I must be doing something wrong!

[LaRoper]

Hello all,
I have had my E for around 5 months now and probably have around 70 hours on it. I have not really dug any deep coins, more than 7". I have had signals that register at 43, 44 and the dept meter showed around 6"s. I will dig down past 6"s and dig some more until I finally give up at a depth of 10 to 11"s. I have dug around the sides thinking maybe is was on edge or pinpointed a little off. Do you think I should have kept digging?
Also, a lot of signals I get where going on way the signal is good and the other is nulled. I'm thinking its trash or iron.
Suggestion will be appreciated.
Thanks,
LR

 

[NebTrac]

I personally wouldn't keep digging after 11". I've dug canning lids that were deep, but that is site dependant. Do you have a pinpointer?

NebTrac

 

[Digger]

I've dug a lot of holes to depths greater than 7 inches and don't always find a coin. But I don't stop looking until I see what it is that made the detector go beep! If I find a piece of metal, I remove it and rescan the hole. If you don't have an electronic pinpointer, use the detectors coil. If the signal is no longer there, I'll stir the dirt up a little bit (in case I flipped the coin on edge) and scan it again. If there is still no signal, I figure the scrap of metal must have been the only target there. So I put the scrap in my pouch, fill the hole and go on to the next one. JMHO HH Randy

 

[LaRoper]

I do not have a pinpointer. The problem is the signal is still there and it drives me nuts not knowing. I don't want to dig a huge hole, it just the target sound so good. Any recommendations on a pinpointer? Has anyone found a good target when you only get a good tone in one direction?
LR

 

[AgileMJOLNIR]

I've found many a good target while only getting sound in one direction. I have been in your shoes before my friend and 9 times out of 10 it was because the target was really really small. So definitely get a pinpointer, it's going to make life much easier.
A lot of people use the Sunray Probe but personally I like the Garrett Pro Pointer because it speeds up recovery time for me and is easy to clean etc.

What types of sites have you been hunting? Treasure can be found at all kinds of depths. I just got my E-Trac last week and was digging 9in coins at a local school where I was practicing within the first 5min. Are you ground balancing you're machine? Also are you running manual or auto? Could be you're running too hot and chasing a false signal.

~Joseph

 

[utahshovelhead]

Hello LaRoper,
The machine pinpoints quite well without a pinpointer. If I have trouble finding the target the very first thing to do is switch screens to Quick mask (mine is fairly open) and see where the cursor is, if its still in the same upper spot it was then I turn on the pinpoint and get a FEEL for how large it is. I can tell by the speed of the pinpoint if I have a large or small object and pretty much know by now about what and where it is.
If the cursor has relocated to he bottom half then I am getting an iron " spike" I mean some iron object sounded like a good target and you can dig like hell and not always find it or it can be a deep something and you may dig it.

Coin targets on my machine don't give me allot of mystery unless they are next to some iron thing or trash around or deep deep. If deep deep the machine will tell me in pinpoint mode with the scale. If a coin is pinpointed off center I may dig and dig deeper than I should because it is on the side. If this is the case you have more than one item that is making it difficult to point. I circle the targets and watch the tip of the loop to see where it hits from 90 degree angles without the pinpoint. This gives me some idea as to if there is second target (different sound) or where the target is as it will just start to sound good right under the tip crossing, then 90 degree and tip crossing. That may take some practice but I do it without hardly much thought now.
Hope that helps, but nothing beats pure experimentation and trial. I am a shovel head so I Dig almost everything if I am in the right spot.

Good luck,
utahshovelhead

 

[LaRoper]

Thanks all for the reply's. This detector has got to be the best I've ever owned. Just still trying to figure out some of the signals. I've been detecting since 89, started of with a whites coinmaster, the a Whites Spectrum, Sovereign elite, Tesoro Tejon, and then the Big "E". I'm going to pick up a pinpointer as soon as I get a chance.
I did find where they were tearing up sidewalks here in town and found one 25 merc, a Buffalo and "V" nickels. Going out to a old park today and give the 5" coil a try.
I run the sensitivity in auto most of the time and always noise cancel before I start.
Thanks for all the tips.
LR

 

[Bell-Two]

Hand held pinpointers are quite helpful, I have both the Garretts Propointer and the Sunray in line on my e-trac I use both...the Garrett is a sturdy unit that you can really scrape with and find the target sometimes it is enough to find things easily. I will sometimes pick the target up with the Garrett and then switch to the Sunray since it will give you readings on what the target is while the Garrett is just telling you it is a metallic article. Using both really quickens the finding of the target when there is junk and a good target both in the hole. For example if your machine is telling you there is a diggable target at 4 to 5 inches and you find a screw cap at 3 inches you can then remove it and then use the sunray to pinpoint to check if there is a good target there this works for me anyway and I am glad to have both. The advantage to the Garrett you can use it with any machine.

 

[jbow]

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