Do I need a pinpointer or just more experience ?

[la9]

Seems like it would be easier after digging a hole to use a pinpointer and see if the metal is still in the hole or in the plug.

I'm trying to learn.

Is this the proper way hunt or is there a better way ?

I also saw those probes, how well do those work in finding things. Seems like it would be easy to miss.

What is the best way to find an item when it's buried in dirt ?

What steps do you go thru ?

Thanks

 

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[skydiv]

pinpointing with the ace 250 i've never felt like i needed a pinpointer. the ace does a good job.

 

[KenPa]

A pinpointer is very helpful but not a necessity. I am so used to having a pinpointer I don't know what I would do without it. If you dig a plug wave it in front of your coil to see if it's in the plug and if it's not wave your coil over the hole. Just remember to always check the hole even after you get your target because sometimes there is more than one target in a hole. Good Luck

 

[BuckleBoy]

Here are some steps:

1. Pinpoint the target as well as possible with your detector. Make sure that it is as small of an area as possible (comes in mighty handy when digging in peoples' lawns).

2. Cut a plug (this should be a "hinged" plug of earth, so only cut three of the four sides of a rectangle: two longer ones and one shorter one.) Cut this plug fairly deep. (6 inches or so is a good average depth.)

3. Use the knife to lever the short side and then the two long sides up and out and fold the plug back away from the hole on its "hinge" (i.e. the uncut side of the plug).

4. Use your detector to see if the target is in the plug or still in the hole.

If it is in the plug: Use your hand to gradually remove dirt from the bottom of the plug one handfull at a time, sweeping it under or over the searchcoil of the detector laying nearby until you get the target.

If it is in the hole: scoop out the loose dirt (I place this dirt on a green plastic bathmat beside the hole) and recheck the hole. If it is out, use the same proceedure with the handfulls of dirt as mentioned above. If not, dig deeper, scoop out the loose dirt and recheck. Repeat this process until you find the target.

5. Put the loose dirt back in the hole and fold the plug back. Always make sure the area looks as undisturbed as possible.

Cutting a plug on only 3 sides decreases the likelihood that the grass will die. Cutting the plug fairly deep also insures this, because if it is still in the hole, or not to far towards the surface of the plug you won't have to mess with the roots of the grass.

The plastic green Dollar Store bathmat: This keeps the area neat (loose soil everywhere beside the hole draws too much attention to our excavations in yards!). It also has the advantage that once the target is out of the hole you won't lose it again if it is tiny. It is also MUCH easier to replace all the dirt in the hole afterward. Plus, if you happen to put the loose dirt on top of another signal, you might be tempted to think you got your target out when it might be that you are hearing another target in the undisturbed ground below. So in that case you can just drag the bathmat over a few inches to find out.

Remember: if you lose a signal that was great originally, it may be that you have turned a coin on edge. Stir the loose dirt around on the bathmat to find it again. It could also be that the target was iron and lost it's "halo," but you'll frequently see signs if iron encrustation in the hole or dirt. If it pegged really good to begin with, don't give up if it disappears! I left a lot of coins behind when I first started. I spent 10 minutes trying to find a Civil War minieball about two weeks ago that had disappeared on me. I had to dig it out from under some tree roots and it had turned upright in the hole so the signal was virtually gone. I got it though!

This is just the recovery method I use though. There are almost as many recovery methods as there are detectorists. Coin probes work well as long as you are gentle with them so that they don't scratch coins. You have to be good at pinpointing with your detector to use them effectively though. The only drawback is that if you probe the wrong item (like a rock or a piece of glass) then it weakens cohesiveness of the ground. If you end up having to dig a plug, it will be much more likely to fall apart and might be more messy. Hard to find a ring that way too. Althought I prefer plugs, I do use a coin probe in yards where the owners are really concerned about any digging. That's the only way to go in those circumstances, because it leaves little trace. (If you want coin probing tips, PM me or start a new thread, and you'll get tons of replies.) So you should try several recovery methods and see which one you prefer, but keep in mind sometimes your non-preferred method might come in handy. So get good at all of them and give them time. The first order of business is making sure you are as good as you can be at pinpointing with just your detector. That cuts down on your digging time, cuts down on the mess, speeds recovery of items, and it is very important. Just takes some time to learn.

Regards,

Buckleboy

 

[Ray S ECenFL]

Seems like Buckleboy has it covered.

I would like to add a few things.

My detector is the Whites XLT. It does a good job of pinpointing, but finding the target can sometimes be frustrating. I use a probe to lightly poke around to feel the target. Once I feel it, I know the approximate depth and can then cut the plug and search for the target. A hand held pinpointer can come in handy, I use the Vibra Probe model. Any model is a good choice. It can find the target in the loose soil that you pulled out of the hole or can tell you if it (the target) is still in the hole or in the plug.

Practice, practice, practice.

Happy Hunting

 

[swingman]

Coins on edge will fool even a better machine - I've been off as much as 3-4 inches when the target is deep (over 7 inches down). The better the machine, the deeper you'll go, in general... making pinpointing a little more challenging.
After being stubborn for a year, I bought one. Now I have 3 (always nice to have backups!) It also may prevent you from scratching a nice coin in retrieval...even when it's already in the dirtpile on your dropcloth.

 

[DFX-SE Gregg]

Pinpointers are helpful that is why they are made. Good reasons have been listed also sometimes nice to to poke around in hole to find extra coins from a spill. But I always finish each dig with a wave of the coil to be sure.

 

[bill gent]

answer: D all of the above