Introduction

Metal detectors are devices used to detect the presence of metal. They work by sending an electromagnetic field into the ground and detecting any disruptions in that field caused by metal objects. Discrimination is a feature found in some metal detectors that allows users to filter out unwanted metals and focus on finding specific types of metal. In this blog, we will explore the concept of metal detector discrimination and how it works.

How Metal Detector Discrimination Works

Metal detector discrimination is the ability of a metal detector to distinguish between different types of metal. Discrimination works by analyzing the conductivity of the metal being detected. Different metals have different levels of conductivity, and this is what the metal detector uses to differentiate between them.

The process of discrimination involves setting the metal detector to ignore certain types of metal. For example, if you are searching for gold, you can set the metal detector to ignore iron and other metals that may be present in the ground. This allows you to focus on detecting only gold.

Types of Discrimination

There are two types of discrimination: manual and automatic.

Manual Discrimination

Manual discrimination allows the user to manually adjust the sensitivity of the metal detector to different types of metal. This is done by adjusting the discrimination knob on the metal detector. The user can set the metal detector to ignore or accept specific types of metal. Manual discrimination is useful when searching for a specific type of metal in an area with many other types of metal.

Automatic Discrimination

Automatic discrimination is a more advanced form of discrimination. It uses a microprocessor to automatically adjust the sensitivity of the metal detector to different types of metal. Automatic discrimination is ideal for beginners who are not familiar with the different types of metal and how to manually adjust the sensitivity.

Pros and Cons of Discrimination

Like any feature, metal detector discrimination has its pros and cons.

Pros

• Discrimination allows users to focus on finding specific types of metal.
• Discrimination can save time by filtering out unwanted metals.
• Discrimination can reduce frustration by ignoring trash items that may be present in the ground.

Cons

• Discrimination can cause users to miss valuable items that may be made of the same metal as unwanted items.
• Discrimination can reduce the overall depth of the metal detector’s detection range.
• Discrimination can make it more difficult to find elusive targets such as gold nuggets.

Conclusion

Metal detector discrimination is a useful feature that allows users to filter out unwanted metals and focus on finding specific types of metal. Discrimination works by analyzing the conductivity of the metal being detected. There are two types of discrimination: manual and automatic. Each has its pros and cons, but overall, discrimination is a valuable tool for metal detector users.