CZ-3D first hunt's impressions.

The snow is gone and the ground is huntable, so it was time to get the new CZ3D out and see if it worked out as advertised.

I first went to an old defunct park that I had researched over the winter. Ground balancing was quite quick and easy with either method discribed in the user manual. Iron signals were a plenty but the CZ easily id'ed them. If a good repeatable high signal was found that didn't pin-point right over the found (X) target then I was more than sure it was a nail tip. After digging a few of these signal this was confirmed. The coin tone when an actual coin is found is unmistakable, short,round and quick, on and off. High tone signals that aren't coins seem drawn out in length in response, and to use Tom's term washed out. A 1915 barber dime lost when she was a young girl came out still bearing a full liberty, and a very nice 1916D wheat were found on this short hunt. I don't know if the coins ID'ed correctly becasue I have black tape over the meter except the area where I can see the depth. No aluminum was dug at this site.

The second hunt was in a Farm field where a school and horse trotting track used to be. An old gold filled ring was found along with a suspender buckle and a horse buckle cover. As target were sparse I dug some mid-tone items. No aluminum was dug.

Third hunt was at an old city school that was torn down long ago. It's a well known spot and I've hunted it many times. Aluminum is a problem at this site, but the prospect of digging out some old nickles in the enhanced mode and to test the enhanced mode lead me to the school. Let's just say that the enhanced mode works for nickles. I pulled from this hard hunted site, 3 buffs no date, one V nickle 1911,and 2 1964 nickles. All coins came from a depth of between 4.5" and 5". This depth is not impressive, but what it does say is that many other machines capable of this depth passed right on by,including my DFX. Several memorial cents also came up as well as one 1991 nickle. All mems came through as high tone as well as the 1991 nickle. Several pieces of aluminum were dug, none were pull tabs, 2 bottle caps, few piece of cut alum, one piece of aluminum turned out to be an aluminun ring with christian symbols on the sides.

I haven't dug any coin from a depth beyond 5". I have dug some smaller items from the 7" mark, including a two hole brass shirt button. Ground balance in my dark loamy Ohio soil is achieved at 7.5, sens set to 4.75, vol at 4.5. discrimination 0. The soil here is very kind to silver coins. The old nickles all have corrosion.I've already dug more old nickles in my first outing than all last year.

In conclusion, the cz-3d works as advertised. I enjoyed the experience very much and was surprised to find that you don't need the meter at all. The high tone on coins is unmistakeable in my opinion, even when iron give a high tone something in your brain says iron just by the way the high tone sounds.As I said, I dug some of these signals guessing what they were, and I was right. Some signals that turned out to be coins didn't fit with-in the 50% rule but kept trying to break through with more high toning than mid, so I dug those because of the round quick burst of sound. They turned out to be coins.The abruptness of the tone should tell you to dig.

Thanks Tom for the headstart.

Ken



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2008 10:15PM by Kas.

Ken,

Congrat's! Sounds like you are well on your way. And your quick learning of what iron falsing differentiation vs. actual coin hits is estute & acute. If you have already instilled just this one nuance...... this puts you far, far ahead on the power-learning curve...... with the rest being; most enjoyable experiences to come. And yes, there are some aluminum targets that will always read/register as a high-tone, regardless of what brand detector you are using. I still recover them,,,, but the shallow depth signature coupled with irregular audio width variances vs. an actual coin is humanly discernable. Some old era areas that are excessively trashed out with too much modern trash...... it is only then that I choose to recover the deeper '3D' targets,,,,,, easily ignoring the loud/shallow targets and keeping the CZ-3D in the 'enhanced' mode. Even switching over to a different brand detector..... and all of this aluminum 'modern' trash can still register as Zinc pennies and "Coins". Modern aluminum screw-caps are no fun.

..... The bottom line is: If you already have the iron falsing signature memorized,,,, you are home-free!

Tom

The Cz-3D handles iron well in my opinion, if you listen to what it's telling you. I can see how it could throw off an unseasoned or new detectorist, though. But since I've been in this hobby for quite a few years there is some crossover reference from previous detectors to the CZ-3D. The surprise to me came in the ease the cz provides in allowing you to hear the differences in true good target versus iron. I think it was very noticable and when you hit a good coin target it's a no doubter. Other factors can be coupled with the sounds, of course. Pin-point size reference etc.

You were right, Tom, when you said the CZ-3D talks very nicely. It speaks a universal language that Is simplicity personified.

Ken