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Soil Mineralization

J

Jellyfish

New member
There were a number of questions raised recently about selecting the X-Terra 705 with either the standard MF CC or the elliptical HF DD coil. My understanding of the responses was that if you were in an area of low to mid mineralization then the 'standard coil' would be the better choice and if you were in a area of high mineralization then the 'gold pack' coil would be the better choice (considering only these two coil options). So the follow up question, especially for a newbie like me, is "How mineralized is my soil?" So I came across some information that might help answer that question.

The following link is a blog post about mineralization from Hollands Brook: Hollands Brook Mineralization Post . The map in the post graphically represents the iron content from soil samples from the US.

This link references the full paper from the USGS: Element Concentrations in Soils and Other Surficial Materials of the Conterminous United States .

Happy reading,
JF
 
Nice find John. My one reading in my back yard was 31. Less mineralized than I thought it would be. Have a 9" MF coming (you beat me to the 1st one from the same guy).
Still glad I got the Gold Pack. I'll be swicthing between the two coils.
 
Yep Greg, saw that you grabbed the MF coil and I'm happy to have both coils, too. My X-Terra gold pack got here this week, but unfortunately I broke my toe and I'm stuck in a surgical shoe for a little while. So for the time being, I'm having fun looking at old topos and aerials of my area.
 
Ouch!- Hope you heel quick :)
These MD's are almost too much for a low tech guy like me. I'm going to learn it.
But I'll suggest: bagging the foot-sit in a chair outside and try to remember how to use all of the features. (manual says don't turn it on inside). I'm used to analog -so I'm on overload.-just me- but-it sure does a lot of stuff and has a load of variables.
 
While you're laid up and looking at old maps, try overlaying the old maps to google earth views. I've taken dozens of old maps from my area and overlayed them to a modern google view as a transparency. Then I can fade them in and out as I want, for printing. Excellent way to find the old places that no one remembers today. HH Randy
 
Randy
I've learned so much since getting the xterra this past november.... I don't want to hijack this thread but how do you get old aerials to google earth to fade in and out?______ Is there a special link or program?
Update Randy..... I should have looked around first but on this site i found the answer i needed in the map and mapping forum for google earth overlay.
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?69,1117947

Now back to our regularly scheduled program: Since getting my DD HF coil my separation and overall use has greatly improved but will still keep my concentric coil for when i roam around the country..... my ground balance is continually between around 7 to 15 give or take a few here and there...... I've never seen any GB numbers in the 20's yet so the HF DD is a life saver. I'm wondering if the DD LFor MF Coil would be a waste of money with these GB Numbers?
Joe
 
Joe Z said:
my ground balance is continually between around 7 to 15 give or take a few here and there...... I've never seen any GB numbers in the 20's yet so the HF DD is a life saver. I'm wondering if the DD LFor MF Coil would be a waste of money with these GB Numbers?
Click to expand...


With ground phase numbers in the single digits and teens, I'd venture to say none of the concentric coils will perform as well as any frequency DD. Considering the fact that there are not any LF DD coils available, I'd stick to the DD coils that are available until a LF one is ready to market. If your question was whether a MF DD works as well as a HF DD, then my answer would be that the MF DD coil provides a more accurate TID on high conductive targets, than the HF DD coil. It won't likely hunt any deeper, or separate any better. But it will give better ID on aluminum scrap, than the HF coils do. JMHO HH Randy
 
Thanks for that explanation randy I now have Two DD HF coils the 9x5 ellipical and a soon to arrive any day 6" coil so that will hold me until if/when a LF DD comes to market..... I do get a jump around TID's on aluminum scrap but in my soil it is still so much better than the ellipical that it's just a minor inconvenience..... The chart in your book was a real help in explaining this.
Joe
 
GTzer said:
But I'll suggest: bagging the foot-sit in a chair outside and try to remember how to use all of the features.
Click to expand...

Well, I took your advice and went out in my yard today since the weather's so nice. I got a lot of confidence reading Randy's e-book since this is my first metal detector. I scribbled down some start-up notes and the dang thing seems to work fine.

GBed twice and got values in the 42-44 range, so I guess my back yard is low in mineralization. Despite what the US soil study says (links in first post), this would seem to jive with what you and Mtnmn were saying about farmland being low to medium in mineralization in the other thread since my house is sited where a farm was. In fact, my house sits where the barn used to be and my front lawn has a hump in it from the old barn ramp.

I also hobbled about 30 feet into the backyard, but found nothing but trash...at least according to the TID. But until my foot heals I wasn't going to bother digging anything yet unless there's a clear indication that it's something worth digging. The last time I did any real digging out back was when I was setting posts for the deck extension that I put up and I ran into a flattened steel drum.
 
I gave it a try today. Soil was in the 30's. I was trying the MF 9". Figures that when I moved to soil over gravel the GB went to the mid 20's.
Definitely learn & memorize how to use the features.

I found plenty of newer coins but I couldn't find anything over 3" deep. I've taken IH's & Wheats there in the past. They start about 4-5".

Learn pinpoint- even if you have a pinpointer probe.
 
not at this time. HH Randy
 
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