Pop Quiz: Calibrate the 550 meter on a quarter, what does an AUS 20 cent piece read? Don't Peek! :nerd:

[funkyoldude]

My Elite manual says 500, (don't believe the chart and the addendum sheet which say 55 and 50). Found an AUS 20 cent piece on the beach, and yup, reads 500. Makes sense once you think about it. With my 180 meter calibrated on a quarter, it reads 167. The manual also says you should "... calibrate on a common coin to the closest number divisible by 5". I wonder why? Maybe its a resolution thing. Ya got me.
Just some interesting tidbits.

fod

 

[Art (NWOH)]

I don't think it makes a rat's butt what you calibrate to. That "divisible by 5 " thing is probably more for convenience than any thing else.

You could calibrate to your mother-in-law's score on the nasty chart. Let's see........does the meter go that high???


HH

 

[funkyoldude]

... as long as I see 125 on the start-up tone. I can go for months without seeing a change. If it goes up or down (124 or 126) I might check it with a quarter or just tweak it back to 125, but my meter is very stable, and that rarely happens.
You're quite right about the calibration, and someone that does not have access to a US quarter or AUS 20 cent piece could easily set up their own target chart using what ever they had, maybe even a nasty chart, as long as it were made of a non-ferrous metal. I think the Aussies calibrate to 500 on a 20 cent piece because they invented the Sovereign and they get to do it.

fod

 

[Art (NWOH)]

Those Aussies have a sense of humor for sure.

I usually don't worry about calibration too much. Do get some drift with temp changes, but only worry about keeping it really close around very particular junk sites.

What I want to see at startup or in all metal from time to time is an undecided reading between 384/385.

Can give it a tweek if I think I need to.

HH