Weird, very strange...

[Lubelaczek]

Just finished my bench test with new settings and I am shocked My E-trac does not respond at all to the earing. No signal, not even

 

[NiagracountyNY]

Thats very strange...I can pick up flakes of tin foil..Ive found small earings with my Se.I just got the E-trac,but im sure it would pick that up..I just tested a few of my wifes small earings..picked them up np..If u have another detector will that pick it up???Something isnt right....

 

[NiagracountyNY]

Thats very strange...I can pick up flakes of tin foil..Ive found small earings with my Se.I just got the E-trac,but im sure it would pick that up..I just tested a few of my wifes small earings..picked them up np..If u have another detector will that pick it up???Something isnt right....

Ok i just tried it again with my pro coil on..I got no signal from the small gold earing!!OWCH!!! what the heck.But with my 5 inch excelerator(which i tried the 1st time) i get a signal,but only at 1 1/2 inches air test..I found a small gold earing last year with the se and 5 inch excelerator at 3 or 4 inches..So i guess our machines are not good at small gold...That bugs me to say the least.Ive spent a good deal of time looking for those elusive gold items.When i didnt even have the ability to pick them up apparently.I have heard that VLF machines are better for the small gold,but I didnt relize our machines were that BAD at picking it up..I guess i wont waste time looking for the small gold anymore.The rings seemed to come in ok,but not great..Maybe someone has a program that will work better for the small gold....

 

[Lubelaczek]

Yes, I do have Ace250 and it picks them up with no problem. I know it signals pieces of canslaw more than 6-8 inches deep (size about 1/4 - 1/2 of an inch). I will try one more thing: Master reset and see if it helps. I just read another post about E-Trac being kind of picky with gold. I hope it is only matter of setting it right.

 

[gregliss]

Try taking your test outside (well away from interferance) do a noise cancel, and try again.

Even better, go out into the yard and bury the earing and inch or two.

I had a similar issue bench testing inside, noise cancel knocked out too many frequencies inside, was having trouble seeing a large silver crown. Took it outside, noise cancelled, repeated test and it was fine.

Cheers,
Greg

 

[moseng]

I haven't done any tests but would noise cancel or more specifically the channel it selects make a difference? I am thinking the frequencies might make a difference? Anyway, just a thought!

 

[gregliss]

I haven't done any tests but would noise cancel or more specifically the channel it selects make a difference? I am thinking the frequencies might make a difference? Anyway, just a thought!

In my experience it make a significant difference. Cheers

 

[kcctd]

n/t

 

[Ray-Mo.]

Not all that strange at all.The E-Trac will do a great job on gold items that are the size of a small ladies ring and larger but is not tuned to be sensitive to tiny gold. You need a machine that is running at constant, much higher kHz range to be good on small gold.Take the Fisher Gold Bug II at 71kHz Operation for extreme sensitivity to small gold. The problem is if you get the machine running high enough to get very small gold you loose depth and sensitivity on many types of coins.The E-Trac is optimized for coin type targets as are many other great machines that likewise do not do well on small gold items.
It is a well known fact also that most top-end machines will get better depth on small items with a smaller coil verses the large counterpart.
If a person is serious about hunting micro jewelry they need to get a Gold Bug or similar machine of the VLF variety.Another good choice is some of the PI machines but in either case discrimination is little more than wishfull thinking and you will need to dig massive amounts of trash at most locations.

 

[Gary in Daytona]

I have picked up many small hoop earring such as the one you pictured on our beach. It sometime takes opening the screen and using it 'wide open', but it can be done. The more you use the machine, the more you learn about it. I have even been able to get a man's gold chains to chime in when the screen is open to 1 or 2 CO. Heck, when you have the target ID numbers to refer to and you can easily determine it's trash, just read the screen and move on. Try it and see.

 

[Gary in Daytona]

It should not be a frequency issue. The Minelab should be sending at least 3 out testing for targets, so small gold should be detected. That is weird. Granted, some detectors are better than others for certain things, but I'm going to have to try a few tests myself. I just haven't seem much in my target testing that it hasn't picked up.

 

[Boggles]

Well I called my dealer about the thin gold neckless that didnt pick up at all in any settings - and they said, basically, that all machines find it hard to detect small gold chains and if my etrac couldnt do it then its unlikley that any other detetector can on the market now.

And this is what it boils down to basically - this is the crux of the matter - if i can find a machine that is significantly better at detecting this neckless i'll probably exchange it before i spend too much time learning it becuase for me if it can't detect small gold items when other detectors can then its not worth the money i spent on it. But if any of the other detectors cant then ive had a good eductaion in the capability of metal detectors. So im joining a club soon and i'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Lubelaczek]

I just had a response from Mainlab, USA. What they told me is quite interesting. Unfortunately since my name is Tomas (as the one who had to put his fingers and hand in Christ's wounds to believe) I have to check this first. Basically they say that E-Trac is not design to show real-life readings in the air tests. It is necessary to build your own test garden to get a real test results. However if they meant "halo" effect I am doubtful that precious metals do that. That is why they are called precious. All of you that are willing to find out more info are welcome to enter your smallest gold findings in my other thread: http://www.findmall.com/read.php?63,1026598 This will help us all to draw own conclusions and to seek the best way hunting for gold.

 

[Bowie]

I cant stay out of this one,lol and I dont even own an ETrac yet. Me,for myself, Im wanting an ETrac because its a silver magnet. You can find gold with the ETrac, just not the tiny things, from what Ive read and Ive done a lot of researching. Anyone thats been in this hobby for any amount of time know different machines do better at different type of hunts with the experience of the operator using that machine.
Explorers and ETracs are just silver magnets, after you learn to operate them, no doubt in my mind.
The small ear ring you show, my M6 will hit on that because Ive found them in tot lots, but Im not a tot lot or park hunter.
Nothing wrong with the ETrac. You just need another machine that will work for you in certain hunts,circumstances.
But, I do hope you guys keep the other post going, that kind of information is constructive and helpful.
HH,
John

 

[Lubelaczek]

You 100% right Bowie, we are here to share our knowledge and personal experience. Also I get feeling that few people got better sensitivity on gold using E-Trac with smaller coils. So for that reason maybe it is worth to follow that clue and next time at the beach use smaller coil. I understand that there is no "the best " detector. One is better than other in different ranges but it also depends on "hand" that is swinging it. Maybe if they will combine VLF, PI and FBS in one "box"

 

[Bowie]

That would be one heavy box,lol. Like someone told me once, I dont have a magic bullet, but several magic bullets.
HH,
John

 

[moseng]

Hmmm, well I KNOW it finds those small beavertails from old cans!

 

[Neil]

I just had a response from Mainlab, USA. What they told me is quite interesting. Unfortunately since my name is Tomas (as the one who had to put his fingers and hand in Christ's wounds to believe) I have to check this first. Basically they say that E-Trac is not design to show real-life readings in the air tests. It is necessary to build your own test garden to get a real test results. However if they meant "halo" effect I am doubtful that precious metals do that. That is why they are called precious. All of you that are willing to find out more info are welcome to enter your smallest gold findings in my other thread: http://www.findmall.com/read.php?63,1026598 This will help us all to draw own conclusions and to seek the best way hunting for gold.

Tomas they are not referring to targets with a halo effect and also if you build yourself a test garden the targets you put in it arent gonna get a halo for some time. what they are referring to is having something to compare your target to, such as dirt.
This is your first minelab, is that correct? Never used a Explorer or Sovereign series by minelab before?

Neil

 

[NiagracountyNY]

Hmmm, well I KNOW it finds those small beavertails from old cans!

Yea i can get a tiny scrap of a can the same size of the earing at 7 inches.....Not gold tho...Time to grab an excal 2 for jewlry hunting i guess..They seem to get the tiny stuff NP.

 

[Lubelaczek]

Yes, Neil. This is my first Minelab. And I am aware that halo don't happen in one night or even month. I understand now that reference must be more dense than air. We will give it a try. But still not many people with tiny gold items found.
Right now I suffer major delinquency problem. Bought house for 410, right now i owe 455 and now is worth only 270. Can't even lower my 6.5% on that. This kills me literally. Wish me luck I will need it.
If I ever save my house from foreclosure then my mind is set to somethnig like Excal2.