X-Terra70_TreasureHunter
Hero Member
- Oct 19, 2007
- 656
- 13
- Detector(s) used
- X-Terra70, X-Terra 50, Ace250, Ace150, GTI 1500,GTA 1000 Ultra, Tejon, Vaquero
Pinpointing Tip: Take a large piece of cardboard and on the back side you can tape a few targets, dimes, small lead sinkers maybe a different type of pull tab or two, this will help you accomplish several things, you gain practice with the pinpointing feature of your detector, it will help you develop your eye to target relationship on the ground and will let you listen to the shape of he targets as you scan them in the AM mode, and Disc Mode. Find an area that is free of trash and place your cardboard with the targets down, you need a probe that can be pushed through the cardboard after you have located the target so you can see just how close you are actually pinpointing to the target. You will be amazed just how close you are coming to the target or how far off you are. Pinpointers, I don't have one so I don't have a recommendation.
GB'ing......Pos. and Neg. Slightly Pos. usually gives you more sensitivity to the real small targets,etc. In mineralized soil the pos. is a drawback---erratic behavior and falsing. Too negative then you loose sens. to some smaller items, etc Each area can be different so try it both ways before you hunt to see what works best for you. When in doubt set it with no change (sometimes that's the best).
If you can learn from advice:
1. If you are going slow , go slower yet. What's the hurry and maybe the goodie of the day is right where you leave off.
But you must know how your machine will react to going slow or fast.
2. Learn your detector's sounds or readings. Practice frequently to know them.
3. Don't move on to another detector just when you are starting to learn the one you have. It doesn't matter what others are saying
about the "latest" machine.
4.Dig up some of those "sure it's not a goodie" signals. You will be surprised once in a while.
5. Detect some of those places "where no one would lose something".
6. Write down a good looking spot when you see it. Don't rely on your memory.
7. When a temporary site opens for you do it now. Call in sick, lie to relatives, do whatever but get to it before the window closes.
8. If you have a real strong hunch about a site - do it. Don't let others persuade you to go elsewhere. Our hunches are frequently
more than a guess.
9. If you have a good looking place to hunt and there's people walking by or such - don't let their presence bother you.
10. No matter where you go out of town - ALWAYS take the detector along. Some of the greatest spots open to us when we don't
expect it.
Pinpointing & Detuning (Shrinking the Target)
(1) After locating a target and getting an approximate center.
(2) Move about an 3-4 inches from the approximate center (it doesn't have to be exact just within the target-signal area).
(3) Release and Pull the trigger or repush the PinPoint Button.
Now the signal area should be much smaller than before. You can repeat step 2 to narrow the pinpoint still more. Detuning
can be and should be used on any detector that has a pinpointing feature.
Finding Real Old Coins: Sometimes you need to think outside the box, especially when hunting areas that others have gone over repeatedly. One way to do that is to search the spots others have not. Sounds simplistic but often you need to run your coil over places you wouldn't normally think to look. This isn't a trick for finding old coins but it can increase your finds and the odds of picking up some goodies.
Here are a few suggestions:
Hillsides...few if anybody will hunt off balance yet I've found plenty of keepers in areas you couldn't believe. Generally they are shallow too. Edges of parks and playgrounds. Everyone heads for the swings, the old oak, the pavilion. I head for the overgrown borders, the places where people might duck out of sight to relieve themselves. I found a nice man's ring not 4 feet from the asphalt parking area that most people would walk right past while their turning on or off their machines to and from their car. Along the base of stone walls. You might need a small coil to work these tight areas. Often coins get lodged between rocks and you need to work your loop into small cracks and crevices. Under sidewalks that are being torn up or city streets that are being widened. People of yesteryear that populated the area walked on dirt before everything was paved. Find the spots where the concrete is being removed to repair water, gas, sewer lines or where a new bridge is being built. A quick scan of the dirt piles can reveal some amazing finds. In short, try to train yourself to see beyond the obvious. Avoid the most likely places because everyone hunts there. Check out a few spots where you wouldn't think to detect.
RECOMMENDED RECOVERY METHODS
METHOD 1 - "PROBE AND DRIVER"
Used in less moist lawns where targets are not so deep (1 to 4 inches) and where “plugging” is objectionable. This method requires more practice but is much less damaging to grass than Method 2- “Plugging” shown in the next section. After pinpointing the target, use a nonmetallic probe such as a modified fiberglass fishing rod or a metallic probe such as a blunted ice pick (the former causes less damage to the target) to locate the target depth (Figure 1A). Next insert an eight-inch screwdriver on center just above the target and rotate slightly to open the ground (Figure 1B). Now insert the screwdriver just under the target at an angle and lever the target to the surface (Figure 1C). Brush all loose dirt back into the hole and close the hole by exerting pressure all around the opening (Figure 1D).
METHOD 2 - “PLUGGING”
Used only where allowed in natural wooded areas and very moist lawn areas. Plugging in hard dry ground can damage grass roots leaving yellow “ dead spots” in time. After pinpointing the target, use a six-inch sturdy hunting knife to cut three sides of a four-inch cube around the target center (Figure 2A). Cutting a “hinged” cube-shaped plug rather than a complete cone-shaped plug will properly orient its return, preventing its removal by a lawnmower, and lessen the chance of scratching the target. With the knife blade, carefully pry against the cube side opposite the “hinge” and fold back (Figure 2B). Sweep the searchcoil over the plug and hole to isolate the target location. If the target is in the plug, carefully probe until located. If the target is in the hole and is not visible, probe the bottom and sides until located, then remove it (Figure 2C). Repeat sweep for additional targets. Replace all loose dirt with the plug. Seat the plug firmly with your foot (Figure 2D).
GB'ing......Pos. and Neg. Slightly Pos. usually gives you more sensitivity to the real small targets,etc. In mineralized soil the pos. is a drawback---erratic behavior and falsing. Too negative then you loose sens. to some smaller items, etc Each area can be different so try it both ways before you hunt to see what works best for you. When in doubt set it with no change (sometimes that's the best).
If you can learn from advice:
1. If you are going slow , go slower yet. What's the hurry and maybe the goodie of the day is right where you leave off.
But you must know how your machine will react to going slow or fast.
2. Learn your detector's sounds or readings. Practice frequently to know them.
3. Don't move on to another detector just when you are starting to learn the one you have. It doesn't matter what others are saying
about the "latest" machine.
4.Dig up some of those "sure it's not a goodie" signals. You will be surprised once in a while.
5. Detect some of those places "where no one would lose something".
6. Write down a good looking spot when you see it. Don't rely on your memory.
7. When a temporary site opens for you do it now. Call in sick, lie to relatives, do whatever but get to it before the window closes.
8. If you have a real strong hunch about a site - do it. Don't let others persuade you to go elsewhere. Our hunches are frequently
more than a guess.
9. If you have a good looking place to hunt and there's people walking by or such - don't let their presence bother you.
10. No matter where you go out of town - ALWAYS take the detector along. Some of the greatest spots open to us when we don't
expect it.
Pinpointing & Detuning (Shrinking the Target)
(1) After locating a target and getting an approximate center.
(2) Move about an 3-4 inches from the approximate center (it doesn't have to be exact just within the target-signal area).
(3) Release and Pull the trigger or repush the PinPoint Button.
Now the signal area should be much smaller than before. You can repeat step 2 to narrow the pinpoint still more. Detuning
can be and should be used on any detector that has a pinpointing feature.
Finding Real Old Coins: Sometimes you need to think outside the box, especially when hunting areas that others have gone over repeatedly. One way to do that is to search the spots others have not. Sounds simplistic but often you need to run your coil over places you wouldn't normally think to look. This isn't a trick for finding old coins but it can increase your finds and the odds of picking up some goodies.
Here are a few suggestions:
Hillsides...few if anybody will hunt off balance yet I've found plenty of keepers in areas you couldn't believe. Generally they are shallow too. Edges of parks and playgrounds. Everyone heads for the swings, the old oak, the pavilion. I head for the overgrown borders, the places where people might duck out of sight to relieve themselves. I found a nice man's ring not 4 feet from the asphalt parking area that most people would walk right past while their turning on or off their machines to and from their car. Along the base of stone walls. You might need a small coil to work these tight areas. Often coins get lodged between rocks and you need to work your loop into small cracks and crevices. Under sidewalks that are being torn up or city streets that are being widened. People of yesteryear that populated the area walked on dirt before everything was paved. Find the spots where the concrete is being removed to repair water, gas, sewer lines or where a new bridge is being built. A quick scan of the dirt piles can reveal some amazing finds. In short, try to train yourself to see beyond the obvious. Avoid the most likely places because everyone hunts there. Check out a few spots where you wouldn't think to detect.
RECOMMENDED RECOVERY METHODS
METHOD 1 - "PROBE AND DRIVER"
Used in less moist lawns where targets are not so deep (1 to 4 inches) and where “plugging” is objectionable. This method requires more practice but is much less damaging to grass than Method 2- “Plugging” shown in the next section. After pinpointing the target, use a nonmetallic probe such as a modified fiberglass fishing rod or a metallic probe such as a blunted ice pick (the former causes less damage to the target) to locate the target depth (Figure 1A). Next insert an eight-inch screwdriver on center just above the target and rotate slightly to open the ground (Figure 1B). Now insert the screwdriver just under the target at an angle and lever the target to the surface (Figure 1C). Brush all loose dirt back into the hole and close the hole by exerting pressure all around the opening (Figure 1D).
METHOD 2 - “PLUGGING”
Used only where allowed in natural wooded areas and very moist lawn areas. Plugging in hard dry ground can damage grass roots leaving yellow “ dead spots” in time. After pinpointing the target, use a six-inch sturdy hunting knife to cut three sides of a four-inch cube around the target center (Figure 2A). Cutting a “hinged” cube-shaped plug rather than a complete cone-shaped plug will properly orient its return, preventing its removal by a lawnmower, and lessen the chance of scratching the target. With the knife blade, carefully pry against the cube side opposite the “hinge” and fold back (Figure 2B). Sweep the searchcoil over the plug and hole to isolate the target location. If the target is in the plug, carefully probe until located. If the target is in the hole and is not visible, probe the bottom and sides until located, then remove it (Figure 2C). Repeat sweep for additional targets. Replace all loose dirt with the plug. Seat the plug firmly with your foot (Figure 2D).
