PLAYING THE ODDS?

[Number9]

I'm not trying to step on toes... so don't take it that way.
But one question keeps popping up in my thoughts.
I've noticed several times in many post where someone using a detector will have it set on discrimination to help prevent digging trash. When we see the things they find, we will see the gold and silver jewelry, the sunglasses, keys, pop-tops, sinkers, etc.
I'm sure they dug some of the trash thinking they were good targets?

The question is... how many targets did you NOT dig thinking they were trash... that could have been gold, silver, or other items that could be valuable?
Are you playing the odds... or what!?

Yes, I do know the more ground you cover, the better the odds are that you'll find more good stuff.
But I have to wonder what the REAL outcome would be running in AM and digging all targets, compared to running in Dis and passing up many good targets overlooked?

 

[HawaiiMDer]

I think the point these people are trying to make is, if you're in an area laden with trash, it's easier to cover more ground and dig signals that have a higher possibility of being good finds as opposed to digging everything and covering less ground. Yes in a sense you are gambling, but if you know the sounds of your detector and the sound shape of say for instance rings, you better your chance at finding more valueable things. I do this here in Hawaii at a beach i know detectorist don't go because of the sheer volume of trash that's in the water. How do i know, because i reverse discriminate most of the time, meaning i hunt in all metal and use discriminate to determine whether or not to dig. Mind you i've owned my excalibur for 10 years and am very familiar with all the different sounds discriminate makes. Does that mean i've never passed up a good find doing it this way? No, i'm sure i did, but with the finds that i have recovered, i'm ok with that. I average where i detected 2 rings an hour each session i do, and that's even after the area i have detected was already gone over by other people. Hope that answers your question.

Ken

 

[Beachcomber]

you may have misunderstood what was meant when people talk about Discrimination and Beach Hunting. When we use Discrimination in reference to beach hunting we are only using enough Discrimination to reject iron. If the person is using a Minelab BBS or FBS detector the detector only needs to be set to Discrimination Mode in order to accomplish this since even with the Discrimination set to it's lowest level the FBS and BBS Machines still reject iron. But even if the beach hunter is using some other brand of detector normally the Discrimination Control is only set high enough to reject iron. At this setting almost all gold you go over that is within the detection range of your detector will be detected. You don't really start losing a lot of gold until you set the Discrimination level to around nickel or higher. Most serious beach hunters would never have their Discrimination set anywhere near nickel. JMHO

HH

Beachcomber

 

[deerman]

I use a Fisher I.D.Edge that i put in a waterproof box and set it up in the custom program with just enough dis so i can hear the lower tone on iron
so i don't dig it up but if theres a good target sitting next to it i will hear it and get a +number so I don't think i play the odds in dis mode as i dig alot of targets
that hit low tones but I.D. higher up then what the tone tells me is there just in case it is a good target next to a bad(aways dig the iffie targets as it might also be a chain)
,I also know what numbers/tones I.Ds are in the gold range becouse I have checked all types of targets in air and ground to see what the detector will do wiche helps getting the smaller gold
rings,charms and earring(it will even hit on the earring backs if it snot too deep) So play the odds?NO.... Dig it all in the water?YES NO ODDS JUST DIG

 

[fieldboy]

I swing a PI so I dig deep and often, If it beeps I dig it . ...I leave nothing

Fieldboy se va

 

[woodwizard]

same here -something set off the beeber and I'm gonna see what it is-hunt slow and dig all

 

[S.S.Tupperware]

I also have a PI so the other day after enough bobby pins to open a hair salon, I quit diggin the double beeps... then I was diggin a coin and I dropped it back in the dry sand and it stuck on its edge... guess what? Double beep, so now I dig them again. Fortunately most thing I find in the dry sand I can just sweep the sand away with my foot, so its not bad. In the water I leave nothing to chance...

 

[Ron Lord]

n/t

 

[hunter 18]

swing a PI-Or My - VLF in the Beach if Beeps I dig Good Target Or Bad it BEEP I Dig is Gone
i don't use Discrimination Sand or In the Surf. if BEEPs Is Gone

 

[jim/wpb]

I use Minelab BBS units and when there are beach cuts (recently few and far far between) the sound discrimination allows you to dig only the probable gold targets. Sure you'll get a few pull tabs, but most of the time they are the first to wash out. Why waste time digging trash, coins, or even silver when the gold is exposed. Every time you set that scoop in the sand takes time and tides and beach cuts don't last long so you need to cover a lot of ground fast.

I'd like to thank the guys that dig it all ....which equates to fewer nulls for the BBS.

 

[harvdog42]

I dig everything at the beach. In the wet sand even junk can give you a clue as to wether you are honing in on treasure based on the weight and size of the junk. That is one of the main reasons I got rid of my Excalibur and replaced it with a PI. With the Excalibur I could never decide wether to hunt in all metal or discriminate out iron which would then discriminate out some decent indicators. However, on a beach that is just loaded with iron, a PI is not practical in my opinion. My two cents.

Harvdog

 

[tonyweston]

I have just bought myself a Mk2 scally ( we wont mention the other 3 mk1,s ) or the wifey will ask " why do you need so many machines " we wont go there coz I do aim to sell 1 or 2 on Ebay eventually !!!
Whilst I was testing out the new Mk2 I was surprised to compere the tonal differences between the blue and yellow phones, and I must admit I do prefere the older blue head phones both for comfort and tone . ( I can feel a mod coming on ? )
Many years ago I found a cracking white 14k gold ring and noticed how different the tone was compered to 14k yellow gold ? so since then I have dug everything that beeps through the lowest possible discrimination setting and so many times I have been a " happy bunny " ! Alas when times are quiet and signals are few I often wonder how many lower tones have I wrongly identified as bloody FOIL ,,,, RING PULL etc and walked on ?? so now, I dig them all !!!

happy hunting Tony Weston

 

[Barry NY]

I've disciplined myself to dig EVERYTHING that doesn't null out the excal in the wet area (don't hunt the dry).
Even when I believe it's 100% bottlecap - i dig. for the extra 30 seconds of work - that one good find is so worth the effort.