old school house hunt, nothing old...

[runamuck]

Howdy All,

Was wondering if any thoughts/advice could be given on todays hunt. Small school built in 1902, last class held in 1949. Still used as a monthly club house.
I have had a MD for 3 years but only recently have had the time to put the hours in. Still a rookie!

Using a 705 in coin mode, using disc with nothing notched, 4 tones, sens at 21, target stability on, auto GB/tracking on (GB was 13) Stock 9" MF concentric coil.

Approx. 2 hr hunt found 9 quarters 1991 - 2001, 3 dimes 1979-1995 and 7 pennies all newer.
This was my first "old" area hunt. Was a little frustrated with the newer coins but don't really know how readily a person finds older coins. Deepest coin was 5-6", most were 3-4"

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Old Longhair]

In all reality, since it's a site that is readily available to the public, it's likely already been hit pretty hard over the years.
Also, if your GB is frequently in that low of a range, you might want to consider a DD coil. It would probably give you better depth, and have the additional advantage of better target separation.

 

[runamuck]

Thanks for your input!

Yes, from everything I've read on here and the eBook a DD coil would be better in my soil conditions and I'm on the verge of purchasing one. I see a "Digger" coil in my future but for now I'm going for the 10.5, the only thing holding me up is deciding between MF & HF. I'm leaning towards the HF as I like to hunt for jewlery just as much or more than coins and old homesteads.

 

[Old Longhair]

FWIW, I'm primarily a coin shooter, but I find a good amount or jewelry too, and the 10.5" HF DD is the only Xterra coil that I've ever sold. The lack of ID accuracy on high conductors coupled with it's emphatic response to iron and other low conductors made most land hunting an exercise in refuse removal. In other words, I never dug as much trash as I did with that coil. Of course, your results may vary.

 

[runamuck]

Well that's very good to know.
May I ask which are your top two coils you use?

 

[mapper65]

One thing that I've learned over the years is that no matter how old or how new a property is, nothing guarantees the age of your finds prior to digging any targets. Also, don't judge what may be on the property after the first time detecting it. We've had properties that were fairly modern and someone has pulled up a Barber or seated dime and we've had old properties that have not turned up anything old. Even if the old property was detected before you may just haven't ran over some good stuff yet.

We were given exclusive access to an old home some about 3 years ago. We are 100% sure that it was never detected before. The property was 120' x 120' with a house and a garage on it. In the first year we found a decent handful of 60's clad, wheats, an indian or two and a sliver or two. Two of us detected that place a minimum of 2 evenings a week in that first year not counting winter months. In the second year also detecting it at least 2 night a week, sometimes 4, we found 2 V nickels, 3 or 4 more indians, a barber dime and about 5 more silvers. Fast forward to this past Saturday, the first hunt of that property this year and my Mom found a 1904 indoan.

I guess my point is, persistence pays off and don't judge a sight by your first go-round. After we found the initial batch of old goodies at that site, it was 6 to 8 months later and we started pounding a bunch of old coins out of there. This property isn't that big and it was just a matter of running over the right area at the right angle with the right coil under the right soil conditions.

For the most part, no place is ever really hunted out. Many people will tell us that this or that place has been detected before and "you probably won't find anything". Those are the kinds of places that my family likes to hunt and in most cases someone will have a notable find at a place that's been "hunted out".

I have both 10.5" coils but do yourself a favor and don't wait to long to get a 6" Coiltek coil. It's definitely our goto coil for coins on most sites.

Have fun!

 

[Old Longhair]

Well that's very good to know.
May I ask which are your top two coils you use?

I stick primarily with MF and LF coils. The MF coils are the most honest/accurate due to their having nearly uniform target bin segment widths across the entire detection range.

 

[Mark in S.E. IA]

Longhair and mapper has given you some great advise. The 10.5 DD MF coil should help some since you have GB #'s in the teens and do not judge a place until you have been there a few times.

I have a few tips for you. I'm sure you already know this but make sure you keep your coil as close to the ground as you can. Do not swing the coil any faster then a 3 sec swing speed. At times a lil slower then that will help too.

The next time you go back to that old school, go to the far end of the property and start MDing out there for a hour or two and see what you can find out there.

Good luck and let us know how you do.

 

[runamuck]

Thanks for all the help.
I may be getting the digger coil first and waiting to find a 10.5 MF used. Todays short hunt changed my previous thinking as it seems no matter where I hunt it's very trashy....if I go more than 9-10 feet without hearing something I look down to make sure my machine is still on! LOL
I hunted a old park today and was really surprised at the amount of trash. Did find 10 pennies 3 dimes and a 1972 nickel which was the oldest coin.
Still had fun though! I had originally planned to hunt the tot lot...but being a nice day it was full of tots!

 

[runamuck]

Mark I ended up at the far end of the school yard and wish I had started there because I was tired by then. Anywhere close to the school house was really overwhelming and tiresome due to the trash. I think each time they reroofed that school they threw all the old nails in the grass.....

 

[mapper65]

One other thing that I always try to do is think like the type of people that would have occupied the area. In one instance three of us were detecting a defunct neighborhood and we had checked a decent part of the backyard area where there probably had been 3 or 4 houses. I started thinking to myself "if I was a kid, where would I be playing if I lived in this neighborhood".

I went up behind the houses into the woods and started finding a few coins. I told my brother, "if I was a kid this is where I would be playing". He came up and in a short time found 3 silver halves all within probably two feet of each other. I don't think an adult would have buried those there but it was probably some kid's hidden treasure that he'd forgotten about.

On a school property I'd be trying to find where the swings may have been and also any areas that I could be exploring if I was an adventurous kid. Areas like a little creek or place that I could damn up where water may have run through. Obviously you want to hit the main areas but kids want to explore a little and taking that into consideration can be very helpful.

 

[Mark in S.E. IA]

That's why I start way out back because most ppl that have MDed that place got tired or ran out of time and did not work it really good. Everybody works around the school house first,,,,,,, not me. Also, try to do some research on parks and schools to see if you can find old photos. Some times you can get luck and see where there use to be a playground and now it's in a different spot. When I go to a old park for the first time I look for the biggest wide open area and that's where I start. Alot of times when you get out in the wide open areas you will see where their use to be tree's that died off years ago. also in the middle of the summer ppl want to MD around the shade tree's to help stay cool and do not go out in those wide open areas.

One more thing, I would buy the 10.5 DD MF coil before I would buy the 6" coil. After you get pretty good with the X705, then go buy the 6" coil.

Mark I ended up at the far end of the school yard and wish I had started there because I was tired by then. Anywhere close to the school house was really overwhelming and tiresome due to the trash. I think each time they reroofed that school they threw all the old nails in the grass.....

 

[runamuck]

Well after going back and forth on the coil decision (feeling like a old woman who can't make up her mind)
I ordered the 10.5 DD MF today. Looking forward to going back to the same spots for comparison tests. Hopefully it will work as good as I'm hoping. If all goes well I'll follow up with the Digger coil at a later date.

Thank you all for you input and I'll report back after I try it. Unfortunately I'll have to wait maybe up to a week before it gets here.

 

[runamuck]

Well I have been back to the school twice, the last time with the new 10.5 coil. I pretty much work the same area each time. The last time with the DD coil I picked up 2 more quarters, 3 each dimes and pennies. Total has been 16 quarters 7 dimes and 11 pennies all clad. The new coil is a bottle cap KILLER! I never dug that many caps with the CC coil. I'm thinking about nulling 46 as that is what they consistently come in at, and they sure sound sweet. lol

 

[Old Longhair]

The new coil is a bottle cap KILLER! I never dug that many caps with the CC coil. I'm thinking about nulling 46 as that is what they consistently come in at, and they sure sound sweet. lol

Slow down and listen to them and they won't sound as sweet. I can't say that I don't dig any, but I don't dig many.

 

[Mark in S.E. IA]

Well I have been back to the school twice, the last time with the new 10.5 coil. I pretty much work the same area each time. The last time with the DD coil I picked up 2 more quarters, 3 each dimes and pennies. Total has been 16 quarters 7 dimes and 11 pennies all clad. The new coil is a bottle cap KILLER! I never dug that many caps with the CC coil. I'm thinking about nulling 46 as that is what they consistently come in at, and they sure sound sweet. lol

yea, the 10.5 MF DD does like rusty bottle caps and here is something you can do to tell if it is a bottle cap and a good way to pinpoint with the DD coil.

Wiggle the coil over the target and pull it back towards you, a split second before the tones stop the numbers will jump down in to the 20's then will jump back up in to the 30's or 40's,,,when your in a pattern mode.... If your in all metal, just before the tones stop you will see a ( - ) number and you will hear the tone for iron and then the numbers will most times jump back up in to the 30's or 40's. Also when the tones stop your target will be at the center outer edge if the coil

 

[runamuck]

Yes, I do the wiggle test and usually hear the grunt....but I talk myself into digging it anyway.
I'm am getting better at walking/dragging myself away from them....