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Multi-IQ Frequency Weighting Differences Between Park & Field Modes


Cabin Fever

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I posted this question on another forum too trying to get some clarity.. It seems to me after reading the manual a few times that Park 1 and Field 1 might have the same Multi-Frequency Weighting.. Same with Park 2 and Field 2.. Are the only differences between say Park 1 and Field 1 the stock discrimination pattern, tones, Recovery Speed and Iron Bias settings?  If this is the case, I can use Field 1 to basically make another custom Park 1.. This would be good to know..

Bryan

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I suspect there is actually some Multi IQ weighting differences between the similar modes (e.g., Park/Field 1) too in addition to the other parameter differences.  But, the Multi IQ weighting, bias or whatever you want to call it is ML secret sauce stuff that they have avoided sharing details or clarity on.  Spectrum analyzer results on the Equinox output signal shows no obvious difference at all in the the tranmitted signal in Multi IQ between all modes, so the difference may be in how equinox processes the return signal depending on the selected mode.

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That is an excellent question Bryan and a fair assumption. I have wondered the same thing but Minelab is very tight lipped about exact details of Multi-IQ and so I don’t speak for them on exact details. I have inquired to seek clarification direct from the powers that be.

Being a go with the flow guy I have tended to follow Minelab’s lead and when park detecting for coins I use Park 1. When I have wanted to make the machine more sensitive to small items like micro jewelry or gold nuggets without going to the Gold Mode I have numerous times mentioned Field 2 as being my favorite alternative to Gold Mode. This is because of my underlying assumption that Field 2 has something going for it that Park 2 does not. I have absolutely no data from my own actual use however to back that assumption up. It is quite possible Bryan that you have it right and the underlying core is the same with the difference being in the setup.

One of the best questions I have seen yet. I hope I will be able to provide more clarity soon outside of us all experimenting to figure it out. As Chase has noted it is the hidden signal processing that really makes the difference and that is probably the most tightly kept proprietary secret that Minelab possesses at this time.

When analyzing the manual the difference if any would appear to be subtle. Note that in some cases target id 1 and/or 2 are either being blocked or set to produce a ferrous tone. This is extremely important information for anyone hunting the very weakest targets as those two id numbers are where tiny gold nuggets and micro jewelry/fine chains will appear. Along with thin foil, tiny can slaw, and coke, which is why the default is to reject them.

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This illustrates part of the issue. This new video compares modes on a nickel and dime and a quick look would seem to confirm that there is a difference in the Park and Field modes. However, those differences can be attributed to the setup as much as any possible underlying difference in the processing.

The vast majority of the videos I see are by people who still really don’t understand the detector fully (I am not referring to this one specifically). As I have tried to point out it is imperative that each mode is individually ground balanced. Yet if anyone is doing that in their comparative videos they are not saying so. There are numerous fine differences in Detect Speed and Iron Bias that are not being accounted for. The blocking or modification of target id 1 and 2 alone can change the results of nail board tests. I could make a full time job of pointing out issues with videos but I do not have the time, and as much as I would be trying to be helpful I would be seen as another unappreciative critic, so I am not going there.

Anyway, this video shows results with default settings. To truly try and see if the Park and Field modes are equivalent the settings in both modes would have to be identical.

One thing I learned from all this is that target id 1 and 2 are not only blocked by default in Field 2 but have had the tone modified to sound as ferrous. So in Park 2 you just have to unblock them to find tiny gold. In Field 2 you have to unblock them and be sure the tone is set back to non-ferrous. I have been accidently sidestepping that issue by always going to 2 tones when prospecting (the default in Field 2 is a modified 50 tone). That all being the case it may be easier for me to use Park 2 as my alternative prospecting mode to eliminate a step in setup, assuming they might be the same otherwise.

Yes, I also have things to learn still :smile:. Equinox can be deceptively simple but as you really dig into the settings it is rather more complex than one imagines initially.

 

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Wasn't there a thread somewhere in which the person did some tests analyzing the frequencies being transmitted in certain modes? Although that would not account for how each mode is processed. Testing and learning will be the key.

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51 minutes ago, Mountain Mike said:

Wasn't there a thread somewhere in which the person did some tests analyzing the frequencies being transmitted in certain modes? Although that would not account for how each mode is processed. Testing and learning will be the key.

Yes, but the test showed the same frequency transmit weighting in all the Multi modes.  The conclusion being that whatever the differences are between the modes, they are being done in software.  Inside the "Black Box" of programming algorithms is where the magic happens.  

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People argue to this day over what BBS and FBS transmit and all the nonsense over numbers of transmitted frequencies and whether they are processed simultaneously or in sequence. It has never been where the real magic resides and is great misdirection on the part of Minelab as regards the competition and counterfeiters. Makes for lots of nice marketing fluff also.

Bruce Candy at Minelab actually got his start in signal processing. Take a look at some of his audio amplifier patents at https://patents.justia.com/inventor/bruce-halcro-candy?page=2 He is one of the leaders in low distortion audio amplification. Check this out http://halcro.com/history/

It is Candy’s genius for audio processing with top end components that lead directly to Minelab’s success in metal detector technology. Yes, the transmission matters, but it only sets the stage for what is received and then more importantly, how it is processed. You can transmit all you want but if you do not know how to process the returned information properly then all is for naught.

The newer, younger engineers at Minelab have that base and history to build on. They are geniuses in there own right, adding their own distinctive twists to all this. It’s easy to determine what is being transmitted, and if that is all there was to it Chinese copies would be out next week. Signal processing is the genuine secret with Minelab, and it is tightly locked in Wayfarers “Black Box”.

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Thanks everyone.. This site is such a great asset..  I posed the question on Tom’s site and received a surprising tip.. He said Beach 2 is the best mode for deep silver coins.. This is soil dependent so you will have to test it out in your area.  I guess it has the lowest grouping of frequencies.. 

Bryan

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14 minutes ago, Cabin Fever said:

Thanks everyone.. This site is such a great asset..  I posed the question on Tom’s site and received a surprising tip.. He said Beach 2 is the best mode for deep silver coins.. This is soil dependent so you will have to test it out in your area.  I guess it has the lowest grouping of frequencies.. 

Bryan

Interesting as I just made a similar but slightly different observation here. Like everything the ground calls the shots but I have observed the strength of Beach mode on silver myself.

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