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A Beginner’s Tutorial to Metal Detector Controls and Settings
Understanding your metal detector’s settings is crucial for successful and enjoyable detecting. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the most common settings found on modern metal detectors, explaining what they do and how to use them effectively. Please bear in mind that not all metal detectors have all of the settings below.
Basic Controls
Before diving into specific settings, let’s cover the basic controls you’ll find on most metal detectors:
- Power On/Off: Usually a push button or switch
- Mode Selection: For choosing preset or custom search modes
- Sensitivity Adjustment: Controls the detector’s responsiveness
- Volume Control: Adjusts audio output level
- Ground Balance: Helps the detector ignore mineralization in the soil
Sensitivity
What It Does:
Sensitivity controls how responsive your detector is to metal objects. Higher sensitivity can detect smaller or deeper objects but may also lead to more false signals.
How to Use It:
- Start with sensitivity at about 75% of maximum
- Increase sensitivity until you start getting false signals
- Reduce slightly for optimal performance
- Adjust based on soil conditions and target depth
Discrimination
What It Does:
Discrimination allows you to filter out unwanted targets based on their conductivity. It helps you focus on desired metals and ignore “junk” targets.
How to Use It:
- Set discrimination to low for general detecting
- Increase to filter out iron and small aluminum targets
- Be cautious with high discrimination as it may cause you to miss valuable targets
- Use in conjunction with All-Metal mode for thorough searching
Notch Discrimination
What It Does:
Notch discrimination allows you to accept or reject specific ranges of target IDs, creating a more customized search pattern.
How to Use It:
- Identify the target ID range of items you want to find or ignore
- Use the notch feature to ‘notch out’ (reject) or ‘notch in’ (accept) these ranges
- Experiment with different notch settings for various detecting scenarios
Ground Balance
What It Does:
Ground balance helps your detector ignore mineralization in the soil, reducing false signals and improving depth detection.
How to Use It:
- Use automatic ground balance if available
- For manual ground balance:
- Hold the coil 6-12 inches above the ground
- Lower and raise the coil repeatedly while adjusting the ground balance
- Stop when you hear minimal sound as the coil is raised and lowered
Target ID
What It Does:
Target ID provides a numerical or graphical representation of the probable type of metal detected.
How to Use It:
- Learn your detector’s Target ID scale (usually 0-99 or -95 to +95)
- Use it in conjunction with audio signals for more accurate target identification
- Remember that depth, orientation, and soil conditions can affect Target ID accuracy
Frequency
What It Does:
Some detectors allow you to adjust operating frequency. Different frequencies are better suited for different types of targets and ground conditions.
How to Use It:
- Lower frequencies (3-8 kHz) are generally better for deeper, larger targets
- Higher frequencies (15-30 kHz) are better for smaller, shallower targets like gold nuggets
- Multi-frequency detectors automatically optimize for various conditions
Threshold
What It Does:
Threshold sets a constant background hum, helping you hear faint signals from deep or small targets.
How to Use It:
- Adjust until you hear a faint, constant hum
- If the hum becomes annoying, reduce slightly
- Use in conjunction with All-Metal mode for maximum depth
All-Metal Mode
What It Does:
All-Metal mode disables discrimination, allowing the detector to respond to all metal objects.
How to Use It:
- Use for maximum depth detection
- Great for initial sweeps of an area
- Switch between All-Metal and discriminate modes to confirm targets
Iron Audio
What It Does:
Iron Audio, when available, allows you to hear discriminated iron targets, helping you avoid digging unwanted objects.
How to Use It:
- Enable Iron Audio in areas with high iron content
- Listen for “grunty” or broken sounds indicating iron
- Use in conjunction with visual Target ID for better accuracy
Recovery Speed
What It Does:
Recovery speed affects how quickly your detector processes signals between sweeps. Faster recovery allows for better separation of adjacent targets.
How to Use It:
- Use faster recovery in trashy areas to distinguish between close targets
- Use slower recovery in clean areas for better depth
Custom Modes
What It Does:
Many detectors allow you to save custom combinations of settings for different detecting scenarios.
How to Use It:
- Experiment with different setting combinations
- Save successful combinations for specific scenarios (beach, coin shooting, relic hunting)
- Name your custom modes for easy recall
Tips for Mastering Your Settings
- Read your detector’s manual thoroughly
- Practice with known objects in a controlled environment
- Start with factory preset modes and adjust gradually
- Keep a log of successful setting combinations for different conditions
- Join a local metal detecting club to learn from experienced users
Conclusion
Mastering your metal detector’s settings takes time and practice. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different combinations to see what works best for your detecting style and local conditions. Remember, the perfect settings can vary based on location, target type, and personal preference. Happy hunting!
For more information on metal detecting techniques and equipment, explore our other guides in the Metal Detecting Tips & Advice section.