Question on swing speed

oldkoot

Elite Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2017
Messages
751
Location
Living in the Tucson AZ area now
I watch metal detecting videos quite often and one of the things I notice is how fast some of these people swing the coil like they have a scythe in their hands

one person I watch sometimes in particular is swinging so fast I don't know how he even gives the detector a chance to alert on targets this particular person swings a DEUS and several other detectors but the Deus is the one he swings the fastest like he is weed whacking

Is it even possible to swing a detector as fast as you can swing it and still get the detector to actually see targets at all ??

I know if I was to swing as fast as I see some of these people swinging I would be so spent that I would only be able to detect for 10 minuets and that is debatable but I would be done after a vary short time and trying to catch my breath
 
My old MXT had a forgiving swing speed. Some machines are adjustable and can allow for faster or slower
With my experience slower will get deeper. Personally I would love to follow anyone who swings a detector fast because they will not get the depth and will ALWAYS miss ground.
 
LOL. you're right. Swing speed is important yet I see experienced hunters doing videos swinging like they're cutting weeds.

Swing seep really depends on the detector you're using, and how it is adjusted. Recovery speed is adjustable on many mid and upper-level detectors that allow you to speed up how fast the detector will recover after analyzing a signal, but it is just good practice to find the right speed for the conditions of the ground, and the detector you're using. Myself, using the E-Trac, I swing as slow as I need to maintain a threshold. That is one reason why I really prefer a detector with a threshold. Another feature that seems to be disappearing with new detector technology.

A good example of this is videos I see using the FBS or Minelabe E-Trac. Great detector with unmatched depth, in my opinion, when used properly. It requires a slower than normal swing speed for several reasons one being it is processing a lot of information. While it has 50 conductive VDI numbers and 35 ferrous, it has a combined number of 1750 possible VDI identification numbers.

Even the $250 Nokta Simplex will outperform the $1,500 E-Trac is the swing speed i too fast.
 
LOL. you're right. Swing speed is important yet I see experienced hunters doing videos swinging like they're cutting weeds.

Swing seep really depends on the detector you're using, and how it is adjusted. Recovery speed is adjustable on many mid and upper-level detectors that allow you to speed up how fast the detector will recover after analyzing a signal, but it is just good practice to find the right speed for the conditions of the ground, and the detector you're using. Myself, using the E-Trac, I swing as slow as I need to maintain a threshold. That is one reason why I really prefer a detector with a threshold. Another feature that seems to be disappearing with new detector technology.

A good example of this is videos I see using the FBS or Minelabe E-Trac. Great detector with unmatched depth, in my opinion, when used properly. It requires a slower than normal swing speed for several reasons one being it is processing a lot of information. While it has 50 conductive VDI numbers and 35 ferrous, it has a combined number of 1750 possible VDI identification numbers.

Even the $250 Nokta Simplex will outperform the $1,500 E-Trac is the swing speed i too fast.

I used the Xterra 705 for the longest time so I know what you are saying about a slow swing speed

but man one of the Detectorist I just recently watched a couple of his videos it wore me out just watching him swinging his Deus, I was thinking to myself how in the heck is his mind even processing what his detector was even telling him,LOL

watching him I was thinking what the heck is this dude on crack or what

I guess when you are young your mind just works faster but man that was just flipping crazy

And yes your statement about cutting weed is exactly rite
 
I watch metal detecting videos quite often and one of the things I notice is how fast some of these people swing the coil like they have a scythe in their hands

one person I watch sometimes in particular is swinging so fast I don't know how he even gives the detector a chance to alert on targets this particular person swings a DEUS and several other detectors but the Deus is the one he swings the fastest like he is weed whacking..........

Depends on your goals. Some people are primarily looking for shallow jewelry, and the clad keeps them happy in the meantime. More targets recovered per hour the higher chance of a ring. With an abundant number of solid shallow signals across a large amount of public land, they have plenty to dig. They'll hit the same spots again and again as they clear out the trash.

You definitely have to take anything someone recommends with caution if your hunting goals don't line up with theirs.
 
Last edited:
I watch metal detecting videos quite often and one of the things I notice is how fast some of these people swing the coil like they have a scythe in their hands

one person I watch sometimes in particular is swinging so fast I don't know how he even gives the detector a chance to alert on targets this particular person swings a DEUS and several other detectors but the Deus is the one he swings the fastest like he is weed whacking

Is it even possible to swing a detector as fast as you can swing it and still get the detector to actually see targets at all ??

I know if I was to swing as fast as I see some of these people swinging I would be so spent that I would only be able to detect for 10 minuets and that is debatable but I would be done after a vary short time and trying to catch my breath
There is nothing wrong with swinging slow and carefully taking a step the same distance as your coil measures front to back. Many days I decide not to take continuous steps but to take a step, stand still, swing in both directions and listen for the most minute signal before taking the next step. I stay away from hyperactive fast swinging partners because it tends to influence me to move too quickly.
 
I find it interesting when people talk depth of detectors especially when you see them swinging fast like that. Nothing wrong with swinging fast you just won't get the depth you can by going slower. Although the new technology can detect different and can separate trash from good targets better, you definitely don't need to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to get a 9" coin. The deepest coins I ever got were between 9" and 11" and that was with an MXT. Keep in mind I had the threshold barely audible and listening for slight changes in the threshold.
I can sure understand why this would not be everyones cup of tea as it can be a lot like watching grass grow. BUT it is rewarding to do something with a detector that most say can't be done because you had the patience to to go slow and low.

As a side note, I also chuckle when I see someone swing a detector 8" off the ground. I would like to follow those people too.

Also keep in mind that my soil conditions are near perfect here. Also the MXT was pretty good with EMI
 
I find it interesting when people talk depth of detectors especially when you see them swinging fast like that. Nothing wrong with swinging fast you just won't get the depth you can by going slower. Although the new technology can detect different and can separate trash from good targets better, you definitely don't need to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to get a 9" coin. The deepest coins I ever got were between 9" and 11" and that was with an MXT. Keep in mind I had the threshold barely audible and listening for slight changes in the threshold.
I can sure understand why this would not be everyones cup of tea as it can be a lot like watching grass grow. BUT it is rewarding to do something with a detector that most say can't be done because you had the patience to to go slow and low.

As a side note, I also chuckle when I see someone swing a detector 8" off the ground. I would like to follow those people too.
Well Said!
 
the way I was taught scrub the ground but I recently was reading through the manual that came with my grandsons simplex plus and the section that kind of tells proper way to swing it literally stated keep the coil about two inches above the ground you are swinging over that goes totally against what i was taught
 
I find it interesting when people talk depth of detectors especially when you see them swinging fast like that. Nothing wrong with swinging fast you just won't get the depth you can by going slower. Although the new technology can detect different and can separate trash from good targets better, you definitely don't need to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to get a 9" coin. The deepest coins I ever got were between 9" and 11" and that was with an MXT. Keep in mind I had the threshold barely audible and listening for slight changes in the threshold.
I can sure understand why this would not be everyones cup of tea as it can be a lot like watching grass grow. BUT it is rewarding to do something with a detector that most say can't be done because you had the patience to to go slow and low.

As a side note, I also chuckle when I see someone swing a detector 8" off the ground. I would like to follow those people too.

Also keep in mind that my soil conditions are near perfect here. Also the MXT was pretty good with EMI

I would like to hunt behind someone swinging that fast over the highly mineralized ground I hunt My ground balance numbers run anywhere from the high 80s to the upper 90s, also those swinging over the ground I hunt with their coil 8 inches above the ground
 
the way I was taught scrub the ground but I recently was reading through the manual that came with my grandsons simplex plus and the section that kind of tells proper way to swing it literally stated keep the coil about two inches above the ground you are swinging over that goes totally against what i was taught

There is no reason to hold a modern detector off the ground. I am a ground scrubber. Raise the detector lose depth>period.
 
It requires a slower than normal swing speed for several reasons one being it is processing a lot of information.

Close, but not exactly. It's processing exactly the same amount of information. The detector can't tell how fast you're swinging it, so it doesn't "scan more" for a faster swing. The scan controller polls the coil at a fixed rate, probably something like a hundred times a second (note this does not relate to the coil frequency, except that the scan rate is much lower than the coil frequency). So if you swing a wide eight foot arc in one quick second, it only has a hundred samples to compare to see if any patterns that indicate metal are in there (and where that pattern falls on its numerical scale). If you take four seconds to make that arc (which is pretty slow), it has four hundred samples and you can get about four times the detail on any part of the arc.

It's kind of like looking at a printed piece of paper. If the printer has low resolution, you'll see big stuff well but not be as able to identify smaller things as precisely. But if each of those big dots is replaced by four smaller ones, it gets easier to see what the printout is supposed to represent.
 
As a side note, I also chuckle when I see someone swing a detector 8" off the ground. I would like to follow those people too.

It's great with hitting fewer branches and getting caught in less grass. I have yet to miss a single buried car when I swing eight inches above the ground.
 
There is no reason to hold a modern detector off the ground. I am a ground scrubber. Raise the detector lose depth>period.

I am the same and I have used the phrase "Scrub the grass" for years. Actually though, scrub is a wrong term all the way around. It is the physically feeling of touch during the middle and each end of a swing. It becomes a non physical feel after doing it for a long time.

Just didn't want new people to scratch the surface all the time. There is levity. Jm2c
 
I watch metal detecting videos quite often and one of the things I notice is how fast some of these people swing the coil like they have a scythe in their hands

one person I watch sometimes in particular is swinging so fast I don't know how he even gives the detector a chance to alert on targets this particular person swings a DEUS and several other detectors but the Deus is the one he swings the fastest like he is weed whacking

Is it even possible to swing a detector as fast as you can swing it and still get the detector to actually see targets at all ??

I know if I was to swing as fast as I see some of these people swinging I would be so spent that I would only be able to detect for 10 minuets and that is debatable but I would be done after a vary short time and trying to catch my breath

I have seen one guy at two treasure hunts that swings his detector extremely fast. I helped him speed up the recovery so he could hit two dimes three inches apart and not blur them together.
I have never seen anyone else swing a detector as fast and find as much as he does.
 
Close, but not exactly. It's processing exactly the same amount of information. The detector can't tell how fast you're swinging it, so it doesn't "scan more" for a faster swing. The scan controller polls the coil at a fixed rate, probably something like a hundred times a second (note this does not relate to the coil frequency, except that the scan rate is much lower than the coil frequency). So if you swing a wide eight foot arc in one quick second, it only has a hundred samples to compare to see if any patterns that indicate metal are in there (and where that pattern falls on its numerical scale). If you take four seconds to make that arc (which is pretty slow), it has four hundred samples and you can get about four times the detail on any part of the arc.

It's kind of like looking at a printed piece of paper. If the printer has low resolution, you'll see big stuff well but not be as able to identify smaller things as precisely. But if each of those big dots is replaced by four smaller ones, it gets easier to see what the printout is supposed to represent.

Interesting thread here.
I notice the White’s Xlt was not mentioned.
It is one such detector model one likely will not get max depth with slow swing.
Etrac and other FBS/FBS2 detector models won’t get max depth detection (target tone relayed to operator) unless swing speed is slower.
Actually what I find interesting about the fbs/fbs2 detectors is they can hardly be swept too slow. Unlike a lot of their models VLF detectors to get their maximum depth potential. Almost like FBS/fbs2 is like walking around with detector in all metal with disc applied.
Then there are detector models that do well scrubbing the ground (fbs does) and some that need some coil height above ground.

I don’t know how much data is processed in a detector model.
Question is, is the same amount of data processed when detectors is swept over clean ground versus when detector detects ferrous or nonferrous object when swept over ground?
You see I don’t know what circuits are being used or not being used inside a detector depending on scenario underneath the detector’s coil. And could these differences (if they exist) change amount of data processed.

Something else to mention.
Wonder if I sweep a detector faster over clean ground.
Would would I hear ?
Or how would I know if I am sweeping too fast?
But if a nonferrous target is present, I can vary my sweep and listen and find good sweep rate based on audio and or quality of ID of target provided.
 
Coil Control>>>>> Some people don't have any.
Yes!
Knowing your machine... ​working that baby ...making that machine to talk to you.


I'll swinging faster then normal with the excalibur looking for deep targets in all metal.. the speed bump effect. Slow you get the slow faint, not so pronounced report. Faster, it comes out like you hit a speed bump. Some places you slow it down ..then the wiggle/wiggle to pull the targets in..others pumping the coil to bring in those deep faints in.. so many tricks. Some only work with that machine. BBS.....
 
Back
Top Bottom