This is for Bryce.

[Eddie in Poulsbo]

I know that you use semi-auto on your sensitivity and I and probably a lot of the guys on the forum do as well. Just for the heck of it I was playing with my XS with the SE-Pro coil doing some air tests with silver coins and I was surprised when using semi-auto sensitivity and then going to auto sensitivity that I was picking up my coins a good three inches deeper in auto. If this is the case then maybe I should start using auto sensitivity if I can get more depth and if you disagree then could you give me your reasons. I know that air tests are not as good as a test garden, but I was quite surprised in the difference in depths between the two. Thanks for your opinion on this and others are welcome to give theirs as well.

Eddie

 

[Hotcz70]

did you mean you were going from semi auto to manual...or from manual to semi auto?

Just let me know and I'll try to answer you as best as I can.

 

[Eddie in Poulsbo]

I was in semi-auto and then switched to auto.

 

[Eddie in Poulsbo]

I got my head up my you know what!!!! Yes, I was going from semi-auto to manual. Sorry about that.

 

[Hotcz70]

Me personally though...I will stick to semi auto because I feel it really stabilizes my SE and settles it down.

I run my gain jacked at 10 so I need the SE to be as stable as it can be while listening for faint deep coin chirps which to be honest...sound just like iron falsing until you investigate them.

If I am already hearing a bunch of falsing and chirping...then it becomes tedious and near impossible to pick out the falsing chirps from actual coin chirps.

I could do what many do...and thats set the SE sensitivity to manual and then run it as hot as I can and still be stable...then control it up and down as I hunt...but I choose not to do that.

I just like the SE at semi auto 26 which is what I've had it set at for over 3 years now...and it hasn't been touched.

Yes at times I do hunt at manual 26 and have made some nice finds...but usually end up back at semi auto 26 because I like how that setting stabilizes my SE and I hear much less falsing and chirping. I guess I just like the sounds I hear running semi auto.

Here in my IL soil... my deepest silver dime finds of 11" have come while hunting at semi auto 26. My deepest coin ever..a Morgan dollar from 12" was also found in semi auto 26. My personal opinion is that these finds were made because my falsing and chirping was cut to a minimum...and I was able to pay closer attention to what I have trained my ears to listen for.

For me...it just works for me...and I always stick with what works until it "dont work no more"

With my SE stabilized as best as it can be for me by running semi auto...I feel I am going just as "deep" as manual because I have cut the falsing and chirping down to a minimum and I can better hear those faint deep "warbles" I listen for.

Manual just seems to pop and chirp a little more over iron regardless of what I have it set at. Again...I just like what I hear running semi auto even though many feel they can get deeper hunting in manual. Just my personal preference.

Hope I haven't babbled and butchered my answer too much and that I made sense.

Take care my friend

 

[Eddie in Poulsbo]

Thanks Bryce for your opinion and what works best for you. I did notice that when I tried manual in the past it did seem to be a lot more noisier and more unstable. Like you said, stick with what works until it don't work no more. Thanks again for your reply and maybe it might have helped someone else also. HH.

Eddie

 

[D&P-OR]

Eddie-----Bryce was gracious enough to give me his settings for the SE when I had it and they REALLY WORK!!----Thanks Bryce!------I also tried manual sensitivity in my test garden and could see that it got some better depth (in a controlled atmosphere).---But just try useing it (manual at higher settings) when you're hunting & on a long term basis---huh uh!---IMHO, Bryce's auto-sens. setting (26) will net you WAY more finds (overall) on in-field hunting because of the PLENTY adequate depth (and stability) it gets.-------Del

 

[Eddie in Poulsbo]

Thanks Del. I'm not disputing Bryce's settings in the least. He has given me his setups also even though I have the XS and he uses the SE. I was just kind of surprised that there was so much depth difference between semi-auto and manual as I have never done that type of air test before. There are so many different settings a guy can use and then you have the conditions of the area that you are detecting in and that is what's nice about the Minelab machines being able to adjust and use the settings that work best for you. HH.

Eddie

 

[sangamon]

...which coil you are using?

i would think that different coils run better at different Sensitivity settings, also accounting for ground conditions.

just curious. i'm going to make a few adjustments

 

[Hotcz70]

do tend to stay there regardless. Deep iron falsing sounds so much more like deep silver to me when I hunt in manual.
Regardless of where I have it set at in manual...sure deep coins on edge might sound a tad bit better...but deep iron sounds way better...and I don't like it.

If I use the pro coil and try to run manual...I end up digging at least 10 holes to China...with nothing at the bottom of each hole

The 10 x 12 SEF coil is the one that does best in manual than any other coil for me....and depending on the ground conditions...I can hunt it at manual 26 about 50% of the time.
I honestly usually end up right back at semi auto 26 though...because in my opinion...the deep iron doesn't give off as much of a clean "warbly" sound as it does in manual. I just seem to be able to tell enough of a difference between deep iron and deep coins while hunting in semi auto..that I do very well in iron.

My best finds this year have come in areas where I have very little or no threshold at all much of the time.
I am not telling others to hunt this way because it takes a lot of practice..but nulls are my friends

When I'm in manual...the sound coming through the nulls are way too good...and I dig too much iron. If I'm in semi auto though...those too good sounds break up on some of the coil passes...and I know it's iron instead of a coin in the iron.

If I dig a rusty nail...it's my choice and I already knew it was iffy before I gave it a shot.

Now that I've babbled way too long...I'll get back to the original question. Yes different coils definitely do handle hotter manual sensitivity better than others for me. Regardless though of where I have manual set at...I get more popping and "un"stableness as I do when running semi auto...which makes it harder for me to discern between deep iron and deep coins.

It isn't so much that I can't run manual 26 if I want to. It's more that I can tell the SE language spoken over deep iron when I'm in semi auto.
I feel most of the good coins left aren't too deep for explorer users. I feel they are hiding in iron and trash

 

[PryorCreekJoe]

Bryce,

If you run in Semi-Auto, why don't you run 32 instead of 26? I would think that if the detector is setting the Sensitivity automatically, (up to the limit you have set), you would just set it at 32 and let it run as hot as it can depending on ground condition? It seems like you are limiting the detectors ability to "max" out if you set your limit to 26. I am just wondering why 26 instead of 32, when the detector will determine the finally setting anyway. (up to the limit you have set of course)

PryorCreekJoe

 

[Hotcz70]

running manual.

The only time I run semi auto 32 is when I use the 6 x 8 SEF coil or the 6" Excelerator coil because they handle the hotter setting much better.

In fact those 2 coils are not effective for me at semi auto 26 or manual 26 for that matter. They work their magic for me at semi auto 32. At semi auto 26 or manual 26...the 6" excelerator coil seems like just an okay coil. With it set at semi auto 32 though...I have dug tons of injuns and silver at 9" with it directly in iron and trash.

Just because the detector sets sensitivity "automatically" according to what "it" thinks.. doesn't mean my ears will interperet it that way and find deep coins. At semi auto 32 I get too much falsing and chirping. I have even messed with semi auto 28...but it doesn't feel as stable to me.
I prefer it at semi auto 26 and that's just my comfort zone as to what my ears feel is deep silver or injuns'.

I don't have any scientific reasons as to why it works for me set there...but it simply finds stuff and makes bad stuff sound bad...and good stuff sound good to me.

 

[PryorCreekJoe]

Bryce,

Agree that the smaller coil can run hotter. My worst is my WOT and my Pro Coils. I can run my 10x12 on 32 auto most of the time as long as the grass is short and there is not much trash. But if there is a lot of trash I switch to the 6x8, 8 inch Sunray or the 5 incher anyway. I know what you mean by comfort zone also. I have some hearing frequency loss and hear things better with my gain on 4 to 6 than anything higher. If I get much higher than that and it all starts sounding the same. I know that the higher the gain the hotter the machine but it doesn't help to run hot if you can't hear it. Catch 22. I guess my Achilles heal is gain where yours might be sensitivity. Another help for me are my Black Widows. Again, the hearing frequency loss thing. They really cut out the outside world and let me focus. I don't even hear little kids with them on. LOL

Thanks for the semi auto info,
Joe

 

[Hotcz70]

Joe...running low gain like that has to be tough...but it sounds like you are doing very well with it.

I just want to clarify that the sensitivity I run is not an Achilles heel to me. It is a choice I have made and a sound I prefer to hear after 1000's of hours experimenting to see what combo of settings work best for me. It is truly my choice because it has proven itself to me over and over in the field. It is not a setting I have to run. It's a setting I choose to run

As for the Black widdows...I haven't used them...but I know a few people who absolutely love them.

Take care...and good luck hunting.