Factory presets?

[NealNoIN]

I've heard lots of advice to newbies to stick with the factory presets for awhile. There is one problem I have with the factory presets whether a person is a newbie or not. The preset discrimination is going to prevent a good audio response on many good silver coins, indians, wheats etc. because of how much the top of the screen is blacked out. It looks like only about 1/3 of the top of the screen is opened up. I know that is where coins ID when they are shallow and/or are in very clean ground but how many good finds are shallow or in clean ground?
The indian head penny ID in the picture(from the Minelab website) has the cursor touching the blacked out area. If there is a little mineralization or iron in the ground then it will move that cursor to the left at least a hair and then that good target will sound like crap.
My advice to a newbie who wants to use factory presets is at least open up the screen with an iron mask of -10(on the XS) or so. (is that -20 on the SE?)Then you'll have a chance to find some deep old coins and then you'll have one less reason to get discouraged in the limits of your detector.
By the way, I almost always use -15 iron mask(on the XS). That's one thin line! It helps me hear more goodies. LESS IS MORE!
JMHO
Neal

 

[Hotcz70]

-6 on the XS and EX2 is the same as -22 on the SE...and it doesn't seem to have a problem finding deep old coins.

It is approximately 1/3 of the left side of the screen blacked out....and that is the factory preset setting of iron mask on the SE...-22.

Every deep coin..coin in iron..etc that I have found over the last few years has come with the iron mask at 22.

While many feel "less is more"...that is completely tue...and I agree 100% but while you will hear more goodies...you will also get a lot more falsing off of deep iron which can mimic deep silver hits....which can confuse new users even more. They need time to get used to all the different sounds and tones the explorers make.

The reason I always recommend newbies sticking with the factory presets...is for that very reason.

The iron mask preset level of -22 -6 on the XS and EX2)...seems to give the best balance between still hearing deep coins...while eliminating much of the iron falsing that comes with a more open screen.

I still get good audio...and the cursor will flutter on deep coins...then stop where the blacked out area on the screen starts. That doesn't stop the good audio from coming through though.

My personal experience has been that just 1 setting higher....and deep iron starts to mimick deep silver hits...hence some falsing. Also at this -22 setting... I have no problems hitting the same 8" to 10" deep coins even while the SE may be nulling....which is very important.

Once they have quite a few hours on the explorers and get used to the barrage of sounds...then they can begin to tinker with opening it up some...different settings...etc.

If you can handle all the sounds...can tell deep iron falsing from deep coins...heck ya'...open that baby up if you feel like it.

Just my opinion....and that's why I always recommend staying in the presets for beginners...or presets with the iron mask screen...which is -22 SE...-6 on EX2.

Differing opinions is what makes all of us better hunters...and helps us all in the long run

 

[smkunder]

Thanks for that advice, it seems that when I hunt in factory presets I do not seem to find the older deeper stuff, but when I use settings that are often sugggested on the sites and or books, the sounds become so confusing that one wants to give up. It is like a catch 22, I seem to go back and forth depending on my frustration level for that day. I am getting better with the myrad of sounds the more I use this machine, but it is a major learning curve

Steve

 

[Elton]

your great advice has always worked for me Bryce..

 

[NealNoIN]

n/t

 

[Hotcz70]

for a few hunts. Then a person can decide after that time frame whether or not they want to take another step and open her up some more.

Again...just my personal opinion and advice I give to newbies to keep them from getting confused becuse of all the sounds.

That is the #1 pm I get from new hunters who get frustrated...they want to know what they can do to stop the multitude of sounds they hear...yet still find some coins in the 8" depth range.

I feel it's the best advice I can give them to help them along at the beginning.

I even tell people the same thing when they ask for my settings......hunt in preset settings or iron mask -22 or -6 EX2...until they become familiar with what they hear.

After some time...then they have a zillion choices they can make...open up the screen more...go to ferous tones...fast...deep...stay in conductive with some iron mask...etc.

My honest opinion is...no way they should even worry about those things until they have familiarized themselves with some of the language the explorers speak...especially when it sounds like "gibberish" at times

 

[dewcon4414]

Heck, im starting to like it when they get discouraged and switch machine. To many explorers out there to suit me... and now the Etrac.. the easy explorer. I understand Neal what you are saying.. coins do seem like targets i might walk away from in factory preset compared to what i see in my settings. But... i think factory preset IM a pretty good place to start. I like my IM at 26. I do change it if i run into some tuff iron ground or lots of trash.

Dew

 

[DougF]

I'm still a relative newbie, but I can confirm what Neal said. I ran the factory preset coin pattern for a while, then decided to use iron mask 22 (Exp. SE). It seems I immediately started getting deeper coins. I think what is happening is that I get a high FE reading at first, then when I zero in on the target the signal improves and moves into the coin region. Maybe with the factory preset, I was just getting a null with the initial FE reading, and not investigating further. The soil at the site has high iron content also. The first day after the switch, I got six older wheats and an indian, which is good for this site.

 

[smkunder]

Well I went out today with the iron mask setting at -6 ExplorerII and hit a silver dime, so I think I am just starting to get it. Still a lot of sounds but I am now more particiular about where the cross hairs are and if they are stable. That seems to tell me alot. I even started testing myself as to what it would be, screw cap, penny etc. Got pretty good at it. Now to build my confidence up enough so I do not dig the screw caps. You guys like Bryce and Neal do a lot to help us newbies keep at it, thanks for the advice.

Steve