Thoughts on auto tracking !!!!

jhen999

Sr. Member
Apr 17, 2014
293
232
Northern Califorina
Detector(s) used
Whites 5000D..Whites Classic 3 SL with Mr. Bill mods..Whites MXT...Minelab X-terra 705..Minelab Explorer SE Pro..Whites DFX..Minelab E-trac...Minelab CTX3030
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I have been using the auto tracking on my x-terra 705 to hunt with..I read Randy Horton's book, and he talks about you have to be careful using auto tracking because it might mask out your target after you sweep over it a few times...what I am wondering is when you are in AM mode or when you push the pin point does it disable the tracking..I am thinking it does not...there are times in auto tracking I can sweep over targets 3 or 4 times before I push the pin pointer to center the target and then there are times I get a good solid hit the first swing and maybe the second swing then nothing...is the tracking masking it out....should I be turning off the tracking the first time I get a solid hit or not use it at all...
 

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Actually, the chances of absorbing a good target are nearly immeasurably small, and Tracking is 10 times faster and 100 times more accurate than you are. There is very little downside to using it.
It's a subject that I've discussed with Randy Horton in depth, and unless you're searching for very small targets at the very lowest end of the detection scale you have absolutely nothing to worry about by running Tracking.
A target that mysteriously disappears is usually not a good target at all, and subsequent passes over it allow the machine to make that determination.
 

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When you enable pp it does turn off tracking. (page 43 of manual) or just toggle tracking off if you want to sweep target in disc or am mode. I sometimes hit tracking to ground balance machine on the fly them lock it in after 6-8 sweeps and a stable number is attained.
 

I am glad to hear that....I was hoping that was the case with the target disappearing after a few sweeps, I would get a reading of 42 to 44 on the first sweep and then 22 to 24 and then it would fall out in the minus numbers. I was thinking it was just the machine being able to get a better read on the target as you sweep it...like I said some targets stay good and solid and others drop out....still learning...and those iffy targets that sound good as you go into the sweep but chatter as you leave the target...well that's about what they are, I dig them, some good, some not..I am sure I,ll be ask more questions as time goes on with the 705....I am still playing with the sensitivity, turn it up to much and I start getting a lot of false signals and then turn it down, then I am worrying about losing depth..most of the time I find it works best at about 12 to 15 and still seams to get good depth...............I think I am going to become the shade hunter for awhile....its 105 out here in good old Northern California....
 

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Targets that ratchet down with subsequent passes are normally junk that the machine is getting a better look at with each pass.
If it consistently goes from high-to-low and then low-to-high as you sweep over and back......dig it!
 

I would try digging some of those disappearing signals and see for yourself. I had an xterra 70 and that certainly would "track out" small or very deep targets when using tracking mode. You have nothing to loose finding out for yourself and wow if its that hot there now, make sure the targets are in the shade:occasion14:

I used to live in LA back in the early 80s so I know the kinda heat your talking about. A buddy of mine still lives in San Bernadino.
 

You know I have noticed when I get those kind of hits that drop out, the depth meter almost always reads 6" to 8" , I,ll have to pay more attention to that and see.....I live in the northern end of the Sacramento Valley and its not unusual for it to get up around 110 or more here in the summer, my parents live in the upper end of the valley in Redding and it can get up to 115 there...this year its over to the coast to stay in the RV for a month in July and do some beach hunting....I cant hang with the heat here...I am glad that x-terra has a back lite...might be time for some night hunts....:)
 

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