OK NOW what do I do???????

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Eagle77 - I would try what Charlie P. had suggested. Although I had read somewhere that tamping the ground could change the matrix of the soil

Yes. Anytime you disturb it you change the "balance". Plowed fields can be a real challange (but often very worth the bother).

Ever dug a coin, refilled the hole, then swept it again before moving on only to find a second and deeper coin? Happens all the time to me. And that's shooting through freshly disturbed soil. Still works, but is not the best of medium. If you can hit a known target in the same soil you'll be hunting you will hit deeper with undisturbed coins.

The iron/trash masking or overlying coins is a BIG problem. Some detectors purposely "null out" over iron when in discrimination mode and that built-in mask overcomes even a strong coin signal. Good concept but flawed in the real world. Right up there with the "automatic" ground balances that are actually fixed. One new higher-middle-to-lower-upper priced detector - the Fisher F75 - has supposedly overcome this and will find good targets beside or even directly below iron. I'm hoping to get one soon and put this to the test. The cheap solution is to dig the iron and then re-sweep. Takes time and patience, and even a removed iron object leaves a lot of Fe02 behind that messes with the coil's field. But even in those cases there should be many more coins not obscured if the site is loaded.

Lord knows I've been at sites that should have had coins that are duds. I know of two parks within the same township that are three miles apart. One ALWAYS produces and the other has not EVER produced (and I know of two other detectorists who didn't believe me and had identical results. Go figure??

 

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[Kilika]

Maybe the 'hobos' had MD's

 

[Youngladd]

Maybe the 'hobos' had MD's

Yeah but they were looking for burried full cans of beer

 

[DFX-SE Gregg]

Young ladd is it possible you might be getting emi, electrical interference? Or maybe there is such a large amount of junk in the ground that the detector is masking and cannot separate good and bad signals. I would agree with everyone else though, if you are not finding anything at all that is good it is probably that something is wrong...machine...operator error...maybe detector is not ground balancing?

 

[Youngladd]

Well based on many of the responses here, I am going to make another attempt to find the lucre. I noticed that many responses here reject the idea that the coins are sunk in the sandy soil. Can you guys comment on why you might or might not believe that?

 

[BioProfessor]

Why coins sink in the ground.

This is an interesting phenomenon, and it affects other objects on the
ground, like boulders and stones - not just coins.
The main culprits are earthworms.
During their daily travels, they eat and digest the organic matter that
constitutes a high percentage in soil. In doing so, they create voids in the
soil. Eventually these voids collapse, causing the ground level to sink, and
if there are any heavy items like coins or boulders, these gradually sink
further into the soil than the surrounding soil until they are hidden from
sight.
Also, wind tends to distribute a layer of dust-like particles of soil over
the surface which will add to the soil in any given area whilst depleting it
in others.
So if the area is the right type place for earthworms and there are trees losing leaves and wind swept open areas anywhere close, the coins are going to sink and sink fast.

Daryl

 

[Rowdy]

How far apart were you and your friend when you were detecting? It's my understanding that detectors with similar frequencies can affect each other over 100 feet apart.

If you were both in the same vicinity, it may be possible that your machines were interfering with each other.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Another coin "sinker" is the phenomenon of frost heaves. The ground literally expands and contracts as the water in it freezes. In this part of NY we freeze solid as deep as 18". The upper 6" can be opened up like cauliflower in what is called "hoar frost", and as that is hit with warmer temps and sun it falls back onto itself, tilling any heavier objects down as they sink into the cracks and are silted in.

But what you then get is a series of layers. Hereabouts, if you've ever tilled/turned a garden or field, you will note the top 6" is "fluffy" with sod and roots and the hummus of organic debris. The next 6" is dirt/silt and after that it is hardpan like a dirt driveway. No coin gets much penetration into that hardpan layer unless some outside force has acted on it (like a root, plow or erosion).

I've found 1919 cents at the same depth as 1995 cents. They either hit a "hold" later/boundary or are on their way back up from some action in the soil.

I don't know much about soils in other states, but that covers the ground hereabouts. I have no experience with sand and so can't really say.

 

[Canadian Cossack]

I think the sinking coin theory has merit.

Your idea of selecting an expected hot spot and scrapping off the surface layer may be the best (only?) way to test it. With a case of beer and a sunny Saturday this could make for fun day too!

From what you've described there has gotta be some good stuff to be found!

 

[Montana Jim]

I agree with what Charlie says - though he speaks more eloquently than I...

I truly think it's where you live... wind and soil, deposits and blow-off, critters like worms/ants/moles/gophers, plant life and roots, rain and ice, thaw and heave, and rocks/stone content all have VERY little to do with it... but in combination some movement occurs.

I've dug modern quarters at 12 inches and one 1877 dime at 2 inches. Advice from one area seldom holds true for all areas. Again - your intuition must guide you...

 

[Youngladd]

How far apart were you and your friend when you were detecting? It's my understanding that detectors with similar frequencies can affect each other over 100 feet apart.

If you were both in the same vicinity, it may be possible that your machines were interfering with each other.

We both have the same detector, and the manual recomends 20 ft but we were at least 50

 

[BioProfessor]

Both have the same detector. Neither person finds anything. Anybody else see a problem?

 

[Youngladd]

Both have the same detector. Neither person finds anything. Anybody else see a problem?

I dont see your point, please explain

 

[BioProfessor]

Different detectors operate on different frequencies. Some are VLF machines at around 3-4KHz. Some have a primary frequency of about 15KHz or so. Some work at multiple higher frequencies. Some are Pulse Induction. Some have round coils, some DD, some eliptical, some round spider and all in a variety of sizes. They have different sensitivities, penetrating power, discrimination ability, etc. If both of you are using the same detector, it keeps the detector "on the table" as a possible problem of not finding any coins.

Daryl

 

[Montana Jim]

I can speak to the "proximity" issue a little bit.

I hunt with a guy who also has a BH, we both do, and we used to have different models. We could not be within about 30 feet of each other or the screwy chatter would start with unfavoarible reliability.

Then... I bought the same detecter he had, but slightly updated. The problem only happens now when we are about ten feet apart. Otherwise no issues.

I dont know what all that means - just telling an unscientifically conducted first hand experience story. The only thing I would bet my paycheck on is that it can and will screw up your readings.

 

[Youngladd]

I can speak to the "proximity" issue a little bit.

I hunt with a guy who also has a BH, we both do, and we used to have different models. We could not be within about 30 feet of each other or the screwy chatter would start with unfavoarible reliability.

Then... I bought the same detecter he had, but slightly updated. The problem only happens now when we are about ten feet apart. Otherwise no issues.

I dont know what all that means - just telling an unscientifically conducted first hand experience story. The only thing I would bet my paycheck on is that it can and will screw up your readings.

I didnt notice any issues and I didnt dig any ghost targets. We knew that being close might be a problem, so we split up and we worked different areas. I need to go back and perform some tests like some of you suggested to determine the optimal settings and I and need to also rake down a small area and check that. Then we will see

 

[Dimeman]

Did your detector have any chatter when you ran at full Sens setting?? If so ,you might lower it a bit...and maybe lower it a bit anyway if it WAS alright. There could be some old electrical wires underground that might interfere with the detector.

What depth was the iron objects you have found??
Sometimes coins could be close to or under these trash items and the detector reads the larger object ( iron) and doesn't read the smaller one ( coin).
You would have to get the iron objects out of the ground so the detector can read the coin.
If it has been detected before you got there, and they left those larger iron pieces there, they missed the deeper coins.

I also believe there should be coins there.

If your detector uses a coil about 8 inches you should dig everything, then go back with a larger coil and search the area again for any deeper targets.

 

[Montana Jim]

Dang... I forgot...

if you have the 4" coil - use that exclusively for a while. You might loose a little depth, but your accuracy will triple. I can pinpoint with that coil while NOT using a "pinpoint mode". I use mine almost exclusively!

 

[Youngladd]

Did your detector have any chatter when you ran at full Sens setting?? If so ,you might lower it a bit...and maybe lower it a bit anyway if it WAS alright. There could be some old electrical wires underground that might interfere with the detector.

What depth was the iron objects you have found??
Sometimes coins could be close to or under these trash items and the detector reads the larger object ( iron) and doesn't read the smaller one ( coin).
You would have to get the iron objects out of the ground so the detector can read the coin.
If it has been detected before you got there, and they left those larger iron pieces there, they missed the deeper coins.

I also believe there should be coins there.

If your detector uses a coil about 8 inches you should dig everything, then go back with a larger coil and search the area again for any deeper targets.

No, my detector does not chatter at full sensitivity, there is no live electrictiy anywhere on the property. The property has its own coal generator house which has been dead for some time. I found various iron objects mosts were deeper than 6 inches some bigger iron objects at 12 inches most pull tabs and foil were on the surface but there wasnt that many. All the iron was very rusty and when I used disc to check the object it made my detector ring coin area on the VDI. I hunted in pinpoint mode and looked for faint small rings and dug those.

 

[Dimeman]

Did your detector have any chatter when you ran at full Sens setting?? If so ,you might lower it a bit...and maybe lower it a bit anyway if it WAS alright. There could be some old electrical wires underground that might interfere with the detector.

What depth was the iron objects you have found??
Sometimes coins could be close to or under these trash items and the detector reads the larger object ( iron) and doesn't read the smaller one ( coin).
You would have to get the iron objects out of the ground so the detector can read the coin.
If it has been detected before you got there, and they left those larger iron pieces there, they missed the deeper coins.

I also believe there should be coins there.

If your detector uses a coil about 8 inches you should dig everything, then go back with a larger coil and search the area again for any deeper targets.

No, my detector does not chatter at full sensitivity, there is no live electrictiy anywhere on the property. The property has its own coal generator house which has been dead for some time. I found various iron objects mosts were deeper than 6 inches some bigger iron objects at 12 inches most pull tabs and foil were on the surface but there wasnt that many. All the iron was very rusty and when I used disc to check the object it made my detector ring coin area on the VDI. I hunted in pinpoint mode and looked for faint small rings and dug those.

One other idea, from one buildng to the next or from one area to another there should be some foot paths. Look for these and detect the path and on both sides of them.

Have you tried different Disc settings??
I still think you should cover one area very completely, digging everything you can find...and then with a larger coil go search the area again.
I just looked on the "net" and BH offers a 10 inch coil for 60 bucks for that detector. To go deeper for deep coins it might be worth it to get it. All you need is one good coin find ( like a 1916D Mercury dime to pay for the coil.)

Good luck and happy hunting.