Widescan question

[BillF]

Went out yesterday to a school built in 1907. Didn't find anything old but did pick up a quarter, 5 dimes, 2 nickels and 15 Penny's.
I was using the Vaquero with the 5.75 DD. The DD has a red dot towards the toe of the coil. When I first got this coil I used the dot as a pinpoint reference. I was using it at the new freeway site where I could use my relic shovel, digging a plug that was at least 8" around and never paid a lot of attention to where the target was in the plug or hole.
I was making small 3" plugs yesterday and noticed that my target was always on the outside edge of the hole. That means that the red dot is not my pinpoint spot. It appears to be closer to the Tesoro logo or maybe even to the center of the coil.
My question is, is this normal for a DD? I can't imagine that this would somehow change, or am I just mistaken about the dot?
Thanks.

 

[BarryL]

I do know I had the 10x12 widescan coil when I first got my Vaq and read somewhere that you use the toe or heal of coil to pinpoint with but That coil seemed to pinpoint better closer to the center of it or maybe just my imagination I tried it both ways and it always seem closer when I used the center and moved the coil slowly looking for a 5.75 widescan for my Vaq and future Tejon

 

[atomicscott]

If you use the heel/toe method the 5.75 will pinpoint very nicely. Use the tip of the coil behind the target and move it toward the target until you get the signal. Then do the opposite and use the heel in front of the target, moving it back toward the target until you get a signal. This can narrow it down to within a couple inches most of the time. Also try to draw a 'O' around the target and this will verify that you are in the center after using the heel/toe method

 

[BillF]

Well, I'll have to play with this a bit. If you dont know where the target is, you cant quite figure where it pinpoints on the coil. I'll have to throw a coin on the ground and check it out. It just seems as though when I first got it, it pinpointed on the dot, but now it doesnt. I'm not as observant as I used to be though.

 

[GunnarMN]

depends how deep and if its Iron or not a nail will pinpont on the edge of the coal , a coin right in the center because it has a bow so if its shallow yes you can pinpoint of the tip but if its deep it will be in the center neverthe less if its a shallow coin it should give a stronger signal in the center and if you lift it up but nails laying flat start sounding off in the side or tip or if two targets are close it splits between them practice makes perfect

 

[JimGilmore]

Your doing it the hard way....
Take your coil and do a normal side to side to get it centered under the coil.
Use that dot as a reference to the center line of the coil. Then when its under the centerline. Slide the coil straight back till the signal disappears.

You should be able to just slide the coil slightly forward and find it again, this will allow you to target the target with the tip of the coil.
Providing it is a single target you could do this do slowly work your way around a target for sizing and such.
Then you just dig right at the tip of your coil.

 

[SpiritRelic]

DD coils should not have a dot?.There is no center on a DD.You use the toe(front edge of coil).You move the coil back until the signal drops out.The middle front edge works best for me.You can do the same with the heel(back middle edge).A DD emits a coil pattern like a line right down the middle.So a DD coil really should not have a dot on it.For what reason?.

 

[BillF]

This DD coil most certainly does have a dot on it. And, like quite a few of the coils I've had in the past with a dot or raised bump in the middle of the coil, I assumed that this RED DOT meant that it was the pinpoint spot for this coil. Now, was I wrong to assume that?

 

[SpiritRelic]

Ok,that is right.You back the coil up while sweeping fast small strokes until the signal cuts out.And yeah about were the dot is should do it.Depending on how tight to the edge you pinpoint.

 

[BillF]

But that is why I asked the original question. When using the dot as a reference for pinpointing, after cutting the plug, my target isn't in the plug, its in the side of the hole. Not really that big of a deal, I have learned to pinpoint at a different spot on the coil. It just doesn't seem right.

Ok,that is right.You back the coil up while sweeping fast small strokes until the signal cuts out.And yeah about were the dot is should do it.Depending on how tight to the edge you pinpoint.

 

[SpiritRelic]

It can be difficult with the DD.I keep going forward and backward and get it right at the edge of the coil.But it is hard to get dead on with a DD.That is why i need a new pinpointer.I like DD coils.You sound like you got it pretty good.I would like to have that small DD coil for the tejon.That small coil could cut in the salt marsh land better than a big coil.The best for around heavy nails and extreme trash.

 

[MarkCZ]

DD coils should not have a dot?.There is no center on a DD.You use the toe(front edge of coil).You move the coil back until the signal drops out.The middle front edge works best for me.You can do the same with the heel(back middle edge).A DD emits a coil pattern like a line right down the middle.So a DD coil really should not have a dot on it.For what reason?.

Two way to pinpoint with a DD coil,
One is center of the coil, just like a concentric,
The other way is to use either the heel or the toe of the coil.
I use a 11" DD on another detector I have and I pinpoint it to center of the coil.

I never retrained myself to use the other method.

Mark

 

[Ism]

If you are good, you can find the target in the center of the coil or very close without heel or toe method.
With the 5x10, I use a forward and back (tip to toe motion) to make an X over the target. It works very well to pinpoint but you have to be able to visualize the X.
You can do this with the round coils but its a bit more difficult. So backing out of center (heel or toe) method is an easy way to pinpoint the target.
The red dot is generally where the signal drops off on a DD coil. Thats the point where the two internal coils cross each other (research how a DD coil is made).
The red dot is not where the target will have the strongest signal. That will be closer to the center of the coil.

 

[BarryL]

If you are good, you can find the target in the center of the coil or very close without heel or toe method.
With the 5x10, I use a forward and back (tip to toe motion) to make an X over the target. It works very well to pinpoint but you have to be able to visualize the X.
You can do this with the round coils but its a bit more difficult. So backing out of center (heel or toe) method is an easy way to pinpoint the target.
The red dot is generally where the signal drops off on a DD coil. Thats the point where the two internal coils cross each other (research how a DD coil is made).
The red dot is not where the target will have the strongest signal. That will be closer to the center of the coil.

Agree

 

[SpiritRelic]

You think that sweet little DD can fool you?.Try one of the butterfly 15x12.You can get dizzy and worn down if you don't have a pinpointer.Bill i cut plugs all the time and the coin will still be in the side of the hole.This is so common with a bigger DD especially.Here is what mark was talking about were the two coils meet on the sef 15x12 DD.Lay a coin on the ground and see were the target drops out.Let me see you try to find center on 15x12 DD.But right were the coils meet,and go back a tad on the butterfly.I got this coil out of my box to put it on the outlaw and hunt the dry sand at the beach wednesday.I think it should do good.We will find out. :-D