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DIGGING DEEP TARGETS

Using the Explorer 2, having trouble finding targets in the 9-10'' range. Get a decent target, depth gauge almost all the way down. Try to pinpoint then dig but no target, could these be false signals, hard to pinpoint deep targets. One hole did have a nail in it. Finding about 40% of targets i dig for. Thanks Tom
 
i had the same problem.then i bought a garrett pinpoint, they are worth their weight in gold, you end up finding a BB at 10 inches , cut down on the size of the hole
 
I had a propointer but it feel to operator error, i now have a whites bullseye 2 and its the worst pinpointer. You have to be on top of the target to get a vibration. Pinpointing is not very easy with this detector. Does it take a while to learn or if you dont get it you dont get it.
 
cintitomcat said:
I had a propointer but it feel to operator error, i now have a whites bullseye 2 and its the worst pinpointer. You have to be on top of the target to get a vibration. Pinpointing is not very easy with this detector. Does it take a while to learn or if you dont get it you dont get it.
It does take a while to get it down, I rarely use the pinpointing feature much anymore, I just gauge where the target is with a few close sweeps of the coil, saves me a bit of battery too. That's possible with lots of practice over targets. I also use an inline probe for the target once the hole is dug.
 
Tom, I sometimes have a similar problem pinpointing deep coins but a little different than yours. This has happened several times; on the first pass I get that 'warble' that Bryce talks about, it sounds sweet and I know it's deep. But on the return pass, I don't hear a thing, maybe not even on the next couple passes then there it is again. I wiggle the coil across where I think it is but can never pinpoint it and the end results is that I walk away wondering if I just left a nice coin down there. But, the only other option I suppose would be to dig a 10 inch in diameter hole at the exact point where I heard it, 10 inches deep and take a chance. If it was on the beach or in the woods or out in a corn field, I wouldn't have a problem doing that but most of my hunts are on nice lawns either private property or a nice park. I'd be interested in hearing what others would do, how would you determine where to dig - or would you walk away?

Still learning my two month old SE :)
Don
 
DaugBiscuit said:
Tom, I sometimes have a similar problem pinpointing deep coins but a little different than yours. This has happened several times; on the first pass I get that 'warble' that Bryce talks about, it sounds sweet and I know it's deep. But on the return pass, I don't hear a thing, maybe not even on the next couple passes then there it is again.

I definitely "walk" on these.
 
First I recommend you go over to Demarco Detector Sales and equip yourself with a Sunray X1 probe, IMO these are manditory when hunting with an Explorer in the dirt. As they are pretty much just a 1 inch coil for your Explorer the probe has all the features your Explorer has, tone ID, pinpointing, etc and depth is a good 3 inches. If nothing else you will be less hesitant to dig a deep iffy knowing when you go in with the probe it will quickly tell you whether to continue digging or close up the hole and move on quickly to the next target. Target recovery is much faster. If its 95 freaking degrees and humid spending less time hunched over digging is a bonus. Because the X1 probe has such good depth and tone ID it will also help you recover more coins in holes where there are multiple coins. One problem with the Explorer is, once you open up the hole and there's air between the coil and the targets vs ground it loses depth. I can't tell you how many times I have dug a hole, recovered a coin, I 'think' I hear something else in the hole with the probe, check the hole with the big coil nothing...but the probe says give it a shot, dig a little deeper and 1 or 2 or in one case 7 more coins that were just progressively deeper into the hole. I NEVER use pinpoint mode with the stock coil, useless to me BUT I often use pinpoint mode with the probe. One problem with probes is once you open up the hole and you go in with the probe sometimes you get too close to the target, its screaming in your headphones but you can't pinpoint it because it seems like its everywhere, switch to pinpoint mode and the probe will put you right on top of it. Don't do what I did, I scoffed at the probe at first, I don't need no stinking probe bah, then I started digging deep holes after I learned the machine and what a nightmare. I was either chasing a nail poking into the hole sidways or I'd finally recover a nice silver coin AFTER I carved a big gouge into it with my digger. I finally purchased the probe and then kicked myself for waiting so long. The Sunray X1 probe ladies and gentlemen, my favorite accessory.

Now as for these signals that come and go, for newer users this tip will save you a lot of headache. The Explorer will pick up signals off to the sides/front,rear of your coil and if you don't have the coil centered over your target the depth of the target will also be way off, the depth meter is only accurate when you are centered over the target, if the target is off to one side the machine will report the target as being much deeper than it really is. Shallow clad is nortorious for this, the Explorer is pretty hot it can pick up shallow targets well outside the diameter of the coil. SO here's the tip, when you think you have found a target of interest, check the surounding area with your coil, I generally check a coil size area around my target so maybe an area 30 inches in diameter. I want to know what else is in the vicinity of my target because nearby targets can pull my pinpoint off center, a nearby target may be trying to mask my target, or my target may in fact be one of those nearby targets and I'm just not centered over it. This is especially important in an area of rusty nails, rusty nails throw a signal off sideways along the length of the nail, they can project a signal quite some distance and if you are picking up this signal off the side/front of your coil it often will be a high tone iron falsing signal trying to fake you out that its a coin. Often once you get centered over the nail it then ID's properly as a nail, even so there are some stuborn nails that false even when you are centered over them. The trick with them is turn 90 degrees and sweep the target again, did it go low like a nail? Yep its a nail. Another good trick for sniffing out rusty nails falsing is to watch where the cursor on the screen is hitting (smartfind or iron mask mode not digital). Rusty nails falsing are very reliable in this regard. They ID on the screen in two locations, top/left corner where they are supposed to ID, and far right edge of the screen, cursor half off the right edge of the sceen, cursor down from the top about in the silver half dollar area. As you sweep you will see the cursor bounce between those two locations, this is a classic bounce pattern, you may have heard some old timers talk about bounce patterns this is one I look for because its so reliable for properly ID'ing iron fasling.

Okay wow that's a lot of typing, I may have over did it on the coffee this morning.
 
Thanks Charles .... you just answered a nagging question I have had in my head for months.
 
Charles, I suppose it goes without saying that you prefer the Sunray X1 probe over the Garrett PP, but I would be interested in knowing why you favor the X1--what features about it are in your opinion superior to the Garrett. I purchased the Garrett because it was referred to me; it is the only pinpointer I have ever owned so I really don't have an opinion either way. I thought a pinpointer was a pinpointer, maybe some have more power out than others but I am eager to learn and want whatever will help me become a better metal detectorist.

Thanks for your input.

Don
 
Don, I've got my sights on the Garrett PP for an upgrade to the Automax V4,which was a throw-in from Kellyco when I bought the Safari. I have so little confidence in it, that it stays in the car. I break it out once every month just to remind myself (this after watching a pp video and taping a coin to the shaft for supposed better depth).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUlewb1xGN8&feature=related. I get better results by waving handfuls of dirt over coil.
 
DaugBiscuit said:
Charles, I suppose it goes without saying that you prefer the Sunray X1 probe over the Garrett PP, but I would be interested in knowing why you favor the X1--what features about it are in your opinion superior to the Garrett. I purchased the Garrett because it was referred to me; it is the only pinpointer I have ever owned so I really don't have an opinion either way. I thought a pinpointer was a pinpointer, maybe some have more power out than others but I am eager to learn and want whatever will help me become a better metal detectorist.

Thanks for your input.

Don

Never used a Garrett PP so I can't speak to that. Let me just say this, the X1 probe IS your Explorer, every feature the Explorer provides is available for use with the X1 probe since its just another coil attached to your Explorer. So I guess it would be best to just compare the Explorer features with the Garrett PP. Does the Garrett have tone ID, discrimination, a pinpiont mode, what is the depth on the Garrett vs the X1, etc.
 
The ProPointer won't give you a target ID when you are searching the hole. The X-1 does. It can mean the difference between continuing to dig and finding a rusty nail and not.
 
I have used several different hand held pinpointers. IMHO the Garret is the best one, that being said, I use the X1 inline probe and can't imagine not using it. Love that it uses the power from your machine as well as all of the function and ID as your detector. Its a winner!
 
kschae4 said:
Don, I've got my sights on the Garrett PP after watching a pp video and taping a coin to the shaft for supposed better depth

Ken, I have the Garrett PP and I knew it's max depth was about 2 inches, but the video you submitted totally surprized me that one could tweek it into giving up an additional 2 inches of target depth, 4 inches is a lot to expect from a handheld pinpointer. Thanks for the video.

Don
 
Charles, Dave and jcooking, thank you for the insight on the Sunray X-1 probe; I will look into it and see where I can get the best price - I may have to get one for my wife for Christmas, you know, like the chainsaw or air hammer or new weedeater we give our wives for Christmas!? :cheekkiss: (Of course my wife has no interest in metal detecting herself,,, so it was just an oversight, sorry honey).

Thanks again,
Don
 
On the real deep targets that barely give you a pinpoint tone, try lifting the coil up about a foot off the ground and maybe eight inches over from the target. Then hit the pinpoint button and quickly come down and over to the target. For some reason this will make the pinpoint detect deeper (better PP signal). Are you checking the signals at 90 degrees from your first sweeps? This will usually determine if it is iron or a good signal. Iron will usually null (or give a low tone in ferrous tones) at 90 degrees. Keep in mind too that a ball jar lid at a foot and a half will sound like a quarter at 9". So, you may not be digging deep enough to really recover the item. Do get a pinpointer with some depth. The Sun Ray one gets 3-4 inches and is super for deep items. I guess the New Garrett one is popular too, but I have never used one.
Hope this helps, HH - BF
 
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