X-Terra 50 VDI Chart

[steve herschbach]

Hi,

Been running lots of trash, common coins, and rings under my XT50. Here is a general chart. Maybe you guys can chime in and make additions on older coins or relics. Important - these are air tests! In the ground readings will often shift lower.

Steve Herschbach
Steve's Mining Journal

Tone VDI Items

Very Hi .<b>45 Steel</b> Halves, Dollars
Very Hi .<b>42 Quarters,</b> Large Silver Rings
High .... <b>39 Silver Rings</b>
High .... <b>36 Penny/Dime,</b> Small Silver Rings
High .... <b>33 IH Penny</b>
High .... <b>30 Zinc Penny,</b> IH Penny
High .... <b>27 Screw Cap,</b> IH Penny, Large Aluminum
Medium <b>24 Heavy Square Tabs,</b> $5 Gold, Very Lg Mens Rings
Medium <b>21 Large Pull Tabs,</b> Large Mens Rings
Medium <b>18 Pull Tabs</b> Mens Rings
Medium <b>15 Small Pull Tabs,</b> Erasers, Small Mens Rings
Medium <b>12 Light Square Tabs,</b> Nickels, Erasers, Beavertails, Lg Womens Rings
Medium <b>09 Beavertails,</b> Heavy Foil, Erasers, Med Womens Rings
Medium <b>06 Medium Foil,</b> Small Womens Rings
Medium <b>03 Light Foil,</b> Small Jewelry
Low ..... <b>-3 Wire,</b> Pins, Very Small Jewelry
Low ..... <b>-6 Nails</b>
Low ..... <b>-9 Hot Rock,</b> Large Iron

Notes - 45 is more often a junk indication than the very rare dollar or half. Mens rings fall mostly into 21 followed by 24. Womens rings are heavy in 6 and 9 followed by 12. 18 is the heavy pull tab range and sparse on rings (too high for most womens rings, too low for most mens). 15 also hs fewer rings but also less junk. <b>All these observations are only true for my area and mix of targets and so must be taken with a large grain of salt, are are only intended as an aid to those just starting out. You can get junk in any segment, and good finds in any segment!</b>

Here is a simplified version, a combination of most likely targets and "wishful thinking". 21 is more likely to be a large pull tab, but it is the hottest number for mens rings, at least out of my collection. 18 might be a ring, but fewer fall there than in lower or higher numbers, and it is very heavy in common pulltabs.

45 Steel
42 Quarter
39 Silver
36 Penny/Dime
33 IH Penny
30 Zinc Penny
27 Screw Cap
24 Large Mens Ring
21 Mens Ring
18 Large Tab
15 Small Tab
12 Nickel
09 Womens Ring
06 Small Womens Ring
03 Foil
-3 Wire
-6 Nails
-9 Hot Rock

 

[big Ken]

Thank You!!!!!!!!!!! I was waiting for someone to figure this thing out.I`m going to etch this in the handle. Santa brought me one for Christmas and all I`ve dug up so far was a real bad case of poison ivy which I now know is alive and well in the winter. I`ve been lurking for a while and I have learned alot from all of you, Thank you. This is my first post howdy all!

 

[dirtdog]

Glad to have you hear!

 

[newtocoinhunting]

Thanks for the chart, should prove to be a good starting point for me.

 

[Digger]

Pretty close to what I have found Steve. The few coin exceptions may be explained with the different soils we hunt. I find more old nickels at 9 than 12. I find dimes range from 33 to 39. And I have found IH cents from 27 to 33. Even found one last week at a solid 24. But, all in all, close enough to warrant a dig!
I would appreciate it if anyone reading this would test a theory I have. I hunt in the all metal mode, and primarily hunt old sites for old coins. When I get a tone with a numeric response that represents the possiblity of a coin, I sweep the coil over it from a variety of directions to see if the number changes by more than one notch segment. I have found that coins will not "jump" by more than one notch segment. Maybe one segment higher OR one segment lower. But never both directions and never more than one segment. Trash typically does. Let me explain. Say you get a target that is a solid medium-high tone and is consistent in its location. You check the display and it shows a 36. When you sweep the coil back and forth over it, the number changes back and forth from 36 to 39. Notice it only changed one notch segment. I bet it is a dime! On the other hand, if you got an initial reading of 30 that jumped back and forth between 30, 27 and 33, that would represent one notch segment in each direction, movement in both directions, or movement of more than one segment. Never say never, but I have not found any of these to be buried coins. Regardless of the starting point, if the numeric display moves more than one segment in either direction or by one segment in both directions, I have not dug a buried coin. It will likely read different once the ground is broken and the coin is disturbed. But prior to digging, if the target is not being partially masked, I believe the numbers represented by coins will remain constant, or within one notch segment. If you put this theory to the test, let me know what your results are. Thanks. HH Randy

 

[steve herschbach]

Hi Randy,

Right you are on the coins, and variations. If you look again you'll see I have IH pennies listed at 27, 30, and 33... because I got that information from your posts!!

Seriously, this VDI Chart was not intended to be definitive but to provide a starting point, and get more feedback like you just provided, for all our enlightenment. Thanks!

Steve Herschbach

 

[lugdoon]

I used Scotch Brand clear shipping tape on front and back of the VDI chart after I printed it out and cut it to size. Makes a quick and durable "laminated scale"... but not quite as durable as actual laminate. Did this for my Sov and it worked great when I pasted it on top of the Sov meter...a trick I read somewhere on the forums...I think it was a post by Mike (Virginia Beach) and I believe that Kinkos is where to go for the real laminate.
Guess I could shrink my print out so that it will fit somewhere on the X50 Pod.... my 60 year old eyes might balk at that ..but I bet before to long we will see a real pro type application.

Starting to enjoy the X50...hope SunRay comes out with an in line probe like the one I have on my Sov....which now seems to weigh 3x times as much as the X50.
HH...Roger

 

[Kidd]

n/t

 

[alaskaseeker]

That is good solid operating info that everyone should be able to put to used seccessfully. No one gets info like this in a couple of hours, it takes days and hours in the field with constant matrix changes that do affect target quality, to be able to talk about detector performance...Geo