Nox frequency test!

Easylife · Mon May 10, 2021 12:55 pm

Just out of interest I thought I would do a frequency experiment with the Nox. I chose a 5 acre horse field which I had previously heavily detected and then completely slow gridded a few months ago in Field 1 using the 15" coil and really scrutinized every iffy target and dug them if they even had the slightest hint of non-ferrous to them. So I'm not really expecting to find any more targets at all here but of course I may have missed the odd one? The ground is drier so not quite the same conditions as before but just for interest I thought that I'd have a bit of a wander over it using Field 2, 4khz, and maybe even 40khz? Any further targets I'll just mark and compare frequencies over before digging to perhaps see what Field 1 perhaps won't detect if anything at all? So I'll try that between showers this afternoon and report back later. Maybe I'll even try it with the 6" coil too?

Anyone want to guess what the results will be?

Easylife · Mon May 10, 2021 10:49 pm

So it was actually during showers!
My usual Nox settings Field 1, multi-frequency, all-metal, 50 tones, Sense 24, IB 0, Reactivity 4 with 15" coil. But increased to Reactivity 5 in all frequencies due to the iron contamination here.
So more a case of maybe finding what Field 1 won't see if anything? 15" coil, search mode Field 2 wide open. There was constant iron in the paddock so I set ground balance to 2 which should be about right here.
Target 1, only Field 2 could detect it giving a two way jumpy 2/6. It was a small tombac button at 5" deep but gave a solid 8 once out.
Target 2, again only seen in Field 2 but a jumpy one way 12/16. It was ferrous at 8" deep, kind of like a very small horseshoe, but not!
Target 3, again only seen in Field 2, a jumpy one way 4/6 but clearly ferrous the other way. I dug but didn't find the target!
Target 4, just a one way jumping 11/15 in Field 2, clearly a chunk of iron the other way. In 10khz jumping 20's to 30's. It was an iron loop with an iron spike through it!
Field 2 is weighted towards the higher frequency range which in itself is easier fooled by iron as 3 out of 4 above shows. But it proved that it could detect what Field 1 nor any single frequency could see at all in this instance, that being a small low conductor at a certain depth. The results for Field 2 were maybe quite predictable but it's always good to try for yourself.
So then I tried searching the same paddock in 4khz for a while, it weakly hit a couple of targets though were much better in Field 1, still 4khz quite impressively hit a small button on edge at 6" deep! Just seen poking out of the upturned clod.

There is iron presence everywhere on this paddock so next time (tomorrow maybe?) I'll stick the 6" coil on and see if it can find anything which the 15" coil cannot? I expect it should but it's yet to prove itself. There's no doubt a degree of iron masking on here but even the 15" coil doesn't seem to do a bad job at target separation!

Bors · Tue May 11, 2021 10:24 am

Are you bored Ian ?

Easylife · Tue May 11, 2021 11:00 am

Bors wrote: ↑Tue May 11, 2021 10:24 am Are you bored Ian ?

Just passing a bit of spare time.

Easylife · Tue May 11, 2021 9:32 pm

I gave it a go with the 6" coil in Field 2, it isolated a small lead shot which I know had eluded the large coil, but apart from that it found no more non-ferrous.
Experiment over, the results just confirmed what I had expected really.
Now I wouldn't have normally detected on this land again, but because I did I had a chance meeting and gained a neighbouring permission of the large grounds of a Victorian house, well it's something new and should be fun!

Blackadder43 · Wed May 12, 2021 10:48 am

Great experiment easylife, and one that would be usefull for the more geeky amongst us

Do you ever follow Thomas dankowski?
He is a detecting genius, and does completely thorough experiments that push the limits of the machines
He Worked for NASA and then also worked for Fisher
I had one of his CZ-3D machines that was callaborated whilst he was on shift (serial numbers he kept so he knew which he had done)
Sadly though a few years back now, needs must and i sold it (for more than i paid for it due to its provenance)

Easylife · Wed May 12, 2021 12:07 pm

Blackadder43 wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 10:48 am Great experiment easylife, and one that would be usefull for the more geeky amongst us

Do you ever follow Thomas dankowski?

I have previously read some of his interesting experiments. This well hunted out pasture field is currently literally right on my doorstep, it previously gave up about 500 targets so is ideal for testing to see what anything other than the 15" coil in Field 1 may find extra. But for me the 15" coil seems to get all possible targets exept for some small extreme iron masked ones where a smaller coil would be better suited.

DaveP · Wed May 12, 2021 4:37 pm

Are you recommending Field 2? I switched/played between F1 & F2 yesterday and noticed F2 was more chatty but also gave a higher GB number to F1.

Easylife · Wed May 12, 2021 5:22 pm

DaveP wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 4:37 pm Are you recommending Field 2? I switched/played between F1 & F2 yesterday and noticed F2 was more chatty but also gave a higher GB number to F1.

Nope, Field 1 gives a better response on say 99% of targets. Field 2 is only better on small low conductors, is noticeably more chatty and more easily fooled by iron. But if you have completely emptied a field in Field 1 then Field 2 may find a few small low conductors that Field 1 could not see if they are there! I would not generally use Field 2.

Pete E · Thu May 13, 2021 12:00 am

Easylife wrote: ↑Wed May 12, 2021 5:22 pm Nope, Field 1 gives a better response on say 99% of targets. Field 2 is only better on small low conductors, is noticeably more chatty and more easily fooled by iron. But if you have completely emptied a field in Field 1 then Field 2 may find a few small low conductors that Field 1 could not see if they are there! I would not generally use Field 2.

Very interesting experiment....I usually use Field 1 but I have permission on a particular paddock that just seems to prefer Field 2...The type of finds are typically of the fairly common type for me so I don't why F2 always does better on this particular field??? Possibly something to do with the soil type/mineralisation maybe?

Easylife · Thu May 13, 2021 9:42 am

Pete E wrote: ↑Thu May 13, 2021 12:00 am Very interesting experiment....I usually use Field 1 but I have permission on a particular paddock that just seems to prefer Field 2...The type of finds are typically of the fairly common type for me so I don't why F2 always does better on this particular field??? Possibly something to do with the soil type/mineralisation maybe?

I'd check that Field 1 & 2 settings are the same when comparing and even ground balance if needed.

clint · Thu Oct 13, 2022 9:46 pm

Interesting! I'm contemplating buying an Equinox to replace the Etrac. My first target will be a pasture that has a very defined hot spot that I've absolutely hammered with the Etrac...I'm sure it's hiding something.

Easylife · Thu Oct 13, 2022 10:00 pm

clint wrote: ↑Thu Oct 13, 2022 9:46 pm Interesting! I'm contemplating buying an Equinox to replace the Etrac. My first target will be a pasture that has a very defined hot spot that I've absolutely hammered with the Etrac...I'm sure it's hiding something.

I hammered some pasture with the Equinox then today I went on it with the Deus 2, I was very impressed at all of the extra targets it found. Story to follow.