They apply to any make or model, but I make sure I adhere to them when I hunt with my Bandido II µMAX.:
1.. Use the least amount of Discrimination you can tolerate. Personally, I never Disc. higher than iron nail rejection, so with my Bandido II µMAX and other ED-120 designs I set it at the minimum position. With models that adjust lower, like using a Vaquero or Eldorado µMAX, I only adjust up to where I reject a couple of iron nails laying on the ground.
2.. Use the highest Sensitivity setting allowable w/o 'noise' or 'instability.'
3.. Adjust for a proper slight audio Threshold hum.
4.. Adjust the Ground Balance for searches in the All Metal mode to be either 'spot-on' of just very slightly positive when lowering the search coil from about 4" to ½". If mainly searching in the Discriminate mode, preferable adjust the Ground Balance using my 'Power Balance' techniques, and on most Tesoro's that would result is a somewhat negative All Metal mode GB setting.
5.. Use the best search coil size you have for the conditions you usually hunt. An example would be the 7" Concentric coil I have mounted on my Bandido II µMAX because most of the time I am searching close to metal structures, from playground equipment to fences and building rubble, and also because I hunt trashier and brushier sites. Smaller coils 'fit' in and around trash and obstacles much better, and if I didn't have the 7" Concentric mounted, I would use the 5¾" Concentric coil. My 8" coil stays in my accessory coil bag for use in more open areas, if needed.
6.. Remember that you are using a 2-filter model that is a slow-sweep/quick-response detector. Don't be fooled by an 'air test' that shows a quick-response and fast-recovery when briskly sweeping a good target past the coil. When searching over mineralized ground, use a slow and methodical sweep speed and remember to overlap generously. If the ground is highly mineralized sand, pea gravel, small rocks, etc., be sure you do not sweep fast as it will impede the performance.
7.. If you don't dance or know music enough to know 'waltz time' (3/4) then learn it so you can 'waltz the coil' in an area for better efficiency and coverage, and so you don't move ahead too quickly. That is, you sweep the search coil from left-to-right, and then back right-to-left over the same direction, then again on that same route left-to-right ..., waltzing One-Two-Three, then advance the search coil no more than half the diameter and repeat .... one-two-three as you sweep the same path. I try to limit my left-to-right sweep coverage to about 30" and no more than 36" when doing any serious site coverage.
8.. Only take about a half-step forward as you advance so the middle of the advancing foot is about in-line with the toe tip of the other foot.
9.. Pause now and then in a brushier or trashier environment to 'scribble' the ground. After making the left-to-right and right-to-left sweeps, kind of 'scribble' the search coil forward, backward, side-to-side on an angle, just to make sure you've had a chance to pull any target hit from a trashy or brushy location .... then slowly advance.
10.. Investigate ALL target hits, be them rock-solid and loud, to weak, to just an 'iffy' tick. Gently scuff aside any surface dirt [size=small](½" to 1" or so)[/size] and re-scan the spot to see if the signal improves.
11.. Use a quality alkaline battery and check the battery test periodically during the day's hunt.
12.. Use a quality headphone.
Have fun, have patience, learn the detector well, and know the strengths and weaknesses.
Monte
