Nexus Depth & Key Points 'Revisited'

In some of my videos when swinging any of my Nexus machines I predict the depth of the target, I get it right a majority of the time. This comes from digging as many signals as possible over a prolonged period and paying attention to both the audio and, if I have it turned on, the meter. I don't need a display or a gauge to tell me how deep a target is, actually I find this feature utterly pointless, I like to metal detect by feel and intuition and when you apply your mind in this way it adds to the "art" as opposed to relying on a machine to do the thinking for you.

Sense It

Firstly if I'm using VCO tones on my V3 I'm not looking to go super deep, I nearly always use this audio option with the meter turned off when a lot of iron is present or if I'm hunting in shallow trash. It's easy to judge the depth using VCO because the audio is very telling, if you are using the meter with VCO both shallow and large targets have a huge audio and meter response. You'll find that there's a thump within the audio that hits really hard, this is usually combined with a large movement on the meter all the way up to the top, the thump will occur when the coil is directly in the middle of the target. 

Deeper signals won't have such a thump to them meaning that both the audio and meter will have a sort of muted smoothness. If you are using the VCO tones without the meter turned on the deeper targets will give a lovely smooth response without a defined high tone thump, the deeper targets will phase in beautifully with a smooth, clean audio, almost like a squeak. The trajectory of the VCO won't reach its highest point on deeper targets.

Side Note - to increase depth in VCO mode raise the threshold, hunting like this really brings the ground alive and it's fantastic for hearing those deeper signals. Because the audio is modulated it creates this weird multi-dimensional audio landscape, it helps you to visualise what's in the ground and at what depth, over time you can sense the size of the iron and non-ferrous you're swinging over.

Blue Indicates Iron On The V2 & V3+

When you start off using Nexus in both all metal and VCO/Dual Tone audio, small targets and small deep targets can be confusing, when you have a small shallow target the meter and audio will have a denseness to them. The meter response might only be small but there's a punch in both the audio and how solid the meter is moving. When you have a small deeper target the audio will be modulated, meaning there will be a softness to it, this is usually combined with a "smear" like meter movement. The smear on the meter is telling you that the target is deeper, it might only light up one way depending on the orientation of the target but over time you will understand the difference between a one way non-ferrous response as opposed to a potential false signal on iron. I will explain how I suss this out below.

Now let's not forget, to get the optimal depth out of any Nexus you have to be swinging the coil at the point above the ground that you ground balanced. This can vary depending on coil size, coil frequency and soil conditions. To enable any Nexus machine to really lock on and discriminate correctly, when I've found what I perceive to be a "DEEP" target. I will lower the coil down over the signal and slowly start to isolate it, let's say I'm only getting a one way hit on the meter from one specific direction. I'll then slowly rotate 360, I find that there's nearly always an angle where you get a meter response both ways as you swing. 

The Dual 4' Is A Weapon In The Right Hands

Now let us remember that most digital machines barely detect an average coin sized target beyond 10' inches so obviously these signals are going to be easily heard. Nexus is different, due to their ability to detect really deep, you have to understand what these 'really deep' signal responses sound like. If you don't learn this then there's no point in having a machine that punches down to extreme depths. Coins at 10' to 13' inches will be banging but I'm talking about the targets 14' inches and beyond.

One method I like to use to enhance the deeper signals is to raise the threshold, if I'm over what I perceive to be a deep target I'll lift my threshold slightly whilst I'm swinging. This helps to really bring the signal response to life, this is a method I use a lot when I'm swinging my Credo with the dual 4' coil. Deep targets may only be a small nudge within the threshold tone and on the meter, so when I get this specific response I'll ride the threshold level to really bring the target response out from the ground. It's this that enables me to dig targets easily up to 13 - 14 inches with such a small coil. 

Many of these signals could be missed if you don't know what to listen for, digital machines have conditioned users into thinking every single solitary target is going to be banging, on Nexus, depending on the depth, they aren't. This will depend on what coil you are using, the larger coils obviously go way deeper than the small ones. One approach that helped me learn about target response at depth was by using a small coil, say 10' inch and listen really carefully for the quiet signals. Understanding what a signal sounds like on the edge of detection with a small coil is a great way to tune your ear into what a target at extreme depths might sound like when swinging a larger coil - it's all relative. 

Don't Scrub The Ground

Really deep targets might only be detectable with an audible threshold so you need to practice hunting with the machine set up this way. To enable a lovely smooth hunt with an audible threshold you need to master a slow, level and steady swing technique. If you do not master this then you're going to struggle with excess ground noise. YES .. Nexus has ground noise, this is one element that allows it to go so deep. If a filter was used to kill the ground then depth would be killed with it. Mitigating the excess noise is achieved with the perfect swing, if you're going to swing really fast and scrub the ground, don't waste your money buying Nexus. If your swing is all over the place, up, down, left and right, you are not going to get on very well and this will lead to frustration. If you want a "hammy race" on a group dig with loads of people swinging as fast as possible then Nexus isn't for you either. 

When I talk about applying an element to "mitigate" something, I can equate it to drum tuning, there's a lot of drummers out there that stifle the resonance of a drum by using a product called moon gel. This is a sticky substance that sticks to the drum skin to help control the resonance and attack. I fucking hate this shit, it's usually used by people that don't understand how to tune drums. So if I'm working for a drummer that wants to 'reduce' the resonance of his drums - What Do I Do To Mitigate This? I will metaphorically adopt the perfect swing technique by using drum skins that have a dot in the centre of them. What Does This Do? it controls both the attack and resonance without diminishing the sound of the drum by sticking some kind of crap to the drum skins.

Metaphorically A Shite Swing Technique 

Metaphorically A Perfect Swing Speed

What's the point in me comparing swing technique to drum tuning, simple, I've explained above a method I use to mitigate resonance without actually effecting the performance of the drum and its shell. It's exactly the same as swinging the coil correctly in a way that doesn't effect Nexus performance. Effecting Nexus performance can include tuning the threshold so low that the machine makes no noise or pushing the discrimination up so high that it removes the machines ability to unmask, add a shite swing technique into the mix and you might as well be swinging a broom. The correct swing technique allows you to use Nexus to the best of its ability. Below is another example of tuning a snare using a small dampner that releases with every snare stroke, once again you're mitigating, not removing. This still allows the attack to bite which brings the shell into play as opposed to killing both the skin and shell which handicaps the drums ability to do what it's suppose to do. Do You Get My Point Yet?

Going all the way back to my Nexus Standard MP V2 blog where I describe its operation as tuning a drum, I stand by that comparison more than ever. The key with these machines is to master running them without applying adjustments that decrease their ability to do what they're suppose to do. A high discrimination and low threshold setting will give you a nice quiet and easy hunt but you might as well be swinging a Deus or Minelab. I've seen so many people buy Nexus and continually blame the machine for its apparent short comings. It has nothing to do with the machine, the responsibility lays solely in the hands of the user. Blaming Nexus for bad performance is like a high-wire performer blaming his balancing stick for not performing properly because he fell 5,000 ft to his death.