Question ( Im new at this)

[bennym]

Question ( I'm new at this)

I'm pretty new to MDing..... I'm using an American Hawks Explorer HP 1016...
I know it's only a beginners model, but it was affordable for me.... and it was a way to get started....

Anyway.... here's what's happening.......
I keep the sensitivity turned up all the way, because I dig every signal.....
I try to swing slow so as soon as I hear the signal I can stop and hone in on the target.....

Sometimes it works well.... other times I don't stop in time, so naturally I loose the signal...
so I slowly move the coil around the area to try and pick up the signal again.... "most times" I get the signal again, place my foot on the spot, and dig the find.... no problem....

BUT.... there are a number of times when I can't find the signal again ? It was loud and strong when I first went over the area, but when I over shoot it, I can't find it again... ?
No matter how slow I go... I can't get the signal back.... I'm thinking that it was probably a false signal, maybe brought on by the mineral content of the soil itself.....

There are also times when I get a strong signal and I dig.... when I get down to 5 or 6 inches and haven't found anything, I scan the hole and the area again, trying to hone in on whatever set off the signal in the first place.... then I don't get a signal again ?

I also have a habit of using my tool to soften up the soil and then digging it out with my hands so I can feel everything that's in the soil as I take it out.... this way I don't miss anything... even pieces of paper foil from cigarette packs...

The Hawk's suppose to have an automatic ground balance.... so would it still give off false signals at times ?
This isn't happening allot... but enough to make me wonder what's going on...
Any insight would be appreciated.....
Thanks Ben

 

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[Eu_citzen]

Re: Question ( I'm new at this)

The first thing is probably false signals they are mostly random here in Sweden.
The second thing when you get a repeatable signal and dig then it disappears, ever heard of the "halo effect?"

When things oxidize they can create a "halo" which is an area around the target filled with the oxides(ever dug iron?) now these things can mess with your detector.
But as you move around in the hole this halo can get broken aka you destroy it thus the signal can get weaker or disappears totally.

You might wanna look for a pinpointer these things help greatly!
Also scan the dirt you've removed for the hole some targets are really small and easy to miss no matter how you do.

Cheers,
Eu

 

[bennym]

Re: Question ( I'm new at this)

Thanks Eu...

Ya I always scan whatever material I've removed from the hole..... I've heard of the halo effect, and I have dug iron.... I understand what you mean about the halo getting broken, but wouldn't the object that created the halo still be under there someplace ? Even with the broken halo, shouldn't the actual object still give off a signal ?

I guess if this happens at times it's normal and just the way detecting is.... and that's ok, I just wanted to make sure something wasn't wrong with the detector.... I've only had it two weeks !

Thanks for the reply....
Ben

 

[rsc]

Re: Question ( I'm new at this)

NEVER dig with your hands. I have found glass, razor blades, and hypo needles burried. Use your digger then rescan the pile, or hole. BE SAFE HH Gayle

 

[bennym]

Re: Question ( I'm new at this)

Thank you Gayle....

 

[Eu_citzen]

Re: Question ( I'm new at this)

A piece of iron that been there long enough will get smaller (aka the "pure" metal) while the oxides around it get "bigger" this may result in a small piece of iron at the end and if you brake the halo for one of those then it might be hard to find (almost impossible if small enough) without a pinpointer.

You could if there is one all metal mode on those machines use that and rescan the hole.
The object would still be in the hole but be harder for your MD to find.(The halo makes it look larger then it really is)

As for digging with the hands.... Well look for some good quality Kevlar gloves, something like this:
http://unitedglove.thomasnet.com/item/kevlar/kevlar-gloves/pn-1595?&plpver=1001&forward=1

Or cut resistant working gloves:
http://abcsafetyglasses.com/mly-9382.html
Just examples though, talk to someone who knows this stuff and explain your position I'm sure they'll be glad to help.

But to be 100% safe don't use your hands...These do though protect very well.(I use them when crushing rocks)

Cheers,
Eu

 

[bennym]

Re: Question ( I'm new at this)

Thank you again Eu.... I understand it now... that's what's probably happening, I'm breaking the halo and the original object it just too small to find now or has completely disinigrated and left only the halo... I can see that happening too as the area I'm in goes back to the 1800"s and has allot of iron there....

Thanks for the link to the gloves too...
Ben

 

[Eu_citzen]

Re: Question ( I'm new at this)

Glad to help!

Cheers,
Eu

 

[radarwill]

Re: Question ( I'm new at this)

You might want to try running the sens a little lower. I have found very few site in this state that will allow the sens to be at max. Remember, when you turn up the sens., not only do you increase the gain of the desired signal but you also increase the noise from minerals.
Will

 

[bennym]

Re: Question ( I'm new at this)

Thanks Will ... I didn't realize I was increasing the noise too....
I'll turn it down a little...
Thanks again

 

[COUNTRY GIRL]

Re: Question ( I'm new at this)

Ben, I am NO pro by any means. But I do find that happens a bit more when the ground is real wet. I've lost a few completely, but found others to be off to the right or left of the coil by 4" also after a good rain. Gotta love New England weather? Soaking wet, or dry as a bone!

You really may want to invest in a probe. When you get within 2" of your target it vibrates, to lead you to your target. I started wearing gloves after about the 3rd cut, aluminum is worse than glass, trust me! I got the probe and stopped wearing gloves again, ooops?

 

[bennym]

Re: Question ( I'm new at this)

Thank you Country girl... come to think of it.... it had rained the day before I went out.... but it had been so dry that the earth just sucked it all up because it was still dry when I dug.... but I have to keep that in mind.... thanks....

I'll put that probe on my wish list.... lol it sounds pretty cool... being on a very fixed income right now, I'll have to save up a bit....
Thanks for the tip...

PS... I'll pout some gloves on too !

 

[Massbaycolonist]

Re: Question ( I'm new at this)

If you are running any kind of discrimination at all, sometimes the detector will give off a signal the first pass over, but then the detector will realize that the target is either a target that you are discriminating out, or that it is a poor target. It will not give any subsequent signal on pass overs. (Depending on the model). I get these too. Probably most dectorists get these falsing signals from time to time. I try to ignore them when I get them. Easy to get sucked into them, though.

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