How to narrow down the search field

laurie · Rookie Joined: 24 Mar 2009 Posts: 15

I am searching in an area off an old wagon road, also known to have been used by Civil War troops. I am very good at finding axe heads, wedges, and horseshoes, but not the coins, buttons, etc that I am interested in. This is my first detector in a long while and I have been advised to dig everything, but how many horseshoes do I need? I am tempted to move on the next time I get a hit on a large signal--Any suggestions?

CJ Tuffy · Posted: Fri May 22, 2009 4:24 pm Post subject:

Hi Laurie,
What kind of machine did you get? I would concentrate around any big trees or the house's front and rear doors. Go slow and use the coins mode. Any thing that blows your ears off is very big. You can also check by picking the machine off the ground a little and if it's still very loud it's a big target.
Stop and look around and pick an area say under the big tree and dig anything from nickel to silver and bypass the big ear splitting targets and see how you do.
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Make yourselves sheep, and the wolves will eat you. - Benjamin Franklin

nc-joe · Posted: Fri May 22, 2009 7:01 pm Post subject:

Sometimes you just have to pass on digging the ferrous (iron) targets and focus on the coin and button metals. Yes, by not digging the iron, you could leave a good target in the ground, but if your working a waggon trail there is bound to be tons of horse shoes and misc iron pieces. So dig everything every other time you are there and dig only "good" signals the other half of the time.

Good luck.

By the way, how do you like that Minelab so far?

laurie · Rookie Joined: 24 Mar 2009 Posts: 15

thanks for the suggestions. I like the everyother skip, and avoiding the larger targets which I have started to do. But even when I measure out the size it is often larger than the signal.
` I am enjoying the ML xterra 750, but have alot of practice b4 I have mastered it. There are 2 modes, coin and treasure and prospect. I have yet to use prospect and am in C/T all the time. I have an option in this mode to us all metal(includes ferrous) or a more discerning set of options that eliminate certain digital readouts depending on what you are looking for. The problem with that is say if I eliminate some digital zones for cans that read out at 12-14 I could also be eliminating certain gold rings that have the same signal readout. I have tested this and asked ML and they said to dig everything at first to get a feel for what the numbers were indicating--this has made me more confused at times. I will take off the all metal the next time I go out and work on smaller objects.

I am going to go to an old church site soon. The church was moved off this site in 1929 and since then it has been knocked down, but the farmer who has lived there all his life knows where the original structure was. Any suggestions on how to cover this site?

EBCIII · Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 6:26 am Post subject:

Hey Laurie congrats on the 705! I have had the X-Terra 70 now for almost 2 years. I use program #1 99%of the time. This is the coin and Jewelry mode on the 70.

Make sure to GB (I use auto) and NC at each new site. I would look for repetable tones and ID numbers. If the ID is jumping all around chances are it is trash.

Sometimes digging every signal is really just not an option. In a real trashy site you wiil tire out fast.

Good luck to you. You will be just fine. You have a very good machine, Beale.

laurie · Rookie Joined: 24 Mar 2009 Posts: 15

Thanks, Beale.
I ground balance and then set it to tracking at every new site--already learned about our highly mineralized clay and all the crazy signals from just that. I also lower my sensitivity if the numbers are jumping all over. And what I am starting to realize is if I get a few numbers, but not the crazy stuff, it is probably junk-esp if i put it on all metal and hear ferrous sounds that were blocked in #1. I will try to leave it!
What is NC? maybe your sensitivity?
Laurie

EBCIII · Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 2:51 pm Post subject:

NC is Noise cancel. I am not sure the 705 has one. If so also run this at each new site.

Also not sure on the trac on the 705. On the 70 if you run it and forget to turn it off over a signal it can cancel that signal out if you hover over it for too long.

I use 3 tone on mine and have not really messed with all metal. I am about 50%deaf in one ear (it also always rings). All the sounds of all metal are just to much for it.

Good hunting to you, Beale.

nc-joe · Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 5:59 pm Post subject:

The best way to hunt an old church site is with me! Laughing

I love hunting old churchs, there always something to be found.

Sounds like your off to a great start.

laurie · Rookie Joined: 24 Mar 2009 Posts: 15

Hey NC, I spent about an hour or 2 at the old site according to farmer and only had some deep hits in all metal mode-ferrous. The few hits I had were deep and if you have been following this blog I am tired of diggng junk-and left them.
I found 1 piece of sheet metal and 2 cans and that was it. Cleanest area I have ever checked. I may need him to walk the site with me-maybe his memory has dimmed alittle since 1929!

cadit · Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 2:38 pm Post subject:

You have to learn to do what you've more than not heard: cherry pick. A lot of us have been accused of cherry picking a site. This technique is very simple to learn and bet if you ask Charlie or Joe, they can teach you, as I heard many times people saying that they've cherry picked a place.

In this way you can get all the good stuff and leave all the trash and junk in the ground.

Ha, Ha,- just kidding

HH

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Metal detecting/Treasure Hunting
A Hobby for those with an Adventurous Heart and a Inquisitive Mind[/i]