Target ID Numbers Can Vary With Search Profile & Frequency

[Steve Herschbach]

Most target id charts are constructed with Park 1 default settings. Be aware that while Minelab has done their best to "normalize" target ids across all Search Profiles and settings the fact is they can vary. Usually by only a single digit, but perhaps more. Ferrous can show large shifts when toggling to 5 kHz mode, which can help with identifying bottle caps, for instance. Examples

This is not a problem for people who generally recover all non-ferrous (U.K. hunters, jewelry hunters) but for people intent on "cherry picking" certain coins, like U.S. nickels, you need to be aware of this. In the link above for instance the classic 13 reading on most nickels is more like 12 in some other profiles.

In general Park 1 and Field 1 will have the most stable target id on coin size targets. Also, be aware that Equinox is very sensitive to surface changes in targets, and so corroded pennies, for example, will vary from cleaner examples.

Here is my classic U.S. coin chart for Park 1 followed by an enhanced version of the Equinox Manual ID Chart from the Instruction Manual, page 31. The location of the modern U.S. dollar (Sacawagea, Susan Anthony) has been noted on the Minelab chart and older silver dollars added, since this was causing confusion. The modern dollar reads near to quarters.

I also added medium and small rings to the chart, since their exclusion had people thinking all rings read high. People are reading way too much into what is missing from these simple guides, or even simple general statements in the manual. Just because they left out small and medium rings does not mean all rings read like pennies! Anyway, I hope this helps clarify things a little.

Click for larger versions...

[MPL]

To be honest, in a few of the spots I've hunted the ID numbers are all over the place, and I've used only Park 1 to date. Copper pennies at one park are coming in at 21-27, with some clad dimes actually lower, 25-26.  At another spot older wheats are 18-19.  Clad quarters seem consistent at 31. Way early for me with the Equinox, but the CTX ID seems more accurate so far. Light weight and razor quickness are another story however, and I am pulling more targets out of junk by far with the Nox.  I just can't figure out what they are with confidence as of yet. Can't wait to get it on the beach to compare it to the CTX.

[Steve Herschbach]

It is far more important to get targets dead center and with proper sweep speed to get clean target id numbers with Equinox than with BBS/FBS machines.

[Skate]

I would figure the narrowing down of target ID's is in it's infancy stages right now. At present there just isn't enough data available to argumentatively say what a particular target is going to come in at and that is A-OK with me. I've seen too many people rely solely on the VDI reading to did or not dig. I would rather dig every good sounding target with the thought I'd rather dig a piece of trash rather than miss out on a potential great find. 

I would imagine that VDI's are also more likely to be more regional based due to your particular soil conditions. As you hunt more and learn to read your soil the VDI picture for your hunting conditions should become clearer. This will all come with time on task with your machine. 100 hours is a pretty good starting point for really understanding a machine. Thankfully we don't have to wait that long to find good stuff. 

[Chase Goldman]

I've also seen multiple ferrous and nonferrous targets in the hole causing upaveraging of the nonferrous.  Had a deep corroded penny in a hole partially masked by a steel wire chirping at the high 20's.  Thought I might have had a masked dime.  What matters though is Equinox gave me a definite dig signal on a partially masked high conductor, so I'll take it.

[Mark Gillespie]

6 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

It is far more important to get targets dead center and with proper sweep speed to get clean target id numbers with Equinox than with BBS/FBS machines.

You're so right about getting the targets dead center.  Actually the importance of this increases exponentially as depth increases and or co-located targets are in and around the buried target.  I've been holding out on what I've observed, but what you say is extremely critical for a good target ID at depth.  But all this is okay if we all keep your statements in mind when hunting.  You're always on top of this type of information, and thanks goes to you.

 

[Cabin Fever]

22 hours ago, MPL said:

To be honest, in a few of the spots I've hunted the ID numbers are all over the place, and I've used only Park 1 to date. Copper pennies at one park are coming in at 21-27, with some clad dimes actually lower, 25-26.  At another spot older wheats are 18-19.  Clad quarters seem consistent at 31. Way early for me with the Equinox, but the CTX ID seems more accurate so far. Light weight and razor quickness are another story however, and I am pulling more targets out of junk by far with the Nox.  I just can't figure out what they are with confidence as of yet. Can't wait to get it on the beach to compare it to the CTX.

CTX has tighter ID then both E-Trac and Equinox but your old wheats from 1909 through roughly the 20s or 30s read lower then 40s through 82 on all the above Detectors including the CTX..

The less accurate VID on the Equinox does not bother me because the coins stay in the proper conductive range all the way to max depth in my soil..  I’m digging anything that’s deep in that copper silver range..  A lot of silver dimes vary quite a bit too and hang out down in all parts of the penny range with all three detectors..

Bryan

[flakmagnet]

I have been unsure whether to dig solid-sounding repeatable hits in the 2 - 11 range. After reading the discussion above, it sounds as though I should. I have been slow to understand that a low VDI number does not necessarily mean it is ferrous, it just means that if it is non-ferrous, it is a low conductor. Something to ponder.

[EL NINO77]

I have a similar equinox impression from the test on my test garden, coin 50 eurocent - in 40cm depth, coin 1polsky grosz-15mm coin at -30 cm - depth, in wery low mineralized ground - so it works well recovery speed from 1-6, on a small coin 15mm is better recovery speed 3-6 .. Equinox at 50 eurocent -40cm -to recovery speed 1-2 strong signal with ID 2-6, with coil 10-12 cm above ground, for recovery 5-6 to 6cm above ground - program park2 - sensitivity 23-24 ... Equinox on small 15 mm in 30 cm deep coin works better for recovery 3,4,5 - signal ID 2-8. it is signal-deep coin ... Gold programs take both coins with strong signal Id 2-8 ... programs Park1, Field 1 on a small coin less suitably ... but  coin 50 eurocent I take all program- in sensitivity 23-25  wery well signal,   and  beach 2  weak signal .. 

 

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[Steve Herschbach]

20 minutes ago, flakmagnet said:

I have been unsure whether to dig solid-sounding repeatable hits in the 2 - 11 range. After reading the discussion above, it sounds as though I should. I have been slow to understand that a low VDI number does not necessarily mean it is ferrous, it just means that if it is non-ferrous, it is a low conductor. Something to ponder.

The only numbers that actually are designated as ferrous with Equinox are the negative numbers and zero. And for now at least I do not trust even zero and the first few negative numbers to always be ferrous in highly mineralized ground.

More on the subject - Tune Out Nails - You Will Miss Gold!

Tin, Bolts, Washers, And Other Ferrous Items That Read As Non-Ferrous

Adjustable Tone Break

Metal Detector Discrimination Really Sucks

Metal Detectors With Reliable Target ID Numbers

Discriminate, Discriminate, Discriminate!

Garrett AT Pro Overlap Range - Note that although 40 is considered the normal start of the non-ferrous range, non-ferrous items can read down to 30 or lower. Detector manufacturers imply this is only tiny foil or gold, but it can also be any larger items at borderline depths. It is not so much what the size or composition of the target is, but the signal strength that the detector has to work with. Weak targets plus highly mineralized ground means any item can be identified as ferrous at borderline depths.