please Help me I'm new to metal detecting

[DirtDean]

Steve, if you don't mind passing some of the gold items and want to dig fewer pulltabs...here's an idea. Take your most common pulltabs and scan them in learn mode, then reject them, using the smallest cursor. If you want to dig more coins that are higher conductors(pennies, dimes, quarters, silver, copper) and fewer nails, then make sure you have iron disced out. If the occasional iron "sneaks" through discrimination and it has an odd fe # or the signal is erratic, then switch to quickmask screen and scan the signal again. If it bottoms out in the lower part of the screen fe #'s 27-35 then you can either dig it to confirm it is iron or pass it up for now and focus on the high conductors with lower fe #'s 18 and lower. These are just guidelines to help you dig more "goodstuff" but should not be taken as absolute, unfortunately we all have to dig the junk and if you got into detecting with the misconception that you will only dig up awesome stuff then you have been mislead. However, if you stick with it, learn your machine and what it tells you, research your area for promising sites, and just have fun. You will improve your chances of getting the "goodstuff".

Again, if you have more specific questions there are many here willing to help you!

Good luck

 

[stevew]

Thanks dean that sounds good where are you from

 

[OhioCoinHunter]

When I first got my e-trac I didn't find silver the first hunt...nor the second or even the third hunt. I don't remember how many times I hunted before I found my first silver coin...but it was at a site I had hunted before. As a matter of fact, I had hunted the same area where I found that first silver coin more than once! Yup. What did I do differently? I slowed down - way down. I was hunting too fast. When you swing your coil, you want to hear every individual signal. If there is a lot of trash in the ground, you'll have to swing the coil very slowly. When I did that, I found my first silver dime. Continuing to go slow and isolate each signal, I got another high toned signal not far from the first silver dime and dug a second one! The key was slowing down and listening. Finding silver seemed much easier after that day. It will be for you too. You'll find silver.

There are a lot of modern coins in the 1 to 4 inch depth range. There are some shallow silver coins in that range too. Yesterday I got a high toned signal with a conductivity number of 47 that was only about 4 inches deep. I thought for sure it would be a modern clad quarter. It was a 1956 silver Washington. During the same hunt I got another 46/47 conductivity signal that was about the same depth. Again I thought it was going to be a modern quarter. It was a silver ring. Then I got a deep high toned signal that was about 6 or 7 inches deep. The conductivity number bounced from 44 to 48. That got me excited. It was a deep silver Rosie. My point in telling you this is not to brag but to demonstrate that some silver is shallow. However, in my neck of the woods, I've found the most silver coins in the 5 to 8 inch range. I've found some shallower and a few deeper but that's where most of it has been.

Some guys will tell you to dig it all. That's fine if you are young and have unlimited energy. But I'm 48 and it would wear me out quickly to dig every shallow signal! So I pass a lot of stuff up and leave it for the younger guys. However, I still dig some shallow targets I think will be silver. How do I know? Well, I guess that's where experience comes in to play. I'm sure I've missed some shallow silver, but I've also gotten my fair share. Get excited when you get a high toned signal that's deep. There's a very good chance it's silver.

Hope something I've said clicks with you. Good Luck!

 

[DirtDean]

Thanks dean that sounds good where are you from

I live in the panhandle of Oklahoma, but I'm from S.W. Oklahoma. I'm going to my home region most of next week to help a friend remove and install some windows. My little bro is graduating Thursday so I'll be there for that too. Of course detecting will be on the schedule as well

Slowing down is a very important tip OHCH, The E-trac is very sensitive and picks up even the smallest of items. Slowing down is a good way to isolate the signals and give the circuitry time to analyze signals.

 

[stevew]

I want to say thank you to all that are trying to help get better at this hobby. It is a real cut throat world it is refreshing to me that there are people trying to help others succeed.

I went to the farm house tonight I found enough nails to build the house i was near. 1 Penny (mem) a bunch of trash and a civil war button i was excited about. I cant believe i cant find any silver though I went and set my etrac to CTTODD specs I now hear more sounds ever sense i slowed my swing down. I have been digging more holes my back and only finding trash so to say the frustration is the word i am feeling is a far cry from reality.....

 

[rjdriver]

I want to say thank you to all that are trying to help get better at this hobby. It is a real cut throat world it is refreshing to me that there are people trying to help others succeed.

I went to the farm house tonight I found enough nails to build the house i was near. 1 Penny (mem) a bunch of trash and a civil war button i was excited about. I cant believe i cant find any silver though I went and set my etrac to CTTODD specs I now hear more sounds ever sense i slowed my swing down. I have been digging more holes my back and only finding trash so to say the frustration is the word i am feeling is a far cry from reality.....

Man, I feel your pain My daughter and I searched our yard yesterday and today our house was built in 1910....and after all the square headed nails we found I am beginning to think this house was built on an old dump site...... no coins at all found some nails as deep as a foot though so I am happy with the excal II ..... So I guess we keep trying ......I did have a lot of fun spending time with my daughter.
Best
Rob

 

[DirtDean]

Stevew, congrats on the button! that's what I'm talkin about!

what were the nails reading as? Were they coming in as "chirpy" "broken" "warbly" signals? Were the ID #'s bouncing everywhere? If so, when you get a signal like this and you are unsure about it, go into quickmask screen (all metal) and scan again. If the Fe #'s are consistent in the 30's then it's a good chance it is Iron. If the fe #'s bounce from 30's into the teens then it could be a coin hiding next to iron and you will want to scan the hole again to be sure nothing was missed. Also, as soon as you can afford one, I recommend the X-1 pinpointer for the E-trac/explorers. Just a suggestion but they greatly reduce target recovery time so you can get on to the next signal. I wouldn't be caught without one now.

Another idea and I don't want to confuse you, but if your site is heavily laden with iron, you could try these settings for awhile just to see what happens. You can always go back if you don't like it.

Ferrous sounds
2-tone audio
Load a quickmask pattern into your primary detecting screen with 28 through 35 Fe blacked out. (bottom of screen) this will knock out most iron.
auto sens +1 or +2

Leave everything else just how it is in coins mode.

These settings (ferrous 2-tone) will allow everything with a fe # of 17 or less sound off with a higher pitched sound and everything with a fe # higher than 17 will be lower pitched (buh-dump) sound. Throw some coins on the ground and scan them, note the sounds. Now throw some rusty nails or other iron on the ground and note their sounds. You will still get a conductivity reading but the sounds will be based on the fe #'s...

You will get it, just keep at it. If you are digging civil war buttons (no pic?), your site has potential and you will get the goodies.

HH

 

[NebTrac]

Houses are a tough place to learn also. If you're digging nails, you certainly aren't missing any silver. Your coil simply was put over a good coin yet. This is the learning curve. It doesn't end here by any means, but it does get more bearable and things will start to click a little at a time. Hunt as much as you can, as often as you can for a little while, imprinting your brain on the sounds of your machine. One thing no one ever told me, and I believe this holds true for about 90% of the time. When you do get a good sounding copper or silver type signal...and you dig a canning lid or smashed aluminum can at 12" - don't get frustrated...I do to. When you dig the same items at 4 inches then you need to add pinpointing sounds to your aresenal. Lift the detector off the ground and keep swinging over the target. If you can still get that siganl 18 inches or more from the ground you can be pretty sure its something big, then decide whether or not to dig. I personally (usually) do, to get rid of the signal.

Don't get discouraged...keep running the race!!!

NebTrac

 

[N2Treasure]

You also know whats funny, I've hunted a place to death, turned around and hunted it one more time....maybe a different direction or maybe it rained yesterday.....maybe I covered an area that I thought I already covered but really didn't....whatever the reason I'll never know, and lo and behold come up with another find that totally amazes me. I think "How did I miss that the last TEN times I hunted here?" Really, this is why I drag myself up on a Saturday morning, or bend down a million times to dig junk (my back aches thinking about that one)......IT JUST NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE ME OF WHAT I CAN FIND!!! This is what drives all of us. Also, you should really try to find someone to go hunting with, even if he/she doesn't have the same machine as you. It's always better when you can show off your finds to a buddy and congratulate him on his. VERY REWARDING!

Things to think about......Happy Hunting Duane

 

[EladSwerdna]

Your frustration is shared by many... lots of places, especially know old parks, are hunted to death. The problem is probably not your technique or lack of experience, but it's more than likely because there is no silver below your coil. Trust me, the E-Trac LOVES silver. If it is under the ground below your coil, the E-Trac will find it!

Research! Try looking at old maps around your area. Refer to aerial photographs and compare. Find some woodsy area that may have had a farm field or residence and go for a hunt! You will be suprised what this machine can do...

 

[stevew]

what settings are you using when your coin shooting if you dont mind

 

[in the woods]

??? What does you're swing look like?
Do you keep the coil as close to the ground as you can? Do you go slow? Do you overlap?

Go slow, cover the ground as well as you can.
Bring a couple coins with you and test the signal, so you can get used to the tone.

Don't give up. I dig alot of Memorials like eveyone else. But, the silver will start to appear for you, and when it does, they'll come more easily.
Hang in there. Keep swingin' and a diggin'

Tin Pan Man

 

[stevew]

I thought air testing doesnt work just a question

 

[DirtDean]

Stevew, Here are my coinshooting settings in general. Some of these may be changed in the field depending on conditions...

I use a modified coin pattern to accept a wider range of fe/co coordinates. (down to 27 fe on the silver/copper side, from co# 35-49) noise cancel channel 9 seems to be the most stable for me in most areas.
conductive sounds
multi tones
deep off (on if it's sandy or wet ground)
fast off (on if it's real trashy)
variability max
limits max
gain 24-26 (lower gain for trash, higher gain for areas with fewer signals)
manual sens as high as it will go without being too erratic 24-30
response normal
threshold pitch 12 barely audible
slow sweep speed and even slower in the trash...

I seem to do ok with this, but these are not set in stone as I am still learning myself

As for "airtests", they work good for getting a "feel" for the sounds different items make with certain settings and help with familiarization of tones. Atleast for me anyway

 

[jeff & Maria]

n/t

 

[DJB50156]

I'd say number one thing I have learned with etrac is to swing slow, REAL slow if you want old deeper coins. I use stock coin program and I made changes day one. and dig EVERYTHING above iron that is more than 4-5 inches

deep off
fast on
ground difficult
trash density high
vol gain 28
tone id multi
threshold pitch 28 makes silver scream out!

Thanks Goes4ever,

I used those settings today and found silver. 1943 Merc. Best coin, worn wise, so far. Am a newbie.

Dan

 

[DJB50156]

I'd say number one thing I have learned with etrac is to swing slow, REAL slow if you want old deeper coins. I use stock coin program and I made changes day one. and dig EVERYTHING above iron that is more than 4-5 inches

deep off
fast on
ground difficult
trash density high
vol gain 28
tone id multi
threshold pitch 28 makes silver scream out!

Thanks Goes4ever for those settings. I am new and still learning. I like the threshold pitch 28. I hunt old parks that have been hunted to death.
A high scream, at least to me, means it's a coin. Could be any type of coin though. How come pennys sound just like dimes and quarters sometimes?
I have been told that pennys bleed out, thus the dime and quarter sounds and numbers.
Found 3 wheaties today. 1916, 1947, and a 1952 D. No silver though. Can't expect to find silver everyday at these parks.
Thanks for reading.
Dan.

 

[in the woods]

If you're like the rest of us, and you get the fever, there is no help. Just get out and swing, baby, swing.
Tin Pan Man

 

[DJB50156]

I want to say thank you to all that are trying to help get better at this hobby. It is a real cut throat world it is refreshing to me that there are people trying to help others succeed.

I went to the farm house tonight I found enough nails to build the house i was near. 1 Penny (mem) a bunch of trash and a civil war button i was excited about. I cant believe i cant find any silver though I went and set my etrac to CTTODD specs I now hear more sounds ever sense i slowed my swing down. I have been digging more holes my back and only finding trash so to say the frustration is the word i am feeling is a far cry from reality.....

Keep digging Steve. I began my detecting in early April of this year. A friend of mine let me use his old Minelab Explorer II. I couldn't find anything at first.
Then I read the manual front to back, a few times. After that I started finding coins. I guess I'm lucky. I have 3 friends that have been hunting for years.
Two of them have Minelab Explorer SE's., and the other an E Trac. They let me in on areas around where I live that give up silver once in awhile.
These areas are old parks that been hunted over and over. I didn't have much luck in these areas with the Explorer II so I splurged and bought an E Trac.
What a difference. In this month, May, I have found 6 silver coins in these parks. I know that's not a lot of silver coins for most, but for around here it is.
Silver Coins: 4 - Mercury dimes, 1928, 1943, 1943, 1945. 1 - Standing Liberty Quarter (too worn to read date), and 1 - Washington Quarter, 1950.

Can't help you much with the settings on the E Trac. I started hunting with the settings right out of the box. No changes and found my first few silver coins.

You will find silver sooner or later. A location that has given up silver is where to go.

Good luck and HH.

Dan.