Rich3030 said:
What am I supposed to be hearing in regards to this threshold to help me find deep/weak targets?
Also does anyone know what this sound is representing?
The Threshold tone is used as a "benchmark" for our hearing. Our objective should be to set it at a barely audible level. This level can change, based on outside noise, headphones, wireless module usage, and anything else that comes between the audio response of the detector and your ears. I set the level of mine at each site, based on these factors. In setting it, I raise it to a level that is clearly heard. Then I lower it until the sound just disappears. Then I raise it one click, so it is a soft hum "in the background". If you set your Threshold too low, you won't be able to hear the detector null out over rejected targets. If you set the Threshold too high, it can block the audio response of weaker signals. And the reason it can do that is because the Threshold tone is independent from the target response tone. Being independent, you can adjust the pitch to suit your hearing (as well as the level), without having an affect on the pitch of the target tone.
[attachment 260992 thresholdinfo.jpg]
In regard to how a properly adjusted Threshold might "help" with deeper, weaker signals....... By having a barely audible Threshold, we are better able to identify those slight variations in audio tone, when target tone tries to replace Threshold tone. Deep targets may produce a target audio response so weak as to not "lock in" a consistent audio tone. But with a slightly audible Threshold, you will hear that Threshold vary. If the target has been set to reject, the Threshold will "blank" for a short duration. If the target has been set to be accepted, the Threshold will not blank, but will simply vary the pitch. Maybe not to the same pitch as we would expect from a shallow, more stable target response. But it will "warble" in pitch, without going null.
As I mentioned, the Threshold tone is independent of target tones. As such, if you listen real close (and fast) you can hear a target tone "over-ride" the Threshold tone, as you pass over a target. On rejected targets, think of the null as being a "non-tone" sound, (silence), in that silence "over-rides" the Threshold. But even though the Threshold tone is independent of the target tones, it is important to adjust the four audio components....Threshold pitch, Threshold level, Volume limit and Volume Gain...... as a "team". Each of us have different hearing capabilities, hunt at different sites and, frankly, have different preferences as to what we hear. When I set up my 3030, I usually set the Threshold pitch a few clicks lower than the preset of 15. As I've gotten older, the lower pitch tones are more relaxing than high pitch tones. I set my Threshold level to accommodate my headphones and the background noise. Just keep it to barely audible.......the threshold of sound. I usually run my Volume Gain around 28. Having it a bit higher than preset, 28 amplifies all the target signals. I've ran some sites with a Volume Gain of 30. But it seemed that it was more difficult to separate closely adjacent targets. Again, my ears don't hear as well as they use to. And even though running at 28 doesn't give me as much "audio separation" between medium and strong signals, it does make the weaker signals easier to hear. I also run my Volume Limit at 29 with my headphones. I know that I risk having loud bursts of sound come from large, shallow targets. But having run "full bore" with my detectors for over 40 years, it is a hard habit to break. (which probably explains my loss of hearing).
As I've said since the introduction of the CTX 3030....the flexibility of the platform allows each of us to adjust it for our needs. Whether it be selecting the audio options or building a Discrimination Pattern, none of us have the same preferences or techniques. I suggest that everyone have a test garden where they can learn the functionality of their detectors. Learn a proper sweep speed, learn how different Separation modes react differently to similar targets, learn how different audio profiles can help you pull the goodies from the crap. Learn how Threshold settings can (and will) have an influence on how deeply you can hear a target. And when you learn all these things, you will be able to develop a set of adjustments (Programs) that meet your demands for nearly every site you will hunt. And finally, speaking of programs...... there isn't any magic program for the CTX 3030. Although some folks have been gracious enough to share the settings that work for them, that does not guarantee they will work for you. Again, the beauty of the CTX 3030 is that it allows each of us to implement the functionality we need to maximize it's performance, for the sites we hunt. JMHO HH Randy
