intelectially challenged, please help

[hawkeye1022]

So I have been out a handful of times now with my safari, and each time I seem to get worse at getting to know and understand the machine. I have tried several settings blacking out most of the spectrum. All that has happened is I have gotten more confused and more frustrated. I have tried using my own coins to try and understand the tones, but when I take it to the park everything pops up as the same and no matter what the number says, its almost always a penny. the only time I get a clear difference in sounds is when it is right on or under the surface. I don't usually have this much difficulty with these type of things, but I am struggling on all ends. Can I please get some advice and feedback to save my sanity. I know these machines work, I'm just not getting it. Thank you

 

[kschae4]

Sorry your troubles continue. A re-occuring suggestion for newbies,(most of us at one time) is to read through most ( if not all) of this entire forum, purchase a copy of Andy Sabisch's Mastering the Safari and Quattro (read it, read it again,review it) view videos similar to http://www.minelabowners.com/forum/vbtube_show.php?tubeid=367,and run Safari in factory coin, coin/jewelry settings. You'll gain confidence and your recoveries will vary and grow. Search here on tid settings and you'll see what other members report what their finds show tid as.... stay with it and GL.

 

[MetalMiner]

Just need to keep at it, eventually it will sink in, & you will always get those pennies that give the higher reading like a dime.
I found that using it in LOW Trash mode I was able to better distinguish the tones. Something I recently learned GO SLOW.
I have 8 Silvers for the year & 5 of those I found since last Sunday when I started to GO SLOW. I hate not covering a lot of ground,
but whats better covering a lot of ground & finding no silver, or covering a little ground & finding silver. When you go MDing go with the
goal of trying to learn something new about the Safari as opposed to trying to find stuff, the finds will come. Good Luck

 

[KinTN]

Good advice above; youll do well to follow it.

I would re-emphasize (as you already seem to know this) screening out most of the range while learning. Go Auto Sensitivity with only 36-39 open if you are REALLY struggling- you can always rehunt later with less discrimination. That will only be coppers, clad and silver. I'd probably also get out of the parks; they are the trashiest places to hunt and that slows your computer down a lot. Even schoolyards are better re trash. Remember that your goal right now isnt to find great stuff, just to learn your machine. A coin garden would be nice; a friend's if you dont have one, and a local club member's if you dont have a MD friend.

 

[kscowgirl]

I found to learn the good sounds to go to a local bar with a gravel parking lot. Set it up 36 - 39 open yep find only clad coins but it will teach you what to listen for. It helped me, to learn good from chatter. Hope it helps ya.

 

[TabFinder65]

Andy Sabisch's book is a must have . I have a Quattro and was having the same problems as you, You have to read and put each chapter to practical use to really understand it, but it is far more understandable than the handbook that came with your machine..

 

[Prep1957]

I was using Fishers before I came to Minelab one of the big hang ups I had was sweeping over the target too many times to try and identify it.If you do that with a minelab it will make most targets sound good.You need to sweep 3 or 4 times max from one direction slowly and go 90 degrees 3 or 4 more times again.If you want to try again without moving to identify your target move the coil away a few seconds it kinda resets, sweep target again slowly 3 or 4 times this will be your best reads.If it is not clear signal or a matching repeatable sound most likely it is junk.I think people that have bought the Safari as their first detector learn it much quicker.The Safari one day will click in your head it will all come together.Hang in there.Make sure you are in trash mode if you are hunting in a park.This is going to sound stupid but I helped a new Etrac user took her to a pounded park that I felt good if I found 3 coins in a day.Told her to go out and find me 5 regular pull tabs with 7 holes Max.Then find me 5 square pull tabs that will read higher than a regular pull tab never see someone so excited to dig pull tabs but she is learning her machine and I really have not the time to really help her yet.

 

[eagle52]

Adjust sensitivity to your ground manually ( do not use AUTO ) you will be digging much deeper and listen to the sounds Safari makes do not look at the VDI # to much. I am White's user mostly but Safari is very good and DEEP. Good Luck.

 

[TNHunter]

I feel your pain! I am also new to the safari but I have followed a lot of the suggestion from the people above. I am still learning the machine and have only been out a few times. No silver yet but they will come. My book by Andy Sabisch coming in tomorrow and cant wait to read it. I came from Whites M6 to the safari and it is totally different. Hang in there.
Paul

 

[tkn. tony]

The numbers on the Safari to me---- are not a lot of help in iding a target===== you will get pennies that ring up like silver----37-38-- all the good stuff except gold jewelry comes up in the upper end---- 32-39. You could try this next time out to a park--- Auto senseativity ---block out every thing--EXCEPT # 38 and 39--------that's right----- every thing except these two!!!!!! I DID THIS LAST WEEK AT A PARK THAT IS TOTALLY INFESTED WITH PULLTABS AND BEER BOTTLE CAPS----in a little over 3 hrs i dug $3.98--clad quarters and clad dimes and only 3 pennies------- and only 5 pieces of garbage. Sometimes the sound will be nice and clear and sometimes not as clear---- for the same type of coin--- it depends how it's laying in the ground and maybe it's next to a piece of trash -etc---try these settings and you should at least find some clad coins and maybe a silver too!! Tony AZ

 

[DiggerODirt]

I noticed in your post that you are already modifying your discrimination patterns...Not a good idea for a new user...turn your detector off, then hold down the power button for 5 seconds until "Factory Reset" appears on the screen...Then select the factory Coins mode, and hunt in this mode until you get used to the machine...Only things you should be changing are the noise cancel, contrast, sensitivity (if the machine is falsing a lot, turn it down 3-5 notches), and the Threshold level if using headphones.

HH,