Kevin, you seem to have narrowed down your questions to one primary desire ....
Kevin B. said:
PS: I guess I am trying to ask: How should I set my unit up that will get me raw depth. What setting (besides sensitivity) has an impact on depth? (Can't wait for the Impact!!!!!!)
Okay, now to the meat of your question and that appears that you are wanting "RAW DEPTH."
The biggest concern with trying to gain an increase in detection depth is knowing both the ground mineral and texture [size=small]
(density, such as loose matter, pea gravel or rocks, and iron MMI read-out combined with the Ground Phase setting required)[/size] that you are hunting AND to know how much unwanted metal debris is present. In short, is the site trashy or void of any junk.
If there are ANY unwanted targets present, be them nails, screws, bottle caps, rusty tin, cast iron junk, or even non-ferrous trash like foil, pull tabs, screw caps, pieces of aluminum or copper, etc., then it will be next to impossible to achieve maximum 'depth' potential simply due to the masking effects of the unwanted trash that is present and typically too close to desired targets, or closer to the search coil than desired targets.
Should Keith S. respond, note that while he & I are both avid Relic Hunters, our personal detector function settings might differ. Why? Because our ground might differ, and the targets we are primarily after might be of different metal make-up, or size or shape, and certainly the type and amount of unwanted trash we have to contend with might also be notably different. Furthermore, we each have developed our own ideas or opinions of what settings seem to
work best for us, and we might go about setting up the detector's 'saved' programs as well as have different opinions on what functions we might want to change and why.
In short, setting up any detector, be it an over-featured and complicated Deus [size=small]
(to me and many)[/size] or a much more simple and straight-forward design like the Nokta FORS CoRe or FORS Relic, it really boils down to the TETO set-up principle. Employing the TETO method generally requires ample time afield to get to know how to hunt the chosen sites, becoming familiar with any detectors and/or search coils used, and being comfortable with what different adjustment functions can and can't do.
I'll tell you what the
TETO method is ... it means
To Each Their Own. Just being individuals we can decide our own plan for control adjustment based upon our wants and needs, and our likes and dislikes.
Now, with that out of the way, I will also fill you in on my FORS Relic settings, search coil choices, and the reasons behind them. They are really very simple, and as I often state, ... I like 'simple.'
I use the Relic w/5½" DD coil, the CoRe w/
'OOR' coil, the Relic w/5½X10 Concentric, the Racer 2 w/
'OOR' or 5½" DD, the Relic w/7X11 DD then a Racer 2 w/5½X10 DD ... just about in that order based upon the types of sites I am hunting, the density of trash, whether the predominate trash is iron nails, other ferrous debris, or modern non-ferrous junk, and to a point just how I happen to feel at that particular time.
So with the FORS series Relic, my most-used Relic has the
5½" DD coil mounted. I use this combination in the trashiest Relic Hunting sites I deal with, especially when rusty tin is very often encountered. With the small
5½" DD coil in dense, nasty trash, I have that model ready to start-up in the
Di3/3-Tone Discriminate mode. The saved settings are:
Sensitivity - '99'
ID Mask - '05'
Iron Volume - '02'
Tone Break - '65'
iMASK - '01'
My second-grabbed Relic sports the
5½X10 Concentric coil. I do have the 5½X10 DD, but I prefer the performance with the Concentric type coil as this is used where trash levels are very low-to-moderate, and mainly when the predominant Relic Hunting trash is iron nails or similar 'wire iron' type targets. The Concentric coil provides slightly better depth than the same-size DD coil, and more consistent TID read-outs and accurate ID's in iron littered sites. Because there will be very little pesky rusty tin, and a smaller amount of higher-conductive discarded junk, I have the turn-on saved program to start in the
Di2/2-Tone search mode. Those settings are:
Sensitivity - '95'
ID Mask - '05'
Iron Volume - '02'
Tone Break - '20'
iMASK - '01'
When I face a wide-open area, be it a saltwater or freshwater beach, a plowed field, or a large, grassy park type environment, and where trash is not closely spaced, and also when I might encounter a more deeply located target while trying to cover a larger area, then I pick up my 3rd Relic w/standard
7X11 DD coil mounted. That unit has a saved program to start-up in the
Deep mode, and those settings are:
Sensitivity - '90'
ID Mask - '05'
Iron Volume - '02'
Tone Break - ''20'
iMASK - '01'
My 'common' or 'carry-over' [size=small]
(set for one mode it applies to all)[/size] feature settings are:
Volume - '20'
Brightness - '20'
CM/Inch - 'in.
Language - 'EN'
Yes, you will notice that my start-up settings have the Sensitivity at a very high setting. There are a few reasons for that, such as I mainly hunt more remote locations where EMI is less often encountered. Also, many decades ago I got tired of starting out with a low-to-moderate Sensitivity setting, then slow-but-sure work my way up until I reached a point where I had the maximum stability. My 'simple' solution was to start out with as much Sensitivity as I felt a site might allow, then, if I had EMI challenges or the trash density or ground mineral make-up caused stability issues, I would reduce it just enough to regain a smooth and stable operation. Also, if I felt a benefit, I might even increase the Sensitivity, if conditions allowed.
The next adjustment to make that might enhance depth-of-detection is to use the lowest Discrimination [size=small]
(ID Mask)[/size] level possible or the lowest that you can tolerate [size=small]
(listen to)[/size] and be comfortable while hunting. There are times when conditions allow me to reduce the Disc. level and still handle the very mineralized rocky terrain I usually hunt and possibly enhance depth, but so far my start-up settings are working well for me.
I am sure you or somebody might have a question or two about my settings, and if so you're welcome to shoot me an e-mail to discuss it/them.
There are very subtle differences between my three saved start-up programs, but that's because very little difference is needed, and I try to start out at about the maximum depth performance I can, then just adjust from there as desired. I really enjoy using my Relic units, as well as my faithful CoRe and the Makro Racer 2, because they are all well engineered, performance driven, have ample adjustment features while keeping the units 'simple' and not using an excess array of setting adjustments. This lets me get into action quickly and easily, tweak any settings as I might desire for a particular site, and enjoy the fun of detecting.
Oh, one final adjustment comment. I always have the Ground Balance Tracking turned 'Off'. You should not use Tracking in any of the motion-based Discriminate modes. Only in the Threshold-based All Metal mode, and I only opt for Tracking about 5%-10% of the time I am searching in All Metal mode. I rely on the automated/Ground-Grab method to establish a starting GB, and I will often tweak the GB with a little manual adjustment to be just slightly more positive in challenging ground conditions.
Slightly.
Monte
