wet sand ????????

[harryh31]

"Wet Sand".... (salt water beach).
question....
a) Is this the sand that is continually covered by salt water.
b) is this the sand that is between high tide and low tide.
c) is this the sand that has been covered by the tide .....but the tide has gone out ......leaving the sand wet.

d) on which of the above surfaces do I need to be in the "beach mode" on the x 705.

I shall be using my newly purchased 6" DD 18.75 kHz coil.( Only been able to use this detector Twice before in nearly two years and never been on the beach with it, before, all due to ill health)
I am aware it will take longer to detect a given area...but being 83 yrs. I don't mind "Slow and Low"

 

[scoopjohnb]

If it's wet, then Yes you are in the Wet Sand area.
High tide, Low tide, tide going out or coming in.
If you are hunting beneath the high tide line, you can asume you're in Wet/Damp Sand.

Anytime the salt is activated by water, tide or rain you should put the 705 into beach mode.

Going slow isn't a bad thing at the beach, actually you could do far better than the guys who speed along at an amazing pace.

The best configuration for the 705 I've found at the beach is actually the prospecting mode.
Simple an All Metal autotune mode with minimal iron discrimination.

Just start at the high tide line and walk a W pattern towards the water.
If you start digging surface signals, move on, if you hit a few deeper signals with some weight to them. Be it Iron, lead, old coins or anything else.
Then simply detect concentric circles.

Don't worry about the discriminator circuit, a beach digs easy and your scoop is the best discriminator.
The sand and the tidal action is like a giant gold sluice, the heavy stuff is deep, the light stuff is on the surface.

 

[harryh31]

Many thanks for your prompt and satisfactory reply about wet sand.

Could you please explain how I achieve the "All metal autotune mode with minimal discrimination" in the prospecting mode, that you mention.

I'm still trying to master the setting up procedure for the X 705 and any detailed step by step help would be most appreciated.

 

[scoopjohnb]

Just push the prospecting button, keep the detector motionless and start your swing once the detector has stabilised.

 

[harryh31]

Good Heavens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! its as easy as that.
I had'nt got round to considering the prospecting mode yet.
Just quickly tried it out ...........I like it a lot.........searching by audio
Going out today, detecting in a wooded area with lots of undergrowth, will definately be trying the prospecting mode. ( going to beach in three weeks time)
Many thanks...........Harry.......West Midlands.... UK

 

[harryh31]

Trying to figure out why you walk in a W pattern to the water line ?

 

[scoopjohnb]

The points of the W are located at the water and high tide line.
Rather than walk straight up and down from high tide line to water.
You walk diagonally.

The whole beach is a giant gold sluice, so you are looking for spots where the sand is dense and traps targets.
If you sink in deep whilst walking along, chances are you will only find low density targets.

These dense spots can be area's of underlying shell sand, clay or rocks. That's where the dense targets will be.

The W is just a fast way of finding these spots, then you start to grid. It also gives the madness of conquering that huge beach some method ;-)

 

[harryh31]

"Mmmmmm"!!!!!!!! Good thinking ........been searching the beaches long ?..and what type of digging tool do you use for the wet sand....I'm thinking about getting a stainless steel border spade with a Polypropylene shaft 28" long, (I won't be doing any underwater searching, only very shallow beach streams)

 

[scoopjohnb]

If you're only doing the occasional beach hunt, a small long handled quality steel shovel will do.
Have the blade cut square to about 5" width and 6.5 " long.
Push down vertically, plant your left foot behind.
And lever the sand out of the hole.

You're much beter off digging small amounts. Wet sand if heavy and it creates suction to the blade.

Plus with the curve in the blade you can pick up a small amount of sand and not bend down every time.
Use the armstrap on your detector, it will allow you to have it hanging on your elbow whilst you let go of the grip.

1 hand on the small shovel, the other free to pick the target from that small amount of sand you picked up.

I hunt beaches, dunes, parks with the occasional plowed field.

You're 705 is a great machine. It's got more than a few tricks up its sleave!!

 

[harryh31]

Thanks for that info.....

I've got a Black ADA Sod Buster digging tool which has the same size blade that you recommend, I will use that......( I note your comment about the wet sand causing suction and weight).

I also have a bungee harness which I find very convenient it helps take the weight of the machine without restricting the swing and ensures only the coil is on the ground at any time, and allows both hands to be free

If the 705 has other tricks as good as using the prospecting mode with two tone on the beach, I would be very interesting in learning about them, however I will first will try to "walk before attempting to run"

 

[scoopjohnb]

A lesson in beach digging I learned a long time ago, digging bait to go fishing.
A small shovel and little chunks doesn't wear you out as fast as big shovel and lots of UMPF.

Having 2 hands free is great on the beach.

Just give a shout, the guys over here will help if we can.

 

[harryh31]

THANKS !!!!!!

I,m going to do two complete days (solo) on the beach at the end of October ( daughter is going to take care of my disabled wife at home for four days)....can't wait.....freedom first time in eight years

 

[scoopjohnb]

Digging a few coins, walking at the beach.
Detecting and Fishing is the perfect excuse to just "Breathe" and take in the world.

 

[harryh31]

If on the beach and in pinpoint mode with the X 705, as you suggested on Sept. 22nd., will that automatically give me 2 tones............

And if for some reason I wanted to adjust sensitivity or any other setting.... is it possible, whilst in this mode, or would that upset the prospecting program mode; its just a thought at the moment, I'm trying to figure out what you can and can't do.

 

[scoopjohnb]

Prospecting mode has 3 tones.
A constant threshold,... you adjust it till it's comfortable to your hearing and sounds like a slight hummmmmm.
A target tone, the slight hummmmm will increase in volume and pitch, it sill start to bleep at you.
A Null, that's where the treshold just falls away and everything goes quiet for an instant whilst passing over the target "iron"

So if the detector decides, nice target it will give you a whieeeuuuww sound.
If the detector decides, this target is small iron, it will shut up.
If the detector decides nothing is under the coil and all is well, it will give you a nice hummmmmm.

The quality of the hummmm is the essence to prospecting mode.
Start out with your sensitivity low and increase,... when the humm becomes erratic or wavery,... drop a few points.
Adjust the volume so you can easily hear it hummmm
Now adjust the tone till you can hear it loudest,... everyones hearing is different,... we all have blind spots in our frequency range.
When you preceive the hummmm or hiiimmmmm or hooooommmmm as loudest,... back down on the volume till its just in the
background. You should be able to hear yourself think and not mind that hummmm in the background.
Not strain yourself to hear it either.

Prospecting mode and discrimination mode are 2 machines in one.
Altering sensitivity on one mode will not affect the other. Usually Sens in prospecting mode will be adjusted lower than disc mode,... its simply has a lot more Umpf in prospecting mode

When in prospecting mode you'll find the pinpoint button to be useless. It allows very precise pinpointing no need for it.

It is great for beach hunting, small iron gets rejected, larger iron like stainless rings, stainless washers and small gold rings come in.

 

[harryh31]

Thanks !!!!!!...

That's a perfect answer to my questions, now I feel I'm getting somewhere......so much so, that I have decided to go the 120 miles to the beach for the day, next Wednesday to try it out properly.

I can't thank you enough, for the time and trouble you have taken so far...its greatly appreciated.

 

[pasttom]

Since we are going into beach basics... 2 cents more on threshold- it has been described as like a mosquito buzzing in your ear. Close to the noisy surf it may need to be turned up louder and turned down up in the dry where it may be quieter. It needs to be just loud enough that you are aware when it goes quiet (nulling) over an iron target. I have found many knives and other interesting things by checking out the nulls with my Excal and SE Pro. Also I have had some really good targets go from null to hit when I went back and checked out the null SLOWER. I am just starting to use the 705 so I am not sure where Prospecting Mode falls in the All Metal/Disc line for iron nulling. Some deep good targets sag into iron null if they are deep enough so it is easy to pass over some of the best treasure. You don't want to spend too much time on chasing nulls, but a quick look at the size of the nulled area and slow pass to see if it hints at possible non iron content may just make your day!

 

[scoopjohnb]

That's one of the tricks the 705 has up its sleeve.

You will receive a legitimate hit on a deep target,.. when you get the target out of the hole and up close where the X-terra will ID correctly,... it will null.

So it doesn't null deep potentially good targets, only nulls on targets it is sure off.
I used prospecting mode fairly frequently on the dry, wet and in the fields. Never found it to be wrong.

You can even adjust the level of iron discrimination in 20 intervals. At the preset amount of 5 it will only null on small nails.

Targets like steel core coins which my excall with a disc of 0 nulls on, the X-terra in prospecting mode hits.
A very nice trick indeed!!

 

[pasttom]

Well, after a couple hours on the beach today I got almost no nulling at default 5. I can see there is much to learn with this machine.

 

[Digger]

Just to add a little bit to what scoopjohnb explained......in regard to Iron Mask in Prospecting Mode.......the display provides a numerical indication of the level of Iron Mask (0 - 20) you are using. The higher the number, the more iron you will reject. . It also displays a segment bar at the bottom of the screen that indicates the amount of iron signals being rejected by the X-TERRA. Best of luck with your trip to the beach. HH Randy