18
SEARCHING
Good search techniques are as important to your success as having
a good detector.
1.
Make sure your CZ-3D is properly ground balanced and the MODE
switch is in the proper position: SALT for wet ocean beaches,
ENHANCE for just about every other situation.
2.
Decide which search mode you’re going to use, Target ID or
Autotune.
Recommended starting point: Target ID mode with the
DISC control set at “4”.
3.
Set your SENSITIVITY control. Only experience will tell you how to
set it in every situation but you’ll probably want to run it as high as
you can.
Recommended starting point: SENSITIVITY 5 . If you’re in
the Autotune mode, set it so that you can just barely hear a slight
audio hum.
4.
Adjust your VOLUME control. Remember that a setting above 5 will
amplify the response of faint targets so they sound like a shallow
or large target. Some searchers prefer not to use it above 5 so the
audio response will give them some idea as to the depth and/or
size of the target.
Recommended starting point: VOLUME = 10. If
you’re using headphones, adjust the headphone volume controls
for a comfortable, not-too-loud response over loud targets.
5.
Once you’ve got your controls properly set, begin your search by
walking slowly and sweeping the search coil in a tight semicircle.
6.
Keep the coil parallel to the ground and as close to the ground as
practical. This is extremely important for maximum coverage and
depth. If you’re searching on a lawn, you may set the coil right on
the grass and slightly “scrub” it.
7.
Overlap your sweeps by at least 50%. Remember that your coil’s
search pattern is conical and if you don’t overlap each sweep
you’ll miss the deeper targets.
8.
Search in a methodical manner. Pay close attention to where
you’re going and where you’ve been.
9.
Keep the search coil moving at a comfortable rate. Remember
that the CZ-3D is a motion detector and responds only when the
coil (or the target) is moving (except in the Pinpoint mode).
10.
Take your time. If you walk too fast you can’t overlap your sweeps
and you’ll miss a lot of ground. If you swing your coil too fast you
lose some sensitivity to deep and/or small targets.
11.
Figure 7 on the next page shows the CZ-3D search coil pattern
and how it is affected by sweep speed, ground mineralization
and search mode.
SEARCH MODES
15
the surface may set off the bell tone. The optional, smaller
5 inch coil is more likely to overload than the standard
8 inch coil.
10.
You may also note that some square tabs ID as round
tabs and vice versa. Because of the wide variety of
sizes, shapes and conductivity of the many pull tabs
manufactured over the years, there is overlap as far as
identification goes. Small pieces of tabs or aluminum are
often misidentified. The tail of a round tab for example,
may ID as a nickel. However, most tabs and most of
the items on the CZ-3D meter face will be identified
correctly.
11.
Now increase the DISC control to “1”. You will find that the
CZ-3D rejects the small iron targets and no longer responds
either with an audio tone or needle deflection.
12.
Continue to increase your DISC control, noting that with
each successive step up you reject more and more
targets. At DISC = 4 for example, you are in a “coins-only”
mode, ignoring iron, tabs and foil while accepting and
identifying most nickels, zinc pennies and silver, clad and
copper coins.
13.
At the maximum DISC level of 6 the CZ-3D will ignore
most all-small targets except silver, clad, zinc and copper
coins.
14.
Now switch the DISC control to the AUTOTUNE position
and note the completely different kind of response. No
tone or meter identification, just a solid, smooth, response
over every target.
15.
The chart on page 14 shows some of the responses
you may expect over different targets and at different
levels of discrimination. As you progressively increase
the discrimination level, you eliminate more and more
targets.
NOTE:
Due to the virtually infinite variety of sizes, shapes and alloys
of many “good” targets (relics, jewelry, foreign coins, etc.), they may be
misidentified. For example, a Civil War mini ball may be identified as foil,
or a new Canadian coin as a rectangular pull tab.
