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View Full Version : Correlation between air testing and ground testing?



wagon wheel
01-10-2011, 12:12 PM
Can some of you more experienced folks shed some light on this topic for me? I have never taken the time to establish a coin garden nor have I taken the time to pay attention to the depth of a certain coin while detecting and then run an air test on it once I've dug it out of the ground to correlate the data for comparison...how close will the two distances be? I plan on doing this process this next season...but I'm hopeful that you good folks can share with me any knowlege you've gained on the topic from your years of detecting.

Much thanks for your good help. :confused: :confused:

w.w.

KYBuzzBox
01-10-2011, 02:02 PM
Hi WW

I use my test garden to help me zero my V3i programs to my soil conditions. I have a set of test sticks but I only used them to do preliminary tests on new or possibly defective coils (the early DD coils had a habit of losing their Nulling). I have a series of coins and relics buried at different depths along with trash like old and new style pulltabs and can slaw. I marked each with a wooden golf tee with a number on top. This allows me to test all of the programs and program modifications I have entered before I go into the field. The deepest is a shell fragment buried at 24. The shallowest is a piece of a small gold chain buried at 1.

I started this out of desperation when I first got my V3 because I couldn't find a metal barn with the coil duct taped to the side of the building. As I learned how to use the V3 I would adjust a program and try it out in the test garden. I also used it to teach myself how to pinpoint with the V3/V3i. As my old Compass detector was a concentric coil that used the X pattern for pinpointing not the 90-degree method we use on the DD coils today.

I use my test garden on a regular basis as I am always trying to tweak my programs for optimum performance. It also made me realize that soil moisture and temp can effect the way the V3i picks up a target. We just had a really dry & hot summer and fall. My V3i would only pickup small targets to a max of 8-10. However, once we had some rain I could pick up all of my deep targets (same program...no changes). I cannot speak for anyone else but I believe in using test gardens. Hope this helps...KYBuzzBox

wagon wheel
01-10-2011, 02:22 PM
Thanks KYBuzzBox for the excellent insight on the V3i. I am attempting to make the switch from the DFX to the V3i and I'm having a difficult time getting any deeper than 6 with the V3i. Can you share with me a couople of your favorite programs that generate such good depths with your V3i?

Much thanks...

w.w.

KYBuzzBox
01-10-2011, 03:14 PM
WW,

I use the custom V3i programs that I found on the White's Electronics Forum's Program Thread. I use Fox's Coin & Jewelry program (regular and Correlate(my favorite)), Fox's D2 Max, and Relic/Relic correlate programs.

Jack (CyberSage)also has some good programs for the V3i on this site. You might want to try his correlate program. It works real well too.

The thing about the V3i is that it is so darn sensitive that you will probably not be able to use the programs straight-up (w/o adjustment). Since you live in Utah I imagine that you have a lot of different mineralized soils in the areas that you hunt. You will just have to test each program and adjust them to your hunting areas. Remember the programs were originally made & tested in low mineralized soils (just like the factory programs). You may have to adjust them &quot:grin:shocked04:wn as they may be to hot. Running the V3i to hot will result in falsing and loss of target depth. It took me several months to get all of my programs tweaked for my hunting conditions (high iron soil & clay).

Hope this helps.....KYBuzzBox

wagon wheel
01-10-2011, 06:19 PM
Thanks again KYBuzzBox for the additional follow up info. I have tried most of the programs mentioned and have found Yazoo's program to be most effective here in Eastern Utah. With what you are suggesting, I'm sure I am running my programs too hot and will need to adjust the Rx down some. I'm sure the man running the machine is at greater fault with my marginal success rate with targets deeper than 6 inches and time and practice/patience will be the key factors in making a difference there. Have you tried Yazoo's program and if so how did it compare for you? Thanks again for your much appreciated assistance.

w.w. Dan

CyberSage
01-10-2011, 07:15 PM
Air testing and actual results will vary depending on the depth of the coin and mineralization strength of the soil. Shallow targets (1- 2) will be very close to your air testing results. As the targets gradually get deeper their response is distorted by mineralization of the soil and multiple targets in close proximity. This of course is dependent on your soil conditions. Often you will see the VDI elevate on a given target as it approaches the fringe of the coil field. Don't get to caught up in VDI response. Use it as a part of your decision to dig or not.

Jack