's are better. Seems to run hotter than I can get it to run in manual and I got better depth. So I would say give it a try and see how it goes for you. Thanks for your input.

Jason

 

[Big Boys Hobbies]

+2 for me unless in high trash or iron. Then I go straight auto.

 

[brother steve]

At my go to spot that has a lot of rusted iron in the soil so I run in auto 2. If I run auto 3 it falses to much. .

 

[Jason in TN]

-- moved topic --

 

[Digger]

I found Auto to operate with more stability when going back and forth between wet / dry sand. I would suggest that it is because Auto allows the CTX to adjust the Sensitivity "on the fly", using the information from all three channels. But I will also say that when I was detecting up on the dry sand (exclusively) or with the coil submerged, Manual Sensitivity was very stable in most locations. The key point I believe, regardless of whether you use Manual or Auto, is to not "over-drive" the Sensitivity setting.
I am as guilty as the next person in trying to apply what I've learned about other detectors, to the CTX. And granted, there are basic metal detector "operations" that carry over to the CTX. But only after months and months of "comparisons" did I come to the conclusion that the CTX is unlike any other detector I'd ever used. Some find similarities with the E-TRAC, and to a certain degree, (smart coil) the X-TERRAs. But at the end of the day, we will discover that the CTX 3030 has a "personality" of it's own. And that personality is best understood when you adjust it to your specific circumstances (sweep speed, Patterns, Sensitivity, Separation, Audio profiles etc). As most who have used it with consistent success will attest to, there are no short cuts and it ain't a magic wand. Understanding the functionality and being able to apply what you know to the sites you hunt are essential if your goal is to maximize it's performance. And in my opinion, being able to do that effectively will only come with "hands-on" experience. JMHO HH Randy

 

[grouser]

what do you means it's not a magic wand ????

 

[squirrel1]

Been running auto plus 3 a lot with good quiet/nonfalsing results. Have run as high as 28 manual and the machine was quiet although I was running 28 in clean ground. Not as dry here in Middle TN though as it is in the midwest and Missouri.

 

[Jason in TN]

Thanks for the post on this guys. It is interesting to see how other folks are hunting and how it is working. Seems like auto is working as good or better than manual for me. Hope to get out to hunt some more soon. Got two fancy new coils in the mail today.

Jason.

 

[Mike MD]

I have been using Auto plus 3 in both dry and damp soil since we finally got some rain. It runs the most stable for my conditions, high iron and high tension wires. I have got a couple of deep signals that would not ID and switched over to manual 25. Auto was running at 21 around some high tension wires. It locked on in manual and I recovered two wheaties, one at 8 inches the other at 9 inches. I still have a lot to learn coming from an Explorer XS but I'm making some good finds.

HH
Mike

 

[Paulie]

Based on the soil mineralization (low-medium) of my area that I hunt in, I know the following works for me.
My buddy and I were out MD'ing at one of our spots, and both running Auto +2. Both CTX's were running a different sensitivity, while only 10' away from each other, but no real thought was given to this at the time. His was reading 28-18 and mine was running 21-18. We were using the exact same stock coil, program/mode/and settings as well. Anyhow, my buddy had located this target, and called me over to verify the depth, as well as the Fe/Co numbers. I swung the coil over the target, and got no audio at all, and only a visual on the display but how many times do we go metal detecting, and look at the screen 100% of the time...I know I don't EVER, UNTIL I get an audio response. So, I set my sensitivity to manual 28, to match his 28 he was showing on his display. I swung the coil over the target again, and almost blew my ears off, and the depth of the target was 11" !!
So I got home that day, frustrated at how many targets I may have missed, because I was running in Auto +2. I went to my test garden, and proceeded with a series of experiments. I found that if the auto sensitivity is below 22, targets from 6" down get missed. When I went to manual sensitivity, and set it to 23, the target signals gave a good audio response up to 6" & 7" but diminished in relation to the targets depth after 7" and responded very faintly at best.
However, those "faint" audio signals would have been enough though to stop me in my tracks, and force me to look at the display, and swing over the target again. When I set the sensitivity to 25, even the targets at 12" gave a good solid audio signal in both directions, and the Fe/Co numbers were more consistent! I ran this experiment up to 30 sensitivity, but could not stand the chatter, and false signals I was getting! I worked the CTX until I found what I call the "optimal range" and that was between 24 and 27.
So, I went out the next day, to take my findings into the field and put them to the test. I ran my sensitivity in manual at 26. I was able to pull 4 silvers from 4 different areas of the field, ranging in depths from 9" to 12"!! To me, that was the proof I needed, and from that moment forward I ran my CTX in manual sensitivity! Now I am not saying this applies to all CTX's across the world!
Andy Sabisch, could have not stressed it more (during his bootcamp), the importance of having a test garden, and to put the CTX to work in that garden, to see what settings work best! I am glad that I did take Andy's advice, and I strongly suggest to others, to do the same! You may find your CTX works perfectly fine in Auto Sens, while working your test garden, or you may find that you need to bump your sensitivity up, in order to gain depth in the soil conditions for your area.

 

[glenn3-88]

Ditto................I live just 15 miles or so from Myrtle Beach. Tried the auto +2 and +3. It got quiet as a church mouse. Did
this for an hour and a half. Nothing. Went back over same WET beach in manual and started digging coins and one 1970's
ear ring. They were all very deep too. What I found is in the wet sand and water to turn on your Seawater as stated in Andy's book.
On dry sand turn off Seawater. Used manual and found targets in both areas. One difference I found that helped at the beach
and hurt me inland was to use pitch hold at the beach. I use ferrous coin inland. I tried the Auto function at 3 different locations
with 2 of them being sandy black soil (good for gardening) and 1 location that had a clay base about 5" down. What I found was
that the manual setting worked best in all 3 locations but when the location with clay was very dry I had to ground balance and when
it was moist, I had to turn off ground balance. In another words, IN MY LOCATION, I have yet to find a use for Auto Sensitivity at all.
My manual sensitivity is run based on what the machine is telling me plus 2 or 3 points higher. I have run it as high as 28 without
any problems but when I go to 30 I start getting falsing