Using the dfx

nice finds.I wonder if the pi pro gasket is the same...my machine is almost 1 year old....

Nice job Gil on some old coins! How old is your BH ID?

GTA, GTI, VDI,Target ID, Do we really need them

Hello All....
I am a relative newbie to the hobby and thought I'd propose this question.....

If it is best practice to just dig all targets do we really need these numbers, graphs and programmes which seem to be relatively easily fooled by various circumstances and conditions?

Target ID numbers are not terribly accurate from my experience and a single gold ring or coin for example can give several different ID numbers depending on how long it has been in the ground, what angle it is, how deep it is, and the type of soil it is in....

The general opinion seems to be to dig all targets no matter what ,so if this is true do we really need all the target ID and sophisticated programmes with conductivity numbers and all the other things that supposedly tell us whats under the ground?

Would the best machine not just be one that goes deep, gives you manual ground balance, descrimination control, sensitivity control, and accurate pinpointing?

What do you think? I would like to hear others thoughts and opinions....

Steve from NZ

grinsebring, there used to be some stuff called Date Back that could reveal the date on those buffalo nickles. I'm not sure if they still make it though.

steevo, it is a best practice to dig all signals when conditions permit. The key here being when conditions permit. Our city park, for example, has so much junk that digging every target that makes a sound leave the place looking like the moon. For these conditions having a detector with plenty of feedback(VDI, Graph etc) is priceless.

Steevo, I would say that if you want to be 99% sure that you are not missing any good targets the best practice would probably be to dig all targets and use all metal mode. Most of the places I hunt are loaded with ferrous and non-ferrous targets. A lot of places would see multiple metal of some type on every swing and the digging is not very easy either. For me, its just not practical to dig every target unless I'm somewhere where it is easy to dig, like on a beach. At the beach, since there is more chance to find gold jewelry I do did more targets than I do at inland spots. The DFX does a great job of sorting out the targets inland. If you crank up the sensitivity settings the VDI numbers vary more but that's the trade off for a little more depth. I'm sure people who hunted in the 80's and 90's would probably prefer to go with "sound only" detectors and don't care much for the computer displays. I learned on the DFX and am now trying to get use to the Excalibur "no display". In comparision it is tuff to get use to not having the VDI data, Signagraph, good Tone ID, battery check, light weight, easily exchanged coils, very accurate depth readings, excellent pinpointing etc. It's like trying to make bread from scratch instead of doing it in a bread machine. At this point I envy the guys who are so knowlegable about the signals without the computer assistance, I hope I can get to that point too. Of course with the DFX you can sort of have it both ways by hunting in all metal mode to hear the tone and still use the DC Phase VDI and depth readings. On thing for sure this is an interesting topic.

If you want a good feel for what it would be like WITHOUT the display turn OFF tone ID and hunt a park. You will be surprised how often you look at the display. I like having several ways to check out objects especially in junky areas. Gil... told you the DFX went deep on the beach for me at St Augustine. I did notice if you sweep a little slower you tend to pick up more of those tiny objects like toe rings at 12". Happy hunting Gil.

I.D.

I use target ID detectors when coin/relic hunting, but for beach, I use my old White's Amphibian II. Only audio(with disc. off or nearly off). I often seem to be hunting behind somebody that uses a visual I.D. The "other" detectors seem to miss the gold chains and small gold rings. A gold chain will usually give a "machine gun" sounding broken tone(with NO DISCRIM). Alot of folks will leave these targets, thinking a broken tone is junk.I don't think it matters if you have a visual, or just audio. Dig everything on a beach. When you hunt the same beaches for years, you will eventually clean them up, so in the future there will be less trash to dig, and you will enjoy the all metal hunting.

Oops

I just realised I somehow started this topic in another thread.....Not sure how I did that???

Sorry Grinsebring....I have started a new thread which is what i intended to do..

Thanks

posted twice

Seems I posted this dfx subject on the wrong forum. See what the evil hops and grain brew can do to the mind....guilty of P.U.I.. ..Gil