Quick Iron Balance Test

[F350Platinum]

I got out for a while last Thursday morning to the farmhouse. Dug this bracelet, it is iron and brass, maybe some gold plate. It has hand engraving on it, and "Japan" stamped into the back. I estimate it at around the 1970s. 

I've been a little concerned that using iron balance at F2=3 (max on the 600) might be a bit extreme, so I re-buried the bracelet at about 4" and tried every IB setting.

Got some interesting results:

Iron/brass/gold plated bracelet 4" deep with 90 degree swing to check

FE=0  19/20 no iron tone
Fe=1  19/20 short iron tone
Fe=2  -1/-2 sometimes 18-20 mostly iron
Fe=3  -3 to -5 solid iron tone
F2=0.  19/20 no iron tone
F2=1   19/20. No iron tone
F2=2  19/20 no iron tone
F2=3   19/20 iron tone

Park 1  5 tones all metal sensitivity 23

Since this object is both iron and brass, I would expect the results I get at FE=1 and F2=3. I was a bit surprised by FE=2 and 3.

If I don't use F2=3, I get a lot of this due to false tones:

I dug all these at FE=2, after going over an area I feel I have pretty much wiped out. This is all I found there.

Interested in input. 🙂

[Rick N. MI]

Great test. I like the bracelet find too. That's why most people hunt with iron bias F2 0. You do get falsing in iron then. Turning down sensitivity in iron helps that.

[F350Platinum]

1 minute ago, Rick N. MI said:

Great test. I like the bracelet find too. That's why most people hunt with iron bias F2 0. You do get falsing in iron then. Turning down sensitivity in iron helps that.

Turning IB up to F2=3 renders most iron as iron with no false tones, but at what price? It also adds an iron tone to bottle caps. Made it easy not to dig them on the beach. Depth isn't an issue, dug a Mason Jar lid at over 14". That's probably pretty common tho.🤔

I'm learning, this is the first time I tested anything.

[BchPatrol]

I have been experimenting with IB as well. I have found that I have to turn F2 up to 8 to stop falsing on tent stakes. I'd prefer to run it lower and I may end up turning it back down since I usually dig them anyway. I think I prefer knowing that I'm digging a stake and not something desirable . Not sure.

[Sinclair]

Our 2€ coin (most valueable) is a mixture of nickel, copper and brass - no iron.
F2 >=5 on the EQX800 renders them iron!

So be careful with that setting.. it's always a compromise, depending on what you're aiming to find.

 

[midalake]

11 hours ago, F350Platinum said:

Turning IB up to F2=3 renders most iron as iron with no false tones, but at what price? It also adds an iron tone to bottle caps. Made it easy not to dig them on the beach. Depth isn't an issue, dug a Mason Jar lid at over 14". That's probably pretty common tho.🤔

I'm learning, this is the first time I tested anything.

This when you are working in discrimination, correct?  

Try working in horseshoe mode next time in F3. It will allow you to vdi iron to very deep levels. Try to see if your ferrous targets double ring too?  

[F350Platinum]

Just now, midalake said:

This when you are working in discrimination, correct?  

Try working in horseshoe mode next time in F3. It will allow you to vdi iron to very deep levels. Try to see if your ferrous targets double ring too?  

I never discriminate 😀 I always run detector in all metal. I think I'll probably wear the horseshoe button out first. The only way I have found to get iron on both swings if the target is all iron is to use F2=3. Even then if it is a bolt or vertical nail I get some non ferrous tones. Just a lot less!

Wish I had an 800 now, it would help. 🤗

[midalake]

6 hours ago, Sinclair said:

Our 2€ coin (most valueable) is a mixture of nickel, copper and brass - no iron.
F2 >=5 on the EQX800 renders them iron!

So be careful with that setting.. it's always a compromise, depending on what you're aiming to find.

 

While almost the same condition. The Mexican 1,2 and 5 peso coin is mixed ferrous and nonferrous metals.  While these coins will not Id above 0, if the IB is not set high enough they will splash  the discrimination mode.  

In my case I do not want to find these coins as their maybe 100's on the beach in any given hunt. 

So I do run an IB setting of 6 on my 800. [salt beach] 

[strick]

I've not been too impressed with the F2 settings...they worked ok in air tests that I did on bottle caps but in real world I was still digging them. The only place I have used the F2 setting was as a very trashy beach loaded with beer caps.  I dont use it when relic hunting and don't plan to. 

In regards to hunting in park mode for relics....I was up in the hills this weekend and decided to try park mode in a spot I have hunted frequently in Field 2...Running both the Iron settings Fe-0 and F2-0 as I usually do I found the park settings falsed a lot worse the field settings and I dug more nails then I would have otherwise...

strick 

[F350Platinum]

Thanks for the replies so far, one thing I'm getting here is the thought that I should probably run F2=0 on the beach, I recall a post that suggested (although it was more a prospecting thing) that small gold would be missed (stud earrings) with an iron balance that is too high. This would also apply in sand tot lots at the campgrounds.