Sensitivity...where do you run yours at...?

[itsaawgood]

I had to send my AT Pro in to have it looked at...but in the mean time I am trying to keep atop of what everyone else is doing with their Pro. The Garrett tech told me that the factory preset sensitivity is where the machine is supposed to be run and running it hotter is just asking for problems. This may or may not be true...or true for some and not others. Where are you running your sensitivity....and in what soil or water type? I'm interested to know if the people reporting very good depth are running it at max sens. to get this depth, and how about in the water...where you running your sens.?

Thanks for the input and have a great Memorial Day!!

 

[mudpuppy]

Hey, I think its site and condition specific, meaning that some areas its better to run it lower, I usually bump it up until it chatters, then bump it down until it dont...I'm digging relatively deep coins in trash by running mid/low sens, and listening for the high peep...the TID wont even lock on, too much trash, and cant pinpoint either, but usually can stab the coin with a screwdriver and pull it. This is like under bleachers and totlots etc...totlot signals are usually shallow anyway...I am getting more silver coins this year than last by listening for the short little deep peeps...

Mud

 

[John-Edmonton]

I run mine as high as possible. In my case, it's usually at full sensitivity because I have almost no mineralization in and around Edmonton, except at some lakes, which are very alkaline. And I always ground balance it too.

 

[itsaawgood]

Hey, I think its site and condition specific, meaning that some areas its better to run it lower, I usually bump it up until it chatters, then bump it down until it dont...I'm digging relatively deep coins in trash by running mid/low sens, and listening for the high peep...the TID wont even lock on, too much trash, and cant pinpoint either, but usually can stab the coin with a screwdriver and pull it. This is like under bleachers and totlots etc...totlot signals are usually shallow anyway...I am getting more silver coins this year than last by listening for the short little deep peeps...

Mud

A co-worker seen a guy detecting metal detecting in the pouring rain at the G. Haven beach today around 2:30.....Mud, was that you?

 

[sasquache]

Hello i run my AT-PRO 2 notches down from max sensativity and my soil is a solid 84 on the ground balance scale in the pro-mode with custom setting i also notch out 50>>>> 0 and it runs excellent. So what is Garretts pre set factory sensativity setting? I get awesome depth too 10 inches on a coin so far and im sure it will go deeper .SAS

 

[KCK]

The AT Pro is pretty sensitive. So I did a test with mine. I found a target that was 6" deep after I dug it. But before I dug it up I scanned it and it said 8".( Probably was the detector being 2 inches above ground) But I kept scanning it while I changed the sensitivity down a notch every other time I passed over the target. Even after turning the sensitivity down 4 notches I was still able to hear that particular target. And the tones were more stable as well! There are times when you might need to run her full blast, But do this test yourself and see what you come up with. When she is stable I will normally run at 1 notch below full sensitivity....... But I may change that from now on. If I am hunting a place where Silver is found I'll run her up then, I know some silver may be deep. I don't think your giving up too much at one bar below full, and you gain a lot of stabilization which to me has to be important! I think?

 

[quarterhorse]

itsaawgood

"The Garrett tech told me that the factory preset sensitivity is where the machine is supposed to be run and running it hotter is just asking for problems"

The factory preset sensitivity is maxed out full bars to the right when my machine turns on and I leave it there unless I run into some EI and I'll reduce it in an attempt to quiten the machine, but once I get by the EI I'll crank it back to max.

My question is how can you run it any "hotter" than the factory preset, if the factory preset is the maximium setting.

QH

 

[Jerry-Wi]

I can run mine at maximum sensitivity but normally run it one bar below max. The reason for this is because sometimes when I put the detector down to dig a target, it chatters ever so slightly. Not loud beeps or anything more like a background mutter. I finally figured out that it has to do with orientation of the coil. When the coil is parallel to the ground, it is stable, when moved more towards the perpendicular, it will chatter just a little in some areas. Running it one bar down from max seems to make this go away and I do not see any loss in depth.

Jerry

 

[itsaawgood]

itsaawgood

"The Garrett tech told me that the factory preset sensitivity is where the machine is supposed to be run and running it hotter is just asking for problems"

The factory preset sensitivity is maxed out full bars to the right when my machine turns on and I leave it there unless I run into some EI and I'll reduce it in an attempt to quiten the machine, but once I get by the EI I'll crank it back to max.

My question is how can you run it any "hotter" than the factory preset, if the factory preset is the maximium setting.

QH

The factory preset for the AT Pro's sensitivity is 2 bars below max (all bars). If yours is turning on a max you need to call Garrett as this is NOT correct...

 

[bcoop]

Running a machine at max sensitivity does not mean your going to get maximum depth. People seem to think max sensitivity = max depth. This has been discussed on multiple occasions uncountable times on several forums about every machine.

The best analogy that explains this is from Andy Sabischs' book and is related to trying to run your headlights at high beam when it is foggy. Adjust your lights back to low beam and you see more clearly and farther down the road.

Same goes with your detecting, sure there may be areas you can run the machine maxed out, but most likely you will get the same results at a lower sensitivity and the machine is not working as hard. Minerals effect a machine no matter where you are detecting you may not hear it but it does.

1 or two notches away from full sensitivity probably produces the same results as maxed out.

JMHO

BCOOP

 

[quarterhorse]

She starts up in Standard mode full bars black to the right, and stays full bars as I go to Pro Mode zero. I've never had any "customized" mode, so mine has to be factory preset to full speed ahead, unless Rod Serling did it.............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b5aW08ivHU

 

[John-Edmonton]

I can rent episodes of that show in a nearby video rental place. I have rented them in the past, but then like you, discovered metal detecting and now create my own episodes...

 

[Caretaker me]

I run mine at the max on dirt, and at the salt beaches in the wet sand, down 2, but in the dry sand it's at max