mountaineer
New member
I'm using the Garrett Ace 250. Will wet soil [loam and/or red clay] affect the reading? Should I make any adjustments?
Thanks,
mountaineer
Thanks,
mountaineer
Find's Treasure Forums
Welcome to Find's Treasure Forums, Guests!
You are viewing this forums as a guest which limits you to read only status.
Only registered members may post stories, questions, classifieds, reply to other posts, contact other members using built in messaging and use many other features found on these forums.
Why not register and join us today? It's free! (We don't share your email addresses with anyone.) We keep email addresses of our users to protect them and others from bad people posting things they shouldn't.
Click here to register!
Need Support Help?
Cannot log in?, click here to have new password emailed to you
Changed email? Forgot to update your account with new email address? Need assistance with something else?, click here to go to Find's Support Form and fill out the form.
wet soil
- Thread starter mountaineer
- Start date
Not really. If it is highly mieralized, as some red clays are, and sopping wet, you may get some falsing. This is especially noticeable at high gain settings and when you bump the coil into dirt clods and such.
But with the Ace 250 just run it as high as you can and watch your footing on that slippery stuff.
But with the Ace 250 just run it as high as you can and watch your footing on that slippery stuff.
mountaineer
New member
David, what does "high gain settings" mean?
Also, what does it mean when you say, "run it as high as you can"?
Thanks,
Mountaineer
Also, what does it mean when you say, "run it as high as you can"?
Thanks,
Mountaineer
Sensitivity and depth are perhaps the two most mis-used terms in this hobby. Many makers call it a "depth" control and that doesnt help matters, either. They do this mostly because that is how detector users think - in terms of "how deep?..."
The SENSITIVITY control is really a gain control for the amplifiers in the receive circuits of your detector. It doesn't actually make the detector go deeper, as it doesn't put more power into the transmit signal, as a rule (although there have been a few makers to try that). Rather, it increases the gain of the receive circuits, so that smaller or deeper targets can be better "seen" by the detector. Sensitivity is really a better description, although few actually describe what is really happening with this control.
Imagine, if you had a radio that allowed you to adjust how sensitive it would be to the signals in the air. There wouldn't be any more power in the signals at your point of reception, it's just that you could adjust your radio receiver to better pick them up.
However, this control will be a trade off. Turning up the gain of the receiver, while making it more sensitive to smaller/deeper/weaker target signals, will also make it unstable due to both intrinsic circuit noise and when there is a lot of mineralization or trash targets within the detection field.
This is why there is so much chatter and falsing within the wetted salt at the beach, when running too high a gain (SENS). The dilute salts are fairly conductive, electrically, and the receiver circuits react to this at higher gain settings, giving false signals over the salt laden matrix. Ever hear the admontition to reduce your sensitivity on the wet salt sand so you reduce "chatter," etc.? That's why.
So, the thing to do is start out with your recieve gain (SENS) a little low, and bring it up until you begin to get falsing and spurious targets signals. Then back down until everything settles down. Then you will be "running as high as you can" for your hunt area(s). It will vary from place to place, from one soil matrix to another.
Does this help?...
The SENSITIVITY control is really a gain control for the amplifiers in the receive circuits of your detector. It doesn't actually make the detector go deeper, as it doesn't put more power into the transmit signal, as a rule (although there have been a few makers to try that). Rather, it increases the gain of the receive circuits, so that smaller or deeper targets can be better "seen" by the detector. Sensitivity is really a better description, although few actually describe what is really happening with this control.
Imagine, if you had a radio that allowed you to adjust how sensitive it would be to the signals in the air. There wouldn't be any more power in the signals at your point of reception, it's just that you could adjust your radio receiver to better pick them up.
However, this control will be a trade off. Turning up the gain of the receiver, while making it more sensitive to smaller/deeper/weaker target signals, will also make it unstable due to both intrinsic circuit noise and when there is a lot of mineralization or trash targets within the detection field.
This is why there is so much chatter and falsing within the wetted salt at the beach, when running too high a gain (SENS). The dilute salts are fairly conductive, electrically, and the receiver circuits react to this at higher gain settings, giving false signals over the salt laden matrix. Ever hear the admontition to reduce your sensitivity on the wet salt sand so you reduce "chatter," etc.? That's why.
So, the thing to do is start out with your recieve gain (SENS) a little low, and bring it up until you begin to get falsing and spurious targets signals. Then back down until everything settles down. Then you will be "running as high as you can" for your hunt area(s). It will vary from place to place, from one soil matrix to another.
Does this help?...
Dick from IA
New member
A nice write up, Dave. Don't know if it helps others, but I sure learned something. It's natural, I guess, to think increased Sensitivity improves depth, because ya here more stuff.
Now I understand why so many good detectorists run Sens fairly low at times.
Now I understand why so many good detectorists run Sens fairly low at times.
jackinaustin
New member
I have two Garrett's. They both seem to pick up targets better when the soil is wet or damp. If I don't do very good in a area I will try to go back to after a rain and I always do better and seem to get deepeer targets. HH
Uncle Willy
New member
Wet soil usually makes targets more conductive and enhances your hunt.
Bill
Bill
Uncle Willy
New member
Didn't understand a word you said. 
Bill
Bill
Uncle Willy
New member
Yeah sensitivity is the most mis-used and abused term in detecting. I keep telling folks, " IT AIN"T NO DEPTH CONTROL" but they've been so brainwashed by all the hype that it's difficult to get through to them.
The very first thing any new detectorist does is crank that sensitivity to the max and go in search of their fortune. But all they wind up with is an unstable machine chattering its brains out, and then they blame it on the machine and think they got a lemon. Every newbie should start out with the sensitvity at 50% and work their way up until they understand the control and what it does and does not do.
Bill
The very first thing any new detectorist does is crank that sensitivity to the max and go in search of their fortune. But all they wind up with is an unstable machine chattering its brains out, and then they blame it on the machine and think they got a lemon. Every newbie should start out with the sensitvity at 50% and work their way up until they understand the control and what it does and does not do.
Bill