Silver Half Question - First Post

[Silver Bullet]

I purchased my e-Trac last summer and had the opportunity to get familiar with the detector last summer and fall. This is my first post to this forum, but I have been following it since mid-fall to get pointers and also to see everyone's finds. It is always fun checking to see what is found.

Now to the question. From mid-summer through January I used the coin pattern that came with the e-Trac. I was aware of the closed area in the upper right portion of the pattern that discriminated larger silver coins, but didn't think it was a big deal as I had never found silver in the past with my old machine. Just finding any silver was a bonus for me. Several weeks ago I did an air test with a Franklin half and found there was no signal (the machine nulled) when I put the coin beneath the coil (I read somewhere halves did this, but I assumed only larger silver dollars would do this). I immediately opened the pattern in the upper right hand corner. Now forward to yesterday. It was my third time out with the pattern open in the upper right, and I found my first silver half. It was six inches down and it was reading like a silver dime (the coin was not on edge, but mostly flat). It was in the 12-46, 12-47 range. I wonder if I hadn't opened the pattern up in the upper right if the detector would have given the signal even though it came across like a dime/quarter. (The book indicates the range is 06 or 08 on the ferrous side with 47 on the conductive side for a half). I guess I'll never know. I plan on creating a coin garden in the future with my Franklin half, but it may be a moot point since I won't close the upper right in the future (it will always be open). I guess the true question is do I have to go over all my previous locations to make sure I didn't leave a large coin behind? Unfortunately, I think yes is the answer.

Anyway, I am posting pics of the coin. I need to work on presentation.

Silver Bullet

 

[ironsight]

Congrats on the Walker!

After all the miles and years i've put on my eTRAC, the one thing i can't say enough about are those rigid text book ID numbers. They're OK for shallower coins in clad parks. Old pounded historic parks are another matter IMO.

Deep on-edge in mineralized soil nearby junk coins seldom fall into those IDs. In fact the deepest trickiest coins can be all over the conductive map.
For this reason when i search a pounded park with known deep or otherwise tricky to detect coins i'll use as little discrimination as possible including a wide open upper right corner, that is if i don't use an open pattern.

 

[daddyflea]

If everything was ideal the Emulator should be great but like you, I tested a few real coins myself and found my Pattern was cutting them out as well. Another thing is blending which happens when a good coin is laying next to say a nickle. This will pull the ID into the Pulltab range and most everybody discriminates them out. I most certainly do not recommend anyone digging everything. You will get discouraged real quick doing that, but I do recommend a smaller coil where ever there is any amount of trash at all and dig everything with a conductive ID of over 30. When I start getting tired, I start watching my Ferrous number more closely. If the Depth Meter is shallow and the Ferrous number is not close to 12 I move on. A lot of times you can start predicting the size of the object by the Ferrous number as well.

 

[IDXMonster]

If everything was ideal the Emulator should be great but like you, I tested a few real coins myself and found my Pattern was cutting them out as well. Another thing is blending which happens when a good coin is laying next to say a nickle. This will pull the ID into the Pulltab range and most everybody discriminates them out. I most certainly do not recommend anyone digging everything. You will get discouraged real quick doing that, but I do recommend a smaller coil where ever there is any amount of trash at all and dig everything with a conductive ID of over 30. When I start getting tired, I start watching my Ferrous number more closely. If the Depth Meter is shallow and the Ferrous number is not close to 12 I move on. A lot of times you can start predicting the size of the object by the Ferrous number as well.

Excellent points,especially about "target averaging" and why a tight pattern may really screw you in the long run. Im of the opinion that in some sites you have to choose your target and set up for that. Though that might make some cringe because theyre looking for EVERYTHING,that just may not be feasible all of the time. Digging it all is not an option around here without getting booted.

 

[Sooper Dave]

Awesome Walker! Congrats!

 

[UtahRich]

Silver Bullet,

Yes, I would hunt those areas again if they were productive. And again after that. They are a number of areas I've been dozens of time thru the years with different detectors as the seasons and conditions changes. I keep finding stuff.

Rich (Utah)

 

[Tenspeed]

Congratulations on your first silver half! Most of my halves have come in at 03-46/47, so if you get a repeatable signal like that, don't walk away.

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

Congrats on the Walker - one of the best looking coins ever minted !

Target I.D. numbers can vary depending on ground conditions, angle of the coin in the ground etc.
The more you use your machine the more you will get the 'feel" of the target ( the way it breaks when the coil comes off the target - the quality of the tones, etc) and you'll see for yourself how the I.D. numbers can vary.

And yes, I'd go back and hunt the sites that you've hunted in the past - even small program changes can make big difference in what you find.
I've gone back to dozens of sites that I first hunted when I just got my E-Trac.
I'd say that after returning to these sites over the years ( now with new eyes and ears that are more tuned into the E-Trac ) I've made good finds at most of the places I hunted in the past.

Good Hunting !

 

[NebTrac]

First of all congratulations on the silver half. The next is why wouldn't you go over those spots again. I've gone over spots where I found old coins and 2 weeks later a foot away I dig another old coin. I've gone through areas dozens (and I'm not exaggerating) and found old coins. So I definitely would hit those spots again and again.

NebTrac

 

[Silver Bullet]

Thanks to everyone regarding the half. I have been going over some of the same areas since opening my pattern in the upper right corner. I haven't found any large coins in those same areas yet, but I think it will just be a matter of time. I have typically used Auto +3 for sensitivity for many hours. I have just started using manual sensitivity to get a little more depth. I think it will take a little time to get used to manual vs. auto +3. I do notice a lot of deeper targets. The first day I went over an area that I had just gridded with Auto +3. I found one wheat penny at 8 inches, and about 12 historical nails at about the same depth. I then got smart and started using the quickmask open pattern once I found a target. A lot of the targets will give a signal with a low ferrous number while discriminating. Once it is opened up in quickmask the large ferrous numbers will take over. I understand some of the targets may have a coin next to them, but digging those large ferrous numbers at that depth gets old quick when all I pull out are nails. I'll keep working with it to get some more depth.

Silver Bullet