Deep Signals Trouble

Larwar

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Jul 23, 2014
99
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New Richmond WI
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Hi to all. After I think I'm starting to get this 600 the past two days have been frustrating , Got great signals one at 28 30 one at 39 40 in an old park dug down at least 14 inches and cannot find the target, I have a Garret Carrot but no luck keep pinpointing says I'm in the right spot and VDI doesn't change. I'm in park 1 22 sen, noise cancel, grd bal, 50 tones, rec speed 2, iron 1. Now the reason I give up is in parks in this county you are not allowed to dig deeper than 6 or 7 inches. Also it is difficult to dig deeper I have a 36 inch T handle ground shark . But after digging that deep it is super frustrating, I have a hard time believing it was deeper than that,And today after digging 2 deep holes the signal just stopped.I don't know what to do. I want deep signals but.any suggestions. :???
 

eman1000

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Feb 24, 2016
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Sorry Larwar for your frustration this sounds like one of my previous threads I posted where I too was struggling. Maybe your having the same issue I was and your digging in the wrong spot?
I would recommend you put some coins on the floor and practice the wiggle forward/back method and then rotate 90 and verify. You will have much more confidence in your digging location and I don't even use the pinpoint much now.

It's also possible that there was a target that deep. I have been in parks that had old poles from long forgotten playground equipment filed deep.
 

OP
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Larwar

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Jul 23, 2014
99
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New Richmond WI
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Thanks for your reply I do use the wiggle method all the time however when I have trouble I do both. But that still doesn't mean I was in the right spot.again thanks for your time. And you are probably right it could be a large deep target.I would of kept digging but there were people in the area. And don't want to ruin it for others.
 

SultansOfSwing

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Nails have gotten me giving thr same readings. They weren't consistent but were hitting high. Had to fish around for them. They didn't sound any better after opening the plug either. That was my second clue.
 

HighVDI

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Could be falsing iron. Next time you could dig outward around the sidewall.
 

vferrari

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39 - 40 definitely sounds like deep large iron falsing like a buried large ferrous object or pipe. You can sometimes figure out if its a pipe by swinging radially out from the "target" and looking for a continuous line of good hits indicating a deep buried pipe or electrical conduit. You can also use pinpoint mode to get an idea of the relative size of the target. Getting a pinpoint tone over a large area would indicate a large buried target.

28 - 30 could be a large but relatively deep piece of aluminum - soda can.

Again use the pinpoint mode to get an idea of the relative size of the target. It is very telling. Practice with the pinpoint on coin sized targets, pull tabs, and then on a crushed aluminum can to get an idea of how pinpoint will sound on larger targets. To improve your pinpointing proficiency you can tape random targets to the "underside" irregularly shaped cardboard pieces and then plop them face down on the ground to challenge yourself into finding exactly where under the cardboard the target is located. Use irregularly shaped pieces and tape them off center to avoid being able to inadvertently cheat on repeat practices. You can poke/mark the targets with from the top with golf tees to see if you were right.

Also, as mentioned above, ferrous falsing targets like nails tend to not pinpoint properly and typically are typically found in the sidewall of an otherwise properly pinpointed plug hole (i.e., if the target were instead a coin you would find it in the plug or relatively centered in the hole).

Since the depth meter is not always accurate and it is hard to get a relative bead on the size or depth of target due to the lack of tonal modulation (if you don't use the built-in pinpointer). You can touch your pinpointer to the ground before you dig your plug to see if your target is relatively shallow or large to tighten up on the plug radius.

Sometimes, especially when you are in a situation where you don't want to be tearing up the site, it is best to just move on if you cannot quickly recover the target. No shame in that and it is really unlikely you are missing out on something worthwhile.
 

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Mudflap

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I agree with VDI. Might be standing on edge also deep and off to the side.... like 6" or so to the side,
 

Normsel

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vferrari
That is excellent advice.. I would guess it is deep iron falsing. The garrett carrot may be set to strong too. It will start screaming up to 4" away and don't work well in a hole.
 

Echoplex

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My experience has been anytime something bounces way up to 39/40 from lower numbers, it is falsing on adjacent iron or wire.
 

sgoss66

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My experience has been anytime something bounces way up to 39/40 from lower numbers, it is falsing on adjacent iron or wire.

+1 -- same here.

Steve
 

digger460

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vferrari
That is excellent advice.. I would guess it is deep iron falsing. The garrett carrot may be set to strong too. It will start screaming up to 4" away and don't work well in a hole.

Ya, if your dropping your carrot in the hole and it's blazing, you have to turn the sensitivity down on it.

Also, and I've done it. If you lose the signal in the hole, don't forget to check all around the dirt that you pulled out of the hole. Things can flip away from the plug, and check the end of the shovel. And just a reminder with the carrot. Sometimes the carrot doesn't pick up target's and you need turn power off/on again. Just seems to be a problem with the carrot.
 

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Larwar

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Jul 23, 2014
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Thanks for all the advice it is funny to read replies and watch the story change , the 39 40 VDI never changed I never lost the signal my pinpointer never went crazy in the hole, it never located anything I widened out my hole as much as I dared after all you can't dig that deep with out making it wider, I'm not upset with replies I'm happy that people take the time out to try to help. Just saying
 

vferrari

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Like I said, you are describing a large piece of deep iron or buried pipe. EQX pinpointer info would have helped you gage the relative size (diameter) of the target under the coil to provide more clues.
 

flgliderpilot

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Bet you can lift the coil off the ground and still get a hit. Did you see how big it is with pinpoint mode? Sounds BIG.

When it's BIG don't dig! Well unless you want something big that is.
 

SittingElf

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Bet you can lift the coil off the ground and still get a hit. Did you see how big it is with pinpoint mode? Sounds BIG.

When it's BIG don't dig! Well unless you want something big that is.

Waat??!! It might be a pirates treasure chest full of gold! :laughing7:
 

Roger Mn.

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I have had the 39 a few times and thought i was digging a silver dollar. Turns out to be a rusty tin can.
Now i practice on a few coins like the silver dollar and pinpoint that coin and you will see the smaller pinpoint area of the coin and a larger area will be iron trash.
 

Normsel

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The story don't change. Guys are just trying to help and throw out possibilities.. I would be very skeptical about using a shovel in a park..

When you get a really strong signal and it appears to be deep in most cases it's iron falsing or a can. Like others have said raise the coil and see if you still get a signal and if you do it's likely not silver or clad
 

smokeythecat

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Most of my "huh?: signals like that wound up being a coin on edge on the side of the hole. Any deep iron I just went after and got.
 

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craigmoto38

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Feb 1, 2017
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I also have had the problem with iron showing up in the 30's and not pinpointing correctly. I've found old rusty nails and large iron sometimes show up higher numbers and cant find them where i pinpointed.but i keep digging out further and it seem like the iron is pinpointing out further towards the edge of the coil. This is very rusted iron.
But I have found three silver dimes near junk targets in a park I have detected before with no problems pinpointing
 

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