thump7 said:
So, after seeing a video about a new detector in some red hot dirt I have to ask you guys how the V performs in this dirt.
Videos can be deceiving, and interpretation of soil conditions can vary. Then I wonder:
Which "new detector?"
What size and type of coil was used?
What operating mode was used?
What were the settings?
How do you define "red hot dirt?"
I live in an area that is known to be rather "mineralized" with an ample amount of bad iron-type mineral ground, and within maybe 40 miles of me I can get into a ref clay type ground. I work some very dark iron rich river beach sand in late summer, but I also travel to two places that have a much, much lighter-colored sand, but it is actually slightly higher in mineralization. Long ago I determined that what the ground is made of is only a single part of any comparison of a detector's ability to deal with ground and still detect a target well.
We can watch all sorts of videos, read all kinds of stories, and ponder how any detector might compare with another make or model. On the end, the ONLY way you are going to know for sure is to be at a site and do the comparison testing yourself, with all of the detector models that interest you. Then you will know how they can or can't work, and which search coil(s) performs the best.
thump7 said:
I don't hunt really bad ground here, so I don't know just how badly this effects depth.
If you don't think your average ground is bad, then don't be too concerned about it. I keep several different types of detectors available in my personal detector arsenal, and that allows me to select the one I feel best capable for the type of conditions I will encounter.
thump7 said:
Normally I don't talk #'s about the depth I get, but now I will.
In the video it looked like this machine got maybe 8"- max 9" depth on a mini ball in this nasty ground.
That's maybe about right, but coil selections, settings used and sweep speed can all be factored into performance, too.
And since you mentioned 'numbers,' let's consider the fact that some models by some manufacturers DO convey number that are a reference of the Ground Phase or Ground Balance, and some model's also have some display info that hints to the ferrous iron levels of the ground mineral make-up, but Tesoro doesn't offer any 'numbers' that could help us in any way. All we can really do is guess how challenging the Ground Mineral conditions
might be based upon the GB setting used and any changes we might
hear.
thump7 said:
Anyways, to me a 'mini' ball is huge lead. I find musket balls, they are about half the size at 1/2" in diameter.
My deepest one in normal ground here looked like it was all of a good 11", and I mean 4, maybe 5 good shovel fulls to get it out.
I have found them more frequently in the 9" - 10" range.
It is not always a matter of SIZE, but also the position, the conductivity, the presence of any nearby masking junk, and all the other variables we could usually talk about with settings, etc.
For example you can take some Tesoro models and a small-sized silver Dime and a large-size silver Dollar, both made of the same 90% silver content, but if you increase the GB too positive (like with a Bandido or several other models), you can cut detection depth even top the point where you will NOT get a signal on the big ol' Dollar coin, but the dinky Dime will still respond. That's in an "air test", too, and the only difference with regard to the target is SIZE.
thump7 said:
I just have to ask you guys, It bad ground that bad?
Yes, truly "bad ground" really can be that bad. Oh, I could go a step farther, too, and point of actual in-the-field, side-by-side comparisons of different makes and models, using something like like an Indian Head 1
