Saturday's Hunt

[Bill W.]

I got another chance to head out with the T2 for about 4 hours. I headed to a park I've pounded pretty hard. I specifically hunted a 30 yard square area that I've hunted pretty hard with my other machines. Mainly, because this small area has yielded quite a few coins and has been hunted pretty hard by myself. This park also has soil that makes coins 'fall' into lower categories when they're deeper. I am still a newbie with the T2 only having about 35 hours on it. The T2 did pull out some coins and the T2 did impressed me on how quickly I started pulling out coins with little fuss. I have been having a problem with deep round tabs actually IDing in the 70's... more on that later in the post. I ended digging a merc, 6 wheaties, 1943 war nickel, 4 clad and 3 rings (cheap). I also dug a round copper disk about the size of a quarter from about 9.5 inches with a nice strong tone. The merc I dug was a good tone from one direction but was broken up when I rotated. When I dug it I found a small piece of iron about 1 inch long to the right about an inch and slightly below the merc. Most of the wheaties I dug had similar responses. But, do remember I have pounded this area with my Explorer and 3D. So, the 'easy' signals are long gone and for me to come into that area, still be learning a machine, and dig coins is an attention getter for me. I dug very little iron even though I am still getting used to the machine and there is alot of iron there. In getting to know a machine I will dig 'iffy' signals just to verify my thoughts on what the target is. Almost everytime I dug iron I was fairly certain it was going to be iron. All of the coins were deeper than 6.5 inches with the deepest being close to 8 inches.

Some other random thoughts on the T2. It loves war nickels and IDs them as nickels. I've dug one on every outing! Isn't that pretty odd? Smaller objects can be frustrating. I've dug small tack sized objects at respectable depths considering their size. The T2 is pretty sensitive to small objects at every level of conductivity. I dug three rings yesterday (which is a personal best) that the T2 hit hard. I wasn't even looking for rings... Two were pretty thin copper looking rings. Separation is very good.

My round pulltab problems is still there. Round pulltabs are moving up into the 70's at every site I hunt BUT not on a constant basis. My thought is that since the T2 will 'average-up' with targets close to iron and the places I hunt are all 100+ years old and infested with iron. I think the 'problem' is the T2 is averaging-up those round pulltabs because of close iron. For me, that is a non-issue for the most part because I am not afraid of digging to get something someone else missed... if you understand where I am coming from. I am going to have to do as Mr. Bill suggested and try the one tone mode to see it that helps me distinguish deep round pulltabs from deep coins. IMHO, the T2 is going to be an excellent relic machine where you dig everything above iron which I do at some of the sites I hunt in spring/fall. It can pick out targets close to iron very well in IMHO in the little time I've had on it. Do you remember... your mileage may vary... These are my initial impression and should not be taken to be wrong or right... I also wanted to add that I bought a Minelab X-Terra 50 that should be here for my hunt next weekend. They seem to be the two hot machines this year.

-Bill

 

[Ed in SoDak]

Hey Bill,

Nice report and glad you're getting out and making the finds! When you hit that dime beside the nail, were you discing out iron at the time?

What's the depth on these round tabs? I wonder if scanning with the edge of the coil might pick them out as a double blip? I've noticed some interesting edge-detect effects with this DD coil when compared to how concentric coils on other machines behave. Heel/toe behave differently from the sides. You'd be surprised at the depth on edge, and it seems to detect coins on edge more strongly. Maybe becaue they're in the same plane that way?

Another trick I tried was scanning in pinpoint mode to quickly find sparse targets from farther away, then zeroing in with disc. This won't work in nail infestations but is great for when there seems to be "nothing there."

We're in the midst of a foot of snow that was supposed to miss us and head further east. Now, why do I go and believe the weatherman and sit indoors yesterday with sun and high 30's, thiking I'd get another chance today? Well, it's a wet snow and much needed, it'll melt fast. I don't mind watching deer from the window.

hh-Ed

 

[Bill W.]

Ed,

I don't disc out anything when I hunt. I like to hear it all as trash level does have an effect on my sweep speed. I didn't hear the iron until the coin was out of the hole. The round pulltabs seem to go up in ID around the 6 inch mark. Maybe a little deeper. But, it's not consistant in moving them up. So, my thought is that it small iron 'help' push up the ID. I have a few tricks I am going to try to help with that problem. Digging is very easy at that site so it's a perfect place to experiment. I am far from being discourage with the T2. Any machine that can pull coins out of the small area I hunted Saturday after the combo's I have used there is a good machine. It has it quirks like any other machine it's just getting to know them. I hope you get out soon!

-Bill

 

[Dave Z]

I think its the DD coil that hits the coins on edge so good.I've noticed digging a lot more on edge coins when I use the dd coil son my detector also.

 

[Ed in SoDak]

Hi Bill,

Thanks for the comments. When I played with masking, I also raised and lowered disc while scanning. On my Time Ranger, using iron disc would sometimes keep the machine silent over multiple targets, just random beeps and jumpy ID.

On the T2, just with real quick surface tests, using disc did a good job of removing the iron signal and leaving that of the coin. Once you got larger than a 10p nail, it began to look like it was better to leave disc off and try to pick out the individual signals.

At one mine we visited that was saturated with bottlecaps, I picked one brass thingy out from between two adjacent signals by keeping the coil sweep real narrow so it mostly scanned only the brass. I didn't know it was brass, just that is was not iron, so I dug. Picked it out so close, I only dug the brass. The Time Ranger may have seen only one "amalgamated" target with the 8" coil, but the 4" probably would've picked them out.

hh-Ed

 

[Paul (Ca)]

Good post Bill,

I read you guys are feeling the bits of iron may give the round pull tab a higher reading? If anything, because of the sensitivity from the detector this is what's pushing up the signal to ID higher.

Pull tabs and smaller pieces of iron should lower the ID with an averaging. Larger pieces of iron will enhance the signal to read higher but then the iron takes over and now your detector sees the larger piece of iron not the conductive signal.

Whenever a regular size piece of iron is mixed in with a higher conductor the higher conductor will generally "ID" lower with an averaging, Not as reading higher until the larger piece of iron takes over and now what you're really seeing/hearing is the larger piece of iron..

The machines that generally do well with separation will read some of the lower conductive signals to respond as a high conductive signal even when no trace of iron is nearby, Tiny pieces of foil, bit's and pieces of aluminum or other low conductive targets will many times fool these sensitive detectors appearing to be a deep high conductive signal but generally they are near the surface as a low conductive signal..

Many other detectors such as the MXT, Nautilus 2B and many other sensitive detectors including the T-2 react with the same response to some lower conductive signals....To most this may appear to be at a disadvantage digging up more false signals but for relic hunting or searching pounded sites this comes as an advantage because now the user can capture finds others missed due to masking, coins on edge or passed up because the ID was off.

Also, These types of detectors create more of an averaging so the ID will read lower if the good conductor is laying beside a piece of iron or may come in as a higher ID signal because these tiny bits or smaller pieces of aluminum fool these detectors into thinking it's a higher conductor.....Same as bottle caps, The extra sensitivity which is a positive feature peeking between the cracks in trashy areas now creates the bottle cap to read higher more in the coin range.

Sorry for the long thread, Paul

 

[Bill W.]

The T2 manual says it averages-up non-ferrous targets near iron. By how much none of us knows. You do bring up some interesting points. I have dug deep foil that bounced but was mainly a high tone. This does not really bother me because the sensitivity has allow me to dig coins I've passed up before with my other machines. I am really not complaining about digging the round pulltabs. I only brought it up for those people looking to buy a T2. I would hate for someone to buy a T2 and not be happy for something I had failed to mention in my posts. It is a very good machine in iron and is filling the purpose I bought it for. It is a welcome addition to my detecting arsenal...

-Bill

 

[Mike Hillis]

Round objects tend to respond better anyway just because of the current flow. How many iron or steel washers do you dig up that read as a coin? Add to the fact they've been in the ground for awhile and the T2 may like the signal so well it can't help but raise them. Ground conditions may also play a large part in this effect.

Compared to other detectors that have a history of raising id, like the CoinStrike and the CZ3D, the T2 is in good company.

Enjoyed your post

 

[Paul (Ca)]

Hi Bill,

I agree, The T-2 is a very good machine and does fill a purpose for my relic hunting sites. I'm also a gold jewelry hunter but haven't used the T-2 for this purpose yet but do know from the smaller lower conductive signals it picks up it'll be a winner in this field as well.

I'm like you, I would hate for someone to buy a machine from what I said and then they don't like the detector for something I didn't mention.

I can't see myself selling off my T-2, It's too good a machine to let go and I know the T-2 is going to pull out some amazing finds in the future once I get myself into more older 1800's sites laced with iron that has never been hunted....

Have fun Bill

Paul

 

[Bill W.]

You may be right. Irregardless, I enjoyed my hunt Saturday because I was pulling coins from an area I'd almost given up on. I've pulled ALOT of coins from this site. The coins seem to be bunched up in small areas. There used to be carnivals held there. So, I don't know if it's where they setup stands or what. The T2 has good company at my house too. I also own a Explorer, CZ-3D and just bought a X-Terra 50... I'll be toting the T2 and X-50 a good bit to see what they're both made of. A couple of things I forgot to mention in my posts are... The T2 is very light. The T2 suprised me at how well it worked in iron. If I did dig iron I was seeing what the iffy signals were and just learning the machine. I think it's a keeper at this point. Time will tell. HH!

-Bill

 

[George (MN)]

if they didn't go above 75, your T2 numerical ID is working fine. Great to read you are getting deep coins next to iron in an area pounded with the Explorer! HH, George (MN)

 

[Bill W.]

George,

Most of the round pulltabs I am talking about hit in the upper 70's. Most of my ID numbers are bouncy... BUT, in all fairness I have pounded these very hard with the Explorer and CZ-3D. So, *easy* signals are not there. Finding that many coins in an area that has been pounded by me impresses me alot. Believe me when I say I am not brand loyal. I have said it many times on the forums. I was looking for a machine to fill the 'void' between the machines I own. The T2 is doing exactly what I bought it for. With the T2, I am digging more trash but it goes back to what I said before... I've pounded these areas, I am always looking for an edge in detecting and I am willing to dig some trash to get the coins...

-Bill