If you go hunting with a metal detector, you could detect and dig up rusty nails and bottle caps instead of finding coins or other treasures. The vast majority of gold detectors are equipped with a discriminator to solve this problem. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your discriminator:

Detector Options

Learn about the specific options of your detector. Many detectors have audible tones, while others have display screens that you can read.

Adjusts the detector to VLF mode or all metal

In this mode, the metal detector is more sensitive. Although it's true that you're going to take out more "garbage" but you're going to gain more sensitivity. If you are looking for a few coins you can use the discrimination mode, but keep in mind that this mode will cover some small pieces or some metal will give false signals and this mode also consumes a little more battery.

If you are looking for relics and buried treasures it is advisable to use the all-metal mode and if your search is more concentrated on coins then you can use the discrimination mode without any problem.

Conductivity

This notion will help you a lot when you use gold detectors underground. The detector will normally tell you if the metal you have found has a low conductivity, so it is ferrous or contains iron. If the conductivity of your treasure is average it probably contains some gold or is gold. If the conductivity is low, probably the treasure we found is silver. Having this clear will help us conduct a good treasure hunt.

Train your ear

Learn the specific tones that the apparatus for detecting buried gold when they pass over specific metal objects. You can perform this test with any detector that has a discriminator such as the GARRETT ATX Extreme PI.:

First place a variety of objects with different properties, such as a gold ring, a silver ring, a coin, nails, and perhaps a bottle cap, lined up in a row. Pass the coil over each object and take note of the tone emitted by the detector for each one.

Sincerely, walk with the metal detector coil parallel to the ground, about 6 inches away, and listen for the tone. When you have finished this exercise you can continue with the next one.

Levels of discrimination

Now, change the gold detector in TR mode and lift the coil off the ground. If the tone decreases in strength or stays in the same tone you have a source of different quality. An improper destination source will not produce any sound when the detector coil is lifted from the source.

Adjusting the discriminator level allows you to differentiate between good and bad sounds when looking for specific metal objects.

Extra One of the most effective ways to use the discriminator is with a technique known as reverse discrimination!

Do you agree with these tips? Write to us and tell us about your experience with metal discriminators.