Best Settings Nokta Makro Legend: As metal detectors have evolved, users have been given more ability to fine tune metal detectors to the ground conditions that are present at a given site. Factors such as ground mineralization, spacing between targets (high trash sites) and iron contamination vary from site to site.  Most modern metal detectors have "programs" which allow the user to help the user mitigate the challenges of a given site. There are essentially, two different types of programs. 1.) Programs that are determined and preset by the company (I.E. Beach 1, Park 1), and 2.) Programs that are derived from factory programs and perfected by the user. It is considered best practice for a user to tweak their settings and experiment with the variables of a metal detector. Below are some of the best recommended settings by expert users from across the Internet for the Nokta Makro Legend. But lets start with mine.

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1.) Metal Detecting NYC's Beach Settings: Here are my go to beach settings on the beach.

- Beach Mode Multi Wet: I am usually detecting the beach somewhere in the wet or around the high tide line. If I go completely to the dry, I will switch to multi dry.

- All Metal mode: I try to listen to targets and swing slowly. I don't notch anything out. I usually dig everything because it helps me see patterns of where objects fall as I walk down the beach. I don't mess with notching numbers out (See my target ID Bible video to see why)

- 60 Tones: Generally speaking I like to hear high conductors vs. low conductors and the whole range in between. 

- Bottle Cap Rejection 0: Bottle caps give me clues. They are moved by the tides and situate themselves where the light stuff is. That is where I don't want to be. It helps to hear them and dig them. 

- Ground Balance 0: You don't need to ground balance on a beach and the multi mode mitigates the salt.

- Iron Filter 8 and Recovery Speed 1: Unless if I am at a low beach (close to bottom where objects are lying) I want to reject big iron and I swing slowly so recovery 1 is not a problem. 

- Beach Stability 3: Right in the middle of the 1-5 scale. I want to hear small objects but I also don't want to compromise the low gold range (see manual on page 19)

- Noise Cancel: Noise cancel when you start detecting and again whenever you hear interference.

- Audio Gain 6: Compared to a Deus 2

- Sensitivity: Per the manual, set your sensitivity as high as possible

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2.) Metal Detecting NYC's Dirt Settings: Here are my current recommended settings on dirt.

Sensitivity: Set the sensitivity as high as possible.

Park Program Multi 1: Designed for coin and jewelry hunting in urban areas. Multi 1 is sensitive to higher conductors.

Ground Off Discrimination Pattern Whenever possible I metal detect in all metal mode. Park 1 notches out 1-10 and that is sometimes ideal, but you do lose some gold. But more gold is dropped at the beach than in parks. Ground off is a good compromise. The gold range does not go that low and it makes the machine run quietly and smoothly.

Recovery Speed: I set my recovery speed to the middle of the range at 5. If the space is pretty open, I try to go lower. In high traffic I go all the way up. 

Iron Filter: I leave my iron filter at the default of 8. The Legend is pretty efficient with identifying iron. The drawback is losing good targets in the proximity of iron. But I can live with that. 

Audio Gain: I set my Audio Gain to 4. I want to hear deep targets but there is so much in the dirt of NYC. 4 is a good compromise. Note: Even at 1 you will hear deep targets but it will be more faint than it is at 4.

Ground Balance Tracking: I have gotten better results with tracking on.

Frequency Shift: Frequency shift when you turn the machine on and in the presence of interference.

Bottle Cap Rejection: Even though NYC is Bottle Cap Central, I hate to move it from 0 but I will occasionally go as high as 4. I would rather hear everything. 

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3.) The Random Detectorist's God Mode Program (Click For Video): The creator mentioned that this is a great general use program that he uses. He detects the beach but it seems clear that this program is intended for dirt. Per the manual Multi 3 is ideal for humid, wet and/or conductive soils. It reduces the effect of moisture in soils which can cause falses. It also weakens the response of targets generating 10-11 IDs such as coke and aluminum foil. A recovery speed 6 would be used in environments where separation is needed and its a good balance with the iron filter being at 3. 

 

- Field Program Multi 3

- Ground (Numbers 1 and 2 Notched Out) 

- Sensitivity 25-26, He notes that he increases sensitivity with coil size (larger coil, less sensitivity / smaller coil, higher sensitivity)

- Do a noise cancel 

- Recovery Speed 6

- Iron Filter 3

- Stability 2

- Bottle Cap Rejection 1 

- Audio Gain 3

- Number Of Tones= Pitch

- Tone Volume 1 & 10

- Tone Break 9

- Threshold 1 & 10

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4.) Gigmaster's Beach Program: Gigmaster is at the top of the list of detectorists that I look up to. He seems to have transitioned over to the Legend full time. Gigmaster lowered the iron filter to 5 (default is 8). You don't second guess the Gigmaster but the manual (page 19) says that, "As the stability is increased though, the signal of lower conductors such as gold with 11 ID may diminish and the chances of missing these metals will increase.". Bottle Cap at 0 makes sense. Gig doesn't mess with the Ground Suppressor either. 

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- Beach Mode Multi Wet

- All Metal Discrimination Pattern

- Do A Manual Frequency Shift

- Recovery Speed At 1 (IF YOU HAVE A SLOW SWING)

- Iron Filter 5

- Stability 5 (Beach Mode) 

- Bottle Cap Rejection 0

- Ground Suppressor 0

- Audio Gain 6

- Sensitivity as high as possible. Gigmaster said he uses 30 sensitivity.

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5.) England's History: Sids Nokta Legend Elite Programme: An interesting program from Englands History to find treasures that were missed on highly hunted fields.

Sensitivity at 26

2 Tones With Tone break Set At 7 or 8

Field Mode Multi Frequency 2

Ground as discrimination pattern

Recovery Speed 7

Frequency Shift at beginning or as needed

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