VDI Numbers for trash

scotty544

Hero Member
Mar 11, 2013
622
203
Arkansas
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX 3030 XP Deus Whites V3i
Tesoro Silver Saber
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Anyone collect any VDI numbers for the trash they've dug?

I can find lots of lists and charts of coins and jewelry, but i wanna know about the garbage.

if a number is solid trash, I want to eliminate it. If it's iffy I wanna keep it.
It really doesn't work like this.....trash comes in many shapes and sizes.... only trash that is uniform in size, shape and composition would be seen as the same VDI or relatively close to being the same number every time....also ground mineralization and other nearby objects could change the VDI
 

OP
OP
A#1

A#1

Hero Member
Feb 18, 2018
532
657
Traverse City, Michigan
Primary Interest:
Other
It really doesn't work like this.....trash comes in many shapes and sizes.... only trash that is uniform in size, shape and composition would be seen as the same VDI or relatively close to being the same number every time....also ground mineralization and other nearby objects could change the VDI


Not exactly arguing your point. You're right, and I know that......But it does, and you know it.



Discrimination exists for a reason, I paid for it, and I want to use it. I'd like to collect more data on the numbers that aren't considered desireable. I'm looking for the input of others to help.

If someone ALWAYS digs trash on 11, I'd like to know it......I've never dug anything worth the effort on 11.
 

scotty544

Hero Member
Mar 11, 2013
622
203
Arkansas
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX 3030 XP Deus Whites V3i
Tesoro Silver Saber
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
If you want to dig gold rings or earrings you have to dig basically any VDI number down to like 1 or 2 according to the post that I have seen.....I am willing to skip some to avoid alot if trash so personally 11 is my bottom number, which is almost always a nickel, also I will not dig a target bouncing around 13 to 15....generally it is a pull tab.
Not exactly arguing your point. You're right, and I know that......But it does, and you know it.



Discrimination exists for a reason, I paid for it, and I want to use it. I'd like to collect more data on the numbers that aren't considered desireable. I'm looking for the input of others to help.

If someone ALWAYS digs trash on 11, I'd like to know it......I've never dug anything worth the effort on 11.
 

OP
OP
A#1

A#1

Hero Member
Feb 18, 2018
532
657
Traverse City, Michigan
Primary Interest:
Other
Yeh, that's what I was gettin at.

While I know there is good things that may be eliminated, the places I go probably won't have that stuff anyhow. I simply don't want to waste what time I get to play , on a one in a million shot at a gold earing, that most of these people were too poor to own in the first place. I really just want to find their coins.
 

cudamark

Gold Member
Top Banner Poster
Mar 16, 2011
13,210
14,509
San Diego
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus 2, Equinox 800/900, Fisher Impulse AQ, E-Trac, 3 Excal 1000's, White's TM808, VibraProbe, 15" NEL Attack, Mi6, Steath 920ix and 720i scoops, TRX, etc....
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
-9 up to -1 are iron, and in my book, junk. Positive numbers can all be good targets. In a trash riddled site where I just want to find old coins and silver, I keep 12 and 13, and 19 and up. I ignore the rest, unless it's a real old site and I'm getting deep readings. Those get dug too, as the numbers can be unreliable.
 

jdiggs_treasure

Sr. Member
Jan 12, 2013
273
328
northern california
Detector(s) used
Xp deus 11"x35/9"HF roundl/Mi6
Minelab equinox 800 11"& 6" coils
Killer b wasp headphones
Whites prostars
garrett carrot
Predator ranger shovel/raptor digger
Lesche t handle/ hand digger
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Not exactly arguing your point. You're right, and I know that......But it does, and you know it.



Discrimination exists for a reason, I paid for it, and I want to use it. I'd like to collect more data on the numbers that aren't considered desireable. I'm looking for the input of others to help.

If someone ALWAYS digs trash on 11, I'd like to know it......I've never dug anything worth the effort on 11.

I've dug a few deep buffalo nickels that rang it at 11 and bounced to 12 occasionally... they were a good 9 inches down in semi hot soil...
 

HighVDI

Silver Member
Feb 16, 2017
2,765
4,594
Pa
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I've dug many good old nickels that hit in that 11 range. If I were at a park hunting for silver then I'd pass. Turn of the century home and I'd dig anything above iron. The VDI scale is too compressed to use it the way you want to......especially at an older site. JMO.
 

jdiggs_treasure

Sr. Member
Jan 12, 2013
273
328
northern california
Detector(s) used
Xp deus 11"x35/9"HF roundl/Mi6
Minelab equinox 800 11"& 6" coils
Killer b wasp headphones
Whites prostars
garrett carrot
Predator ranger shovel/raptor digger
Lesche t handle/ hand digger
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I've dug many good old nickels that hit in that 11 range. If I were at a park hunting for silver then I'd pass. Turn of the century home and I'd dig anything above iron. The VDI scale is too compressed to use it the way you want to......especially at an older site. JMO.

I agree...
 

ZR2guy

Sr. Member
Jan 6, 2011
454
510
Southwest Ohio
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 700 (stock and 6" coil), Pro-find 35 PP, Makro PP, and a little luck.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Where are you hunting? Old home site? Modern park? Challenge yourself and build a test garden. This will tell you a lot.
 

OP
OP
A#1

A#1

Hero Member
Feb 18, 2018
532
657
Traverse City, Michigan
Primary Interest:
Other
Where are you hunting? Old home site? Modern park? Challenge yourself and build a test garden. This will tell you a lot.

Mostly old homesteads. Thing is, there's so many on them along my paths to other places. I get a half hour or so at each one to do an assessment, and I have to move along. Usually, I just get to do a surface check, and many times cant use the detector at all if it isn't early spring. When i do get to use it, I'd like to weed out as much crap as I can and kabeep mostly coins, to judge whether or not I want to return to that particular spot, and when. I note all that, for when I get more of an open opportunity later. Then I do a more thorough job of the place.

I don't do modern anything. I really have no interest in most everything current. Closest has been the front yard of my 1940 cabin. Never been to a beach, a current school, a park, never even done my yard. I have better things to do than find clad and zinc, and I have more efficient ways of obtaining it if I chose to.

A test garden would be cool, but I just ain't got there yet. I'd like to read more about them over the winter.
 

Last edited:

HighVDI

Silver Member
Feb 16, 2017
2,765
4,594
Pa
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Old sites take time. No way around it. People have the misconception that they can tell how good a spot is by going over it quickly and almost cherry picking it in a sense. Truth is, the more you dig, remove and change the dirt at the site can make it a whole different scenerio. I've spent many hours on a couple sites and still to this day find missed items. One spot I thought was completely useless then come fall/winter it coughed up 8 coppers and a shield nickel along with dozens of flat buttons and musketballs.
 

lucky92

Jr. Member
Nov 30, 2017
56
163
Jefferson City missouri
Detector(s) used
Whites classic sl, Garrett 350, mx sport, equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
To narrow things on a fast hunt I sometimes dig only signals that are consistent
 

vferrari

Silver Member
Jul 19, 2015
4,910
8,377
Near Ground Zero for Insanity
Detector(s) used
XP Deus with HF/x35 Coils and Mi6 Pinpointer/ML Equinox 600/800/ML Tarsacci MDT 8000 GPX 4800/Garrett ATX/Fisher F75 DST/Tek G2+/Delta/Whites MXT/Nokta Simplex/Garrett Carrot
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
If you just want numbers, then you are never going to learn what the machine audio is telling you about the prospective target. The audio quality is just as and sometimes more important than a VDI number on this machine. Instead of asking for numbers that may or may not be applicable to your situation, the best thing you can do is get hours of usage on your machine, dig those items and then commit the audio vs. target to your muscle memory. You said that you "paid for discrimination". I pay for "all metal" the capability to be able to flip a switch to hear it all (including iron) and let my brain do the discriminating based on my knowledge and experience with the machine. There are no short cuts, especially if you are looking for coins and relics at old home sites. Good luck.
 

AurumHunter024

Jr. Member
May 10, 2018
72
63
CO, 4 corners
Detector(s) used
ML Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I don't care what the VDI is until after I dig the target.

I'm still learning the language of Equinox and the VDI is like a doctors signature... illegible!
 

DeepseekerADS

Gold Member
Mar 3, 2013
14,880
21,725
SW, VA - Bull Mountain
Detector(s) used
CTX, Excal II, EQ800, Fisher 1260X, Tesoro Royal Sabre, Tejon, Garrett ADSIII, Carrot, Stealth 920iX, Keene A52
Primary Interest:
Other
I've only taken my 800 out for one hunt. I wasn't even thinking TID's, just dug each solid signal in two directions. If it was solid, I was down on my knees digging.

My way of getting familiarized with the new beast.

I did note however that each TID of "1" was foil. But then as I understand, some gold will come in as a "1" too!

So, I dig 1000 pieces of foil just in case one might be gold ????
 

cudamark

Gold Member
Top Banner Poster
Mar 16, 2011
13,210
14,509
San Diego
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus 2, Equinox 800/900, Fisher Impulse AQ, E-Trac, 3 Excal 1000's, White's TM808, VibraProbe, 15" NEL Attack, Mi6, Steath 920ix and 720i scoops, TRX, etc....
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I've only taken my 800 out for one hunt. I wasn't even thinking TID's, just dug each solid signal in two directions. If it was solid, I was down on my knees digging.

My way of getting familiarized with the new beast.

I did note however that each TID of "1" was foil. But then as I understand, some gold will come in as a "1" too!

So, I dig 1000 pieces of foil just in case one might be gold ????

At old sites, some deep targets will only hit one direction, especially if there are other targets nearby. You have to consider I.D, sound, and depth when deciding to dig or not. As for digging 1's......in a park, school, or other public grass area, no, I don't dig 1's either. At the beach, yes. It's so easy to scoop and go that they're not a big deal to recover. Plus, you eliminate that trash off the beach for next time.
 

vferrari

Silver Member
Jul 19, 2015
4,910
8,377
Near Ground Zero for Insanity
Detector(s) used
XP Deus with HF/x35 Coils and Mi6 Pinpointer/ML Equinox 600/800/ML Tarsacci MDT 8000 GPX 4800/Garrett ATX/Fisher F75 DST/Tek G2+/Delta/Whites MXT/Nokta Simplex/Garrett Carrot
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I don't care what the VDI is until after I dig the target.

I'm still learning the language of Equinox and the VDI is like a doctors signature... illegible!

Well maybe not illegible, but definitely ambiguous without the context of the audio.
 

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