Target separation - Multiple Targets Iron&Gold - Iron&Silver???

[stitchlips]

I just did a really interesting test in my front yard. I have heard the CTX will pick up two targets at once when using ferrous coin for target separation. I had to put it to the test. I plan on making a video tomorrow, but here is what I found.

I used a good sized iron ship spike for the iron object and a good sized silver ring. I placed the iron shop spike right on top of the silver ring and the CTX would ID both of them, but only sometimes. Target trace and target trace pinpoint really helped with both IDS a lot. I moved the iron ship spike and placed it right next to the silver ring. The silver ring showed up perfectly on the screen and audio too. I know a lot of long time CTX users know this, but it excited me so I had to try the same thing with gold, but it did not work. The CTX would only pick up the iron and never the gold. Anyone know why this is? I will do some more tests tomorrow when it is light out.

I am running in combined audio, ferrous coin separation. Silver and iron yes! Gold and iron. No!

 

[Digger]

Without knowing your sweep speeds, direction of sweep, position of the spike, amount of discrimination and the TID values of each of the three targets without an adjacent target, I can only speculate. ..........Ferrous Coin Separation was designed to help us sort coin type targets from ferrous objects in areas of low mineralization. Since the ring was silver and likely the size of a coin, the CTX did what it was designed to do. Again, not knowing the metallic properties of the gold you mentioned, I would guess that it has a lower "conductivity number" than the silver, and possibly a higher "ferrous number". In other words, if you read the iron spike by itself, you might find the TID values are much "closer", to the gold than that of your silver ring. As such, Ferrous Coin doesn't recognize the gold as a "coin type target", and the processor wasn't able to differentiate the blending of target signals. But as I said, it is purely speculation at this point. JMHO HH Randy

 

[stitchlips]

Without knowing your sweep speeds, direction of sweep, position of the spike, amount of discrimination and the TID values of each of the three targets without an adjacent target, I can only speculate. ..........Ferrous Coin Separation was designed to help us sort coin type targets from ferrous objects in areas of low mineralization. Since the ring was silver and likely the size of a coin, the CTX did what it was designed to do. Again, not knowing the metallic properties of the gold you mentioned, I would guess that it has a lower "conductivity number" than the silver, and possibly a higher "ferrous number". In other words, if you read the iron spike by itself, you might find the TID values are much "closer", to the gold than that of your silver ring. As such, Ferrous Coin doesn't recognize the gold as a "coin type target", and the processor wasn't able to differentiate the blending of target signals. But as I said, it is purely speculation at this point. JMHO HH Randy

I used no discrimination at all. I run the screen wide open with four bins across the top from left to right and one at the bottom for iron. My sweep speed was slow and easy. The silver ring was the size of a quarter. I think you are right about everything but the TID values. I will have to make a video and post it, but I think the TID values for the spike were something like 33-35. I could be way off here. The silver ring was 12-40 something. The gold ring was 12-03. It is a small 14k band.

So if the ctx does not recognize the gold as a coin type target, what mode or setting would be best for separating gold from iron, or is this not possible with the CTX? It looks like I have to do some experimenting when I get the time.

 

[Digger]

The silver ring came through because of the higher conductive value and having a ferrous value of 12. The low conductive value of the gold ring was probably the reason the processor didn't recognize it in Fe Coin. The big spike simply overwhelmed it. I'd try running in High Trash, with some discrimination to get rid of the iron. High Trash still acknowledges weak accepted target signals, even when the rejected targets have stronger target signals. The TID is less stable in High Trash. So don't make your discrimination "notches" too small. HH Randy
.

 

[stitchlips]

The silver ring came through because of the higher conductive value and having a ferrous value of 12. The low conductive value of the gold ring was probably the reason the processor didn't recognize it in Fe Coin. The big spike simply overwhelmed it. I'd try running in High Trash, with some discrimination to get rid of the iron. High Trash still acknowledges weak accepted target signals, even when the rejected targets have stronger target signals. The TID is less stable in High Trash. So don't make your discrimination "notches" too small. HH Randy
.

I played around with it some more and got it to ID the gold band with spike right on top of it. It would not produce an audio response, but it would show up on the screen. They key to getting it to hit on the gold was a snail speed swing, and I mean very slow. If I moved the gold ring an inch or two away from the spike, it would give me and audio and a visual response as well! I still need to put together a video. These are all surface tests. I did not bury any of the targets.

 

[Digger]

I'm interested in watching your videos. But based on your description, it sounds like Ferrous Coin is doing what it is designed to do. From page 42 in the manual.....in the left margin.....The Ferrous-Coin setting may not always provide audio.....and in the description......."Ferrous-Coin improves the Target ID stability of coin type targets amongst ferrous targets in areas with low mineralization. This setting uses advanced signal processing techniques to minimize the blending of ferrous and coin type target signals even when they are on top of each other. Both targets will be more accurately identified and their cursors displayed simultaneously on the Detect screen. If both targets happen to be in an accepted areas of the screen, such as when using a fully open/All Metals discrimination pattern, the Target ID number displayed will be from the coin type object."

HH Randy