Digging all that iron ?

[Elmy]

We all try to avoid this by hitting quick mask and swinging over the target at 90 degrees.
All the time looking for a fe in the 30's. Sometimes I wonder.....
How many times have you dug nails with a coin in the mix...quite often I do.
With a tighter pattern , like the 110 pattern....Maybe we should dig more iron to get more coins.

For example on this particular hunt....
I got a high fe of 25 and a co of 10...but it sounded like a nickel should....
I dug it and sure enough, out came a large nail....after a rescan of the target I pulled a deeper nickel out.
I covered the hole back up and swung my coil over it....nothing else there now.
On my next swing just a few inches away from the hole I just dug was a high co of 46....What ????
I had just crossed this target and got nothing before the nickel hit. Now I get a 46 high tone
where there was nothing before.That large nail, iron had nulled the 46 co and I picked the nickel signal up
on the other side of the nail. This 46 co was not picked up before I took the nail and the nickel completely
masking it. Ended up being a silver rosy...
So I wonder....are we digging too much iron or not enough ?
GOOD LUCK and HH

E L M Y

 

[Knipper]

This is site dependant, of course, but I've never been one to "clear out the trash" with the idea that there are old coins and gold rings just lying below. It may everntually come to that but I won't like it. Been detecting for close to 45 years and dug almost everything when I first started out. Can't remember ever finding a coin or ring hiding under trash. I'd rather spend hours in a 'worked out' area lookiing for deep signals others have missed. One or two old finds keeps me going, Going home with a pouch full of trash was always unsatisfying. But that's just me...I will never begrudge anyone for the way they detect or what they like to dig...it's ALL good!

 

[Elmy]

This is site dependant, of course, but I've never been one to "clear out the trash" with the idea that there are old coins and gold rings just lying below. It may everntually come to that but I won't like it. Been detecting for close to 45 years and dug almost everything when I first started out. Can't remember ever finding a coin or ring hiding under trash. I'd rather spend hours in a 'worked out' area lookiing for deep signals others have missed. One or two old finds keeps me going, Going home with a pouch full of trash was always unsatisfying. But that's just me...I will never begrudge anyone for the way they detect or what they like to dig...it's ALL good!

yes, but think strongly about that first....your pattern or in my case ,the 110 pattern, takes a whole bunch of iron out with the trash....the seated would have never came without it....finding a coin with the pattern and your settings actually improves your chances....don't take this bad but you are completely wrong here....dig a few nails....get a 30 dollar value silver coin once in awhile....it won't kill you to improve the chances of finding silver in with some iron as iron is everywhere ...any place you hunt. Anyway, you are the master of your detector....you have the choice.

Not arguing, just stating my experiences out detecting. And I have never dug everything in all my years of detecting have I ever hunted in all metal mode.

a lot of old timers removed the iron first, then dug the coins after it was removed.


Cheers and HH
E L M Y

 

[Elmy]

This is site dependant, of course, but I've never been one to "clear out the trash" with the idea that there are old coins and gold rings just lying below. It may everntually come to that but I won't like it. Been detecting for close to 45 years and dug almost everything when I first started out. Can't remember ever finding a coin or ring hiding under trash. I'd rather spend hours in a 'worked out' area lookiing for deep signals others have missed. One or two old finds keeps me going, Going home with a pouch full of trash was always unsatisfying. But that's just me...I will never begrudge anyone for the way they detect or what they like to dig...it's ALL good!

you have never dug a coin with a few nails in the hole with it ?

 

[Knipper]

you have never dug a coin with a few nails in the hole with it ?

Yes of course I have! I dig lots of "iffy" signals. But for me there has to be something about the signal that warrants further investigation. I'm talking about those who dig every pull tab and bottle cap as well as all iron signals with the idea the trash is ALWAYS hiding lots of good finds. As I said, for me it is site dependent. A very old area with potential may justify some trash removal. However, I've never recovered a coin or good target from UNDER a deep, large piece of scrap iron or trash. Nails mixed in and on the same plane of the target don't bother me, and I dig my share of those. However there HAS to be some other indication of a signal other than iron grunt for me to attempt recovery. The 1870 schoolhouse we hunted yesterday was a good example. It's been hunted by MANY, so I was digging lots of iffy targets, mostly heavily rusted nails...the kiind where the point of the nail gives a conductive signal and when dug, you find the nail in the side of the hole pointing towards the center. I dug about twenty of those, and rechecked my hole every time...no goodies! Still dug them though. Had that signal been a large piece of scrap iron, I wouldn't have dug it. I accept the fact that I (or anyone else) am not going to detect and recover EVERY good target in ground. I (and others) will miss some, whether the ground is clean or contains tons of trash .
I look at the various kinds of trash targets as "Time Bandits". Assuming it takes 2 to 4 minutes to recover a target (depending on target depth) fill in, and repair the hole, at the end of the day if you have 30 trash targets (with nothing else in the hole), that's at least an hour of detecting time that could have been used to search for a more desirable target. I figure I have 10 to 15 years left on this earth and I want to use my detecting time to concentrate finding more desirable finds.
Those that practice "beep and dig" on everything don't need a detector capable of sophisticated patterns or any discrimination at all... Just buy a pulse induction unit that doesn't discriminate, and dig everyting. But bring along a wheelbarrow to cart away all your trash!

 

[Elmy]

Yes of course I have! I dig lots of "iffy" signals. But for me there has to be something about the signal that warrants further investigation. I'm talking about those who dig every pull tab and bottle cap as well as all iron signals with the idea the trash is ALWAYS hiding lots of good finds. As I said, for me it is site dependent. A very old area with potential may justify some trash removal. However, I've never recovered a coin or good target from UNDER a deep, large piece of scrap iron or trash. Nails mixed in and on the same plane of the target don't bother me, and I dig my share of those. However there HAS to be some other indication of a signal other than iron grunt for me to attempt recovery. The 1870 schoolhouse we hunted yesterday was a good example. It's been hunted by MANY, so I was digging lots of iffy targets, mostly heavily rusted nails...the kiind where the point of the nail gives a conductive signal and when dug, you find the nail in the side of the hole pointing towards the center. I dug about twenty of those, and rechecked my hole every time...no goodies! Still dug them though. Had that signal been a large piece of scrap iron, I wouldn't have dug it. I accept the fact that I (or anyone else) am not going to detect and recover EVERY good target in ground. I (and others) will miss some, whether the ground is clean or contains tons of trash .
I look at the various kinds of trash targets as "Time Bandits". Assuming it takes 2 to 4 minutes to recover a target (depending on target depth) fill in, and repair the hole, at the end of the day if you have 30 trash targets (with nothing else in the hole), that's at least an hour of detecting time that could have been used to search for a more desirable target. I figure I have 10 to 15 years left on this earth and I want to use my detecting time to concentrate finding more desirable finds.
Those that practice "beep and dig" on everything don't need a detector capable of sophisticated patterns or any discrimination at all... Just buy a pulse induction unit that doesn't discriminate, and dig everyting. But bring along a wheelbarrow to cart away all your trash!

got you...I used to do that...silver count went way down as did ih's and nickels....and the 110 pattern has no iron grunt....don't hear anything except a threshold and a coin or trash item that falls within it's pattern....to much noise and chirps and grunts for this old man to distinguish between for me. Took many years to make that pattern. It is all I use now...my go to detecting setup. Let's see if cw3 can use it as a new user to this pattern at the old log cabin site....

 

[Knipper]

got you...I used to do that...silver count went way down as did ih's and nickels....and the 110 pattern has no iron grunt....don't hear anything except a threshold and a coin or trash item that falls within it's pattern....to much noise and chirps and grunts for this old man to distinguish between for me. Took many years to make that pattern.

I use patterns too Elmy...all the time! Patterns suppress trash signals which MIGHT (but in my experience seldom does) hide a good target. I investigate any signal allowed by the pattern, and some of those are very 'iffy' (wishful thinking ). There is a school of thought by some in detecting that says "Dig everything!", or "All metal, all the time". I don't attend that school! LOL

 

[cw3]

Let's see if cw3 can use it as a new user to this pattern at the old log cabin site....

Don't count on me.

I went to the 1900 farm. Today he said I could detect across the road but not the house. Then gives me a story about how he pays rent on the house he bought in 1950. The story goes he got a call from Italy that he won the lottery. He only had to send them $1800.00 then they would send him his millions. He did that over 3 payments. When they were supposed to send his money a former president intercepted the call and took his money. I don't know how I can pick these people out but I do it all the time. I actually feel sorry for him he is 93 and believes this stuff. He is a Korean war vet deserves better. I sat and talked with him for a couple hours and did not detect at all. I think he just liked the company.

I'm looking into the parks in my area. Getting an age on them. I did not grow up in the area I live in, so, I have no knowledge of the history of the area.

I went to one park today. The Etrac would not settle down. I had the sensativity down to 12 and it was still going crazy. Did noise cancel a couple times and it did not make any difference. When I got home the Etrac was fine. I got the ctx out and dug clad with iron. This park you will never get a clean signal. Every coin will have Iron with it and they are deep. I know the Ctx and coins with iron, still learning the Etrac. The ctx I have the target trace that helps a lot.

 

[Elmy]

did you try this on the etrac ?

The undetectable grounds

Minelabs factory installed coins mode is a very stable mode. It seems to run almost everywhere. When you hit an area that has you detector unstable and falsing every swing.... Switch to the minelabs coins mode....if it is not stable in this mode, you might as well find a new area to detect...If...

www.findmall.com

or this ?

Manual Sensitivity 27

I love running a manual sensitivity of 27...really gets the deep ones... But you have to have a fairly stable threshold to run the etrac that way. GOOD, CLEAN GROUND. If your threshold is nulling, going silent every swing of your detector you may be Using too much sensitivity trying to pull the...

www.findmall.com

 

[jkline]

In my part of the world, if I'm not digging some iron, I'm just digging clad.

 

[Elmy]

one more post that helped my hunting partner out....

Manual sensitivity and Noise cancel ?

I recently read a post that got me think'n. When detecting with your sensitivity in manual mode, notice your number then manually go through the 11 channels. Does any peculiar channel allow you to raise your sensitivity while still maintaining stability ? What are your thoughts on this ?

www.findmall.com

 

[cw3]

did you try this on the etrac ?

The undetectable grounds

Minelabs factory installed coins mode is a very stable mode. It seems to run almost everywhere. When you hit an area that has you detector unstable and falsing every swing.... Switch to the minelabs coins mode....if it is not stable in this mode, you might as well find a new area to detect...If...

www.findmall.com

or this ?

Manual Sensitivity 27

I love running a manual sensitivity of 27...really gets the deep ones... But you have to have a fairly stable threshold to run the etrac that way. GOOD, CLEAN GROUND. If your threshold is nulling, going silent every swing of your detector you may be Using too much sensitivity trying to pull the...

www.findmall.com

I did try the factory coin mode. That's when I got down to 12 sensitivity and it was still not stable. I gave up and got the ctx out. I could run the ctx at 20 manual and be stable. I get more depth in manual. In auto it will not hit the 9 inch merc on either machine in my test garden.

My coin season is pretty much over. I have a family camping trip this weekend and 3 recovery calls for next weekend. I will also be getting snow in about 3-4 weeks and need to finish some stuff on the house.

Thanks for all the help.

I attached a picture of the stupid junk signals I dig trying to turn them into coins. I can call a target coin or junk with the ctx about 90 percent of the time correctly. I did get a 1943 war nickle.

 

[Elmy]

wow....now that is a lot of trash !
All from a park ?
If you could not run the etrac in minelab coins mode then you did the best you could do with it at that location....congrats on the silver nickel...saved the day for you.

 

[cw3]

That's all from a 20 by 20 area.

I will sometimes dig all high tones and not analyze them. It seams all the public parks in my area are build on landfills.

 

[IDXMonster]

That's all from a 20 by 20 area.

I will sometimes dig all high tones and not analyze them. It seams all the public parks in my area are build on landfills.

“built on landfills”.....they ARE! In a sense, that is. Many of mine are parks built on land unsuitable for residential or commercial applications, many times the land is too low to farm as well. In comes the “dirty fill”! These are truckloads of cleanup debris the municipalities bring in so they don’t have to pay to get rid of it. They fill up this horrible spot of land, throw 6” of dirt on top of it
and plant grass. Võila! Instant park. This is why you find pieces of siding, old tractor bolts and BIG iron in these places. They are a complete and total horror show. I don’t hunt them anymore, but I sure did at one time! The ability to analyze a signal with the CTX to me is second to none. The VERY second I think I’m smarter than it is....boom! Garbage city.

 

[cw3]

“built on landfills”.....they ARE! In a sense, that is. Many of mine are parks built on land unsuitable for residential or commercial applications, many times the land is too low to farm as well. In comes the “dirty fill”! These are truckloads of cleanup debris the municipalities bring in so they don’t have to pay to get rid of it. They fill up this horrible spot of land, throw 6” of dirt on top of it
and plant grass. Võila! Instant park. This is why you find pieces of siding, old tractor bolts and BIG iron in these places. They are a complete and total horror show. I don’t hunt them anymore, but I sure did at one time! The ability to analyze a signal with the CTX to me is second to none. The VERY second I think I’m smarter than it is....boom! Garbage city.

Thanks for the info kevin. I was not aware they did that it explains a lot. Some of these parks you cannot move the coil 1" without hitting iron. Anyplace in the park its like a big sheet of iron.

I can still pull coins with the ctx. Its just tedious and hard work. I'm looking for better locations.

 

[IDXMonster]

In response to what others have said regarding trash to get to coins...that’s why FBS seems to be a “magic bullet” in a lot of cases. The machine will give you SOME reason to investigate an otherwise rotten signal. I have to say that I have found MANY MANY MANY coins in with trash and nails, too many to recall exactly. But as has been said also, that didn’t happen on a straight up iron signal...there was something else “telltale” that told me to look at it more. Are there coins hiding under straight iron signals? Perhaps! I just don’t have the time and will to see. However you have success is another way of doing it, and it’s all good to see!

 

[Knipper]

In response to what others have said regarding trash to get to coins...that’s why FBS seems to be a “magic bullet” in a lot of cases. The machine will give you SOME reason to investigate an otherwise rotten signal. I have to say that I have found MANY MANY MANY coins in with trash and nails, too many to recall exactly. But as has been said also, that didn’t happen on a straight up iron signal...there was something else “telltale” that told me to look at it more. Are there coins hiding under straight iron signals? Perhaps! I just don’t have the time and will to see. However you have success is another way of doing it, and it’s all good to see!

I've found the same IDXmonser! I've found numerous coins mixed in with the nails, but only if the nails were on the same plane as the coin or above them. I dug the signal ONLY because there was a telltale 'squeak' along with the iron grunt. Andy Sabisch mentions this in his book, but it seems that one might only hear the additional squeak IF some discrimination is used to tune out the iron nails or small iron target (next to or below the good target). Then the detector is forced to concentrate on what it's allowed to respond to. Sometimes the field presented by large iron is just too great for a good signal to squeak through, and the good target is truly masked. It's true, if you want to get ALL possible good signals, you have to dig everything and I don't have the time or inclination to do that either!