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Interesting/Perplexing Airtest with E-Trac ??

C

captn_se

New member
Hey guys.

I've been hearing from other E-Trac users that auto sensitivity and manual sensitivity will give different depth results on various coins in an air-test [size=large]using the same amount of sensitivity for both modes .[/size] For example, if you power up your machine and select auto sensitivity, and your machine sets your auto sens. to 17, go ahead and run some airtests on a few coins, recording their depths of detection(actual distance from coil to coin). Then put your machine into manual sensitivity and select the same sensitivity level that was showing in auto sens, and repeat the airtest on the same coins. Are the test results different in auto sens vs. manual sens.?? I have heard that manual sens. will give better depth results than auto sens. will.

If someone has the time to test this out, could you please give it a go, and see if this is true or not? I would do this myself if I had an E-Trac. I would try this with an Explorer, but since you don't really know what the real auto sens. value is on any Explorer, this test cannot be done.

At first I was thinking it should give the same depth results (auto 17 vs. manual 17), but since the E-Trac uses 3 different internal signal channels to determine proper target ID's(high, medium, and low), there may be a difference. In manual sensitivity, the E-Trac will fix all three internal channels with the same sens. value. In auto sens., all three channels most likely will be at different sensitivities, and the auto sens. indicator only shows the value of the highest channel, while your suggested sensitivity reading is the average of all three internal channels. :nerd:

Thanks!!

HH,
CAPTN SE
Dan
 
Well, this was a very interesting test. I wonder if Minelab even knows this anomaly exists between manual and auto sensitivity. It's certainly not stated in their manual.

A good detecting buddy of mine ran my test the other day, confirming mine, and others suspicions.

Here's the results of the test:

E-Trac set in Auto +3 setting and powered up, auto sens was at 19.

So the manual sensitivity was set to 19 also.

Airtested a Quarter in Auto +3 (19) == 8 1/2"
Airtested a Quarter in Manual 19 == 10"

Dime - Auto +3(19) == 7 1/2"
Dime - Manual 19 == 8 1/2"

Then selected Auto +0 (16), and then manual 16.

Quarter - Auto +0 (16) == 7 1/2"
Quarter - Manual 16 == 8 1/2"

In conclusion: Manual sensitivity is deeper than auto sensitivity even though both are set up with the same sens. value. This could mean that in auto sensitivity, the actual sensitivity the machine is using could be the average(suggested) sensitivity, and not the sensitivity of the highest channel.

HH,
CAPTN SE
Dan
 
Hey Dan, I've just started using manual sensitivity. I check the target in auto first then set manual to what it says it should be and I can hear a deeper target better. Feel as long as I'm moving slow I wouldn't have missed it but you never know.

On another note: That's all we need is for you to get your hands on an E-Trac and learn it. Please don't even think about getting one they don't work well at all. :rofl::rofl: You do just fine with your Explorer :devil::

Hope to see you out there.

HH Randy
 
Randy,

It would be great if I were just able to get out and detect, period. But the E-Trac is intriguing, and I like learning about new machines. The more you know, the better md'er you will be.

Remember, this test was for the limits of detection of a coin signal.....so, sure you'd hear a 7" coin signal in auto 19, but not as clear as in manual 19......so that must mean there is a depth that you won't be able to hear a signal using auto sens., where you would hear it using manual with same setting.

You know how you're having a hard time finding the barbers???? Well, they're below all those mercs and rosies you keep finding........save those for me, okay?? :bouncy:

HH,
CAPTN SE
Dan
 
I have experimented with auto vs manual in the field, and there have been many deep targets that auto just won't reach, even at +3, yet manual can.

It's simple while in the field just hit the > key on your controls to swap between auto/manual. You will see what I mean.
 
This is a very interesting topic and test. Thanks Dan for giving us the posts!!! I too will have to give this some thought. The finds I made last Sun. went right along with the gain question posted on this classroom. Prior to last Sun. I'd only dug 1 or 2 coins that went past or at 8". I just didn't feel our coins were sinking that deep here.

However at the Fairgrounds the other day, was where I learned how it is to hunt a heavily hunted site and realize I didn't make a mistake by buying the E-Trac (also realize I'm blessed to live where I do; as I can see how other newcomers that only have hunted out parks could get frustrated). All the coins found were over 6", and only one did not have trash in the mix. I guess the sounds/tones were there, and had I not had close to 150 hrs on my machine I'm not sure I'd dug some of them???

That being said, I've always ran in Auto +3, now I might just have to stick it in manual at the suggested sens. just to see. What really got me was the dime one. It just does'nt make sense that a manual of 19 and Auto +3 which should equal 22 would be different. I'm intrigued now and want to study this further!!

NebTrac
 

Look back at the test again....the Auto +3 was actually at 19 sensitivity. Not 22. So the corresponding Manual sens. was set to 19 also on this test. When my buddy decreased the auto level to +0, then the sensitivity went to 16, and that's what he set his manual sens. to on the second test.

HH,
CAPTN SE
Dan
 
You're vicious Dan! :starwars: If I were younger than you I'd want to grow up to be just like you :devil: You have an advantage that most of us don't have. See picture below :rofl::rofl:


captn_se said:
Randy,

It would be great if I were just able to get out and detect, period. But the E-Trac is intriguing, and I like learning about new machines. The more you know, the better md'er you will be.

Remember, this test was for the limits of detection of a coin signal.....so, sure you'd hear a 7" coin signal in auto 19, but not as clear as in manual 19......so that must mean there is a depth that you won't be able to hear a signal using auto sens., where you would hear it using manual with same setting.

You know how you're having a hard time finding the barbers???? Well, they're below all those mercs and rosies you keep finding........save those for me, okay?? :bouncy:

HH,
CAPTN SE
Dan
Click to expand...
 
While hunting today, I would switch back and forth between Auto/Manual set at the same number (usually 19 and 20). I noticed the etrac was much more stable in auto sens. even when manual sens. was set at the same level.
 
Manual sens uses the info from 3 sources, in auto only one, it selects what it thinks is the best/quietest of the 3 but its not always the deepest, hence the difference at the same sensitivity levels
 
Many times during todays hunting, manual 30 would hit targets where auto+3 would not, compared this many times. Some other places I hunt, manual sensitivity will hinder performance and miss stuff that auto will hit on (same setups). The night I brought my machine home, I did some "air tests", only to be disappointed, enough to think about possibly selling a brand new machine. Sure am glad I gave it a whirl in my two test gardens, cuz with the coil to the ground, that all changed, it chewed up my test gardens and spit them out.
 
Wondering? Is the marked difference between auto and manual the same no matter the sensitivity level? Might be hard or laborious to check but curious if 19 auto vs 19 manual mathematical differences is the same as 25 auto vs 25 manual mathematical difference, etc.

Just wondering if it was a linear difference from one end of the sensitivity to the other.

No matter! I think the learning point is you get better depth in manual but you sacrifice some stability. jim
 
What is the true sensitivity of the machine when it is in auto??

Could it be the "Suggested Sensitivity", which is the average of all three internal signal channels?? They are really vague about that in their manual.

It took an experiment like this to figure out something was fishy. :shrug:

Nothing has changed in the way I use my machine after this experiment.....I still prefer manual sens. (low-mid 20's) for all the parks I detect at.

HH,
CAPTN SE
Dan
 
I have done it on targets in the ground. I run my E-Trac in manual sensitivity all the time. Thinking I might be missing out on something I tried changing back and forth between manual and auto when I thought I had a deep coin. Most of the targets were IH pennies and I found that at a manual setting of 20 or 21 if I switched to Auto the signal quality dropped and in a few cases I lost the signal all together. I only tried this on about a 1/2 dozen targets but it convinced me to run manual sensitivity.
 
Phil said:
I have done it on targets in the ground. I run my E-Trac in manual sensitivity all the time. Thinking I might be missing out on something I tried changing back and forth between manual and auto when I thought I had a deep coin. Most of the targets were IH pennies and I found that at a manual setting of 20 or 21 if I switched to Auto the signal quality dropped and in a few cases I lost the signal all together. I only tried this on about a 1/2 dozen targets but it convinced me to run manual sensitivity.
Click to expand...

Yep! In most cases, Manual Sensitivity FTW!

Unless of course you like missing stuff....
 
Dan
I have to say I think Manual will give a little more depth and a better signal .But would rather run in auto +3 for the following reasons. And the most important to me is the nulling factor it is allot quicker and stable I use manual to clean up a deep signal. I also use Quick mask wide open.Yesterday I was using the Sunray X-8 in auto+3 and was getting great sens and depth I found a well worn 18 merc that was deep I think the explorers have better audio than the ET But not a problem love diggin the iffys HH RonC
 
I've tested Auto +3 vs Manual many times in the field and ALWAYS ended up back at Auto. I did use manual 29 vs Auto +3(generally auto was 19-22) to test some very faint iffy signals, but trying to actually hunt in manual was a waste of my time. Auto is soooo much more stable than manual at the same level.
 
sensitivity to the level which it becomes as stable as it does in Auto +3 for you. That would be the true sensitivity that your machine is using when in Auto.

There's really nothing special about the Auto sensitivity that's making the overall operation more smooth/stable. Your machine is just running at a lower overall sensitivity. That's the priority of Auto sens......stability/smooth operation first, maximum depth second.

Appreciate your comments.

HH,
CAPTN SE
Dan
 
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