Tones

[Low-Boy/LCPM]

Been trying to get use to more then two tones...it seems that you get more of a zippy sound then a nice simple tone when using full tones. Where I have been hunting the ground is very wet the dirt is wet and targets have a larger footprint. If you have iron or trash in the ground it all seems to run togeather. Just wondering what you guys are using and why?

 

[Southwind]

On my E-Trac I like multi-tone but on my Deus I prefer 5 tones. I agree I don't care for the zip of full tones. Kind of reminds me of the old BFO's. I do like using 5 tones I can set my iron tone, I set my gold tone, then my tab tone, copper tones and then my silver. I'm happy!

 

[sprchng]

On my E-Trac I like multi-tone but on my Deus I prefer 5 tones. I agree I don't care for the zip of full tones. Kind of reminds me of the old BFO's. I do like using 5 tones I can set my iron tone, I set my gold tone, then my tab tone, copper tones and then my silver. I'm happy!

How do you separate the gold and tab tones? Assuming 18 khz as a benchmark where do you draw the line? I have gold that reads from 37 to 70 on the VDI.
I still find the full tones disappointing on the Deus compared to the etrac. I believe the Deus is too fast to completely transmit the full tonal quality like the etrac and to me it seems the sounds in 5 tones (or less) has a better quality as well as the tendency to "blend".

 

[cometguy]

I had never played with the X and Y screen on the Deus. A buddy was talking about it and I decided to check it out. Not sure why, but the tones seemed so much better when I was playing with the X and Y. You could really hear the difference in a target. It seems the audio somehow became much more distinct. It may have been a fluke but I was pretty sure I could tell the targets apart pretty easily just on the audio.

Don

 

[beepsilver]

I had never played with the X and Y screen on the Deus. A buddy was talking about it and I decided to check it out. Not sure why, but the tones seemed so much better when I was playing with the X and Y. You could really hear the difference in a target. It seems the audio somehow became much more distinct. It may have been a fluke but I was pretty sure I could tell the targets apart pretty easily just on the audio.

Don

This is the first time I've seen anyone discuss this--I have often thought the xy screen 'clarifies' the tone somehow, whether it made a somewhat poor tone worse, or emphasized a good tone. I thought it was just my perception...

 

[Southwind]

Agreed sprchng. The tones of the E-Trac are really unique and I think what makes the E-Trac so popular. I know I've tried my best and still couldn't get my CTX to get that unique tone the E-Trac has. The CTX has made up for it with tone bins which I found very useful. Ironically I think it is the slowness and jumpiness of the FE on the E-Trac that gives it that renown "silver warble" people talk about.

What I mean by gold tones is just what I generally hit gold at in my tot lots. I don't have my Deus with me here at work but I'm thinking I set my iron tone at 200hz and a range of 0-25 and my gold tones at 700hz and range from 26-48. I use no discrimination/notching. I set my tab tone at 300hz with a range of 77-79. I set my coppers at 500hz with a range of 80-91 and my silver at 92-99. The tone setup on the Deus reminds me in the tone bins on th CTX.

 

[CT Todd]

Yes Southwind. Right on with the Etrac vs CTX tones I always missed the Etrac tones and knowing for sure you had a silver. CTX your never sure what you've got.
I have gone with the 5 tone set up as well for the Deus.

 

[squirrel1]

Lowboy
This is how I run my deus. For relics use 2 tone. Breaks will be disc and 30. So all below 30 will be assigned lowest tone. Everything thing above 30 highest tone. For all other hunting I use 3 tone. In doing so I have breaks at disc setting, 30, and 70. I assign lowest tone to everything under 30. a mid tone to between 30 and 70, and 70 and up the highest tone. Remember tones are only a guide. A silver dime could ring in at mid tone. A piece of foil could ring in at high tone. Gold the same. There are no shortcuts period. Most silver will ring high. Indian heads could ring high or low. I believe the KISS principle is best. Your ears can become accustomed to say 3 tones. Four and five tones is too much for me for sure. I never use full tones. The only possible scenario I would use full tones would be in cherry picking operations on a manicured lawn. The deus is no ETRAC or CTX in the TID department. So one should not dwell on ways to make it act like those mentioned FBS machines. And yes there have been many a coin walked right by using the minelabs just because the TID wasn't a pure coin TID. Remember the ground/iron/co located items can affect the TID on FBS machines. So there is not perfect ID ing machine out there period under all detecting scenarios.

 

[BerntOut]

Lowboy
This is how I run my deus. For relics use 2 tone. Breaks will be disc and 30. So all below 30 will be assigned lowest tone. Everything thing above 30 highest tone. For all other hunting I use 3 tone. In doing so I have breaks at disc setting, 30, and 70. I assign lowest tone to everything under 30. a mid tone to between 3[size=medium][size=large][/size][/size]0 and 70, and 70 and up the highest tone. Remember tones are only a guide. A silver dime could ring in at mid tone. A piece of foil could ring in at high tone. Gold the same. There are no shortcuts period. Most silver will ring high. Indian heads could ring high or low. I believe the KISS principle is best. Your ears can become accustomed to say 3 tones. Four and five tones is too much for me for sure. I never use full tones. The only possible scenario I would use full tones would be in cherry picking operations on a manicured lawn. The deus is no ETRAC or CTX in the TID department. So one should not dwell on ways to make it act like those mentioned FBS machines. And yes there have been many a coin walked right by using the minelabs just because the TID wasn't a pure coin TID. Remember the ground/iron/co located items can affect the TID on FBS machines. So there is not perfect ID ing machine out there period under all detecting scenarios.

Well stated Squirrel, I wish I could write as eloquently as you do.
My Deus's set up is remarkably almost exactly like your's, 2 tone relics and 3 tone in yards/demo sites with very similar tone breaks! Reactivity at 2 or 3 with Silencer 0 to -1 TX 1-2 seldom 3 on most sites most of the time with manual GB or sometimes I run Tracking when the ground warrants it. Manual GB works well in this California mineralized soils most of the time.

My Deus is not anything like my Minelab and I do not want it to be. Multi Tones on the CTX drive me crazy so I run Target Separation Ferrous-coin, 2 FE Tones or sometimes combined. I have hunted with a few of the best metal detectorists using FBS Minelabs in California who love multi tones. Their expertise and silver coin recovery rate is astounding. I purchased the Deus because it appeared to be different and it truly is....similar but different in good ways. I hunted yesterday with the Deus at a Demo lot and today with the CTX at a home built around 1910. I enjoy them both, am getting keepers and am learning to use them both for different reasons on the same sites but usually....CTX on turf,,,,Deus on iron infested sites (sometimes yards or turf...so far this is what works for me.

I really like them both but the weight of the Deus......is simply refreshing!

 

[squirrel1]

And I'll bet the farm the next FBS machine Minelab releases will be far lighter than etrac and balance a whole lot better. Who ever engineered the balance aspect of the minelab machines must have skipped class a few times. And then whoever tested an initial prototype machine must have either been asleep or picked up a White's machine and said it'll do. I wonder where they get some of these fruit loops who call themselves engineers. A top shelf metal detector should have excellent balance.

 

[ecoast]

I have 'forced' myself into full tones.

really informative, and targets don't 'break up' at the tone set point like when using 5 tones (which I also liked)


if there was a way to set an iron tone w/full tones, I'd be set

 

[Andy Sabisch]

Having been involved in the development and testing of all but the CTX 3030, I can say that ergonomics is something that we raised from day one . . .in fact, my son who was 10 when the Explorer was being designed told the president of Minelab at the time when he was at the house that the machine was not balanced - as they say, out of the mouth of babes. The E-Trac had grip was finally changed to be more in line with other manufacturers as the Explorer was the wrong angle - your wrist would tell you that. But then they kept the wrong angle with the Safari even though the mold was available from the E-Trac. In fact the discussion was to put the FBS circuit in the XTerra housing which can be done (I have one that way) but since the sales were good, they opted to "bring the same old horse out onto the track." The CTX 3030 has better balance but 5.3 pounds is still 5.3 pounds at the end of the day. When your engineers do not use the product as is the case with Minelab, you need to get feedback from those that use it and then put it into use . . . . . hopefully future models will address this as many people simply can't use one for hours on end.

Enough rambling . . . . back to tones

Andy

 

[stumpr]

I too like the KISS principle. I am a die hard relic hunter so for me two tones gets the job done without me trying to listen to the slight nuisances of a lead dropping, bullet, button, etc. My tone break is close to squirrel1.

 

[Terry(Mi)]

I normally run the 3 tone same as GMP, in heavy iron I'll go with pitch mode. Pitch mode kinda has that G2/GBP feel but can be tweaked to your site. Pitch is seldom used by the majority of hunters, but can wink targets out of iron with less mental fatigue IMO.