fixed or tracking

Hi all,
May you please explain what is a difference detecting in tracking or in fixed?

I'm working away and on moby atm so short and sweet, tracking automatjcally adjusts and can track out targets, fixed takes from last gb, in summary, detect fixed, gb often


v.

Don't be afraid to use tracking. It has it's place in mineralised ground.
It will only track out a target if you swing over it a multitude of times.
Once you are used to using it it's a very handy tool.
I use it about 90% of the time and I doubt I've lost gold because of it.

Robert

Completly agree with you goldnomad. I also use tracking 90% of the time and if I do get a really soft signal its not hard to flick into fixed. I also doubt if I have ever tracked a target out.

Could be wrong, but i'm pretty sure with the GPX's when you get a strong enough signal
it halts the tracking so you cant ever track out a half decent signal, unlike the SD2200 that could track
out a signal with 3 or 4 swings over it..

I mainly detect on virgin ground so fixed works well for me, but when i used to live in the east
i mainly detected mullock piles so i would use tracking on them, as each spade full the old timers threw
out had a different mineralisation..

Pete

Think you are right Pete, it has worked like that since the GP3500.
You could make it halt the fast tracking speed of the Extreme and 3000 too but
you had to do it manually.

I thought that on the X and 3000 the discrimination knob controlled the tracking pause.

Well kinda Chris, the "level adjust switch" just below the discrimination switch, did the pause trick
on the x and 3000.
Unless your hearing was superb, it was easy to track out a good signal in hot ground with the fast
tracking speed used on these detectors. Most set the switch somewhere between 9 and 12 o'clock.

I did some serious testing between fixed and tracking this year and I firmly believe the signal was stronger in fixed on the same target.
On a couple of very faint targets in tracking I did track them out after about 4 or 5 passes.

While I trust my machines ability to hear a faint target when in tracking, I don't trust my own ability to recognise it so detect in fixed 90% of the time and balance very often.

Madtuna

I agree with everything you say.
I have not done any testing per se, but I feel that a signal in Fixed
over a wide range of targets, is slightly more robust.

I know Tracking has it's place but I have been so geared all these years
to hunting in Fixed, that I trust myself more when the 5000 is in Fixed.

I also do think Tracking does knock out some targets after a few swings
although I have been told by very experienced people that is not the case.

Right on Tuna, That is why I stay in fixed, my testing with my machine in area's I have detected tells me that fixed wins hands down.
I understand that not all area's are the same, and this is why we must know our machines and know when to use what.

'Tuna is correct in that the signal is stronger in fixed.
If I think I have tracked out a target, I simply switch to fixed and swing over it again.

Like anything we do with a detector, it takes hours of on-site practice and, of course, our
personal preferences will always differ.

Just don't be afraid to experiment. You paid a lot of money for your detector(s) so you
might as well get the best out of it
Remember. Bruce Candy and co. stuffed a lot of variations into the Minelabs for very good reason.
They are there to be tried and tested so as the add says "just do it"

Robert

Let me toss this around on the subject.......
The GPXs have the ability to ignore tiny bits of rusted/decayed metal while using the smooth set of timings. There able to do this in fixed, so be careful using them in tracking.
The software that aids the smooth class of timings is very powerful at ignoring mineralized ground, and on many occasions iv demoed there ability to ignore tiny and not so tiny bits of rusted metal.
Is it able to ignore a tiny nugget coated in ironstone, or surrounded by ironstone pebbles...including those with a little depth.??

Like Robert said....personal preferences will always differ. I for one am one who has always differed from the norm.

when i'm tecking i'll do an area in fixed and pick up what's there and then i'll flick into tracking and go back over it. in doing this i have picked up a few that i have missed in fixed as the ground could been noisy and couldn't quiet the detector enough to pick the signal. but you do have to watch what settings you are using in tracking
cheers
stoppsy

I am with Goldnomad on this one.

I never used tracking because I was told that you may "track out" some targets. However, quite recently somebody suggested tracking to quiet down our noisy ground and from there I've never looked back. It does wonders in noisy ground and it is easy enough to flick into fixed if you want to double check a target.

Happy new year to everybody. :joker:

XXXX

I am reading with interest what is being said about using Tracking
and in light of it I am going to try out using Tracking
in some of the more highly mineralized and erratic areas I hunt.

Good food for thought...