Omega in wet ground - getting around it?

[earthmansurfer]

I know most metal detectors have problems in wet ground (especially if there is lots of iron) but what do you guys do to get around it? (if anything).

It seems two days after a rain is optimal for depth but I went out today and it rained a fair amount yesterday and my Omega was falsing on the iron a lot but I didn't dig but a few small pieces. But, I do wonder how many targets I missed by keeping away from questionable signals with iron in them (lots of targets jumping to iron in the VDI). On a positive note I dug a fair amount of cartridges and one of them was in iron and only gave a two way signal. I was surprised it picked it up. Also I picked up a coin that was definitely around iron. After closing the hole I checked and was hearing a few iron targets in there.

It was almost constant with bits of chatter. I stayed on top of the ground balance and that helped to keep things doable. I am pretty sure that the Omega has a particularly harder time in wet ground due to it's lower frequency, so I'm not complaining just rather looking for ways to deal with the situation as best I could. (My T2 didn't seem as affected.) I didn't try lowering the GB but has anyone played with that? I think Dankowski mentioned lower it like 20 points to avoid digging iron but that it would kill depth (not sure if that would be true in wet ground too.)

 

[Smooth23]

I sort of have to disagree. I love wet ground. I thrive in the places where the ground is wet and holds together when I dig a plug. Yes I hear more iron, but I chalk it up to the fact that I'm hearing everything that is deeper! One site in particular, I can go when the ground is soaked and dig up 7" deep stuff all day long, or have absolutely nothing to dig when it's drier.

 

[earthmansurfer]

I should add that I am in Germany and the amount of iron in the ground goes back over 500 years so it's probably nothing like you might find in America.

I love hunting in ground that is moist, but when it is really really wet it seems the traces of iron really light up the ground. I get my deepest finds (up to 7" or 8") with the Omega in moist ground. When the ground is absolutely saturated it seems I stop digging (coins) past 4" or so.

Thanks for the reply

 

[Eric (NH)]

I have noticed the same effect in wet conditions with my Omega. While the chatter is annoying, I try to hunt through the noise. Reducing sensitivity helps a little with the noise, but you risk loss of depth. My experience is, the higher you run sensitivity in disc mode with the Omega, the better it separates in iron, so reducing sensitivity compromises this advantage. Slowing sweep speed seems to help a bit too.

Earlier this spring, I actually just gave up in wet conditions, and returned to the site at a later date, and hunting returned to normal in the drier conditions.

If you are hunting mid tones and can stand the thought of passing up the high conductors, you could try notching out the Qtr (last ) segment...I think that is the region responsible for all the false ticking/chirping that you hear. At least you should hear those small, thin coins. Next time, give it a try and see what happens.

Another option would be to try running in AutoTune, sensitivity 70 or less (to avoid the noise) and hunt by sound.

I need to purchase the 5" DD coil and try it in such conditions...it may be less susceptible to the wet conditions. Maybe Monte has an opinion on this?

Best of luck!

Eric (NH)

 

[jim tn]

We finally got some much needed rain here and presently have moisture down to 4-5" in some spots. I hit a spot yesterday with the Omega and 5" coil and had no ground emi issues what so ever. Didn't try any of the bigger coils, but with the 5" no problems. Even had nearby power lines. HH jim tn

 

[earthmansurfer]

Interesting regarding it separating better in iron with high discimination. Now, I knew that to be true with the T2 but I don't think I've heard anyone say that with the Omega. But since Dave Johnson likes to bring over successful technology, perhaps that is indeed true. I always run with my sensitivity at max, so I haven't even checked - oops.

I can't think of notching out the higher end of the spectrum, I would lose silver coins and that is really what I am searching for. But thanks for the suggestion. If it's bad next time it will be worth a try. I tried lowering the sensitivity and it didn't make a difference but I didn't go below 70 and that is where the threshold hum kicks in I think. So really, we would need to drop the sensitivity below 70 to see if it helps with chatter during wet conditions.

Jim - yeah, I suspected as much once I got to thinking about it. Hunting with a smaller coil is just not going to be as affected by wet conditions as a larger coil. Come to think of it, I've seen it mentioned around on the forums. Well, now I have an excuse to use the 5" coil in spots I've already hunted with the 11", at least when it's saturated outside.

 

[Smooth23]

I don't think you can even notch or disc out dimes or quarters on the Omega..

 

[Eric (NH)]

Smooth 23, you're correct...you cannot notch the dimes or quarters...so that is one less option. I wonder why they designed it that way? I normally hunt with disc 16 or lower, and have never used the notching. Thanks for catching that. The technique does work on my GTI 2500...the last target segment rarely returned a good target.

Earthmansurfer, in order to maximize target separation in iron, you probably need to go with D1 audio...otherwise, when you are dealing with co-located ferrous/non-ferrous targets, the audio response will be the iron grunt and you will likely not dig (in D2)...assuming your disc level is low enough to hear the iron. In D2, you may get a mixed audio response, but I find that too confusing to make a proper dig/no dig decision. If it sounds good in D1 and you suspect a non-ferrous target...time to dig. If you're getting good targets in D2, at iron infested sites, I would attribute that more to the benefits of the tight signal of the DD coil rather than any unmasking ability.

Your hunting locations sound really challenging. The good news...when you master hunting at those sites, you will find targets that other less accomplished hunters have missed.

Good hunting!

Eric (NH)

 

[earthmansurfer]

That is really interesting Eric. I keep hearing about hunting with one tone and no discrimination and have read about why but I thought the improvement would be so incredible subtle (in fairly constant iron). You know, I never metal detected in America so I don't really know how the iron is there. Here, I often have a problem finding a place to GB, depending on the location. I at least have to search for 5 to 10 seconds every time, to give you some perspective.

So, I am wondering how I'm going to hear a "good target" right up next to iron in d1 mode. I mean, it is really hard to sometimes hear a good target in d2 mode when it's in iron, even with the iron volume low and bassy. I'm confused here as a deeper iron target might sound good like a shallow good target would and vice versa and on and on. Am I missing something regarding picking out good signals in iron in d1 mode? (I will try though, and thanks for the suggestion - or should I say reminder ;-) )

edit - btw I run with no discrimination 97% of the time.

 

[Eric (NH)]

Your ground conditions sound really tough. Personally, I would try running up the disc a little bit to knock out the small iron (here I use 16 to knock out average to small nails...precisely the reason why the designers provide 40 levels of iron discrimination). I don't believe you will sacrifice any significant detection depth. At that point, in D1, I would think the audio should represent larger iron, non-ferrous targets, or co-located ferrous/non-ferrous targets. By knocking some targets out, perhaps you'll have a less fatiguing number of targets to listen to in D1 (or other audio modes for that matter)...when I hear a sound of interest, I rescan from all four directions to see if that tells me anything, check to see visual ID & signal strength, then I decide "to dig or not to dig (that is the question)."

I have been hunting some colonial sites that may somewhat resemble your sites...if I search with minimum disc, I hear numerous targets with every swing. I can not handle that many responses for very long, and disc 16 prevails. Using this disc setting, D1, max sensitivity, the site has produced a number of relics (buttons, musket balls, buckles, lead, musket balls, etc.) and a few coins, including one of those tiny 3 cent silvers. The key...use what works for you....confidence plays a role in success!

This can be a very strange hobby. Last evening before dark, I hunted a small park in hopes of finding just one deep old coin...the park is well hunted, and shallow targets tend to be modern coins...not once have I ever found a older coin more shallow than 5 or 6 inches. Until last evening. Plucked a wheat cent at 4 inches...sounded off loud and clear...how could it be missed??? Later on, I dug a Mercury Dime at 3 inches, right under a tree where anyone would hunt. It read solid 84, all four directions, but it was a soft sound, so it may have been on edge. You just never know what is going to happen.

Please report back on your results.

 

[jpbol]

@ earthmansurfer

I have had the same chattering in wet conditions. Try to change freq. in such situations It helped me getting the MD silent.