Ferrous numbers question

[archer]

I'm still in the early learning stages with the E-trac. I have read and think I somewhat understand why the ferrous numbers are less stable. I am looking for feedback from other users to help me decide at what ferrous number will I stop digging targets.

What is the highest ferrous number you have had on a good target when hunting coins and jewelry.

 

[Brett]

From Andy's book, anything higher than 27 FE is most likely iron. I've been told even deep Mercs read even lower on the FE scale, like 10-43. So I guess it really depends on your area and how mineralized the ground is. I have a clad dime in my backyard buried at 8" and it pops in around the 16-43 area... and if I open up the coin program FE scale using the quickmask, it will bounce down further on the FE scale. So... if it's bouncing around the FE12 line you should be digging. If it stays pegged down below FE27 you might wanna stay away, but go ahead and dig one or two in a new area just to see

 

[grumpyolman]

series should come with the detector. There would be lots less reading on this forum if that happened, but more folks would have access to the best information that has been compiled about the Explorer and the E-Trac.

 

[Rick(ND)]

The first thing I look at is the conductivity numbers and if it is 35 or higher i will look at the ferrous numbers and try to get 12 ferrous if I am hunting coins. Now if I get a ferrous number of 10-17 I probably will be digging if conductivity is over 35 , if the ferrous number is over 30 or as low as 1-5 I will look back at the conductivity numbers and if it is under 40 its seems to be iron, but over 44 and less then 50 conductivity and ferrous of 1-5 or so i take a closer look at it as it can be a half dollar or silver dollar.
I want my conductivity numbers for a nickle at 13 while ferrous at 12 and I will also dig numbers real close to them depending on the depth of the target.
The conductivity number seem to be right on what they should be if not in a lot of trash, the ferrous can varry more, but it seem if it is over 30 or can go to a 1-5(seems like when it gets to high 30s it will wrap around and start at 1 again) it is iron and if bouncing around 10-17 it is worth checking out I also find that any conductivity over 48 been bigger trash.