Another SovGT question. Why do I dig so many nails...

[jbow]

that read, on the meter, like a copper penny or clad? I dug one today in my yard and knew it was probably going to be a nail of some kind but I dug it anyway. It was an old roofing tack. It read kinda iffy but a solid 179 on the meter when it locked in. A more shallow coin will sound much "rounder" but how can I dig fewer nails and not lose deep coins? Practice I suppose but do you have any tips?

Thanks,

Julien

 

[berkeley bottle boy]

Nails can give you a high tone when you hit off off center a bit.

When you hit a high tone:
* try hitting it from different angles, still there?
* do you get nulling as you move on or off of the tone?
and the clincher
* if you switch into all metal does it stay in the same spot?

If only one angle and the tone breaks a little and its not in the same spot in AM then unless I'm feeling lucky I'll assume its iron. Worth digging out if you're going to eventually beat the spot to death though.

 

[Doug[Manila]]

Hi Jbow,
I don't have the GT but the XS2aPro. Are you sure the nail is iron? I've dug some brass nails that read high.
I do remember digging more iron nails in certain soil conditions when my sensitivity too high.
Doug

 

[jbow]

at least this one was. I put it on the driveway and checked again after I dug it and it nulled if the coil was close to it but if I backed the coil off it would read high but not with the steady round tone like the clad I had a few feet away for comparison.

Thanks,

J

 

[jbow]

n/t

 

[doublet2a]

Usally, I find that if I have a hard time pin pointing the target in "DISC"
and dig a hole, and now its moved to a differemt spot
It's probaly not worth diggin
But you never know for sure
Listen for that smooth sound
Work the coil over the target, and listen
When it "farts and pops"
probaly junk
Good luck

HH TIM

 

[Doug[Manila]]

BBB is right. One way to tell if the high tone is iron nails is to pinpoint in all metal pinpoint. If the high tones are not at pinpoint center it can be iron nail or large iron with other nearby nonferrous.
If the spot is a productive one you do want to dig up and take all the iron out as they will mask the good targets as well.

 

[Rick(ND)]

OK, With the GT it is more sensitive so it can be fooled with nail and little bit more. I find that when I get one of these signals i will work it to the tip of the coil so I know where it is, then try to come at it from a 45 to 90 degrees angle and see if it is still there, if it nulls it is a nail,but if it is still there i will be digging. Another way and also any iffy signals you wonder on is to pinpoint it in all metal using the 90 degrees turn so the target will be right under the very center of the coil and while holding the coil still switch back to disc and slightly wiggle the coil, if it nulls it is iron, if the tone start climbing it is a positive signal and one I will dig.
First thing is make sure it is a repeatable signal before even looking at the meter for ID.

Good luck
Rick

 

[Marc(NB)]

Maybe this was already mentioned but if you get a good sounding loud tone,and you know its a shallow target,but the meter doesnt lock on to 180,I'd leave it there.Been fooled many times and learned the hard way.But mind you I dig it anyways cause Iam so darn curious.Saying this then I would be leaving the newer Canadian pennies cause they are now reading 173.But as a rule of thumb when in douth dig it!BTW I have a xs2a pro.

 

[jbow]

I do all this stuff but some nails still fool me. I have, especially, been pinpointing then wiggling in disc. I have not been checking to see if the target moves very much because if I pinpoint and then hear a tone in disc...I am digging. I can't stand it... just the idea that it "might" be something and I can't leave it. That's probably the main reason I dig so many nails... because I can't stand to not dig it if there is any chance it might be something.
All this info help's me though because sometimes I get in a spot where I just can't take the time to dig everything.

Julien

 

[jbow]

I can't stand it and I dig unless I am in a really target rich place then I get a little picky. I guess I should have worded my question a little better. It's not exactly why am I digging so many nails but it's why do so many nails ID like something good when they are iron or some other trash. I dig them because I dig a lot of holes, especially if the ID tell's me it might be good.
I know it's a thing I really have to just keep doing it and I will learn and that's no problem because I can't stop! I love detecting!!!

Julien

 

[au4greg]

Deeper Ferrous can fool lots of makes/models. The proximity of the iron and shape of iron as the ELM field comes into contact with the object can give off non-ferrous readings. Same thing with a deep non-ferrous target over 7" can read as ferrous.

 

[ellis]

JBOW-I DONT KNOW ABOUT THE GT BUT MY XS WILL DO THE SAME THING. I THINK THAT POINTS TO ME BEING TOO IMPATIENT.forgive my large type but i am super slow on typing. i have more trouble at the older 1800s sites with the cut nails than with modern nails. my impatience really paid off one time though, one little coin read like a sorry target. took several trys, it kept acting like rust.an 1803 prussian silver.one side has crown with two f,s (old english style) other side 3 letters ,III, then under neath the foreign stuff and date. size, will fit inside a half dime and thick as three pieces of typing paper. the other guys answers were very good. dont give up. hh

 

[jbow]

Yep, I do dig everything that is iffy unless there is way too much of one kine of trash.

Thanks,
J

 

[berkeley bottle boy]

I think the Sov (or me!) is fooled by those U nails for barbed wire. I've dug several of those from ~6" in the last week. They sure sound sweet and are good from a couple of directions.

Anyone else find those are fooling them more often than straight nails?

 

[Rick(ND)]

I notice most any of the deeper seeking detectors I have used will get fooled by these fencing staples, but the Sovereign get fool less with iron.
I just got done with a hunt yesterday with the GT and found it fooled me more than it ever did before on iron as I got several rusty bottle caps, some of those staples and even one or 2 nails with one a big square nail. Normally this don't happen with a Sovereign, but there may be days you will see it more often as ground moister and your sensitivity settings have a lot to do with it.
I feel some of the reason on some of these is the signals are just too iffy to not check out as many of the deeper coins sounds like some of these.
Rick