Spells with Nokta Impact metal detector

When I started writing the Impact test about a month and a half ago, it was a work like Jirasek's. Eventually I even exceeded the number of characters allowed on the site, as it was long. The moment I read it in sequence, though, I realized that no one was really going to read this. As even I stopped enjoying it halfway through the text. The options for different settings are literally endless with Impacto, so the following lines will only belong to the settings I worked my way up to and which worked well for me, plus a few extra observations.

Detector design

The construction of the detector is nicely rigid, I like it. I literally hate it when the probe on the rod wobbles. You know, you make a movement to one side and then you can have fun seeing how long the probe still oscillates on the rod. So that's not happening here :). The rod locks are stiff and even after half a year of use they show no signs of creaking or anything like that. Plus, since I'm 2 meters tall, I keep the rod at almost max all the time, and the bottom rod lock suffers quite a bit as a result. It has to be said here that a 2 metre seeker will be fine with the Impact. From my point of view, however, it is the maximum and the rod is already almost all extended. So I have only one caveat to the design. If the detector shortens, the cable needs to be raised at the bottom so that the rod cannot push on the cable when folded. I have seen a coil cable that was literally chopped up at this point. It's not a big deal, only if I'm going to shorten the detector to its smallest dimension, like when putting it in the car, I'll pull the cable up at the bottom of the coil. Otherwise, I find the construction of the detector pleasant, the weight well distributed. The stand works as it should, and even though sometimes on a very bumpy field the detector can still tip over, it's a good idea.

Detector control

The Impact has 12 operating modes and a really rich ability to adjust them. This usually entails some cumbersome setup. But that's done very clearly here. Whenever you have a program selected, you only edit that one. Saving your changes is just a single tap of "Save" and only saves what you've changed in that program. As a result, you get used to the controls very quickly. After you've edited the programs, you basically stop touching the settings altogether. The ground tuning is nicely done too. You pump, the detector beeps and you're done. Plus, it works accurately. Despite our best efforts to fool it, we couldn't simulate a condition where, for example, a hole would "roar".

Programs and practice

DI2, DI3, DI4, DI 99

Like probably most searchers, I spent most of my time in the DI2, DI3, DI4 and DI 99 programs. So I'll start my description with these. Right at the beginning we tested the detector on different targets, both on classically buried things and on a trigger polygon. Here it must be said that the results seemed to be very similar. This was a bit surprising, as the older detectors always had DI2 leading the way in these tones. But in practice it turned out that the differences were there, they just didn't show up in the clean polygon environment. I used DI2, a program that distinguishes only two tones, very often on the Relik and Corek, and I started using it on the Impact. Of these 4, it is the least stable and can sing quite well in the vicinity of some electromagnetic interference (see the paragraph with custom programs). DI3 is the most stable. The program that surprised me the most out of these four was definitely the multitone DI99.

Listening to DI99 is definitely not fun. Literally empirically, I've come to the conclusion that the most detailed targets are found in this mode out of these 4. It's gotten to the point where I've gone through one line in DI3, another in DI99, another again in DI2, and the next again in DI99. I've tormented Impact repeatedly in this way, so I can say that of the ID programs, ID99 is the most sensitive to the most minute things, and always has the most (by count). So I would rather keep ID2, which I have used so far, for the forest. Unfortunately, ID99, despite its tested sensitivity, can really bother my ears sometimes and I don't know if anyone is able to walk in that mode only. So I myself prefer the quietest DI3 in the relaxation level.

My program settings DI2, DI3, DI3, DI99

DI2 - I now use in the woods with fewer targets. You need to slow down a lot to maximize range. I basically make the discrimination settings depending on the ambient interference. The greater it is, the higher the discrimination setting. However, I always try to keep the discrimination setting as low as possible and the sensitivity as high as possible. I try to keep the interference cancellation setting (and Sat) at setting 1. Higher settings can mean a loss of depth, which I have verified when using motionless modes.

DI3 - Fields, meadows, forests. A versatile and quiet mode for all soil types. Just such a cool search. Plus the mode is the most resistant to electromagnetic interference and can withstand high sensitivity settings. Definitely recommended for the first days of searching. I recommend keeping the discrimination to number 6, sensitivity to 75-85, iSat preferably no more than number 1.

DI4 - Thisfour tone mode is specifically designed for sites with lower mineralization. This is a bit of a problem in my case, as I visit such sites fairly sporadically. More iron oxide in the soil will cause more ringing. This makes it more applicable to searching in forest soil, at least in my area. The setup is then the same as DI3.

DI99 - As described above, it's not the easiest to listen for, but in places with lots of trash where you're looking for small targets and coins, it's pretty cool :). The big advantage, at least for me, is that the iron detector only reports with one deep tone. So everything between ID 0-15 will sound the same. The multi-tone resolution is only for colored targets and the various "humming" of the irons doesn't mess with your head. The same applies here as for the other modes, sensitivity as high as possible, discrimination as low as possible and iSat only at 1 if possible.

COG, DEEP, VLX1 and VLX2

In all four cases these are special modes. COG is designed for searching in highly conductive environments (basalts, salt soil, salt water). The discrimination setting ignores iron targets. I have gotten a huge amount of positive feedback on using Impact in basalts. What the detector can do in this environment is at the limit of PI detectors. Unfortunately, I have not been able to test the detector in salt water and the few reports from searchers could be summed up in one sentence.... it worked. So for anyone going to sea with the Impact, I recommend reading page 29 of the detector manual, which goes into this type of search in detail. DEEP is one of the Impact's deepest modes ever. Its use makes more sense in locations with fewer targets. In addition, it should be noted here that the detector is quite noisy in this mode and also the discrimination of deep targets is weaker and some of the big iron is dug out quite easily. DEEP is simply for tracking and it needs to be perceived as such. VLX1 is for those who are starting out with a detector. The mode is quiet and can be further quietened by adjusting the discrimination. VLX2 is a similar mode, but is already sharper and deeper. Its ideal use is in conditions where mineralization changes a lot.

My settings for COG, DEEP, VLX1, VLX2

COG - There is no point in trying to make this mode extremely spongy. It is better to set the sensitivity so that the detector is relatively quiet. This is because it is difficult at high settings to distinguish the crosstalk caused by conductive materials and the signal from the target. It may also be advisable to lower the discrimination level in certain locations, as there are locations where virtually all targets report at the edge of the level or completely as iron. Its use is in locations where most other VLF instruments do not pick up and only in such environments does it make sense to use it.
DEEP - I'm not much of a digger and testing this mode on some larger objects is a bit of an ordeal for me... golden wheels :). DEEP can react very sharply to disturbances in the environment, and of all of Impact's movement modes, I think it has the greatest tendency to get distracted. In testing, we found that setting the sensitivity to 75 or more basically doesn't move the depth anymore, at least for the subjects that were available. Even so, the range on 15l canister type targets at 1.1 meters is more than decent... it didn't go any deeper, we hit bedrock. The recommendation is clear, try to keep the detector at a reasonable sensitivity setting, it takes very slow movement indeed and the iSAT filter at 1 at most.
VLX1 - A mode to start with, set the sensitivity as far as it will go and go have fun searching
VLX2 - A mode to recommend for searching in areas where mineralization changes rapidly. From my point of view the behaviour is similar to ID3 but the mode uses 4 tones. I have spent quite a bit of time in this mode and so it can definitely be recommended in places where there is a lot of iron and coins to look for.

STA, STA D, GEN and GEN D

The last four modes are really something very unusual. Movementless and All metals with and without discrimination. I spent a lot of time on them. I tried to get the most out of the no-move especially. If only because you can't find them anywhere else. So I'll start the description with the static modes STA and STA D. For those who don't know what's going on. The detector in motionless mode works so that you don't have to wave over the detected target. Purely physically this is the mode in which the detector should exhibit amazing depths, after all that's why they were built until the late 90s. But the problem with that is that you had to constantly fine tune the search height and also reset the threshold tone. Nokta has solved these problems although it still has some of that fly.

Anyway, how's it working on Nokta? It works really well for them, but you need to learn how to get the most out of these modes.

STA and STA D - I'll discuss both static modes in one paragraph, and most importantly describe a few important tricks and behaviors. STA D mode is static and also has dicrimination. Discrimination is no miracle, it works depending on the size of the subject up to 20 cm or so. After that, iron and paint are the same sound. Care must be taken when detuning the ground. After you pump and the detector beeps that it is detuned, wait at the optimum search height of about 3 cm until the "grumbling" stops. Movement with the detector must be slow if you want to get the most out of the detector.... and believe me, this mode can literally plumb dreamy depths. It is absolutely necessary to set the iSAT to 0. If you leave the setting higher, a rather incredible effect occurs at the deepest targets. You receive a target and as the probe stands over it and the detector makes a sound, it slowly starts to disappear. I suppose the interference filter will evaluate the weak signal as interference and literally cut it off. This iSat effect is only seen with STA and STA D! STA is actually set the same way. I have to say, though, that I used the discriminating mode almost exclusively in my search. I've always tried to keep the sensitivity setting as high as possible, but it depends on the ambient interference.

GEN and GEN D - All metal modes are forall hell-raisers . Use it best in places with few targets, otherwise it's a bit maddening. Probe movement must be slow if you want to reach maximum depth. I've seen these modes used with great success when prospecting for natural gold, and I enjoyed that far more.

Operating frequency

The detector operates at three - 5 kHz, 14 kHz and 20 kHz. Most of the time I switched between 14 kHz and 20 kHz. Both frequencies are useful when looking for coins and small objects in the field. The 5 kHz frequency is for finding larger targets, but I used this frequency several times when there was a high degree of interference under high voltage wires, where the detector was more stable.

Conclusion

It is clear that this is not the last article about the Impact. In the next ones, I will only ever focus on the single mode setup. The range of Impact's capabilities is really huge and I think that a book could be written about all of its features. The Impact is also exceptional in that a complete beginner can get his hands on it, set up VLX1 or VLX 2 and put 95% of all detectors on their ass. On the other hand, a searcher with 15 years of experience can have months of fun honing the capabilities of each program. The detector doesn't have many flies. Like most high-end instruments, it suffers easily from jamming. In particular, some high-voltage lines can throw the detector off a fair amount. You can partially solve this problem by setting the discrimination to about 6. Alternatively, if it's really some hell, use the ID3 program. Mostly, though, the detector is decently quiet and usable even in the most extreme conditions.
For those interested in Impact, I recommend reading the manual. It is almost perfectly crafted and manages to get literally the maximum amount of information into a minimum of text. You can download the manual by clicking on the image.

Instruction manual for the Nokta Impact metal detector

Impact through the eyes of Dan Hezky (Habán)

Impact Impact... Every time there's a new product lately, we jump in with gusto to find out what's better about this detector than the others. Usually it's a greater, sometimes even extreme range, but quite often time during testing reveals some "BUT". By that I mean that the detector goes very deep, but only in good soil, for example, or can't separate well, or is not suitable for the field, or lies on small targets when mineralizing, etc. etc.... They tend to be single-purpose detectors, suitable as a second or third detector in a family.

I was quite excited about the Nokta Impact, because we had hints from the factory about what kind of detector it would be and what they wanted to add compared to previous models. From the very first moment of first testing on the polygon, I got excited about the Impact and the enthusiasm has been gradually building. The range on the polygon puts the Impact in the top five. And in the field, it surprises me with more and more capabilities. First and foremost is the ability to search on basalt. The fact that it can see under basalt rock when set up correctly puts it in first place, because so far only the pulsar has been able to do that, and not everyone.

Another thing I would highlight for us "ironmen" who go to old iron artifacts, among other things, is the discrimination setting. Iron walking means that for one good thing you dig up about two and a half thousand horseshoe nails, chain fragments, and the like. A lot of good detectors can debug iron well, but debug just small nails, not many can. The Impact suits me best of all detectors for this search so far. Discrimination settings of 3 - 5 depending on the program used will handle it. On longer walks I can even identify beer corks. They have that light iron edge and not from all directions. I'll dig it out anyway though, because curiosity won't let me see if I've guessed :-)

Of the programs I feel I like DI2, because of the VCO, but also because I've walked with Nokta before and also Fisher, who has a similar one. It does have the disadvantage of being quite restless at higher throttling. Those who want quiet can get the DI3, which is very quiet, but has a little worse range - not noticeably, but the brain knows that, so I don't use it. When testing on deep targets, I liked the VLX2, it goes very deep, can be "juiced" a lot and is quite quiet. I've tried the movementless ones sporadically so far, so I'm definitely not going to rate them.

Frequency.. I'm mostly stuck on 14KHz , which is such a good all-rounder. I've only tried 5 at the beginning on the polygon and there have been few opportunities on 20KHz so far , as the fields are just starting and it's not quite right for the woods.

Features.. iSAT I try to use as low as possible, more like not at all, because it takes away depth. Fe volume only in the field.

My summary: Nokta Impact is in my opinion the best, deepest and most equipped UNIVERSAL on the market. With so many program options and multiplied by three frequencies, everyone has to find what works for them. I'm sticking with the Impact for now, and I admit I've even put away some of my favorite machines.
Not to speak only in praise, I see the minuses in battery consumption, high voltage jamming and data transmission afterwards. But I'm happy to forgive that with the other merits of the detector. I hope and look forward to someone making a probe sized between the basic and 40x36 :-)