at pro disappearing target?

jerseyben

Gold Member
Nov 18, 2010
5,165
2,176
NJ Pine Barrens
Detector(s) used
T2 SE
Primary Interest:
Other
Yesterday had the AT Pro in some woods that were a previous farm field. Got a good deep 80-81 reading. Dug down 1 foot, scanned the hole. Still in hole - signal starting to break up (I was thinking Indian Head at this point). Scanned the plug - nothing. Dug another 6 inches - same results. Dug another 4 inches. Scanned the dirt - nothing. Scanned the hole - NOTHING! So, I scanned the entire area thinking maybe I accidentally dropped the target in the leaves but I couldnt find anything and it was completely silent.

What would cause a situation like this to occur?
 

Sandman

Gold Member
Aug 6, 2005
13,398
3,992
In Michigan now.
Detector(s) used
Excal 1000, Excal II, Sovereign GT, CZ-20, Tiger Shark, Tejon, GTI 1500, Surfmaster Pulse, CZ6a, DFX, AT PRO, Fisher 1235, Surf PI Pro, 1280-X, many more because I enjoy learning them. New Garrett Ca
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I suspect you had a small iron item which rusted out and caused it to read good till you broke up the halo and then it wasn't good anymore but disc out or too small to register. Something is wrong with that sentence, but I am to lazy to fix it. ;D
 

gleaner1

Silver Member
Feb 1, 2009
4,495
1,038
Gateway to the 1000 Islands
Detector(s) used
Sometime(s)
Primary Interest:
Other
This phenomenon surely is not pro specific. It happens....rotten iron crap, rotten aluminum foil that falls into small bits. It literally disappears.
 

Bart@Big Boys Hobbies

Supporting Vendor
Supporting Vendor
Jul 24, 2005
4,594
1,219
Moore Oklahoma
Detector(s) used
Call for your Treasurenet special discount! Be sure to mention Tnet when you call!
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I agree ... Must have been iron falsing.
 

jjg70

Full Member
Dec 12, 2010
167
7
Illinois
Detector(s) used
Garrett Ace 250. Garrett AT Pro
I have had the same thing happen to me, what found was little pieces of rust in soil I dug, I'm thinking an object had completely rusted to nothing but all residue was still in shape of object then when I dug it spread it out to the point of it being undetectable
 

Jerry-Wi

Jr. Member
Mar 21, 2009
66
9
Are you using the STD or the PRO mode? Quite often the PRO mode will give a combination low-high-low or some combination thereof on rusted metal targets. I manage to dig my share of those types of targets in spite of that because I always want to make sure it isn't something good :) Nature of the beast I guess.

Jerry
 

Monty

Gold Member
Jan 26, 2005
10,746
166
Sand Springs, OK
Detector(s) used
ACE 250, Garrett
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I've had the same problem with a small rusty nail or something that would give off the halo effect. Very hard to avoid. Monty
 

ivan salis

Gold Member
Feb 5, 2007
16,794
3,809
callahan,fl
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
delta 4000 / ace 250 - used BH and many others too
small iron item thats rusted into iron dust -- iron or (other mineral soil) -- can cause "dissappearing signals" as you dig into them the rust blob gets torn up and the signal breaks up or tiny bits fall into the hole bottom -- giving the a bit deeper --a bit deeper chase *

look for rust colored stains in the soil --tip off -- some places have a lot of small iron bits or iron baring soil -- some so bad one has to slightly up ones disc level to work em.
 

Slugrusher

Jr. Member
jjg70 said:
I have had the same thing happen to me, what found was little pieces of rust in soil I dug, I'm thinking an object had completely rusted to nothing but all residue was still in shape of object then when I dug it spread it out to the point of it being undetectable


Had this occur yesterday. Would dig to the bottom of the sand (+ or - 12"). Would find hard dirt, but no item that was hitting in the low 80's. I did find rust lines, as if a nail or some other object had rusted away and left it's fossil in place until torn apart from the dig.
 

George (MN)

Hero Member
May 16, 2005
829
98
Another possible guess, as this almost happened to me: could the coin have been off to the side of the hole, just enough to be out of the range of the Cen-Tech, or turned on edge? Still deeper? Could it could stop beeping if you broke up the corrosive flakes off penny in the soil?? Could the penny have corroded so completely that nothing was left but rusty dust?? I don't know.

I keep thinking a very corroded old penny would give off a very big beep and may be detected deeper than depth indicator can read? I haven't found any really deep pennies yet, perhaps I mistook them for cans or had disc too high?

I also have the AT Pro & Cen-Tech pinpointer. I had a beep reading 80-85 & 8". I tried pinpointing with the Cen-Tech, but it would beep the entire width of the hole, making me think a very deep can or false signal. I had nearly the entire Cen-Tech in the hole! Went a little deeper & a little wider. Finally, a clad dime!

I don't know if I was off on the pinpoint or just hadn't dug deep enough. Maybe the coin was on edge originally, or after digging? Best wishes, George (MN)
 

Michellets

Sr. Member
Nov 12, 2006
273
51
Detector(s) used
Whites DFX, Ace 250 Big and Small coils, AT-Pro
Ok... I have been hunting for a while with the pro and last week I had a deep target that beeped. I dig, and scanned, and dug, and scanned...still there in the hole. Then I dug and scanned, and nothing. Scanned again, and again nothing. Knowing better..... I reached down into the hole and took all the loose dirt out...... and scanned it...... came away with a 1877 dime. The only answer was that I knocked the dime on edge in a deep hole and the detector couldn't detect it. It could happen. Sooooo... if the detector reads a target.... it's there..... make sure you look. This can happen with any detector...... HH M.
 

Born2Dtect

Bronze Member
Jun 11, 2004
1,683
68
Hurlock, Maryland
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Excalibur II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
All detectors do this. The problem is that when it happens you see it quite a few time that day and at that site. It can be frustrating. One time I did loose a nice silver signal. After digging a big plug with my relic shovel, about 1o inches deep. Decided to try my Pro Pointer and found a 1/2 dime on its side, my E Trac would not detect it out of the hole, on the edge of the plug. Another reason I don,t leave home without it.
 

mrs.oroblanco

Silver Member
Jan 2, 2008
4,356
427
Black Hills of South Dakota
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Lobo & Garrett Stinger
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I think everyone with every kind of detector has had that problem. Rust - particles and even what I call "rust dust".

Someday, if you dig up a rusty target, scan your hole again, and the residue from the dust may go off on the detector. It's annoying - especially if the target has completely become nothing but rust dust, so you cannot tell what exactly was making the rest.


Beth
 

rob.s

Hero Member
May 31, 2011
955
22
Primary Interest:
Other
It happens from time to time and it drives me crazy..I call it the Houdini-where did it go?LMAO!
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top