Disappearing VDI on standard F75

[Roland58]

This may be normal and not a problem, but, I have noticed on a number of occasions and usually in a pretty clear location, I can swing my machine and there will be NO VDI display, during this time I can here an occasional tone signal (nothing loud). When this happens, I can just swing a little more and a decent signal will show and the VDI will reappear. It has never failed to produce a VDI when a good signil is being had, so, I really believe this may be normal. Usually, running in the AM motion mode, GB checks in about 63--slightly on plus side, threshold +1, Sens 80 to 95.

I'm not worried about it....this baby works when it is supposed to!!! Anyone else experience this?

 

[Jay Evans]

Probably a deep target Roland...... I'm just guessing. My T2 does that at times when in desc mode and always has a weak/deep target in Pinpoint mode.

 

[boxofchocolates]

I'm thinking deep target......dig a little insert coil try again....you may be surprised......hh.....Dan
PS could also be small surface target.

 

[markg]

I've noticed the same thing.
I believe it could be a very deep target or a very small surface target. If you're in a place that could hold very old deep targets it wouldn't hurt to dig a few of these if they were a narrow response target.

 

[jbow]

Are you saying that the VDI disappears and then when you stop and swing some more it comes back and you dig it or are you saying that you get an audio and the VDI disappears but the audio remains or are you saying that both disappear and don't come back?

If I understand you are saying that it goes away but comes back when you stop and check it closer... if that is the case it is good news. Any detector that will stop you on a deep target so that you check it out a little closer is a good machine. Remember that on deeper/smaller targets.. the faster you whip the coil over them the better more depth and the VDI you will get.

Some machines (the Tejon comes to mind) will give good audio on a junk target on the first swing then the audio will degrade as you swing until after a few passes it will disappear... could that be what is happening?

If you aren't doing it already dig a few. First dig a plug and see if the target is something tiny in the top layer or something deep... I don't know how many times i've dug 10" looking for a target only to finally find it to be a very small piece of aluminum in the thatch at the surface... arrrgh. I should know better but I get caught up in the moment and my thinking goes out the window. I know I should always use my pinpointer first but sometimes when both my ears and the detector tell me I have a deep target I dig first but it would pay to first check the thatch or ground cover for a very small target right on the top that mimics a deep target... oh well.

Julien

 

[Roland58]

Julien,
No, I kept swinging the machine, could hear a tone and might get an ID of, say, a quarter. Then, when walking around the target (still rapidly swinging the coil) the VDI display will go away....totally........yet, I can still hear the tone. When I get the machine (coil) back to the original position, the VDI may or may not come back, but, I still have the tone. I dug about 14-16 inches down, still had the tone, maybe even stronger, but, still no consistent VDI display. My cheapo pinpointer did not pick anything up (really need to get a good one) and the machine did not spot anything in the material from the hole, yet, the tone remained perfectly over the hole. I'm old and this was some hard digging with a small blade and plastic scoop and my hole was too small for the coil to fit into.

Basically, everyone has verified my suspicions and this is normal behavior. I just really didn't think the standard F75 would be picking up a "quarter" at over 15" deep! I may have to go back with some post hole diggers!!

 

[boxofchocolates]

Roland, do you have the f75 and the f75ltd,if so you may wanna put the 5inch coil on one so you can get it down in the hole you could leave it loose and hand insert it just to see what you find....good luck hh..Dan

 

[jim tn]

I've had both instances happen, get a "tic" signal that is deep and the vdi becomes jumpy or none at all. Not all the time, but often enough to dig, it is a deep, small coin on edge. Some other times by enlarging the hole the coin has been off in the side of the hole and frequently near some trash item that was actually pin pointed. HH jim tn

 

[Roland58]

Roland, do you have the f75 and the f75ltd,if so you may wanna put the 5inch coil on one so you can get it down in the hole you could leave it loose and hand insert it just to see what you find....good luck hh..Dan

Dan,
I have the F75 standard, however, I have three coils with it......the standard 11" DD, 10" oval concentric?, and the small, white oval that measures about 6

 

[boxofchocolates]

Roland ,if you can relocate the hole and with the smaller coil inside would be interesting info you can hand maneuver it around before you wrap it good luck hh....Dan

 

[Elton]

On edge..Or a deep piece of iron trying to break through... It's happened but not all that often.

 

[Jay Evans]

My T2SE did the same thing yesterday evening in my yard..... VDI showed a quarter then the screen went blank but still had a good audio. I was right over it and dug down a foot, even enlarged the hole but never could recover a target. I had the 11DD coil on the detector every once in a while the VDI would flash a strong quarter signal then go blank but never lost audio .... always had good audio. I'mma put the 5" DD coil on tonight and see what's in that hole LOL The neighbors are gonna think I've lost it slinging dirt all over lmao

 

[jim tn]

n/t

 

[boxofchocolates]

Hey Jay, let us know what you find good luck hh.....Dan

 

[Roland58]

Boxofchoc', I know exactly where the hole is, in fact, it was rather remote and I left it open with the intention of going back........may take some post hole diggers with me. I'm still wondering what caused the signal and I am curious enough to go back and find out......just may do that tomorrow. I will report back with any findings.

Yep, Jay, that is exactly the scenario. BTW, enjoyed hunting with you last Sunday, in fact, this thread is about the hole I told you about "on the hill" and in the trees of Lindsey!

 

[Jay Evans]

Well..... I got the 5" out & mounted went out to the mystery hole and stuck the coil inside it was still there and sweeping it would give the quarter signal just as the evening before. well I dug down about 4 more inches and finally got a signal on my pin pointer it turned out to be a 3/8" 90 degree pipe fitting go figure... lol I guess the rust halo fooled the detector into thinking it was a quarter for a second when sweeping it then the screen would go blank. But hey it could have been a nice relic too ...... ya never know until you recover the target. It was nice hunting with you too Roland..... hope yours is a nice deep silver quarter! Good luck!

 

[jim tn]

n/t

 

[jbow]

most anything round will give a great signal but you can usually tell by the size/depth that it is not a coin. If it is a harness ring or some other handwrought iron I want to dig it but a beercan/sodacan (or pipefitting) can usually be recognized by comparing its size/signal strength/depth or if it is shallow by lifting the coil. If you raise the coil 8" off the ground and still have a good signal... leave it alone if it has a TID like a quarter. It is dependent on where you are hunting too, if there are CW relics or old homesite relics you may want to dig everything non-ferrous unless you are in a nest of cans.

In any case round iron or steel washers always sounds good but you can usually tell if it is a coin or something else if it reads 4" deep and you're already at 5"... it's not that coin, especially if it still says that it is 4" deep with the small coil in the hole... or if you lift the coil and it doesn't go away. I know that the LTDs will still give a signal a few inches off the ground but a coin should fade away after those few inches.

Bottomline.... if it says there is a quarter at 4" and you flip a pulg and don't hit it with your pinpointer it is either something larger and deeper or something really small in the top of the plug. In most cases it is best to flip the plug back over and move on.. I do recover the junk if it is in the flap... or if I am on a relic site.

J

 

[Roland58]

OK, gang....this morning I went back to the hole and found my "quarter!" I took the small coil and a sharp shooter with me. When I got to the hole, the 11" coil still showed a quarter and no VDI, so, I decided to try a little digging before putting the small coil on. At about 6" - 8" deeper I hit something, obviously ferrous by the rusty dirt and I began to dig more carefully. Shortly, I could tell it was round and 'dished' out. A little more digging and it came free. I have no idea what this is, but, it sure ain't a quarter!!! Nothing to measure with, but, it was every bit of 2 feet!!....mostly sand and about 6" of red clay, really hard red clay!!

Here are some pictures taken after some initial cleaning with a little soap and a brush, does anyone have a clue as to what this could be????

This is a view from the side that shows it is about 3" tall........

This is the top (?) view, notice the hole in the rim. Object is about 9" wide..........

This is the bottom (?) view, notice the hole and the indentations (marked with arrows) that go all around.......

This shot is a closeup of the indentations and you can see the hole in the rim.......

Also, picked up a sea shell, long, conical, pointed, spiral. I can't imagine how that got here! Dug a little clad and some zinc, a bobby pin and some pretty old Lacross fingernail clippers. Then, my rechargeable batteries started going south. This was only the second outing with them and they only lasted about 7 hours. The alkalines that came with the machine lasted well over 40 hours using a headset. No more NiMH rechargeables for my machine!!

 

[pullringking]

Hi Roland , could be some sort of feeder, I use a chicken feeder and it is the same shape as your find, grain is put into outer rim and mound in centre is there to prevent birds from walking through feed and pooing in it.
I do hope it turns out to be a bit more exciting than my suggestion. Oh by the way the hole is probably there for drainage when it is left out in the rain!
Pullringking.