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Questions For 50 Tone Users


GB_Amateur

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I can’t really add much to what others have said because it’s almost impossible to explain..  It just comes with many hours of experience, but the information in full tones can help you identify some falsing for example. There can be a harshness to the tones that give it away.. It’s not 100% all the time but when you add that information to the way the target reacts to your swing and pinpoint, it will help you make better dig decisions..

There is also a gratification that comes from finding a deeper coin using 50 Tones. Some can sound so good you would bet a decent sum of money that it is for sure a coin.  The tone can literally put a smile on your face.  It’s not just one tone. It’s a tight smooth blend of a tone that is hard to explain. 

Sometimes Im amazed at how my brain can grab a certain tone out of barrage of other tones and stop me in my tracks. It happens subconsciously and no doubt came from years of using full tones on other FBS detectors.

Theres no going back now. I would feel greatly handicapped without the full tones.

Bryan

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23 minutes ago, dbsmokey said:

Are the tones similar to what one hears with the BBS Excalibur or Sovereign?   I remember being able to “hear” rings and multi-metallic objects.  I assume maybe the tones might be even more telling with the advanced tech in the Equinox!?

I was never an expert with the BBS machines so will not try to compare. Equinox has plenty of nuance for my ear and my hearing is not so great anyway.

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On 2/28/2019 at 3:30 PM, GB_Amateur said:

"What are you listening for?" is too general.  (Wish there were a video lesson showing how 50 tones are interpreted.)  Here are a couple more specific:

1) What tone clue will cause you to look at the screen?

2) What tone patterns cause you to dig?

3) How good is your tone resolution?  Specifically, when you hear a tone, what is the range (+/-) of TID's that you can consistently discern by ear?

What are other properties of 50 tones that you key on?

 

 

Hi GB, really good questions, highly relevant to both 5 tones and 50 tones. I suggest that you have a read of Clive Clynick's book "Equinox An Advanced Guide" he goes into great detail on all of these aspects, but a warning, I suspect that it will be difficult to factor in all the considerations immediately. Probably best to work on specific aspects first and build up experience upon experience in layers.  I agree with both Chase's and Steve H's comments. What 50 tones does over 5 tones is give us more insight into what's going on. A clear 50 tone signal gives us more certainty about the purity of a target than a 5 tone that may represent something across several VID's.  

Cheers Clive

PS Metal Detecting is like going down the Grand Canyon, when you think you've covered the distance to the bottom, you realize you are only half way there.

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While I agree with all the comments about getting a "pure" signal, don't count on it.  I've dug several seated coins that were crappy signals, but had enough going for it that I pursued it.  Also a lot of it comes down to the context of the site.  If you're at a site with a history of porking out old coins, but it's been hammered, then all the easy 5 star, 4-way hit, pure signals were likely cherry picked long ago, so sometimes you have to dig those targets that aren't text book perfect, and sure you'll get some trash, that's part of the deal, but you'll also unearth some treasures that many others have walked right over with their $2500 detectors :rolleyes:

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13 minutes ago, Cal_Cobra said:

While I agree with all the comments about getting a "pure" signal, don't count on it.  I've dug several seated coins that were crappy signals, but had enough going for it that I pursued it.  Also a lot of it comes down to the context of the site.  If you're at a site with a history of porking out old coins, but it's been hammered, then all the easy 5 star, 4-way hit, pure signals were likely cherry picked long ago, so sometimes you have to dig those targets that aren't text book perfect, and sure you'll get some trash, that's part of the deal, but you'll also unearth some treasures that many others have walked right over with their $2500 detectors :rolleyes:

I don't count on purity of tone - it's simply something I look for. If you do not want to miss targets get a GPZ and dig everything. Everything short of that is a judgment call but attempting to explain nuance is near impossible in writing. That's why it is kind of pointless to weigh in on these sorts of things. Everyone calls their own shots and everyone has a different idea of what makes a good target or a poor one. I am either digging everything, or I am making judgement calls and without exception anyone that does so is leaving good targets behind due to bad calls. Anyone thinking otherwise is kidding themselves.

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14 minutes ago, Steve Herschbach said:

I don't count on purity of tone - it's simply something I look for. If you do not want to miss targets get a GPZ and dig everything. Everything short of that is a judgment call but attempting to explain nuance is near impossible in writing. That's why it is kind of pointless to weigh in on these sorts of things. Everyone calls their own shots and everyone has a different idea of what makes a good target or a poor one. I am either digging everything, or I am making judgement calls and without exception anyone that does so is leaving good targets behind due to bad calls. Anyone thinking otherwise is kidding themselves.

I agree with you, and believe me nothing gets me more excited then being at a 1700's or 1800's site and getting a nice pure 25+ on my EQ800!  I'm just pointing out that's not always going to be the case, and if you only dig those text book perfect signals, you'll miss a lot.  BUT YES start with them, commit the audio to your muscle memory and then experiment with the less obvious signals.  It really boils down to doing it, nothing anybody can type in words will describe the nuances of audio better then your own experiences.

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4 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

I don't count on purity of tone - it's simply something I look for. If you do not want to miss targets get a GPZ and dig everything. Everything short of that is a judgment call but attempting to explain nuance is near impossible in writing. That's why it is kind of pointless to weigh in on these sorts of things.

I disagree on the 'pointless' part.  I'm going to make an anology to golf, which hopefully people know enough about to understand my comparison.  Golf has clubs (similar to the detector) but the clubs are minor compared to a good swing.  Anyone can play miniature golf (find surface clad in parks).  The real players have developed a good swing (good ear).  How do you get a good swing?  A few people are born with it.  You can take lessons ($50/half hour and up).  You can watch videos and read books.  But in the end, you have to practice, practice, practice, and then... practice some more.  However, practice is only part of the process, although in the end it is absolutely required.  Getting good instruction is the right beginning for all but the naturals.

The responses to this thread are the instruction.  Even if it's difficult/impossible to fully describe, just like a good golf swing is difficult to get across to a non-expert, it still helps to read/hear about some of what the experts are experiencing.  What I've concluded from your and the many other responses here is that I need to listen to the nuances of the tones, and then practice, practice, practice....  Then possibly I can come back and ask for more.  Oh, and I hope my detecting results far exceed my golf scores.  ?

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FWIW - I quit golf for detecting.  Decided golf was doing the complete opposite of relaxing me.  Detecting on the other hand.  I can just as much enjoy taking in the scenery at a great historic site as digging a gold ring out of wet beach sand.  Plus,  I feel I'm better at it than golf.  It is my stress therapy and love it but agree with the elements of the golf/detecting analogy, nevertheless.

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11 hours ago, dbsmokey said:

Are the tones similar to what one hears with the BBS Excalibur or Sovereign?   I remember being able to “hear” rings and multi-metallic objects.  I assume maybe the tones might be even more telling with the advanced tech in the Equinox!?

Only similar if set to 50 tones.  The BBS and early FBS used Multi Tones and it taught us to listen. 

My 1st two Minelabs were early Sov models and I hated them with a passion, as they sounded like an orchestra and church choir competing with each other.  My old school single tone mind did not care for a new language.

It was only after a few of my own newbie customers with their BBS machines started outperforming me in cherry picking silver that I realized I needed to go back to Detector School and allow something new between my ears.  Tones and the more of them is what I call "Music to the ears".

My favorite machine of BBS and FBS was the Explorer-II or otherwise known as the "Silver Slayer".

It has been mentioned before, but time on the machine with an open mind willing to learn a new language "tones" will allow you to grow into a better hunter.

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This has been a very good thread, with some very good information, in my opinion.  Great stuff here.  Kudos, GB_Amateur, for raising the topic.  And I think your golf analogy is a good one...

Steve

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