New Etrac user question about picking good targets out of high iron areas

[bonepicker]

Would like to say that i am a new minelab etrac user and would like to say hello to everyone.
I recenty made the switch 2 weeks ago from the v3i to an etrac.
So far everything has been going well. I live in a high trash environment and have had some success.
After practicing in some local cladparks i have made several hunts to some of my hunted out spots and some newer spots for old coins.
I have found about 15 wheat pennies, a silver merc dime, and a sterling silver iron cross pin/medal (need help on id, see photo)
Lots of clad and various other items.
I mostly hunt coins, and my oldest coin after a year of using the v3i was an 1898 barber and 1898 V nickel.
So i think im liking the etrac and doing ok with it so far.
I normally hunt in the coin and jewelry discrim pattern, but i have noticed when i get in high iron areas my threshold keeps nulling out.
So today i tried hunting a bit in quickmask with zero discrim in one of my so called hunted out spots with high iron.
It was really noisy, but everynow and then i would get a signal that might start out 34:45, and then if id circle around i might hear a 14:44 upon moving my coil over and over in same area.
There was a lot of high ferrous tones in this 18"x18" spot. So i finally zeroed in on the 14:44 amongst the high iron, pinpointed and dug. Out popped a 1926 wheatie. This similar situation has happened a few times since i have begun learning.
I just had to go really slow and work to get a good signal amidst the iron. The signal might start out bad, but then after going over it from different angles it might appear to turn good.
Am i going mad, or am i starting to learn this machine.
Also is there a way to keep the threshold tone hummin when in a high discrim pattern like coin and jewelry while in a high iron environ.
Does anyone know if the iron cross i found is a war medal, and if so what war. It has a pin on back and says sterling.

 

[Mason Jarr]

I don't know the answer to your E-trac question as I'm still learning myself, but the medal you found is an US Army Marksmanship "Sharpshooter" badge.

 

[Goes4ever]

If your using a dicrimination pattern that has iron discriminated out, you lose threshold...there is no way around it. Any item that you discriminate will cause a loss of threshold when your coil goes over it. Your best bet in high oron areas would be to use TTF

 

[looknforgold]

TTF and the Etrac were meant for each other, if there's a lot of Iron, TTF will find the good targets in the Iron.

 

[bonepicker]

Thanks for the id mason. Would you consider the Army Marksmanship badge modern, or possible from the WWI or WW2 era?
Thanks for the info Goes4 and Lookinfor.
I really dont like it when my threshold drops out in high iron under discrim, because when it goes quiet i cannot hear anything, and no telling what else is down there that i might be missing. That is why i was saying running in Quickmask with zero discrim seemed to help me hear more tones.
I have read a little and watched a couple videos on TTF and would like to try it.
I am still noob on the etrac, and was trying not to take on too much too soon and get too confused, but i think im ready to give it a shot.
Change the tones to 2, and change from conductive to ferrous, then listen for high tones.
Do you know any good videos on TTF, or links that will explain how this works in good detail for better understanding.

 

[Goes4ever]

I tried to send you info, but I guess your not able to get PM's....???

 

[bonepicker]

Im a new user but i thought i was able to.
Maybe i can adjust my settings

 

[Southwind]

Two tricks I use in iron infested sites to give up the goods.

1. Stomp out the iron. When you get a deep signal you're not sure if it is a good target or iron, stomp the spot real hard with your heal several times. Often you'll find a good target will get even better and iron will begin to break up.

2. A good target will pinpoint at the same spot you get the sound and at the same spot in all directions. If you pinpoint and the target seems to move, you've more than likely got junk.

 

[Goes4ever]

ok if you get it figured out, shoot me a PM

 

[bonepicker]

Cant find any icon to click to send a PM.
So i went to my control center, and i cannot find anything that says enable or disable PM.
Wonder if its not letting me because it is a new account with little activity.
Southwind Thanks for the advice on pinpointing targets in iron.
I might have to try your stomp technique, but it sounds a little strange.
Dont take this the wrong way, but stomping the ground? Sounds like youre pulling my leg.

 

[Goes4ever]

well I have a website that explains how to set up TTF, step by step with pictures, but I cannot post the link here......it is not hard to find

 

[Mason Jarr]

Thanks for the id mason. Would you consider the Army Marksmanship badge modern, or possible from the WWI or WW2 era?

They still give those out today, but they're not made of sterling any longer. Just from the fact that its sterling, I'd say it probably dates back to the 40s or 50s.....maybe earlier. You know the government always is looking for ways to save money so they can fund some more entitlement programs, so the badges now days are made from cheap metals.

 

[Mason Jarr]

I found some additional information on the Sharpshooter badge.

Badges in the Army were insignia indicating a specific
skill or training. The most common were silver shooting badges. These came in
three grades (increasing in skill): Marksman, Sharpshooter and Expert. After
training and practice, a soldier

 

[bonepicker]

Mason that is pretty neat, too bad i dont have the bars to go with it.
I initially thought it was a german iron cross.
Goes4, your site rocks. Ive been reading and watching videos there for at least a couple hours.
Cant wait to try TTF tomorrow after work if it isnt raining.
What would you reccommend for a swing speed.

 

[utahshovelhead]

Well that is the first time I have heard of the " stomp the ground" thing. If the snow ever melts around here I'm going to try that stomp thing...for sure it will let the indians know that I'm lookin for em.

 

[Goes4ever]

Mason that is pretty neat, too bad i dont have the bars to go with it.
I initially thought it was a german iron cross.
Goes4, your site rocks. Ive been reading and watching videos there for at least a couple hours.
Cant wait to try TTF tomorrow after work if it isnt raining.
What would you reccommend for a swing speed.

on TTF go about half as fast as your normal etrac speed. so like 3-4 seconds per swing in high iron

 

[sprchng]

Swing speed in TTF has to be dead slow.
Also watch for a difference in the depth indications when your swinging and when you pinpoint.
Notice the location and dig the depth that corresponds with the high note not the iron.

 

[bonepicker]

I tried TTF this week after work, i made a couple short hunts experimenting with TTF. I hunted in my yard, and another short hunt in my mothers yard down the street. My home was built in the 1950s, and my mothers was built in 1920s. Both of these yards were hit really hard in the past year with my v3i. I havent found silver at either spot except for 1 war nickel. I have found tons of wheat pennies, so i know its gota be there. Both sites have alot of trash and alot of iron. Didnt find much in my yard. I experimented some around where the nat gas, water, and old sewer comes in from the street, thinking i could hear a good tone thru all the iron. Didnt have much luck at either site. Wasnt getting many good sounds with corresponding conductive tones. I got a few good conductive tones and dug them and pulled out some really bad rusted iron. These few good conductive tones were around 6" deep, they werent hitting good when i rotated 360 around target, but ive seen some videos saying they sometimes only show up from certain directions. I may not have even dug a couple, but it was the only time i was gettin 40's in the conductive range. Gona give it another shot today, fortunately i will have more time. Anyone have any advice. From watching the videos on goes4's site and the ones on youtube, TTF looks simple. Maybe i just havent put my coil over a good target yet.

 

[Goes4ever]

when you get a high tone using TTF, turn 90 degrees, if it repeats, highly likely it is a good target.....if it does not repeat after turning 90 degrees, 99% of time it is iron, keep walking

 

[Jeff63]

when you get a high tone using TTF, turn 90 degrees, if it repeats, highly likely it is a good target.....if it does not repeat after turning 90 degrees, 99% of time it is iron, keep walking I also use my X5 in TTF in parks alot