Question about detecing in saturated ground...

[jazzman58]

Was just wondering if anyone else has run into this before? Have had the Compadre with 8" coil for a little over 2 years now. About 2 weeks ago I noticed it had become quite "chatty" at the lower discrimination settings. I can turn the dicrimination up, and it helps but it still tends to be a little "funky". I have hunted these areas before and had not run into this issue. We have had a lot of rain lately (not like the folks in Texas and Oklahoma, hope everyone is okay for those of you in those areas) but enough to make the ground kind of muddy when you dig a target. Seems to me I have heard of or read of this before but just wanted to see if anyone else has had this happen to them or have heard of this? Finally was able to get the garden in last weekend but the old rototiller was struggling slogging through the "muck". .
I doubt it is an issue with the Compadre as I dusted off one of my other detectors that has not been used since I got the Compadre and it seemed to have the same type of results.
Thanking everyone in advance for your wisdom on this matter.

Jeff

 

[amberjack]

yeah maybe its the wet it does change things depending on soil type, if you hold the machine coil skyward does it chatter then?

AJ

 

[kaolinwasher]

I just ran my Euro saber on totally wet ground and it gave a little chatter but had better depth

 

[jazzman58]

AJ/kaolinwasher, first off thanks for getting back to me on this. If I lift the coil up say 8 or so inches above the ground it does seem to stop the chatter. Have had a little time to think on this a bit. I know wet ground seems to help with detecting as far as depth,etc. Now I am starting to wonder if I am reading some really deep bits of metal. The house I live in is over 100 years old and a couple of the farms I hunt are that old or even older. Could just be that with the frost heave from last winter and all of the moisture I am just getting hits on that.
Supposed to rain again on Sunday but then it is supposed to dry out for a while. I'll keep getting out as much as possible and will see what happens.
I know these Compadre's are "hot". On a side note shortly after I got the Compadre was out hunting the yard, running in "all metal" just to get a feel for the machine. Got a solid hit and when I did the "X" it repeated. Dug my plug and checked with the pinpointer, nothing. Dug a little deeper, checked with the pinpointer, still nothing. By this time I'm a good 6" down and started thinking, maybe a rust halo. Figured I would dig about another inch or so and if nothing came up would just move on. Dug down about another inch, shoved the pinpointer down in the hole and it gave off a signal. Dug down about another inch and there it was. A 6d finishing nail, a good 8" down, that was pointed straight up and down. Thought to myself, "how did this little detector find this?". I have not used any other detector since that day.

Jeff

 

[amberjack]

that's probably what it is then deep iron and wet ground can be fun for any detector.

have you tried the machine at a park with no iron like modern park see how it goes there?

AJ

 

[jazzman58]

AJ, thanks for the tip, never even thought of that. Supposed to rain Sunday, but dry out after that. Most of the local parks are fairly old, you can detect them but just not dig anything. Might try to hit a tot lot or two and see what happens. Not in any type of panic mode here and was thinking about picking up a Cibola. Have to kick it around a bit to see if I really need another detector. I say yes but the wife sounds like a tire with a leak when I bring it up.

Jeff

 

[amberjack]

wow Jeff that's pretty bad can detect but can't get the stuff out, maybe just a screw driver like Mud and just stab till you hit the target and get him out guess it only works to a shallow depth.

I wont teach you any bad habits like how to become invisible again ask Mud he is better at than me

must be a way to detect ??

AJ

 

[jazzman58]

AJ, thanks for trying. Would like to learn the invisible thing but knowing my luck would never reappear.....Remember a while back a coworker who knew I was into detecting talked about seeing something on the tube about someone who had fitted a metal detector of some type into a shoe......

Jeff

 

[amberjack]

Jeff what happens if you get caught digging I shudder even asking that question , who polices the detecting ?

I was told when I moved to the place I am at now detecting is not allowed in my area

guess I don't give a banana what some guy in a suit has to say, when I am finished here they will have the cleanest parks within the state and I get no thanks and I do my best to do a good job and even pick up crap I don't have too. couple of kids must have forgot their jackets at a local school sports carnival so I tossed them over the fence so they will have them on Monday. just little acts of kindness.

look out I am off and running !!

what would the judge say if I went to court busted metal detecting

got pulled over by the cops the other night random breath test seen my detector in the back asked if I had any luck and didn't bother with the RBT, I have had them pull up and ask if I was finding much, they used to know me in the last placed I lived I would wave and they would keep driving, surely they have better things to do and they do ice is a huge problem now and well the world isn't so nice and for such idiocy even to exist is a reflection on how the world has lost perspective

grab a silver micromax and a clean sweep coil and a screw driver and the target will be right at the end of your coil as you wiggle it back push till you feel it and pull it out.

you are allowed to carry a gun but can't pull out a pulltab who is in charge

go detecting reclaim the parks

bet this post goes missing and well I just couldn't help myself and yes I have problems with insanity and its not mine !!

AJ

 

[hatpin]

Its an old house. Do you think they burned coal? Coal cinders really make my Vaquero chatty .

 

[mudpuppy]

I like really wet mucky ground! Generally, that means its clay, which means when its dry its like cement, and when its wet, its most damnable digging with a conventional tool on account of it sticks to the blade and all...each hole makes a hell of a mess, takes too long....plus, grass tends to grow really well on clay, so coins dropped get lost very quickly...Nearly impossible to hunt, which is good...unless you use a SCREWDRIVER!

On wet clay parks, with 'No Dig' rules...Set up somewhat light and go for targets in the 5" to surface...do it on a rainy overcast day when nobody is around..dont wear kneepads or a toolbelt, just nice shorts, a nice dress shirt, flipflops, and maybe a small canvas nail apron..keep that driver handle palmed with the blade up against your arm so nobody can see it...smoke if you wish...

Only deploy the driver when you are stooping over to stab a target...quickly ream a hole, shove your finger down in there, tip the coin, pinch it with the screwdriver and your finger and pull it straight out! No sign of a hole at all!...takes maybe 10 seconds! If anybody asks, you were not 'digging', just feeling around in the grass roots with the screwdriver, which you basically are...Nobodys gonna hassle a dapperly dressed old guy, theres no sign at all of any damage to the sod, so whats the problem?....

Heres a pic of what you can get with nothing but a screwdriver in a sopping wet clay park in short order...I didnt see any 'No Dig' signs, so I assume this place is just too tough to work with conventional tools..its a muddy mucky mess in the late Fall and Early Spring, the grass is flat, and nobody is around...easy stabbin'!....Unfortunately, this place is 250 miles away, I accidently discovered it while traveling through on business...so I was highgrading coins like Old Mother Hubbard.!..

I just returned from a good stabbin spree on an active sportsfield...got 119 coins for $14.15 in no time...I dont even carry a trowel or pinpointer...just the screwdriver and attired as noted..
Mud.

 

[Furious T]

Wet sticky ground...yep, I believe that the electromagnectic signals put out by the detector can be more effective in signalling back to the detector under these condictions. Consider this: the compadre is one of many machines which has a pre set ground balance, ie., you cant adjust the ground balance on the machine. Ordinarily, these types of machines will perform well in soil that is not highly mineralised. However, they still may not perform as well as a machine that can be ground balanced, but well enough to satisfy our needs, and will not notify us, the user, that there is a latent problem, ie mineralisation.

Bring on the wet and soggy....not only is our machine more sensitive to coins and other targets, it is also more sensitive to other things which might interrupt the electromagnetic field produced by our detector and coil. e.g. mineralisation. Therefore, chatter. Nothing to worry about, can be caused by lots of things, temporary or permanent. Main thing is to recognise it, and cope with it eg. raise discrimination, lower sensitivity, change location, or wait for the ground to dry out a little. HH

 

[jazzman58]

AJ, Not sure what would happen if picked up for digging. They might get me for defacing city/county property. My sister in-law, who unfortunatley passed away a few years back, used to go out after the summer music festivals they had and would do fairly well with her detector and just picking up"surface" coins. May have to speak with one of the local officers and find out what the deal is.
Hatpin, yes they did use coal at one time. The house has a half basement with a crawl space. In my explorations in the crawl space area I have found tiny bits of coal. That could be a possibilty. My son and I also "blacksmith" as a hobby (he more so than I, execept in the winter) and he does like to use coal as a fuel, when we can get it. Myself I use propane. 16 years old and he is the traditionalist, go figure.
Mud, wow what an impressive haul. I have been trying to use the driver method the last few times I have gone out. Will have to get in a lot more practice before I see results like yours. I'll keep working on it.
Furious, I was kind of thinking the same thing with the preset GB. If I turn up the discrimination it does seem to help. I'll just wait for our normal summer drought and see if anything changes.
Thanks to all who have taken the time to help me out with this. I appreciate all of the input. Good luck and HH to all.

Jeff

 

[amberjack]

Jeff, sorry to hear about your sister in-law.

but that's a good idea no digging involved cleansweep coil and turn it down and pick up the fresh stuff cover a lot of area fast.

AJ

 

[JimGilmore]

In a park where you can detect but not dig I would consider a lawn rake or such...
We used to have a guy in our club that made these little rakes with tines that I think he made with bicycle spokes . They are killer in the grass. But anything old is going to stay in the park.

 

[jazzman58]

Thanks again AJ....she had battled cancer for a number of years and finaly lost the fight.

Jim, was thinking the same thing but I see some rakes that are narrow for use in flower beds, I assume.......

Oh well, to get back on topic......I hate to do this but will put the Compadre up for a bit and will use something else for now.

Jeff

 

[amberjack]

Jeff something else ??

you near any water swinging holes, bays, lakes beaches?

more than one way to skin a cat as the saying goes.

AJ

 

[zeekeys]

Jeff go to the county park commission office and ask them about detecting. Or go to city hall and ask them about detecting. Chances are no one know will know anything about it and they will have to get to someone who knows and get back to you. It is up to you to find out so do it. .....Z