Question About Depth Meters

[Treasurefinder87]

So I’m a at pro user for years picked up a simplex cheap so giving it a try so prob I’m having is it seems no matter how the depth meter shows the targets don’t seem to match for instance 2 arrows on depth indicator and for two different targets both two arrows one was not far from top of plug the other along with a few others as well were well over 4-5 inches so basically I’m wondering how accurate the depth meter is on my at pro it’s very accurate and tells me so I kind of kno how deep to make the plug this one different story maybe one of you guys can chime in with more experience thanks so much 

[GB_Amateur]

This question comes up frequently.  Here's a recent thread on the subject:

 

[Treasurefinder87]

Really doesn’t answer my question of how to determine how deep it is maybe I’m not understanding their explination so basically I want to know is the gauge on the simplex useless or am I not understanding it like I said the gauge shows 2 bars for two coins one is 3 inches the other is 8 shouldn’t the coin that is 8” be 3 or 4 bars? Also like i said my at pro is dead on 2” Is very close I’ve never had it show 2”’on a target and dig 8” down?

[GB_Amateur]

I don't have a Simplex so I don't know the specifics of it.  The "depth meter" name is a misnomer -- it's a strength meter.  Different coins can read different strengths when at the same depth.  Orientation of the coin matters, too, as does ground mineralization in some sites.  Note that the Simplex is made in Turkey and is for worldwide use -- many different coins will be searched for.

In my case (Minelab Equinox), I use the dTID to tell me what coin I'm picking up and then the depth meter as a general indication of how deep.  For the strength meter reading, I know that 3 bars for a USA dime isn't the same as 3 bars for a USA quarter.  I don't think "X bars means Y depth" and expect it to be there.  In my ground for a cent or dime, typically 1 and 2 bars are shallow (within 2 inches of the surface).  3 is moderate depth (3-4 inches).  4 or more are deeper still.  Audio volume also depends upon signal strength and I use that as an indicator as well.  During recovery I let my pinpointers hone in on the true location.

[Steve Herschbach]

There is no such thing as a depth meter per se. They are all signal strength indicators. Older models generally calibrated to a U.S. dime and stock coil. Change target, or change coil, reading is changed. Some newer, more sophisticated detectors, take coil changes into account, one genuine use of chips in coils. The White’s V series had a manual setting for identifying the coil.

There may be even newer models that use target id to modify depth readings, but I’m not sure about that. If not, somebody should do it. 

I use the target id in conjunction with the signal strength reading, whether by meter, or in my case, by modulated audio, to give me clues. I can tell a shallow small item by the localized sharp response. If it reads as US dime, it’s possibly a small bit of copper, or silver jewelry. Similarly, a large broad response reading as a quarter, might more likely be a sprinkler head.

I almost never use so-called depth meters, as being redundant to modulated audio. If modulated audio is not an option, then the meter becomes more useful. In general with modulated audio, strong/sharp means shallow, weak/fuzzy means deep.

Whatever method you use, practice makes perfect. Always try to predict what you are digging, and how deep it is. If you are wrong, ask why, and put that in mental file for future. Reading is nice, just like reading about playing the guitar, but only actually doing it over time builds the actual skill involved. There are lots of similarities between learning a musical instrument, and learning to use a detector at the highest level.

[Treasurefinder87]

1 hour ago, Steve Herschbach said:

There is no such thing as a depth meter per se. They are all signal strength indicators. Older models generally calibrated to a U.S. dime and stock coil. Change target, or change coil, reading is changed. Some newer, more sophisticated detectors, take coil changes into account, one genuine use of chips in coils. The White’s V series had a manual setting for identifying the coil.

There may be even newer models that use target id to modify depth readings, but I’m not sure about that. If not, somebody should do it. 

I use the target id in conjunction with the signal strength reading, whether by meter, or in my case, by modulated audio, to give me clues. I can tell a shallow small item by the localized sharp response. If it reads as US dime, it’s possibly a small bit of copper, or silver jewelry. Similarly, a large broad response reading as a quarter, might more likely be a sprinkler head.

I almost never use so-called depth meters, as being redundant to modulated audio. If modulated audio is not an option, then the meter becomes more useful. In general with modulated audio, strong/sharp means shallow, weak/fuzzy means deep.

Whatever method you use, practice makes perfect. Always try to predict what you are digging, and how deep it is. If you are wrong, ask why, and put that in mental file for future. Reading is nice, just like reading about playing the guitar, but only actually doing it over time builds the actual skill involved. There are lots of similarities between learning a musical instrument, and learning to use a detector at the highest level.

Makes great sense I guess I base it off of my at pro which is very close to what the meter shows I just didn’t expect to see two bars dig 3” and then next target 3 bars also and dig deeper then my pp 

[GB_Amateur]

16 minutes ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Whatever method you use, practice makes perfect. Always try to predict what you are digging, and how deep it is.

I recall receiving this advice when I was (re)learning to detect.  At first it seemed a bit daunting, or better said, disheartening since I was usually wrong.  But the longer I detected, the better I got.  Even now (after 1000+ hrs in the field) I still only get it right maybe half the time.  For example, for USA nickel 5-centers which have to fight it out on the VDI scale with modern aluminum trash, I make a %-age prediction that what I have is actually a nickel.  I know better than predict higher than ~50% and I go as low as 5% before I decide to move on without digging.  Even then I'm going to miss a few.  (With softer signals = weaker signal strength indication I loosen my requirements.  I don't mind missing a modern shallow nickel but I hate missing the deeper oldies.)

There's a lot to be said for keeping concentration/focus when detecting.  Playing the "guess what & where" game is part of staying in the zone, at least for me.

22 minutes ago, Steve Herschbach said:

There may be even newer models that use target id to modify depth readings, but I’m not sure about that.

Actually Carl (Geotech) said that some detectors already do this.  (See link I posted earlier in this thread.)  But he didn't say which ones.

[Treasurefinder87]

4 minutes ago, GB_Amateur said:

I recall receiving this advice when I was (re)learning to detect.  At first it seemed a bit daunting, or better said, disheartening since I was usually wrong.  But the longer I detected, the better I got.  Even now (after 1000+ hrs in the field) I still only get it right maybe half the time.  For example, for USA nickel 5-centers which have to fight it out on the VDI scale with modern aluminum trash, I make a %-age prediction that what I have is actually a nickel.  I know better than predict higher than ~50% and I go as low as 5% before I decide to move on without digging.  Even then I'm going to miss a few.  (With softer signals = weaker signal strength indication I loosen my requirements.  I don't mind missing a modern shallow nickel but I hate missing the deeper oldies.)

There's a lot to be said for keeping concentration/focus when detecting.  Playing the "guess what & where" game is part of staying in the zone, at least for me.

Actually Carl (Geotech) said that some detectors already do this.  (See link I posted earlier in this thread.)  But he didn't say which ones.

Thank you guys so much I’m still learning I do well with my other detectors this one is just a much bigger learning curve maybe it’s due to using other detectors first 

 

[Steve Herschbach]

40 minutes ago, GB_Amateur said:

Actually Carl (Geotech) said that some detectors already do this.  (See link I posted earlier in this thread.)  But he didn't say which ones.

I thought there were, would be surprised if there were not actually. Be fun to try and compile a list of which ones they are, as only units taking target id into account can have a real claim to being depth meters.

[cudamark]

The targets that give me the hardest time are the cut coins at a turfed site. Those suckers sound like a GOOD deep target. They have the good target I.D., deep reading on the meter, and the faint signal that usually indicates a deep desirable target. It's only after popping the plug and chasing the sliver of a target with a pin pointer that you get your heart broken. Anyone know of a way of telling the difference between one and an actual good deep target? I have one old park I like, but, they have a real sharp lawn mower that has strewn coin shards everywhere. Makes it a real chore to hunt.