Doing alright with the Omega!

[kraykepler]

I've only had a couple of of opportunities to dig for an hour or so with my new Omega. I went to a site that I've dug for 10 years or so, as I don't have many other choices these days. In the past, I've hit the area with 2 well-regarded machines and sort of hit a wall. Today, though, I found a few three ringers and mucket balls, the deepest of which was at 9 inches. I also found a handful of bucky balls, the deepest at 6 inches. The day before, I dug my first bat wing (with lots of leather). It was at a measured 11 inches. These finds only came in the AT mode, which, unfortunately, doesn't have TID, my only complaint. This is a great machine!!

 

[BuckeyeBrad]

and this is how you might have meant, anything below a certain signal strength, then it doesn't show an ID. This would obviously only happen on very fringe targets. Not sure if you did this or not but if you're getting a diggable signal but no ID, while you're passing the coil over the target back and forth, try turning the gain up to or near max and see if it won't produce an ID then.

 

[kraykepler]

Thanks, Brad, I'll give it try. I'm already running it at about a sens of 83 and it was quite chatty, but it would be nice to have an ID.

 

[BuckeyeBrad]

If you didn't get an ID to display while running 83 sens, there's just a slight chance that temporarily going to 99 or whatever would produce one but it's the only shot you'd have. When I hear a deep non-ID producing target and it sounds "good" with it's threshold change "footprint", I'm usually too curious not to dig it. Your batwing find is a good example where those deep fringe targets can and sometimes do pay off a lot of times when you dig them "blind".

 

[Jackpine Savage]

Setting the GB a bit positive in all metal AT mode can help overcome some of the chattiness that is caused by ground conditions. Also watch for bars showing up on the ground error readout on signals that give no TID readout. They sometimes give a clue as to the type of target (ferrous non-ferrous) under the coil.

Tom

 

[BuckeyeBrad]

I've always watched the ground error display over a target and I've yet to see it go negative over a metal object of any kind. I pay attention to how much it deflects from the set point considering the target's in ground signal strength and apparent mass also but haven't been able to conclude any firm corresponding indication evidence as far as ferrous and non-ferrous. I'm still learning about this and I might be missing something but there seems to be a little more info that can be gleaned from the numeric live GP display of the F-5's system and I suspect that of the new GB and G2. I haven't made any conclusions as to just how significant the differences are in the two systems but for now, it doesn't seem like a big deal. Have you observed that also?

 

[Jackpine Savage]

Brad,

I have only seen this under what I consider ideal ground conditions with high sensitivity (no EMI) and a stable threshold. Targets that give no indication other than a change in the threshold can cause the error bars to light. I have checked many of these and in most cases ferrous targets show above the 'horizon' line the same as a too positive ground balance setting will and non-ferrous targets will show a bar or two below the line. Due to the consistent ground conditions I can hunt for a hundred yards and the only thing that causes a change in ground error are these fringe threshold targets.

This may be difficult to reproduce and frankly I have not been back to the site on a different day with different conditions to see if this was a one time deal or repeatable.

Tom

 

[BuckeyeBrad]

and I just now remembered that a few years ago I had a couple of the Ground Hawk detectors (an older early one and a brand new one) and as you probably know, they have a GB meter that represents being in balance when the needle is at center scale. There were a few times when I first used them that non-ferrous would usually cause the needle to deflect to the right and a ferrous target caused the opposite. I thought this was VERY, cool and useful, even mentioned it several times on a couple forums but low and behold it didn't continue to do that with any regularity. You might be right in assuming that this phenomenon isn't consistent and more of a product of conditions than design.

 

[Jackpine Savage]

n/t