My Search Programs for Minelab E-Trac Metal Detector
A. Program for Detecting Coins at "Hunted Out" Site Littered with Iron Nails
This metal detecting program, a combination of settings, is a result of "try and error" process that took place at the metal detecting site with high concentration of iron square nails. The site had been cleaned of all good signals by other metal detectors prior to searching this site with E-Trac (you can read my Field Test report for more details).
This program enables the E-Trac to detect a coin lying in close proximity to the iron square nail that is partially masking the coin.
I always operate my Minelab E-Trac metal detector only in PATTERN SCREEN Mode, with Sensitivity set up in AUTO, with Multi TONE ID and with headphones.
PROGRAM SETTINGS:
DETECTION SCREEN Pattern Screen
To select this mode, press "Detect" button.
QUICK MASK set in All Metal Mode (entire screen is white)
To select this mode, press "Quick Mask" button.
Preferences:
DISPLAY CONTRAST - at 30 (page 76 of the User's Manual)
PINPOINT MODE Sizing (page 76 of the User's Manual)
SHOW SENSITIVITY on (page 78 of the User's Manual)
SHOW MODE INFO off (page 78 of the User's Manual)
DISPLAY TIMEOUT off (page 79 of the User's Manual)
Expert Menu:
RECOVERY DEEP off (page 70 of the User's Manual)
RECOVERY FAST on (page 71 of the User's Manual)
TRASH DENSITY High
This setting enables the metal detector to pick up accepted targets in the presence of ferrous objects, high ground mineralization or among a few rejected targets. The detector will lock on a good target and its Target ID will be displayed at the end of detection (page 72 of the User's Manual).
GROUND Difficult (page 74 of the User's Manual)
NOISE CANCEL Auto (Manual Noise Cancel is described on page 75 of the User's Manual)
Audio Menu:
THRESHOLD LEVEL 30
I like to hear the threshold going null (becomes silent) when the detector is passing over the rejected iron target. It gives me a better picture of what is buried underground. The spots with high concentration of square nails indicate the former presence of dwellings and utility sheds this information is helpful in creating the strategy for searching the site (page 58 of the User's Manual).
VOLUME LIMIT 30 (page 60 of the User's Manual)
VOLUME GAIN - 28
I prefer this setting because it allows for both shallow and deep targets to be amplified to a loud audio response. When this setting is at 15, the deeper targets and weak target signals will be only partially amplified, therefore, will sound quieter than the shallow targets of the same size (page 61 of the User's Manual).
RESPONSE Long
I prefer this setting along with VARIABILITY set on 30 because it helps me to distinguish a signal from the target of high conductivity from the coin-like signal given by a large iron target with hallo effect developed in the soil around the target over many years. Also this setting allows me to distinguish a good signal from a false one (page 62 of the User's Manual).
TONE ID Multi
Multi tones allow for detecting the site with minimum discrimination and without frequent consulting the screen for visual information on target characteristics (page 64 of the User's Manual).
SOUNDS Conduct (page 65 of the User's Manual)
VARIABILITY 30 (page 67 of the User's Manual)
LIMITS 30 (page 68 of the User's Manual)
TRESHOLD PITCH - 15 (page 69 of the User's Manual)
Sensitivity Menu:
SENSITIVITY - Auto
With this setting, the Sensitivity level is just a little above the ‘Suggested’ Sensitivity level.
The 'Suggested' Sensitivity should be used as a guide in setting the Manual Sensitivity if you wish to switch Sensitivity to Manual (page 55 of the User's Manual). If the ground is not highly mineralized, you might want to switch to the Manual Sensitivity (page 56 of the User's Manual) and adjust it to the highest level of stability through manual selection of a channel with the least noise (page 75 of the User's Manual). But if you set all three internal signal channels to the same high level, the ground interference may cause false signals and unstable Target ID.
To read about how the Sensitivity settings affect the detector's performance, visit page 1 of my Article - How To Search Around Cellar Holes Successfully.
AUTO SENSITIVITY - A
Sometimes I change this setting for +1 +2 to detect faint target signals, but it is a "catch 22" as the false signals will appear (page 55 of the User's Manual).
Discrimination Menu:
I used the Manual Edit Mode (page 46 of the User's Manual) to create my own Discrimination Pattern: with a large Edit Frame, I whitened the entire upper half of the Discrimination Screen. This Discrimination Pattern allows me to maintain a good detection depth.
My Discrimination Pattern
While conducting a Bench Test (Air Test) at home, I found out that the Minelab's discrimination pattern for Coins (Minelab User Mode "Coins") might be not an optimal pattern for the Eastern-European coin shooters because it rejected the Russian copper coin - 1823 2 Kopeks, which is thick and not of a small size. The coin was rejected because of the narrow black strip (rejected area) situated in the upper right corner of the E-Trac's factory-preset Discrimination pattern.
This Coin Was Rejected By Minelab User Mode "Coins"
I advise to "whiten" this area of rejection, so the entire corner is clear, and all copper coins will be accepted and, therefore, detected.
Rejected Area To Be Whitened
Please let me know your opinion on my program after you use it. You are welcome to submit some pictures of your finds recovered with my program. I would appreciate any suggestions, tips, and constructive criticism. If you have a program for Coin Shooting at Iron Infested Site, that you believe is more productive than mine, and you would like to share it with the community, please to me! I would be happy to post it here. Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
E-Trac Program for Detecting Deep Targets on Page 2
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