Question about quick mask

[DollarDigger]

I have read Andy's book several times and have a few hours on my ETrac. I see folks talk about the "see through capabilities" of quick mask but I don't just exactly understand it. Several times I have had "iffy signals" meaning some broken good and bad audio, FE #'s jumping all up and down the scale but normally more stable CO #'s. However, when I switch to quick mask with little to no discrimination, I just get a solid iron reading from all angles. So far I have just assumed it was conductive iron and moved on. I have also assumed, up to this point, that it would be self-evident when I get over a good, masked target and switch to quick mask that I would realize that a good target was there with iron. However, I also read folks saying that when you switch to quick mask with little or no disc. that the iron will most times dominate the machine and there will be no evidence of a good target.....that it takes a significate amount of disc. to bring out a weaker good signal near a stronger iron target.

Also question 2..... Is there an advantage to quick mask, if my detect PATTERN and quickmask PATTERN are the same? i.e. Does quick mask run with less filters or have some other super power or something? Thanks Brad

 

[Idaho PRB]

The way I understand it is that Quickmask is just another discrimination pattern on the E-Trac.
I think it would be most helpful if you are getting a signal that is just slightly outside the accepted parameters of whatever pattern you happen to be using. Say, a dime that is supposed to hit at 12-45 that is deep or on edge, might give a signal that is on the edge, or slightly outside your coin pattern. You get a partial null because of that factor, you push the quickmask button, which gives you a more open pattern instantly and now you are getting a repeatable signal that you decide to dig.
Another place I can see it being useful is when you are in an area that has real clean sections mixed with areas that are real trashy (like a yard, where nails from prior re-roofing has taken place and there are tons of nails within 8 feet of the sloped sides of the roof). You then have the ability to switch to a more open screen in the clean areas and back to a more heavily dicriminated pattern for the trashy areas with the push of one single button.
I don't think it has any magical powers over any other pattern
Someone that is more experienced or knowledgable can certainly set me straight if I'm not getting it right.

 

[tippyhound]

I have dug many iffy targets that I might have walked away from if not for the Quick Mask Program. Like you I have gotten signals that the FE's jumped all over the the place and CO's stayed fairly steady. I would then switch to the Quick Mask program and the signal would clean up, if the target box would set down in the lower right corner it would be iron and I would walk away from it. If that target box wanted to stay in the upper part of the box I was digging. I have on many occasions dug coins and tokens that had rusty nails , bottle caps, or just plain rusty pieces of metal laying across or right next to the good target, and the Quick Mask would show me the good target.

My son runs a Fisher CZ-6 and on many occasions he's asked me to check signals he said sounded like junk to him, when I check it with the Quick mask program it would show the target to be a good item. He recently dug a beautiful 1900 Barber dime I checked for him and was shocked as he said had it not been for my checking it he would have walked away from it.

Always use a open pattern (no discrimination) with the Quick Mask program, as it uses no filters and makes everything visible to you. I have found it to be the biggest back saver I've ever had on a detector, but at the same time it has put many good finds in my pouch I might have walked away from. I Love it. Rick "IL"