Difference Between Nox 800 Threshold And Pt Threshold?

[Danny92]

Hi,

Only had my nox 800 a few weeks now so still learning... can someone tell me the difference between the threshold and Pt threshold. 

[Steve Herschbach]

When you are normally detecting you can set a faint sound to listen to while you detect, or set the detector to be silent until a target is detected. The faint sound is referred to as the "threshold sound" or threshold. Background noise can affect your ability to hear a threshold if set, and hearing capability varies, so this is a variable setting. Pros use the threshold to alert them to very weak signals and to get feedback about the ground and rejected trash targets.

The pitch/tone of the threshold can be varied on the Equinox 800 (not the 600) to be a higher or lower tone depending on your hearing. When adjusting this setting Pt appears on the screen. Apparently the LCD could not make a Tp? Or it's military style - Pitch, Threshold.

See video below at 2:05 mark...

 

Threshold Pitch (Advanced Setting)

This EQUINOX 800 Advanced Setting allows you to set the threshold tone to be higher or lower pitched. Set the level to the most comfortable pitch for your hearing. Threshold Pitch allows you to adjust the audio pitch of the Threshold tone. Hearing will vary between individuals, so adjust the Threshold Pitch to a level that is comfortable for your hearing.

The Threshold Pitch setting has a range from 1 to 25 with a default setting of 4 for Park, Field, and Beach Modes, and a default of 11 for Gold Mode.

Threshold Pitch changes are semi-global; Park, Field, and Beach Mode Search Profiles will be affected by changes to this Advanced Setting when in any of these modes. Gold Mode (Equinox 800 only) Threshold Pitch is adjusted separately to the other modes.

Adjusting the Threshold Pitch

1. Use the Settings button to navigate to Threshold Level in the Settings Menu.
2. Press and hold the Settings button for 2 seconds. A line will appear beneath the Threshold Level icon indicating you have selected the Threshold Pitch setting, and 'Pt' will appear on the Frequency Display.
3. Press Plus (+) to set the threshold tone to a higher pitch. Press Minus (–) to set threshold tone to a lower pitch. Any adjustments are automatically saved.
4. A long press of the Settings button will return you to the Threshold Level setting.

 

[Chase Goldman]

Note also that the Threshold for the non-Gold modes is different than the Threshold for the Gold modes.  The non-Gold mode threshold just provides the reference threshold sound as Steve described for the purpose of making detected tones stand out and also gives you assurance your detector audio is operating as expected.  The non-Gold mode threshold also blanks out when you pass the coil over a target that is discriminated out.  This alerts you to the fact that you just passed over a discriminated target which allows you to not be bothered with undesirable target tones yet have awareness of junk or ferrous targets.  If you are getting frequent blanking of the threshold this might indicate you are venturing into a trashy area of the site or an area with more dense ferrous targets (like nails) that could be the remnants of a previous dwelling.

The gold mode threshold is considered "true" threshold in that variations in the threshold signal strength can indeed be alerting you to faint, deep desirable targets that are not providing a signal strong enough to give you a normal target tone or even a visual target ID.  Note that is important especially for Gold mode because it uses a variable pitch and intensity tone rather than tone ID to alert you to the presence of a target and the threshold sound enables faint targets to stand out from the typically noisy background of mineralized soils where gold is typically found.  In gold mode the target tone duration and intensity varies with the strength of the target signal and when combined with a visual target ID can clue you in to whether the target is large, small, shallow, or deep so you can make an informed dig decision. 

The difference between non-Gold and Gold mode threshold tones and how to properly set threshold levels is described on page 44.

HTH.

[D1ggerdave]

Thanks for the info. Just got the equinox 800 2 days ago so for now I'm sticking to the pre sets. Like the machine but way different than my cheap starter machine. Heading to New Hampshire tomorrow to give it a good working. I don't mind digging everything how else you gonna learn.