E-Trac Iron Issues

[impalabern]

Howdy friendly folks, I've been detecting for a few years with the DFX - LOVE the machine. Pulled out 1600's British on US soil, 1700's Colonial and US coins with the machine. We'll after much debating, I decided that some of these sights I have hit may still have some deep silver that the DFX can't reach. I finally broke down and picked up the E-trac. I have to say that the machine has picked out 3 coins that I have missed with the DFX that were about 8" down. The problem is, I am at a 16:1 ratio of nails to coins. The E-trac falses way to much on iron. I have learned that if it pinpoints off of where the good signal is, I am hitting the edge of a rusty nail and don't dig. But this is a little over the top. Just a little information so you can understand my settings. I am running auto sensitivity anywhere from +0 to +3, Deep off, High Trash, Difficult ground, with Andy's discrimination pattern. I am swinging very slow compared to what I swung with the DFX and am getting some beautiful steady hits on the CO. The Fe usually reads @ 27 but will bounce down to the 10 - 17 range. The items will pinpoint right where I am getting the nice sounds but when I dig it is a nail or rusted iron. I re-sweep the hole and the signal is gone so I know it is falsing on iron. The only thing I notice is that the pinpoint CO number is usually at 35. Should I trust the FE reading in pinpoint? Any help would be greatly appreciated. HH

 

[NebTrac]

I'll be reading this with interest as well. You describe about exactly what I get too. I can get a one way signal sounding good to pinpoint right also. Personally I always circle the target and if I don't get another good hit I usually let it go. This is depending on the location I am hunting at. At a farm house sight...aways from the house I almost always let it go. In a park or fairground type setting I might dig a few of these. I also listen to the tone in Quick Mask wide open. If I get that long "crackling" silver type sound and a Fe below 30, I let it go. I always dig a 2 way 90 degree signal and make sure I didn't miss the coin. Large nails, fencing staples etc. will give me a good signal sometimes.

I don't know how long you've used the E-Trac and I only have around 150 hrs. on it. If you're not too used to using Andy's program, you might try the stock program. I've found it falses a lot less. My problem is I've used Andy's program from day 1 and have a hard time going to the stock. For sure let us know how things are going on and any changes you've made that have helped you.

NebTrac

 

[Goes4ever]

are u checking the target with quick mask? I dig very FEW nails.........MOST nails I dig are the ones in the same hole with coins. I get VERY little falsing and use the same settings your using. But I use auto +3 100% of the time

 

[impalabern]

are u checking the target with quick mask? I dig very FEW nails.........MOST nails I dig are the ones in the same hole with coins. I get VERY little falsing and use the same settings your using. But I use auto +3 100% of the time

Hi Goes4ever, how do you have your quick mask set for and how do you know if it is digworthy? Thanks in advance

 

[Goes4ever]

I have quick mask wide open...........1. if you get an iffy signal, 1st thing is turn 90 degrees and re-sweep target, if it disapears 99% of the time it is iron (nails)

2. if you get an iffy signal, and still hits good after turning 90 degrees, hit quick mask and watch the cursor on your screen as you run coil over target, if it pegs right to bottom right corner and does NOT move I promise you it is iron. If it bounces from bottom right corner to middle of screen and back. DIG it, it COULD be a coin mixed in with iron. No promise but I have found a lot of coins in the middle of nails doing this

 

[Gaz]

....Goes4ever has hit every nail on the head there dude!!! (no pun intended!)

Do EVERYTHING he said and it should work.

Maybe I can suggest something else also???

I too came from a Whites M6 to an ETrac. This is why I use FERROUS sounds and not CONDUCT. I do not use any black on the bottom of my screen and by using FERROUS sounds, it gives me a low tone for iron which it used to do on the M6. (I use 2 tone Ferrous)

You can then pick out the non ferrous high tones from the ferrous low tones...........unmistakeable!!!

Gaz.

 

[UtahRich]

I have been digging targets with higher Ferrous signals as long as the tone sounds right. ( i.e. 24/42-44 is a common one for me) To me, this might be a good target in with a rusty something or other and I am experiencing target blending. I get very few targets like this that are only rusty nails. A lot of these targets are good stuff with rusty nails. Some can fool me but nothing like the ratio you are getting.

I have the detector set to HIGH TRASH. So if there is a weaker good signal in with a stronger discriminated signal, the detector will respond with the weaker good signal.

Rich

 

[Goes4ever]

I have been digging targets with higher Ferrous signals as long as the tone sounds right. ( i.e. 24/42-44 is a common one for me) To me, this might be a good target in with a rusty something or other and I am experiencing target blending. I get very few targets like this that are only rusty nails. A lot of these targets are good stuff with rusty nails. Some can fool me but nothing like the ratio you are getting.

I have the detector set to HIGH TRASH. So if there is a weaker good signal in with a stronger discriminated signal, the detector will respond with the weaker good signal.

Rich

this is why I use the quick mask to check targets, you will see cursor bounce to bottom right (the nail, or other iron) then it will bounce back up to middle or towards top (the non ferrous item) so I say if it pegs to bottom right corner and don't move, then do not dig it is iron, but if it dances around I am digging!

 

[UtahRich]

Goes4ever,

I hunt in Quick Mask almost all the time.

Ferrous = 25
Conductive = 5
High Trash
Difficult Soil
Tones Conductive
Multitones
Deep = On (I am changing this next time out to OFF)
Fast = Off
Variability = 29
Limits = 29
Response = Normal

I frequently get multi-targets in the same hole, generally rusty nails and coins. I've not watched for the bouncing cursor though in the way you describe it. Good tip to look for the next time I am out. Thanks


Rich -

 

[Goes4ever]

I can't take credit for that tip, my dealer taught that too me and he even told me to dig some of those targets that lock on in bottom right corner so I know he is telling me the truth....lol

well I have dug plenty of those that lock on in bottom right corner and they were iron of some sort 100% of the time. Now I am not saying every one that bounces around is something good, but those are the ones I like to investigate. I hate the thought of possibly leaving something good in the ground because I assumed it was trash. I'd rather take a minute and dig it to be sure. It is VERY SATISFYING to dig a target that you know other people skipped because they either:
1. could not even detect it because it was close to iron....or
2. they skipped it because it was an iffy signal and they THOUGHT it was trash

 

[impalabern]

Alright, I have an update for everybody. I am doing exactly what goesforever says to do. I am only digging the ones that are in the upper half of the screen or if they peg the bottom right but then jump up into the top. It is like a totally new experience with the machine. I am getting good targets finally and was amazed when I pulled my first silver out with the E-trac. There was a huge nail in the hole with a 1941 Mercury Dime. I was blown away to see the dime pop out next to that iron. Thanks everybody for your help and easing my frustration.

 

[Goes4ever]

Alright, I have an update for everybody. I am doing exactly what goesforever says to do. I am only digging the ones that are in the upper half of the screen or if they peg the bottom right but then jump up into the top. It is like a totally new experience with the machine. I am getting good targets finally and was amazed when I pulled my first silver out with the E-trac. There was a huge nail in the hole with a 1941 Mercury Dime. I was blown away to see the dime pop out next to that iron. Thanks everybody for your help and easing my frustration.

congrats! glad to see I actually helped you! congrats on the silver!

 

[M-etracOH]

I am new to the forum,, Well a new sign up.. I have been lurking for weeks But i am having the same problems with me E-trac on Iron.. I am getting so frustrated.. I get a good sound from multiple directions.. Hits that i would die for on the Explorer.. But it seems that every good sounding deep hit i get is a big rusty nail... I have yet to find a silver coin in the conductive settings on my E-trac.. I don't know what to do.,. I am loving the E-trac.. But i am digging so many nails that I regret selling my Explorer.. Any tips for me? I have tried goes4ever tip.. It helps.. But i still dig those dang nails.. I am not a newbie at detecting either.. I have ran the explorer for a few years and was no stranger at finding coins at 10+ inches deep..When i first got the E-trac i had it set up like the Explorer I have read that that could be a mistake.. So i just switched back to factory setting and raised my gain a little... Sunday will be the first run with those settings..I just wondered of anyone else had any tips or tricks in the iron issue.. I'll be thankful for anyones opinions
Thanks
Mike

 

[Goes4ever]

I am new to the forum,, Well a new sign up.. I have been lurking for weeks But i am having the same problems with me E-trac on Iron.. I am getting so frustrated.. I get a good sound from multiple directions.. Hits that i would die for on the Explorer.. But it seems that every good sounding deep hit i get is a big rusty nail... I have yet to find a silver coin in the conductive settings on my E-trac.. I don't know what to do.,. I am loving the E-trac.. But i am digging so many nails that I regret selling my Explorer.. Any tips for me? I have tried goes4ever tip.. It helps.. But i still dig those dang nails.. I am not a newbie at detecting either.. I have ran the explorer for a few years and was no stranger at finding coins at 10+ inches deep..When i first got the E-trac i had it set up like the Explorer I have read that that could be a mistake.. So i just switched back to factory setting and raised my gain a little... Sunday will be the first run with those settings..I just wondered of anyone else had any tips or tricks in the iron issue.. I'll be thankful for anyones opinions
Thanks
Mike

I am not sure what would cause this if your doind as I suggested above. Yesterday I hunted 6 hours and the ONLY nails I dug were the ones in with coins. You should not be getting fooled if your using quickmask, checking your target from two directions etc.....the etrac is very good at telling iron.

 

[jbow]

in iron you should be hunting in Ferrous/2 tone. You can use the "relic" pattern to block out a little of the iron. I use it all the time and it will find those goodies hiding in the iron but you have to use 2tone... 4 tone and multi will still false, 2 tone will not. I also run fast=on and deep=on, pitch hold (like a Sovereign) auto+3... try it, TRUST the CO number... you will be amazed.

J

 

[jbow]

You could also be missing iron masked targets because when you switch to an open screen or to pinpoint the ET will lock onto the stronger iron target and mask the good target you heard once again.

J

 

[M-etracOH]

Goes4ever.. I changed some settings and spent listening to the sounds and digging and digging lol It is getting a little better.. But I still get those hits i swear would be a coin and it turns out to be a "big nail" or iron.. Before i was digging big and small pieces lol I switched from manual sensitivity to auto and that seems to cut down on the nail digging as well.... I just dont know how well I trust auto... I am afraid i might be missing deep coins... Let me ask you.. When you turn 90 degrees.. Are you listening for a broken signal.. Solid signal.. Chirps or what?? The signals i dig that turn out to be deep coins.. I know a hundred percent they are coins before I even dig.. But the ones that sound good one direction the i turn and the signal breaks are the ones that are nails.. I think i have just trained my ears to much on the SE .. I just hate passing up those "iffy" signal.. Thinking i am walking over coins.. IDK... I am just going to give it more time!
Thanks for all the help!!!!

 

[Goes4ever]

Goes4ever.. I changed some settings and spent listening to the sounds and digging and digging lol It is getting a little better.. But I still get those hits i swear would be a coin and it turns out to be a "big nail" or iron.. Before i was digging big and small pieces lol I switched from manual sensitivity to auto and that seems to cut down on the nail digging as well.... I just dont know how well I trust auto... I am afraid i might be missing deep coins... Let me ask you.. When you turn 90 degrees.. Are you listening for a broken signal.. Solid signal.. Chirps or what?? The signals i dig that turn out to be deep coins.. I know a hundred percent they are coins before I even dig.. But the ones that sound good one direction the i turn and the signal breaks are the ones that are nails.. I think i have just trained my ears to much on the SE .. I just hate passing up those "iffy" signal.. Thinking i am walking over coins.. IDK... I am just going to give it more time!
Thanks for all the help!!!!

yes when you turn, normally you will get NO signal or broken crappy signal if it is iron. Now this is not 100%. Because I have dug IFFY ONE WAY HITS that were coins and completely 100% nulled out after turning 90 degrees. But quickmask told me there was something good down there so i took the chance and dug. The more you check out iffy signals the more you learn what etrac is telling you