New (to me) CZ 21 - first hunt

[Top]

I took my CZ for a spin while visiting Miami. A new friend from another forum helped me find a nice parking spot and area to hunt. I had a fun time despite coming down with a bad head cold and feeling like crap.
My first find with the CZ was a zinc penny.

However, I did find a few coins (9 pennies, 1 dime and 2 quarters) and only one pulltab and one bottle cap. Some broken sunglasses and a pair of small luggage type keys on a ring.


Things I learned: This detector is very different from my Bounty Hunter. It is certainly heavier and even the 10" coil and the shaft with the box chest mounted weighs as much as my BH. The sounds, I like a lot. Pin pointing and finding the target is still a little tricky. So hunting in the water was just silly until I get better at finding the target in wet sand. I have to admit, it was pretty fun wading out into the surf with a metal detector. I look forward to when I can be productive out there.


I hunted in auto tune in the water and a little on the sand. But I spent some time experimenting with Disc 0 and using the pin pointer to locate targets. I am a long ways from being as productive as I am with my BH but I am sure it'll improve.

I also want to publicly thank finderzzs here on TreasureNet for inviting me to hunt with him as well while here in Miami. Unfortunately this cold just knocked me out and he is a serious hunter. There is no way I could get out today, much less keep up with him.


BTW I also noticed that there is a new book on Amazon about hunting with the CZ 21.
Metal Detecting on the Beach and in the Shallow Water with the Fisher CZ21: Using the Fisher CZ 21

I can't rate it yet but it looks well written so far.

 

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[Tuberale]

Congratulations on your first hunt, Top. Glad you shared!

 

[CASPER-2]

...I'll let you know when my book comes out

 

[austin]

Glad you had fun. Keep it up. Now go to Death valley and detect there. If you still want to hunt after that, you're addicted...

 

[beendetected]

I bought that book. It's a real time-sheet for me. I'm working on my own book now. It's titled:
"everything you never wanted to know about metal detecting but were forced to find out"
I think the Target demographic would be the detectorists' partners.


Sent by carrier pigeon

 

[adamBomb]

Things I learned: This detector is very different from my Bounty Hunter. It is certainly heavier and even the 10" coil and the shaft with the box chest mounted weighs as much as my BH. The sounds, I like a lot. Pin pointing and finding the target is still a little tricky. So hunting in the water was just silly until I get better at finding the target in wet sand. I have to admit, it was pretty fun wading out into the surf with a metal detector. I look forward to when I can be productive out there.

Get the rear mount off ebay. Its $16 and you wont need to chest mount the machine and you will be able to swing it all day. It made my life 100% better because I was either hip mounting, which was a pain and can stretch the wires, or just using it as is, which was heavy. Practice in the wetsand/drysand at first to learn the machine is definitely a good idea. I really think the CZ21 shines in the shallow water over other VLF detectors but you need to learn the machine first to learn how to deal with setting it right in the surf.

You will find that most people hunt in autotune because its deeper and can better pick up targets near the edge of the coil...however, do a bunch of home/beach tests with your machine to see it for yourself. Then when you find a target switch to disc. You will find that you are not going to use pinpoint once you get the hang of autotune.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Thanks for the link to the book. I just bought and read it. It was a good read for $5.

 

[adamBomb]

Also, a good tip which I just said on another forum - check the low/high tone mixed signals. I never post my finds but just to give you an example of why you should dig the tones that are mixed (high/low)...I found both of these in the last few days. The one on the left is 7grams of silver and the right is a gold ring. When I got to the gold ring my disc actually rang up mixed...as in I was getting a medium and low tone. Dont dismiss those. It was really trashy out and I almost passed it up because it was getting hot out and I was ready to leave. I decided to dig a scoop to confirm it was rusty metal but as I dug the first scoop and tested again it was solid medium. Both were probably dug around the 6-8'' mark.

Also, the author to that book is a really cool guy...haha its me. Those are my notes from my first few years with the CZ21

 

[ScubaDetector]

Also, a good tip which I just said on another forum - check the low/high tone mixed signals. I never post my finds but just to give you an example of why you should dig the tones that are mixed (high/low)...I found both of these in the last few days. The one on the left is 7grams of silver and the right is a gold ring. When I got to the gold ring my disc actually rang up mixed...as in I was getting a medium and low tone. Dont dismiss those. It was really trashy out and I almost passed it up because it was getting hot out and I was ready to leave. I decided to dig a scoop to confirm it was rusty metal but as I dug the first scoop and tested again it was solid medium. Both were probably dug around the 6-8'' mark.

Also, the author to that book is a really cool guy...haha its me. Those are my notes from my first few years with the CZ21

I always dig mixed tones. Not just for gold but foreign coins also. Sure I get bottle tops. However, I don't mind because digging in the sand and muck is easy.

 

[Top]

Get the rear mount off ebay. Its $16 and you wont need to chest mount the machine and you will be able to swing it all day. It made my life 100% better because I was either hip mounting, which was a pain and can stretch the wires, or just using it as is, which was heavy. Practice in the wetsand/drysand at first to learn the machine is definitely a good idea. I really think the CZ21 shines in the shallow water over other VLF detectors but you need to learn the machine first to learn how to deal with setting it right in the surf.

You will find that most people hunt in autotune because its deeper and can better pick up targets near the edge of the coil...however, do a bunch of home/beach tests with your machine to see it for yourself. Then when you find a target switch to disc. You will find that you are not going to use pinpoint once you get the hang of autotune.

The hunt in autotune and switch to disc to check is a common suggestion among all CZ-21 users that show significant success on the various forums. It is certainly advice I will take. However, I am sure that during my initial familiarization phase I will experiment with multiple modes. Of course I want to find Rolex watches and big gold rings. But this is really a hobby for me and knowing my chosen weapon is a big deal for me personally. Add in the fact that my hunting i not in the US so all the coin signals are different and the beach compositions are different. In a little while I'll probably be 100% autotune to disc switching.

I have the bracket and will install it as soon as I am back in Brasil. Just in case it doesn't work well for me I have the other options.
I did compare the weight and balance of an Excal with the standard S shaft and one with the Anderson shaft with the rear mount. If the CZ difference is like that then I'll definitely keep the under cuff mount. It was incredible how much better the balance was, it was as if the modded Excal weighed almost nothing.

I probably wont use pin point at all once I get used to the X point of target location with the CZ. Right now I am missing it a bit. Plus I was using a 5" travel scoop.

Thanks for all the tips.

 

[Top]

I always dig mixed tones. Not just for gold but foreign coins also. Sure I get bottle tops. However, I don't mind because digging in the sand and muck is easy.

Yeah, for the first 100 hours or so I'll dig everything for sure. By then maybe I'll understand what it is telling me.

I have some great wet sand areas to hunt that I know have not been hunted before and the history goes back to the first beach goers in the 1930s.
I've seen one AT Pro hunter in the dry sand and one homebuilt PI hunter going way too fast in the wet sand. That is all that has been hunted AFAIK.

 

[beendetected]

Also, a good tip which I just said on another forum - check the low/high tone mixed signals. I never post my finds but just to give you an example of why you should dig the tones that are mixed (high/low)...I found both of these in the last few days. The one on the left is 7grams of silver and the right is a gold ring. When I got to the gold ring my disc actually rang up mixed...as in I was getting a medium and low tone. Dont dismiss those. It was really trashy out and I almost passed it up because it was getting hot out and I was ready to leave. I decided to dig a scoop to confirm it was rusty metal but as I dug the first scoop and tested again it was solid medium. Both were probably dug around the 6-8'' mark.

Also, the author to that book is a really cool guy...haha its me. Those are my notes from my first few years with the CZ21

View attachment 1329097

Enjoyed reading the book


Sent by carrier pigeon

 

[adamBomb]

I did compare the weight and balance of an Excal with the standard S shaft and one with the Anderson shaft with the rear mount. If the CZ difference is like that then I'll definitely keep the under cuff mount. It was incredible how much better the balance was, it was as if the modded Excal weighed almost nothing.

It is. I couldnt believe how much better it was. Also make sure you have an arm strap.

 

[beendetected]

Loving the cuff mount. Reaching around with either arm is buggering my already knackered shoulder so gonna try chest mounting for a while


Sent by carrier pigeon

 

[flgliderpilot]

Get the rear mount off ebay. Its $16 and you wont need to chest mount the machine and you will be able to swing it all day. It made my life 100% better because I was either hip mounting, which was a pain and can stretch the wires, or just using it as is, which was heavy.

DEFINITELY. It's great in the water too... way less drag since it's move back to the pivot point under your arm.

Also, I can just let my machine go sometimes and it just floats there next to me.

I love my CZ-21. I only use AT and Disc 0 at the beach.