You're right on the spot there, Southwind! I don't find it much fun/challenging to dig every signal in the ground, especially at a super trashy 100 year old park, which is what I hunt most often. In fact, if I were making plugs for every non-ferrous target in the ground at a park, I'd be kicked out by the grounds keepers for sure. I have to pick my signals and keep the amount of trash plugs to a minimum. I cherry pick for the older stuff, and I know that many others on this forum do the same!! I too, would rather have a very small trash pouch at the end of the day.....sure, I dig the occasional piece of iron(rusty bolt, nail, etc.) that sounds/repeats enough in one direction or the occasional low conductor that sounds sweet (most of the time, it turns out to be a pulltab, ringtab, beaver tail, large piece of wadded foil, etc.). I know very well, that without digging every piece of junk in the ground, that there's probably more good signals being "completely" masked underneath that object. I prefer to listen for the partially masked objects. The Explorers/E-Trac can find these partially masked signals very well....you need to listen carefully for mixed tones while you swing(listen for a deeper high tone squeaking through the low sounding trash or shallower clad), and make sure you circle your target when you suspect you have a diggable target to be able to better isolate your signal in order to make your decision to dig!! I was at a park yesterday, where many deeper silver/wheat signals were getting pulled way over toward the high ferrous region....most were only around 5-7" in depth, but where pegging very close to where my iron mask was, which is practically a piece of iron. I suspect in 2TF, these signals would have given low tones, because the low tone in 2TF starts at a ferrous value of only 17.....I have dug many silvers/wheats that have a much higher than normal iron reading while in the ground, and that was due to very high ground mineralization, or to a co-located piece of iron.
I have so much confidence in multi/conductive/tiny amount of IM, that I really don't want to hunt in mono-tone....no fun for me at all. You're right, Southwind....I wouldn't want to have to look down on the screen every time while in 2TF in my trashy parks on account of a pulltab gave a signal the same as a silver coin, because we don't want to dig every piece of trash(non-ferrous metals) out of the ground. We'd rather just listen and swing, and use our eyes to spot pieces of chopped gold/jewelry, or other treasures laying on the surface.
I definitely would be willing to try 2TF, as others have recommended, at places that would warrant me to switch.....that being sites loaded with mostly iron trash or a site where I wouldn't mind "digging it all" (beach, old demo, etc.)
Success with an Explorer/E-Trac can come in more ways than just one.....it's futile to try and say one way is better than another way with this machine. Why run when you can walk? Why walk when you can run? No correct answer!!
HH,
CAPTN SE
Dan
