Tuner knob setting for best performance/depth

[ninguid]

I was playing with the tuner knob on the XL Pro today to get a better feel for what it does and have a few questions.

The manual states that the knob should be kept around the preset mark in most conditions. It also suggests that if the tuner knob is set too far to the MIN setting that some depth detection will be lost as the weaker tone signals will not make it past the lower audio threshold.

So far I agree with the manual, but I have also started using an in-line volume adjuster so that I can raise/lower the volume in my headset as needed.

I'd like to know how to best set the tuner to work with the volume knob on this in-line adjuster. (I've looked but can't find an image/link for this (Radio Shack) device. It is really just a simple length of 1/8 stereo cable with a male and a female 1/8 stereo plug on each end. In the center is a simple plastic turn wheel to raise/limit the volume.)

Would I be best to leave the tuner knob near the preset marker and turn down the volume? Or, would it be best to turn up the volume and then move the tuner knob closer towards the MIN setting?

Doing either of the above sounds the same to my ears, but I am curious if I am loosing depth by putting the tuner to close to the MIN setting.
In general, is it better to have the tuner knob closer to the MIN or the MAX setting if one needed to be picked?
I've found that if not using headphones the preset for the tuner is a good setting to hear a steady background hum. Once headphones are used, I've found that the Tuner knob can be moved closer to MIN since the background hum is much louder/clearer.

Also, are there time when the tuner knob is set closer to the MAX setting? I played with that a little this afternoon and it was terrible. The tone signal was very hard to hear as it was dwarfed by the steady background tone.

Also, lets imagine for a moment that an amplifier of sorts was used between the headphones and the headphone jack. If it were possible to amplify the signal, it would then be possible to turn the tuner knob much closer to the MIN setting while still keeping a steady background hum. Would this end up reducing depth further? The manual only mentions that setting the device for "silent" mode causes a loss of depth, but if I can still hear the steady background hum with a low tuner setting, does that mean I am losing depth?

Thanks!
Adam

 

[Monte]

Adam,

The manual is correct In general" that you do not want a too low or too high of a setting.

"I'd like to know how to best set the tuner to work with the volume knob on this in-line adjuster."... Set the in-line volume control for the loudest volume possible. Adjust the XL Pro's tuner for just a slight audio hum, known as the "Threshold" setting.

"Would I be best to leave the tuner knob near the preset marker and turn down the volume?"... No, 'preset' marker is simply a general indicator and is really developed for those not wearing headphones. It often requires a slightly higher setting (closer to the factory preset) for average to aging ears to hear the audio from the speaker.

"Or, would it be best to turn up the volume and then move the tuner knob closer towards the MIN setting?"... Set for the highest volume and then adjust the Tuner control so you just hear a slight, comfortable Threshold hum.

"Doing either of the above sounds the same to my ears, but I am curious if I am loosing depth by putting the tuner to close to the MIN setting."... Doing it either way will not provide peak performance. Doing it the right way will be more pleasant and enhance overall performance.

"In general, is it better to have the tuner knob closer to the MIN or the MAX setting if one needed to be picked?"... It would be better to have it at the 'proper' setting which is easy to do.

"I've found that if not using headphones the preset for the tuner is a good setting to hear a steady background hum. Once headphones are used, I've found that the Tuner knob can be moved closer to MIN since the background hum is much louder/clearer."... Yep, like I said, the 'preset' indicator was positioned for a general setting for the speaker. The headphones enhance performance and you should adjust the audio for a more pleasant setting.

"Also, are there time when the tuner knob is set closer to the MAX setting?"... Yes, if the headphones are really terrible! For regular operation it should never be set that high.

"I played with that a little this afternoon and it was terrible. The tone signal was very hard to hear as it was dwarfed by the steady background tone."... Well, I will say that "dwarfed" is an interesting description. The target response is difficult to hear because the audio is swamped by the too-high Tuner setting. A "proper" setting is always best.

"Also, lets imagine for a moment that an amplifier of sorts was used between the headphones and the headphone jack. If it were possible to amplify the signal, it would then be possible to turn the tuner knob much closer to the MIN setting while still keeping a steady background hum. Would this end up reducing depth further?"... You would have an amplified slight audio and you might not lose any depth at all. Not at first, but later, after blasting your ears with all the amplified target signals your hearing would be impaired a good deal! The only way to counter it would be to reduce the volume control and, in doing so, you end up defeating any advantage you might have had.

"The manual only mentions that setting the device for "silent" mode causes a loss of depth, but if I can still hear the steady background hum with a low tuner setting, does that mean I am losing depth?"... You probably wouldn't lose any depth if you heard a threshold,. but you'd be defeating the supplied circuitry. If you used a high quality headphone, such as the Killer B 'Wasp' (which I use) or the SunRay Pro Gold (essentially the same headphone), you will get the best all around performance.

Use a quality set of headphones, open the volume up to full volume, then set the Tuner for a slight audio hum, then go enjoy detecting.

Monte

 

[galaxy51]

I was happy to see this question asked and equally happy to have the answer! I was leaving the volume only half way turned up on my 6000Di Pro Sl and then adjusting the earphones for proper volume. Thanks for the info. Now I can adjust the volume correctly.

 

[Monte]

had the detector's volume control reduced, even though they were using expensive, top-end headphones. Just imagine what they had been missing!

White's corrected this when they designed the 6000 Pro XL by removing that control. The newer model had the volume set at maximum, internally, so all adjustment had to be done with the headphone volume control. That's the way it should be. The "preset" indicator for the target volume control is at maximum, so they just set it internally, which also helped them to trim down the package to be fitted in the smaller housing.

While I am definitely a big promoter of smaller-than-stock coils, a quality performance headphone set is still the #1 investment a serious detectorist can make.

Monte

 

[Jackpine Savage]

find more of those deep soft sounds that just rise over the threshold level, so protect your hearing above all else.

Always set your headphone volume to a comfortable non ear blasting level on surface targets before adjusting the threshold on a detector without a volume control. The human ear can hear some pretty faint sounds when not being overloaded by constant loud blasts. Start with the volume on your inline control set to minimum and increase it while sweeping over a surface target (I use a tossed down coin for this) stop at the point where it gives a nice confortable response you can live with. The reason I sugest starting with the volume at minimum is that the sound level you end up with will be much lower than if you start with the volume at max and work it downward. Remember protect your hearing! Your ear will adjust to that softer level of volume/response and the fainter sounds should come thru clearly. Once the volume is set adjust the tuner/threshold to the proper recommended level. If you are in a noisy enviroment this changes but good phones can help by blocking outside sounds.

my 2 zincs
Tom