Two scoops no sound ? What's going on?

[sandnsea49]

Was out with my Excal yesterday. I would get a great signal, dig a scoop, still in the hole, dig another, no sound but nothing in the scoop. So I dug wo or three more scoops and out pops the target. I find this very concerning because without sound it makes it harder to find the target and I even wonder if it was a piece of aluminum that floated away. I did have a few holes I gave up on because I never did get the target after the signal disappeared. I only dug the targets after they disappeared because someone said I should. If I turn the disc to pinpoint I still do not get a sound. Am I doing something wrong, like settings or is it something else. Sensitivity at 10:00, no discrimination, threshold a slight hum, and sound three fourths high running in Disc. This happened almost every time. Very frustrating.

 

[tvr]

Kind of sounds like the first digs are missing the target but move sand away. Then the hole may start collapsing and lets the target drop into what was dug out and the target is now deep enough that you aren't hearing it.

It happens. If it is happening a lot, you may want to set up the start position of your dig a little differently than you are now.

When centering the dig point, I'll almost always be in pinpoint mode and center the coil over the target to get the starting point. If I can't see the coil, I'll locate it with a foot, move the coil, then place the scoop next to my foot and set to dig out where the coil was centered.

 

[bootyhoundpa]

I think your sensetivity might be just a little too high especially if you are down at the waterline.. bottlecaps often sound good till you get some sand off them then either null or disappear in disc... very deep targets can disappear while diggin them but those usually start out as softer whisper signals.... like you mentioned those little pieces of foil can drive you nuts too as they scream then vanish. ...

 

[GeorgeinSC]

The Xcal can see a target deeper in wet sand than it can thru the air. I frequently have targets disappear and then be in the next deep scoop of sand out of the bottom of the hole. .

 

[ROBOCOP]

What kind of scoop are you using?

What size coil?

 

[OldBeechnut]

Another question is, have you changed anything of late and is this something new with the excalibur. Reason I ask is when I change something, like a new shaft or for me going to drysuit with large boots to regular dive boots it throws off my pinpointing. With the drysuit the boots are a size 15 compared to dive boots of 11. This really throws off my natural way of PP and digging and I find myself having to relearn / adjust to the bigger boot. I'll be digging over the target, away from the target and all kinds of..Whats going on here. After several hunts I do get it down but it's frustrating having a target take 5 minutes to get out of the hole. I know it there and it is coming out...

 

[dewcon4414]

Good advice from all..... to much sensitivity causing a larger HALO, recovery time, initial PPing. Tje target will ALWAYS move to the center of the hole. What you are describing is normal.

 

[sandnsea49]

Thanks to all for the info. I am going to try cutting down on my sensitivity. And better pinpointing too. Still very frustrating though.

 

[sandnsea49]

An 8 inch scoop and the coil is the standard 11 inch.

 

[dewcon4414]

Standard coil is 10" on an Xcal. high sensitivity expands the coil HALO and can get frustrating, I put my toe at the back of the coil with the targets being on the front tip......move the coil and dig. I feel your pain about PPing with high sensitivity.

 

[treasure_hunter]

Volume should be max, this is target volume and volume switch also gives you the different tones, by turning the bolume down your going to lose deep targets which just bumps the threshold and your messing up your tones.