Delta newbie

[Pastor bob]

Just got a new Delta 4000. Can anyone give me some general tips to help increase my learning curve? Have taken it out a few times and it seems like a solid machine.
Thanks

 

[Darkflight]

I run a Gamma... In most aspects it is similar enough to lend a few hints.

When using the stock 8" coil go ahead & bump the disc up to 44 as even my smallest piece of gold runs @49 on the VDI...

When bored do air tests...Great way to learn the tones & limts of what your coil will see in ideal conditions.

The machine has plenty of depth & for best results I would not notch out anything.

Dig all "solid" targets & don't rely on the VDI. What is a solid target ??. Thats what the airtests are for-to learn what it sounds like.

In general a good target will have a solid tone when swept from both directions. Having a "crisp" sound is a clue you have a solid target. Learning to "size" a target when pinpointing also helps determine if it should be dug or not. Depending on what your after- but most good targets are small targets.

Above all-when in doubt dig. It is the only way to tell for sure what the machine was trying to tell you.

Good luck & cheers!
Carl.

 

[MickTwin]

Don't be afraid to set the discrimination to 10! That's where I like it on my Delta. I like being able to hear everything. I find it helps separate the good targets from the bad ones. Sometimes high discrimination causes a "clipping" sound as it tries to cancel out a large or shallow iron target. Be careful that you don't get fooled by iron.. The 8 inch coil is large (almost too large) that in trashy areas you can get false signals that sound good, but are only because you are just "rubbing" the fringe area of a shallow or large piece of iron.

It can be a bit frustrating the first few times, but you will find that the Delta 4000 is an excellent machine once you learn what it is telling you!

 

[Monte]

Just got a new Delta 4000. Can anyone give me some general tips to help increase my learning curve? Have taken it out a few times and it seems like a solid machine.

Posts like yours can make it difficult for readers to help. You've only made 51 posts as of this one so most of us have no clue as to how long you've been enjoying the metal detecting hobby, the type of hunting you like to do, where you are located (which can help hint to the type of ground environment you're hunting), or if you have any other detectors or have had in the recent past.

So, with little knowledge about your personal interests and familiarity about metal detectors, let me just add these comments about the Teknetics Delta:

1.. I have found the factory preset Ground Balance to be very functional in a wide-range of ground mineral conditions and have never had a problem when hunting in the motion Discriminate mode.

2.. The Delta 4000 is a very good base-end model ('beginners' or 'back-up' or 'starter' or 'budget' or several other terms that might classify it separately from the mid to high-end models. Adjustments are very simple yet functional for typical use.

3.. Because the Delta 4000 features a simple, yet broad-range, Discriminate adjustment, and since it also features visual Target ID, numeric VDI numbers, and notch-segment type Discrimination selection, it is really geared toward the newcomer to the hobby or others who want a basic level 'Coin Hunting' detector. Yes, it can be used for some relic Hunting tasks, but it does have more limited adjustments to allow the operator to fine-tune the settings as needed (Discrimination and Ground balance to name two).

4.. As you stated, "it seems like a solid machine", and I will agree with that generalized comment. I use the Delta a bit myself and I like the simple yet very responsive performance. It provides a quick-response and decent recovery speed, and adequate Sensitivity control to let you work most hunting environments.

5.. Note that the Delta 4000 works on a 'saturated audio' type principle. Tat means that all targets which produce a certain level of response will be process and produce a full-strength audio report. The audio response is 'saturated'. As a rule, most of the more versatile detectors on the market employ a 'modulated' audio which can respond with a softer or weaker response from mid-range to deeper targets. Also, most 'modulated' designs can provide a slight edge in depth over a comparable 'saturated' audio design.

6.. There are several search coils available for the Delta 4000, but I have found the stock 8" round concentric coil to do quite well for 'average' hunting in low-to-moderate trashy conditions. The best optional search coil, in my opinion, is the round 5" Double-D coil. I have used this coil a lot of the G2, Omega, Gamma and the Delta 4000. It makes a perfect compliment for any of these detectors, especially the Delta if you plan to search trashy or brushy or confined locations.

As mentioned in #3, the Delta 4000's Discriminate level is adjusted in steps. The default turn-on setting is '40' and that will reject most iron-based targets. You can select the Disc. menu and adjust a setting of '10' which is low enough to respond to most iron. It is not a true all-metal accept type of minimum Discriminate level, but it is low enough to respond to most iron, if you want to search for iron targets or, like me, like to know iron trash is present in a location that is not too heavily littered.

As you increase the Discrimination from the default setting of '40', it will reject each level of Target ID indicated trash is steps. You can not fine-tune a setting that is midway between any of these segments using the Discriminate level.

The default Sensitivity level is '8' and I can usually increase it to a setting of '10' if there is not too much EMI present to cause instability. On a few occasions I can work it at a setting of '11' or '12', but sometimes I also need to reduce it from the default to maybe something like '6' or '5' when too close to interfering power sources. Also, I like the ability to quickly reduce and increase the Sensitivity level because I can work the Delta closer to metal structures, such as in playgrounds or close to metal fences, and the increase it quickly when I get the coil farther away.

Perhaps the biggest alert I can suggest to anyone using a Delta or Gamma model is to make sure the Volume level is set at the maximum setting of '10'. If you want to control the audio response or loudness you hear, please, invest in a set of good quality headphones with volume controls. Do not use the Volume controls on these two models. Personally, I wish they would make a production version change and simply eliminate the Volume control and level these models internally set at their highest level.

Why do I say this? Because when you reduce the Volume level, you are really reducing the response you hear from higher-conductive targets. A low Volume setting will still let you hear foil or the US 5

 

[:Left4Dead]

Just got a new Delta 4000. Can anyone give me some general tips to help increase my learning curve? Have taken it out a few times and it seems like a solid machine.

Posts like yours can make it difficult for readers to help. You've only made 51 posts as of this one so most of us have no clue as to how long you've been enjoying the metal detecting hobby, the type of hunting you like to do, where you are located (which can help hint to the type of ground environment you're hunting), or if you have any other detectors or have had in the recent past.

So, with little knowledge about your personal interests and familiarity about metal detectors, let me just add these comments about the Teknetics Delta:

1.. I have found the factory preset Ground Balance to be very functional in a wide-range of ground mineral conditions and have never had a problem when hunting in the motion Discriminate mode.

2.. The Delta 4000 is a very good base-end model ('beginners' or 'back-up' or 'starter' or 'budget' or several other terms that might classify it separately from the mid to high-end models. Adjustments are very simple yet functional for typical use.






Monte,

That was a awesome. Your tips are spot on. The volume is a small issue when very quiet. With headphones are not volume adjustable you want to leave your vol at or above 5, that way you can still hear the high tone.

I only have about 20 hours on machine so I am still learning. When pinpointing to determine size of object as you are moving the coil, you have a very fast change in the tone when droping off item, or it will stay at your lowest number say 3 for a large area. It'd hard to explain. Sorry if I butchered it.

Mike



3.. Because the Delta 4000 features a simple, yet broad-range, Discriminate adjustment, and since it also features visual Target ID, numeric VDI numbers, and notch-segment type Discrimination selection, it is really geared toward the newcomer to the hobby or others who want a basic level 'Coin Hunting' detector. Yes, it can be used for some relic Hunting tasks, but it does have more limited adjustments to allow the operator to fine-tune the settings as needed (Discrimination and Ground balance to name two).

4.. As you stated, "it seems like a solid machine", and I will agree with that generalized comment. I use the Delta a bit myself and I like the simple yet very responsive performance. It provides a quick-response and decent recovery speed, and adequate Sensitivity control to let you work most hunting environments.

5.. Note that the Delta 4000 works on a 'saturated audio' type principle. Tat means that all targets which produce a certain level of response will be process and produce a full-strength audio report. The audio response is 'saturated'. As a rule, most of the more versatile detectors on the market employ a 'modulated' audio which can respond with a softer or weaker response from mid-range to deeper targets. Also, most 'modulated' designs can provide a slight edge in depth over a comparable 'saturated' audio design.

6.. There are several search coils available for the Delta 4000, but I have found the stock 8" round concentric coil to do quite well for 'average' hunting in low-to-moderate trashy conditions. The best optional search coil, in my opinion, is the round 5" Double-D coil. I have used this coil a lot of the G2, Omega, Gamma and the Delta 4000. It makes a perfect compliment for any of these detectors, especially the Delta if you plan to search trashy or brushy or confined locations.

As mentioned in #3, the Delta 4000's Discriminate level is adjusted in steps. The default turn-on setting is '40' and that will reject most iron-based targets. You can select the Disc. menu and adjust a setting of '10' which is low enough to respond to most iron. It is not a true all-metal accept type of minimum Discriminate level, but it is low enough to respond to most iron, if you want to search for iron targets or, like me, like to know iron trash is present in a location that is not too heavily littered.

As you increase the Discrimination from the default setting of '40', it will reject each level of Target ID indicated trash is steps. You can not fine-tune a setting that is midway between any of these segments using the Discriminate level.

The default Sensitivity level is '8' and I can usually increase it to a setting of '10' if there is not too much EMI present to cause instability. On a few occasions I can work it at a setting of '11' or '12', but sometimes I also need to reduce it from the default to maybe something like '6' or '5' when too close to interfering power sources. Also, I like the ability to quickly reduce and increase the Sensitivity level because I can work the Delta closer to metal structures, such as in playgrounds or close to metal fences, and the increase it quickly when I get the coil farther away.

Perhaps the biggest alert I can suggest to anyone using a Delta or Gamma model is to make sure the Volume level is set at the maximum setting of '10'. If you want to control the audio response or loudness you hear, please, invest in a set of good quality headphones with volume controls. Do not use the Volume controls on these two models. Personally, I wish they would make a production version change and simply eliminate the Volume control and level these models internally set at their highest level.

Why do I say this? Because when you reduce the Volume level, you are really reducing the response you hear from higher-conductive targets. A low Volume setting will still let you hear foil or the US 5

 

[TerraDigger]

You are very fortunate to have had Monte answer your question. He's the Man!!!