Machines that have an audible/adjustable threshold while hunting

[Canewrap]

I have found that one of the best ways to look for activity areas in large fields (= more potential finds) like a homesite or suspected civil war campsite is to
run with an audible threshold that you can still hear in all metal. Setting it as low as you can hear and then walking through your area, you take note of how many
faint, close together signals your getting. Problem is, I sold off the one Whites I had years ago that could do that and I'm planning on getting back to relic
hunting this year. Most of the machines I've read about let you set the threshold and put in all metal, but you wind up in a silent search mode.

Does anyone know of what machines made in the last 10 years or so that you can do that with and get pretty decent depth?

 

[goodmore]

A Sovereign will do a threshold in all metal.

 

[Canewrap]

Thanks, now to start looking for one.

 

[Confetrit]

I relic hunt with the Whites MXT Pro that allows you to hunt with a slight threshold. The Minelab Safari also has this for the Relic and All Metal Mode. I'm considering one in the future. Best of luck to you in your decision.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Explorer in ferrous mode, with the screen wide open. Allows you to hear the iron grunts, which you can promptly ignore. But at the same time, giving you instant recognition of the amt. of human activity, via how much nails/iron there is.

 

[Monte]

Quite a few detector users have a model that only features a motion-based Discriminate mode, or that is all they use. Some makes and models do not have a Threshold-based All Metal mode or even a Pinpoint function. Some models do have a conventional All Metal mode, but many, many Hobbyists do not use that mode.

Then there is the use of detector models that Do have an adjustable Threshold level. Some only feature an audible Threshold in the All Metal mode and the Disc. mode is a silent-search design, but some other makes and models do have a Disc. mode with adjustable Threshold audio. However, with some models that allow the operator to 'turn-on' or 'adjust for' a Threshold level, they do not really function the same as a true Threshold-based All Metal mode. In some cases you hear a Threshold audio, but it is almost something to just let you know your detector is on and working and the detector doesn't really respond properly, nulling or beeping, to changes that might effect a Threshold audio function.

I understand what you are relating to in your post and I happen to enjoy using a true Threshold-based search. More often than not, I accomplish this by relying on a true, All Metal Threshold search mode and then switch to a Discriminate mode to help classify the located target. I do also use some models that feature a functional Threshold audio while in the Discriminate mode. I like to hear the audio response I get when listening to an audible Threshold and not solely relying on a silent-search operation. Both have their advantages for various search applications.

Monte

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Monte, I .... and a lot of old-timers, ... will understand all this. But to the newbie, all the words you used, themselves, need various clarification.

You really ought to consider getting yourself filmed @ about 10 podcast/youtubes. Starting from the utter basics of definitions, on-up-through the modern times. It would be an awesome "best of Monte" video . And then .... 1000 yrs. from now. .... some archaeologist/researcher will find that video, and understand how 1960s to 2010's detectors worked

 

[Canewrap]

Yep, that is exactly what I'm looking for to identify areas to focus on. Otherwise I wind up having to grid the likely areas and I waste a lot of time finding the main area I need to search.

 

[Canewrap]

Tom, I completely agree. I'm a tech writer and sometimes technical concepts can be presented a whole clearer/cleaner with the addition of photos or videos.
Monte, if you did this you could probably set it up as a website and ask for donations. Provide a link to this in the appropriate forums and they will come.

 

[still looking 52]

My F5 has adjustable threshold.

 

[Canewrap]

Ok, yes I have machines with adjustable threshold as well. I will try to explain this a little clearer.

For a good number of the mid-price machines you can go into a temporary all metal mode while adjusting your settings ( a settings mode if you like), like ground balance, threshold, sensitivity.
But, once you go into a hunting mode you do not hear the threshold - that constant hum that you get when you get into that settings mode. I've found that the digital machines I have had cannot hunt with an audible threshold hum (F75 for instance).

The only exception I've run into is with the X-terra series. My X-terra 70 has a prospector mode that allows me to run with an audible signal, akin to a threshold. The only problem is that it doesn't
vary according to depth, so you cannot tell if the signal is 1" deep or 9" deep. You just know there's something there. I've made that work by gridding off an area and then deliberately setting things so that I can read the signals at about 5". The nail areas I'm looking for usually fall deeper than this, so I use this to find out if there is a blanket of relatively modern trash and if not, then I go into
the prospector mode and rehunt it.

I'm just on the lookout for a detector that can do it in one step with an audible, variable depth threshold signal. My MXT I had years ago would doit, but that thing was heavy enough to start giving my shoulder problems.