Detecting over old dump site:ausflag:

[Hungry]

hello Fellow detectorists, I have had my SE for 12 months, and read these forums avidly,I do really well on the beaches, and on the sports fields,BUT. I went to a big sports field the other day and found out it was layed over an old dump site. The detector seems to be in null mode about 90% of the time, I run in conductive and have wound the sensitivity down to 6. Has anyone got any suggestions please.

 

[Steve(MS)]

First of all don't worry about the null as the Explorer will still signal on good targets so as long as it is stable, jack up the sens (manual). If there are areas where the trash is less, then hunt those areas first. If the trash from the dump is iron then you will need to slow down and really work the area, if you have a small coil that will help. Dumps can be a real challenge, some have a lot of big iron, some have a lot of big alum, some have both making it more difficult. Conduct is fine, that's what I use, you have to get used to the iron chirps. If you are fairly good with it now, use iron mask at -14 or -15(whatever relates to the SE).
HH

 

[Hungry]

Hello Steve, Thanks for the advice, I thought when it nulled it didn't read any thing until the thresh hold returned, but if coins will still register i will get back to the site next month. I go and do detecting while my wife goes to her sewing club and this site is about 45klm from where I live. I will take the 15" coil off and put the standard coil on , this will probably help as well. HH

 

[Nick A]

I thought this too. Maybe it is just the meter that does not reset as fast? The audio is still good? Hmm...
I suppose I can test this by discriminating out something, like zinc pennies and placing a bunch on the ground with a dime in the middle and see if it still reads the dime while it nulls on all the zinc cents?

 

[Steve(MS)]

I don't know about the zinc/dime test, I doubt if that will work but it may. I was assuming low disc and a null caused by iron and/ or minerals in the ground. There is only so much any detector can do with nearby trash. If it is a really strong signal given off by a lot of iron then it may not signal on a non-ferrous item, this is all relative but if there is no metal in the ground and the detector is nulling, it will for sure signal on an item. Also if there is not an overload caused by too much iron, you will get a non-ferrous signal if the signal is strong enough for the detector to process....I have found a lot of stuff in nails where the detector was in a constant state of null, from very small conductors to high conductors, you are right too, sometimes the meter doesn't won't to reset but by doing the wiggle, sometimes you can coax it into a reading, the tones though are much more important than the meter.
HH

 

[Hungry]

thanks Steve, Can't wait till I can get back there and give it a bash HH

 

[Steve(MS)]

While you swing if the depth meter is continuously above 3/4, you will need to step down to a smaller coil and cover the same area, actually if I am hunting a section and the depth meter stays a little over halfway then I know I will hunt the same area with a smaller coil. Dumps, places where a structure once stood and all the nails, etc is shattered in the ground, and cellar holes require more patience and if it is a proven area with good finds, it is time to dig the iffys, sometimes it takes a while to see how the detector is reacting to ground conditions. Those old sites, I try to dig everything above iron if possible.
HH