What's the lowdown on constant tones?

[Anonymous]

Hi all,
I've seen several posts regarding the use of constant tones. Since my T-hunting time is very limited I tend to go with what has worked before but am interested in the theory behind it. I'm just on my way out for a short hunt at a productive site full of iron and trash and may try it for a short bit. What other setting mods are required, and what can I expect to be drastically different?
Being a Whites user for many years that was the hardest part of the transition to the Explorer, the caliope of sounds that came from this machine in a trashy site almost drove me crazy!
I currently hunt with a clear screen, ferrous tones, Sensitivity manual 22, deep on or off depending on how much iron and time constraints [being an extra slow hunt mode]. And I'll occasionally notch out the upper left corner [nails].
Thanks in advance
Tom <IMG SRC="/metal/html/ca.gif" BORDER=0 width=25 height=15 ALT="ca~">

 

[Anonymous]

I think you might go a bit nuts with constant tones as well, at least if you plan on digging all targets that go off in trash with a clear screen, you might try cutting back the variability a bit instead .. that will closen up the tones without giving a single tone on everything..

 

[Anonymous]

Hey Thomas,
If you switch to constant tones, you will no longer be able to tell the difference between trash and goodies. I think if the trash is freaking you out, you might want to create a coin program by rejecting everything, and then learning in silver coins and various pennies. Then turn your sensitivity down until you get a little threshold return, or maybe you should just turn the manual sensitivity down to about 17 if you cannot get threshold return.
If you want to really clean an area out without digging every single target, you will have to deal with all of those different sounds in iron mask -15. Just don't overpower your coil with too much sensitivity and go super slow.
In constant tones, you will not know the difference between iron, aluminum, silver, gold, etc. You will be forced to dig every item. In the coin program, the machine will sort out all the craziness for you and give you the obvious coin hits, but you will miss coins doing this. In iron mask -10, -13, etc., and non-constant tones you will have to work hard to do your own discrimination with your ears, but it is worth it because you will not miss as much.
Mike

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Jim,
Thanks for the response. I'm getting pretty comfortable with the variations in signals and do like to crank the variability to 10 on most hunts. I had read a post about constant tones and how these guys were raving about em and thought they would expand this thread a little.
I have a real trashy site that is just a 'headbanger' with the thumping iron and I'm becoming pretty good at picking out the higher tones amongst them. Snagged a 1913 fishscale from between two iron targets and it wasn't more than a ping between the thumps that made me dig it.
Thanks again
Tom

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Mike,
As I mentioned to Jim, I was hoping the guys who are trumpeting the 'constant' tones would jump in and be a little more specific about the benefits of that strategy.
I don't have much trouble with the tones [although at first I wondered if I had made a bad decision buying the Explorer] but I'm in a site now that is so loaded with trash that I think even Mike Moutray would walk away in disgust. <img src="/metal/html/lol.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":lol"> The coins range from 1860's to the 1930's almost exclusively so any extra strategy I can absorb would probably help. I don't want to run with any sort of disc. as the shield and V nickels and IH's seem to hit all over the place.
Thanks for taking the time to offer some advice, bud.
HH
tom

 

[Anonymous]

Hey Tom,
About 74.3% of the benefit of the explorer is the different tones for different signals and the ability to change the axis-ferrous/conductivity of those tones. There would be very little reason to own an explorer if you use constant. Only people I've heard using constant sounds are those with significant hearing loss. Maybe if you are relic hunting and dig every signal it might be handy, but never heard of anybody doing this.
The sounds can be overwhelming at first, it might be better to start using the stock coin program or some iron mask; that will shut out iron which in most places is 99% of the targets. But it sounds like you are doing very well to pick a silver between two iron targets. Your BEDU (Between Ears Discrimination Unit) is still much quicker and more reliable than any detector's electronic processing. Many of us feel that discrimination slows the response time and makes it easier to miss signals. After you put a few hours on the machine with open screen you will automatically learn to filter out what is not important.
I put hundreds of hours years ago with detectors that went "beep" no matter what the target. Certainly would not want to go back to that.
Chris

 

[Anonymous]

Couldn't agree more, Chris. By accident I discovered how potent that BEDU discrimination works. I beach hunted low tides before daybreak many times this summer with the Exp-II. I was absolutely amazed how quickly your ears tune into the range a target falls in when you take away your sight. I can ID a zinc penny, bottle cap or a pulltab or even a quarter very consistently in the dark without the screen (yes, I know it has backlight, I just like to preserve the battery life as long as possible).
Try detecting some familiar targets in a test environment at night, you'll probably surprise yourself how quickly you adapt to the tones alone.

 

[Anonymous]

[No message]

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure why anyone would ever use it. It was easy to add as a feature although its not applicable to modern detecting.
HH,
Tim