Target Trace Advice?

[Bishop2012]

Does anyone have some good tips or links on how to get the most out of target trace? I'm a bit confused on the best way to use it along with pinpoint sizing. I know it will probably come with time but since there is snow and frozen ground I'm hunting reading materials.

 

[trojdor]

Does anyone have some good tips or links on how to get the most out of target trace? I'm a bit confused on the best way to use it along with pinpoint sizing. I know it will probably come with time but since there is snow and frozen ground I'm hunting reading materials.

Turn on 'target trace' and 'target trace pinpoint'.
When you find a target, switch to pinpoint mode. (Note: I turn on both 'pinpoint sizing' and 'pinpoint lock'...because I'm too lazy to grip the pinpoint button and hold it down for any length of time.)
Sweep back and forth over the target.
Observe that the display is slowly 'painting' the targets it 'sees'...at their respective ID locations.

Now note that if it's a good target co-located with something else (or even two different good targets, such as a dime and nickel), you'll have primarily two circular spots painting in...one for each target.
There's usually some extra noise painted as well, but watch for that nice circular spot that continues to fill in and darken.

If it's junk (especially iron trying to fool you), the screen will tend to paint less of a circle, but a ramp back and forth from the 12 line to the bottom right.
Iron signals also tends to 'spaz out' and bounce around the screen a lot more...so a lot more noise.

And one last thing: That pinpoint sizing is so named in that you can get a feel for the size of the target while pinpointing. This is an important skill...often overlooked.
Qualifying the size of the target is actually the first thing you should do after finding a good signal. Move the coil over the target in PP sizing, and observe (on the ground) where the leading edge of the coil is when the sound starts...and where the trailing edge of the coil is when the signal stops.
That distance on the ground is the width of your target. If it's about 4 or 5 inches wide, and shows up as a coin/high conductor...you probably just found your first Pepsi can. No point going further. But if it's a nice short signal...about coin size...then it's far more likely to actually BE a coin.
If it pinpoints a few inches off from where you originally found the signal, you may have hit the tip of a rusty nail. (That darned iron will try to fool you...a lot.)

If you've got the detector in your hands, set it up on your coffee table, and play with it. Try out these tips with coins as well as junk. Get familiar with the sounds and display.
That ground has got to thaw out sometime...you may as well be ahead of the game.


hh,
mike

 

[Bishop2012]

Mike,
That's awesome! Thanks so much for taking the time to write that up. Helps a lot to read that. Yes, on the couple of times I got to go out the nails were causing me a lot of grief. This helps to know what types of tricks they can play.

 

[trojdor]

 

[StephenA]

Awesome advice to this new guy. Thank you!!!

 

[amberjack]

that's the one I use if the target moves from where it was detected and moves in pin point and visa versa not 100% then use the screen , its not perfect but dig some iron and do all that stuff 1st you will soon get to see whats going on.

AJ

 

[glenn3-88]

Does anyone have some good tips or links on how to get the most out of target trace? I'm a bit confused on the best way to use it along with pinpoint sizing. I know it will probably come with time but since there is snow and frozen ground I'm hunting reading materials.

Turn on 'target trace' and 'target trace pinpoint'.
When you find a target, switch to pinpoint mode. (Note: I turn on both 'pinpoint sizing' and 'pinpoint lock'...because I'm too lazy to grip the pinpoint button and hold it down for any length of time.)
Sweep back and forth over the target.
Observe that the display is slowly 'painting' the targets it 'sees'...at their respective ID locations.

Now note that if it's a good target co-located with something else (or even two different good targets, such as a dime and nickel), you'll have primarily two circular spots painting in...one for each target.
There's usually some extra noise painted as well, but watch for that nice circular spot that continues to fill in and darken.

If it's junk (especially iron trying to fool you), the screen will tend to paint less of a circle, but a ramp back and forth from the 12 line to the bottom right.
Iron signals also tends to 'spaz out' and bounce around the screen a lot more...so a lot more noise.

And one last thing: That pinpoint sizing is so named in that you can get a feel for the size of the target while pinpointing. This is an important skill...often overlooked.
Qualifying the size of the target is actually the first thing you should do after finding a good signal. Move the coil over the target in PP sizing, and observe (on the ground) where the leading edge of the coil is when the sound starts...and where the trailing edge of the coil is when the signal stops.
That distance on the ground is the width of your target. If it's about 4 or 5 inches wide, and shows up as a coin/high conductor...you probably just found your first Pepsi can. No point going further. But if it's a nice short signal...about coin size...then it's far more likely to actually BE a coin.
If it pinpoints a few inches off from where you originally found the signal, you may have hit the tip of a rusty nail. (That darned iron will try to fool you...a lot.)

If you've got the detector in your hands, set it up on your coffee table, and play with it. Try out these tips with coins as well as junk. Get familiar with the sounds and display.
That ground has got to thaw out sometime...you may as well be ahead of the game.


hh,
mike

ABSOLUTELY THE BEST DESCRIPTION FOR IDENTITY OF A TARGET FOR A FIRST TIME USER OF THE CTX THAT I HAVE
EVER SEEN. EVERYTHING HE IS SAYING IS TRUE AND EXACT. WISH I HAD THAT ADVICE WHEN I GOT MINE. WOULD HAVE
PUT ME ABOUT 3 MONTHS AHEAD OF THE GAME. GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY HUNTING