Tone Break: The adjustable point where a detector changes from a low tone to a high tone. This helps you decide which tones apply to which metals and can make it easier to hear valuable targets.

Silent Search: A setting where the detector is silent unless it finds metal. This can reduce noise fatigue but might make you miss faint signals if you're not paying attention.

Manual Ground Balance: A setting that lets you manually adjust the detector to cancel out ground minerals. It’s especially useful in areas with high mineralization like beaches or gold fields.

Auto Ground Balance: The detector automatically adjusts to the ground conditions to prevent false signals. Ideal for beginners and casual users who want less setup.

Ground Grab: A fast automatic ground balance feature used in some Teknetics and Fisher detectors. With one button press, the machine quickly adjusts to the soil’s mineral level.

Boost Mode: Increases sensitivity for deeper targets, especially small or faint ones. Found on advanced detectors like the Fisher F75 LTD. Best used in quiet environments.

Cache Mode: Designed to find large, deep objects that might be missed in regular modes. Useful for locating buried caches or larger relics.

User Profile: Some detectors let you save your preferred settings, so you can quickly return to them without adjusting each time. Great for frequent users.

Target Separation: How well the detector can tell the difference between two close-together objects. High separation is important in trashy or cluttered areas.

Iron Masking: Occurs when an iron object hides or blocks signals from a valuable item nearby. Some detectors include features to reduce this effect.

Audio Modulation: A feature where the volume and tone of the signal change depending on how deep or big the target is. More realistic and helpful for judging a target’s worth.

Elimination: Elimination refers to a detector’s ability to ignore certain metal targets. When a metal is “eliminated,” the detector will not produce a tone or show a target ID as the item passes through the searchcoil. It’s commonly used to avoid digging trash like iron nails, foil, or bottle caps, and is often tied to discrimination or notch filtering features.

Discrimination: Discrimination is the detector’s ability to distinguish between different types of metals and respond accordingly. It lets the user hear different tones or see different readings for various metals—like high tones for coins and low tones for iron. Discrimination also allows the machine to completely ignore unwanted metals by “eliminating” them. This feature is especially important in areas filled with trash or iron where you want to focus on valuable targets like jewelry or coins.

Pinpointing: Pinpointing is the process of zeroing in on the exact location of a buried metal object. After detecting a target, using a pinpoint mode or slow coil movement helps isolate where to dig. Since metal objects can blend in with the soil and vary in depth, pinpointing makes digging faster, cleaner, and more accurate. Some detectors include a dedicated pinpoint button that activates a non-motion mode for added precision.

Ground Cancelation: Ground Cancelation allows a metal detector to ignore signals caused by naturally occurring minerals in the soil. These minerals can trick the detector into thinking there’s metal present. With ground cancelation, the detector focuses only on real metal targets, reducing false signals. This is especially helpful in areas with mineralized or salty ground, such as beaches or gold fields. Some detectors handle this automatically, while others require manual adjustments.

Notch: Notch is a discrimination feature that lets you choose exactly which types of metals to detect or ignore by targeting specific segments on the target ID scale. For example, you can “notch out” pull-tabs while still detecting nickels. This is more precise than basic discrimination, which works in broader ranges. Notch settings help fine-tune your detector to focus on desirable targets like coins or jewelry while avoiding common trash items.

V-Break: V-Break (Variable Breakpoint Tone Discrimination) is a feature that lets you choose the exact point on the Target ID scale where the detector changes from a low tone to a high tone. This is useful for customizing how your detector alerts you to different metals—like making all signals below a certain number (such as iron) produce a low tone, and everything above it a high tone. V-Break helps you quickly identify and skip unwanted metals by sound alone, without needing to check the screen.

V.C.O. (Voltage-Controlled Oscillator): V.C.O. is a type of audio response where the pitch and volume of the sound increase as the coil gets closer to the target. This system is especially helpful in pinpoint mode, as it gives real-time feedback about how close you are to the object. A louder, higher-pitched tone usually means you’re directly over or very near the target. V.C.O. makes it easier to locate small or deeply buried items without relying only on visual indicators.

All Metal: All Metal is a detection mode that allows your metal detector to respond to all types of metal—iron, aluminum, gold, silver, and more—without filtering any out. This mode provides the deepest possible detection and the most sensitivity, making it ideal for serious searching in areas with few trash targets. Unlike discrimination mode, All Metal doesn’t try to identify or eliminate certain metals; it simply alerts you to anything metallic underground. It’s especially useful for relic hunting, gold prospecting, and locating deeply buried objects.

Auto Notch: Auto Notch is a preset discrimination setting that automatically rejects the most common trash items—like bottle caps, foil, and pull-tabs—while still allowing valuable targets like coins and jewelry to be detected. It saves you time by taking the guesswork out of setting manual notches. This feature is ideal for beginners or casual users who want to clean up their signals quickly without adjusting individual segments of the target ID scale.

Preset Ground Balance: Preset Ground Balance means the detector comes with a fixed, factory-set ground balance level that’s designed to work well in most average soil conditions. This simplifies the detector’s operation—there’s no need for the user to adjust anything. While it may not perform as well in highly mineralized soil, it’s perfect for beginners or casual users who want a “turn on and go” experience without worrying about extra settings. It's commonly found in entry-level detectors.

Sensitivity: Controls how reactive the detector is to metal objects. Increasing sensitivity allows for greater depth and better detection of small targets, but it can also increase false signals in mineralized soil or near EMI. Lowering it can improve stability in tough conditions.

Numeric ID: A two-digit number (usually between 0–99) shown on the detector’s screen that helps estimate the type of metal. Higher numbers often indicate silver or copper, while lower numbers may suggest iron or foil.

FeTone: A feature that provides a distinct tone for iron targets, helping users decide whether to dig or skip them. It’s especially useful in relic hunting, where some iron targets may be worth investigating.

Backlight: An illuminated screen feature that allows the user to read the display in low-light or night conditions. Found on many mid-to-high-end detectors.

Motion vs. Non-Motion Mode: Motion mode requires the coil to be moving to detect a target (used in general searching), while non-motion mode allows stationary detection (commonly used in pinpointing). Understanding the difference is key to using the right mode for the right task.

Sniff Mode: Lets the detector learn and respond only to a specific metal target signature. Once a target is “sniffed,” similar objects will be accepted while others are rejected. Useful for selective hunting.

Blanker: Suppresses the signal from shallow or large surface targets, allowing deeper, more valuable targets to be detected without interference from modern trash.

Smart Trac: An automatic ground balance system that continuously adjusts to changing soil conditions in real time. Helps maintain depth and stability in mineralized environments.

Ground Phase: A numeric reading that reflects the level of mineralization in the soil. Commonly displayed on detectors with advanced ground balance features. Helps users understand ground conditions and adjust accordingly.