IM -16 versus Iron Mask "off"

[Elevatorguy]

I see a lot of people recommend using Iron Mask "on" and set at -16. I hunt with Iron Mask off myself. Is there a difference? I have been trying to get an answer to this question for a while and nobody seems to know.

Thanks

 

[Chris(SoCenWI)]

Many newer users get confused about this..

Iron mask is just a discrimination pattern that you can easily adjust. If you run in Iron mask mode at -16 you have a wide open screen.

If you are not running in Iron mask the display will show whatever discrimination pattern you have chosen or programmed in. If you have no discrimination (Wide open white screen) it is the exact same thing as Iron Mask -16.

If you wanted to you could edit in a discrimination pattern that behaves just like any particular iron mask level by blacking out a lesser or greater amount of the screen at the left hand side of the display. This is very tedious.

I use ferrous mode and I run in discrimination mode with only crown caps (lower right corner) selected, the rest of the screen is blank. In Iron mask I would not be able to program in any additional discrimination so I would have to listen to all the bottle caps. Some users who use more discrimination will often switch to Iron mask mode with it set at -16 and listen to the signal there without any discrimination to decide whether to dig or not.

Remember when you press the iron mask button it cycles between three screens: The iron mask screen where you can set the amount of masking, a detect screen that displays the iron mask pattern, and the discrimination screen that shows whatever discrimination pattern you have selected/created. Iron mask does not run in the background when you are in discrimination mode. And, iron mask is not a magical setting that allows one to hear coins through the nails. Any time you use less discrimination you have less nulls and more information to help determine whether to dig. Unfortunately you also have a greater chance of brain overload from all the sounds.

For all practical intents and purposes running with only nails and screws blacked out (upper left corner of screen blacked out) is pretty much the same as running IM-13 or 14. Running with the standard coin program would be pretty close to running IM -4 to 0 or so.

Hope the helps

Chris

 

[mattockman]

n/t

 

[Elevatorguy]

I was not sure if there was still any Iron Masking going on even with it set at -16. I guess I was confused because nobody ever says they run with Iron Mask off. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Captain Kirk]

I sometimes use iron mask in a special way. I sometimes setup a particular discrimination pattern depending upon the trash content of the site. I then set up the iron mask function to -16 (all metal). When I get a target that is on the boundary of the discrimination pattern (which sometimes makes that target sound "chopped off"), then I switch to the iron mask mode and listen to the target response with no discrimination. This helps in making the decision on whether or not to dig. This is an easy way to switch from a discrimination pattern to all metal with just a button push (but as you stated there are actually 3 button pushes in a complete cycle).

HH,
Glenn