AT Pro and Trashy Sites

TheCaribbeanDigger

Hero Member
Aug 15, 2013
593
725
Puerto Rico
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800, Fisher F75, Garrett AT Pro, Fisher F2
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hey people and HH! Just wanted to start a thread on how to detect on trashy/iron infested sites. Please feel free to post your tricks or how to's on this certain topic in which I know many of us find pretty daunting and sometimes even frustrating. I have went to many iron infested places and u really need to know your game! C'mon people lets help each other!
 

fella

Bronze Member
Oct 24, 2012
1,805
853
Wisc
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
To start with…Pro Zero Mode always!

For iron sites…depending on the site I like to run either zero disc w/o IA, my sens one off max (I never run max sens regardless) and I listen for anything that tones higher than iron. Or…I set my iron disc from low 30's to 40 (again depending on the site), and run with IA on then listen for any non iron tone.
People I sometimes hunt with can't understand how I can listen to all that. ATP is the only machine I can stand to run this way!

For aluminum trashy sites, I just disc out anything that doesn't fall in the coin ranges. Do I risk missing good targets? Sure! Do I care? Nope!
 

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TheCaribbeanDigger

TheCaribbeanDigger

Hero Member
Aug 15, 2013
593
725
Puerto Rico
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800, Fisher F75, Garrett AT Pro, Fisher F2
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Interesting setup Fella. Yes, I too run in pro mode always and in zero mode! I like to run the machine with 0 iron discrimination. But in trashy places well I usually discriminate all iron and go for it in full sensitivity.
 

Kodiak43351

Bronze Member
May 6, 2013
2,279
1,091
NW Ohio
Detector(s) used
At Max,Xp deus,At pro, At gold, pro pointer, ace 350 bounty hunter. Lesche hand and t handle digging tools, Sask kustom digger, Garrett edge digger and Garrett retriever, Garrett classifier made into
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I run pro zero And iron at aprox 27 to get nails to just pop and crackle a bit. Sens at one or two down and swing slower and shorter. If you get a high pitch or a good mid tone for a split sec go around it from all sides to see if you can get better signal. If it's an overload signal in a field where a house or farm sat dig it because it could be a ax head or some big tool of some kind. I also like to dig a bunch of the iron out of old areas to maybe cut back on the masking of good targets. I have dug plenty of Indian head cents with a quick high tone and iron on the roll off because there were nails in same hole. In a park it's a different story because you don't want to make a mess so I try to get a good repeatable tone. I dig pull tabs like it's my job too and it paid off Sunday at fairgrounds when I unearthed a 14k gold piece of jewelry. Always dig copper penny sounds and vdi's because so far that's where I've found all the silver rings. The 5x8 coil is a great tool in the trashy areas also. It separates a lot better and depth won't do you any good in a trashy site even though the 5x8 is close to depth of stock coil from what my test garden tells me. Sometimes you just have to dig those iffy crappy sounding signals in a trashy area. Never know you might pull out a great find. Good luck.
 

madforclad

Full Member
May 7, 2014
195
61
Hunting previously pounded sites
Detector(s) used
Minelab eTrac, Minelab X Terra 705, Garrett AT Pro with 5" x 8" coil, Fisher F2, Garrett Pro Pointer, RTG 710 Scoop.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Pro Zero mode...full sensitivity and 5" x 8" coil.
 

Gaspipe

Bronze Member
Sep 6, 2013
1,053
1,246
New England
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro; F75
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hey people and HH! Just wanted to start a thread on how to detect on trashy/iron infested sites. Please feel free to post your tricks or how to's on this certain topic in which I know many of us find pretty daunting and sometimes even frustrating. I have went to many iron infested places and u really need to know your game! C'mon people lets help each other!
Simple answer. Get the 5x8 coil.
 

DavidGC

Jr. Member
Jun 25, 2014
37
29
Vermont
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Along the lines of this topic -- can you guys tell me why I spent all day at an admittedly trashed out cellar hole (constant iron signals), getting solid 81/82 signals amidst the iron buzzes, and every single one of them was a nail or other piece of iron trash? I'm starting to think there's something wrong with my AT Pro.
 

Kodiak43351

Bronze Member
May 6, 2013
2,279
1,091
NW Ohio
Detector(s) used
At Max,Xp deus,At pro, At gold, pro pointer, ace 350 bounty hunter. Lesche hand and t handle digging tools, Sask kustom digger, Garrett edge digger and Garrett retriever, Garrett classifier made into
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Nails will sound like that depending on how they are setting in ground. That's the nature of the beast. No matter what detector you have they will do that. Is it a good solid signal or broken high tone. Think of it this way you are getting all those nails out of the way that are masking good targets. I dig nails too by the way.
 

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TheCaribbeanDigger

TheCaribbeanDigger

Hero Member
Aug 15, 2013
593
725
Puerto Rico
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800, Fisher F75, Garrett AT Pro, Fisher F2
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Nails will sound like that depending on how they are setting in ground. That's the nature of the beast. No matter what detector you have they will do that. Is it a good solid signal or broken high tone. Think of it this way you are getting all those nails out of the way that are masking good targets. I dig nails too by the way.

Yep! Nails have gotten me a lot of times at first, but I kind of know how to listen for them...
 

DiggerinVA

Bronze Member
Sep 16, 2013
1,669
1,661
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
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GPX5000, AT Gold, AT Pro, Whites TDI, Bandido 2 umax, Tejon, Vaquero, Deus 2, ORX and Legend
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I use the same method as Fella stated above....and the 5x8 coil is a must. Work slow and both directions....the atp will find those indians and flat buttons right in with the nails! And work an arrea morre than 1 time on seperate days. Be surprised what you miss!
 

fella

Bronze Member
Oct 24, 2012
1,805
853
Wisc
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I use the same method as Fella stated above....and the 5x8 coil is a must. Work slow and both directions....the atp will find those indians and flat buttons right in with the nails! And work an arrea morre than 1 time on seperate days. Be surprised what you miss!

Exactly!

Just the other day I pulled an 1873 IH along with no less than 5 square nails in the same hole. VDI was a little lower than normal (73) but tone was good. My T2se got nothing on my ATP in iron!
 

madforclad

Full Member
May 7, 2014
195
61
Hunting previously pounded sites
Detector(s) used
Minelab eTrac, Minelab X Terra 705, Garrett AT Pro with 5" x 8" coil, Fisher F2, Garrett Pro Pointer, RTG 710 Scoop.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Exactly!

Just the other day I pulled an 1873 IH along with no less than 5 square nails in the same hole. VDI was a little lower than normal (73) but tone was good. My T2se got nothing on my ATP in iron!

Sounds like that T2se's days may be numbered.
 

RustyGold

Gold Member
Aug 16, 2013
9,372
10,901
Southern California
Detector(s) used
XP Deus I & II
Xterra Pro
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Other
If the nail is bent or a thick wire that is bent 45 degrees it will give me a high signal that makes me think it's a good target being masked by iron a bit! I dig and it's always a nail or the like!
Another vote for adding a 5x8" Coil!
 

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orm25

Jr. Member
Oct 29, 2012
77
95
Australia
Detector(s) used
Garrett Ace 250, Garrett AT Pro, Vulcan 360 Pinpointer, Geotech Barracuda Pi, Minelab Sovereign GT, Minelab Explorer 2, bounty hunter pinpointer,
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I use 5x8 coil with max sensitivity, iron disc around 40 and 60-99 or 70-99 depending on how trashy the ground is in Pro zero mode.
Some tiny silver or copper objects may jump around 60-80 but there will be that small amount of high tone in-between the medium tone.
Also, older objects are usually deeper in the ground or at least 2"+ for me.
Otherwise if I do find coins under 2"+ they're usually not that old.
Remember to ground balance your machine regularly or else it might start to go crazy.
 

DiggerinVA

Bronze Member
Sep 16, 2013
1,669
1,661
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
Detector(s) used
GPX5000, AT Gold, AT Pro, Whites TDI, Bandido 2 umax, Tejon, Vaquero, Deus 2, ORX and Legend
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If you think it might be a rusty nail check 2 directions 900 degrees from each other.....nails generally hit higher one way....but when in doubt.....DIG! you've got nothing to loose!
 

RobRieman

Silver Member
Nov 12, 2012
3,282
1,915
Cincinnati Ohio
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
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Detector(s) used
White's V3i / Minelab E-trac
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
If you think it might be a rusty nail check 2 directions 900 degrees from each other.....nails generally hit higher one way....but when in doubt.....DIG! you've got nothing to loose!

Does that mean you check it one way and walk around the target 2 1/2 times and check it the other way? Lol
 

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TheCaribbeanDigger

TheCaribbeanDigger

Hero Member
Aug 15, 2013
593
725
Puerto Rico
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800, Fisher F75, Garrett AT Pro, Fisher F2
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Interesting! 2 days ago I found this 1870 spanish coin at no more than 3" deep and on the same site I found 2 V nickels at same depth. No more than 10 steps further I found a stinkin' Lincoln like at 6"....wierd!
 

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Kodiak43351

Bronze Member
May 6, 2013
2,279
1,091
NW Ohio
Detector(s) used
At Max,Xp deus,At pro, At gold, pro pointer, ace 350 bounty hunter. Lesche hand and t handle digging tools, Sask kustom digger, Garrett edge digger and Garrett retriever, Garrett classifier made into
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Interesting! 2 days ago I found this 1870 spanish coin at no more than 3" deep and on the same site I found 2 V nickels at same depth. No more than 10 steps further I found a stinkin' Lincoln like at 6"....wierd!
i agree it's weird sometimes but in plowed fields it makes sense. What I don't get is how aluminum pop can get so deep sometimes. I've found a silver dime at 6 inches and a few steps I get another hit and dig to 12" and it a aluminum can. This is in a mowed yard and not a field.
 

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TheCaribbeanDigger

TheCaribbeanDigger

Hero Member
Aug 15, 2013
593
725
Puerto Rico
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800, Fisher F75, Garrett AT Pro, Fisher F2
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
i agree it's weird sometimes but in plowed fields it makes sense. What I don't get is how aluminum pop can get so deep sometimes. I've found a silver dime at 6 inches and a few steps I get another hit and dig to 12" and it a aluminum can. This is in a mowed yard and not a field.

Well I found these coins in a site thats basically all virgin ground. One is how it looks today and the other in 1893!
 

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Kodiak43351

Bronze Member
May 6, 2013
2,279
1,091
NW Ohio
Detector(s) used
At Max,Xp deus,At pro, At gold, pro pointer, ace 350 bounty hunter. Lesche hand and t handle digging tools, Sask kustom digger, Garrett edge digger and Garrett retriever, Garrett classifier made into
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting

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