Metal Detector Settings Explained

Sensitivity controls your detector's amplification power.

Higher Sensitivity: - Finds deeper and smaller targets - More chatter and false signals - Best in clean, quiet ground

Lower Sensitivity: - Quieter operation - Less depth - Better in trashy or mineralized ground

Rule of Thumb: Start high and reduce until stable. Maximum isn't always best.

Discrimination helps you ignore trash and find treasure.

How It Works: Different metals have different electrical signatures. Discrimination filters out unwanted signatures.

Notch Discrimination: Accept or reject specific ID ranges. Example: Notch out foil (5-15) while keeping nickels (16-20).

Iron Bias/Volume: Controls how aggressively iron is rejected. Higher = more iron rejected but risk losing iron-masked gold.

Warning: Over-discrimination misses good targets! Many beginners discriminate too much and miss gold jewelry, nickels, and relics.

Ground balance compensates for soil mineralization.

Preset Ground Balance: - Automatic, no user adjustment - Works in moderate conditions - Found on entry-level detectors

Manual Ground Balance: - User sets the value - Maximum control - Requires practice to master

Automatic/Tracking: - Continuously adjusts - Excellent for changing conditions - May track out targets if too aggressive

Audio is how your detector communicates targets.

Tone Count: - Single tone: Simple, all targets sound same - Multi-tone: Different tones for different metals - Full tones: Continuous tone variation

Threshold: - Faint background hum - Deeper targets break threshold - Essential for gold prospecting

Volume: Use headphones! Quiet signals become clear, and you won't annoy others.

Iron Audio: Some detectors (Garrett) give audio feedback on rejected iron. Helps identify iron-masked targets.