E-trac settings and depth questions

I'm just wondering if any of you more experienced E-trac users have experienced the depth gauge not giving accurate readouts?

To put it in a different way, have you noticed if you change certain settings it affects the accuracy of the depth gauge ?

I don't know if it's the way I have my machine set up or if it's typical for E-tracs but it seems like almost everything reads around 6 inches. And invariably when I dig, I'm finding things any depth from 1 1/2 inches to 8 or 10 inches.

Do you know of particular settings that insure the depth gauge is more accurate?
Or are ground conditions too varied to expect better results?

I dig almost everything that gives me good numbers anyways, it's just that if I could limit some searches to only deeper targets, I think I'd have more luck getting silver and older stuff. It's just rare for me to see deeper targets on my depth gauge.

#1 Rule for me on the E-Trac.....DO NOT rely on the numbers.  I hunt in multi-tone and listen to the tones. Especially the faint ones that usually has the depth gauge buried.  In this case the numbers don't mean anything to me as I'm sure other E-Trac users will chime in.  Sure they help when the target is shallow, but for the deeper targets the numbers are not as accurate.  For instance, I've dug silver dimes with the depth meter buried with numbers such as 01-39.  And almost all of my seated dimes came in at 12-40/41. 

I usually hunt with deep on and fast recovery on with a manual sensitivity +3,  My discrimination is set custom accepting ferrous 01-17 and conductive 27-50 with nickels notched in 10-10 - 15-15.  Its just a small open suare in the mask screen.  Next time we're ot together, I can show you my settings, and if I get a deep signal, I'll call you over to compare. 

[God bless our veterans! Thank you for your sacrifices!]

I don't have that problem, Mayo.  I use the depth guage all the time to judge target depth.  Of course tiny targets will show deeper than they are and larger ones might show shallower.  One thing I did notice on mine is that the depth meter shows the target deeper than it really is if the coil is being held still over the target.  When I move the coil, the depth pops back up to where the target is.  You might also show deeper if you're not centered on the target...

I don't use the depth guage in pinpoint mode, either.  Seems to me that I noticed it isn't accurate in pinpoint.

Next time we're out together, we'll compare machines.

Well you know you could all compare notes say, Saturday, if we were to meet up somewhere.....

Last hurrah before the big chill!  Might be cool Saturday but it'll be sunny and nothing warms the blood like silver, well gold and platinum do also.....

I have a quick question.. Are the coin tones intermixed with nulls on the deep ones or just more high tones than nulls ?
                         Thanks,
                                   Ray

[Now I Will Hit That 2012 Silver]

I don't have that problem, Mayo.  I use the depth guage all the time to judge target depth.  Of course tiny targets will show deeper than they are and larger ones might show shallower.  One thing I did notice on mine is that the depth meter shows the target deeper than it really is if the coil is being held still over the target.  When I move the coil, the depth pops back up to where the target is.  You might also show deeper if you're not centered on the target...

I don't use the depth guage in pinpoint mode, either.  Seems to me that I noticed it isn't accurate in pinpoint.

Next time we're out together, we'll compare machines.

                I feel the same as Kimsdad almost word for word....Once you locate and pinpoint a target....And while centered over the target in pinpoint it may say 8".....Now take it out of pinpoint (with the coil in the same position) and when you swing back over the target "watch the depth meter change to 5-6" or 7"  That is the acurate depth....With this in mind...Pinpoint the target again...It will again say 8"..But you now know you are centered over the target...So just dig your target that you know to look for between 6"-7". And as Kimsdad says........If you are pinpointing over a target that read 8" because it was deep.Take a minute to rescan around,and you may find that it was a shallow 2" target that you goofed pinpointing on....Just my 2 Cents