AAARRRGGGHHH, about to wrap my detecter around a tree!

Gunny71

Sr. Member
Jan 14, 2009
309
33
Texas by Gawd
Detector(s) used
Minelab E-TRAC
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Well, maybe not, But I am getting frustrated. I have not been able to pull in any old coins. I know, Location, Location, Location....
I feel like I am starting to get my machine down, I find clad, and trash everywhere.

Case in point, Friday I got permission to hunt The old Jail in my hometown, built in 1881.
2644273934_5aff2bc587.jpg

http://www.texasescapes.com/Jails/LaGrange-Texas-Fayette-County-Jail.htm
So this morning I Hunted it about 3 hrs, I found Nothing but a few clad pennys. Just do not know what I am doing wrong. I can find Iron, copper, and brass at least 10" down, but I have yet to get anything older than a 1919 wheat ANYWHERE. There were several areas around the jail that were LOADED with small Iron, so digging it all was not really possible.
I have tried slowing way down, still nada as far as old coins are concerned...Just don't know what I am doing wrong.

I am using a Garrett GTAX 550, any help or insight would be appreciated, but I don't know what else to do. I enjoy this hobby so far, but I am starting to get frustrated, and would hate to give it up.
 

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TORRERO

30+ YEARS, XP DEUS I & II ARE MY GO TO MACHINES
Nov 17, 2004
1,609
997
NC
Detector(s) used
XP DEUS I & II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Gunny71 said:
Thanks, Lots of good info here. My machine does have a depth meter, which seems pretty accurate, and most times in pinpoint mode I can get a really Good Idea how large the target is. Ill hit it again this evening (under the bushes fer sure this time).
I am starting to think that a sniper coil may be the way to go. In the trashy area around the cistern and behind the building, I was getting as many as 30 small iron targets in a 4'X4' area, all of them I dug turned out to be square nails.

I want to know if any of this helped .....
 

OP
OP
Gunny71

Gunny71

Sr. Member
Jan 14, 2009
309
33
Texas by Gawd
Detector(s) used
Minelab E-TRAC
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Yes, it did help! Thanks for all the info and tips. I have been running about 3/4 sensitivity...slowing my swings WAY down was the ticket.
Pulled a couple of copper whatsits, couple of buttons, and a 1945 quarter out of the iron patch I talked about earlier today.
I just didn't realize how much I would have to slow things down.
Thanks again!
 

TORRERO

30+ YEARS, XP DEUS I & II ARE MY GO TO MACHINES
Nov 17, 2004
1,609
997
NC
Detector(s) used
XP DEUS I & II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Gunny71 said:
Yes, it did help! Thanks for all the info and tips. I have been running about 3/4 sensitivity...slowing my swings WAY down was the ticket.
Pulled a couple of copper whatsits, couple of buttons, and a 1945 quarter out of the iron patch I talked about earlier today.
I just didn't realize how much I would have to slow things down.
Thanks again!

A 45 quarter, that's good...
I find it rare to find a Silver Quarter anymore.
In 25 years my count is about 20, maybe a little more...
1 a year for silver quarters, 1 every 4-5 years for a silver half,
Silver dimes are more common, 10 - 15 a year in a good year.

What kinds of buttons did you find ?
 

ivan salis

Gold Member
Feb 5, 2007
16,794
3,809
callahan,fl
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
delta 4000 / ace 250 - used BH and many others too
ah yes indeed -- most folks are in a "rush to the riches" swinging fast and wild and are just about running while doing it -- using their detectors like a high speed weed whacker swinging em in a arc -- wrong -wrong -wrong !! -- slow down --way down * keep the coil just off the ground say about 1 inch -- slowly sweep it side to side - overlapping the last "line" you ran by about 1/3 to 1/2 a swing ---slowing down gives your machine a chance to dig deeper and better id stuff and find deeper targets as well -- sweep as if you were mine detecting slowly , level to the ground , side to side * the running rapidly high swinging weed whacker type arc swings break the "soil"contact leaving huge gaps in the area you hunted . ( thus its total wrong way to do it.)

see your picked a silver quarter out of the iron patch * good your learning --lots of old detectorist avoided iron patches while "silver" cherry picking --with todays more modern detectors --you can cherry pick the iron patchand find what they missed / left behind
 

tabdog

Hero Member
Aug 16, 2008
548
9
Bryant Arkansas
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Euro Sabre, Vaquero, Silver Sabre uMax and 2 Compadres
Gunny71 said:
Well, maybe not, But I am getting frustrated. I have not been able to pull in any old coins. I know, Location, Location, Location....
I feel like I am starting to get my machine down, I find clad, and trash everywhere.

Case in point, Friday I got permission to hunt The old Jail in my hometown, built in 1881.
2644273934_5aff2bc587.jpg

http://www.texasescapes.com/Jails/LaGrange-Texas-Fayette-County-Jail.htm
So this morning I Hunted it about 3 hrs, I found Nothing but a few clad pennys. Just do not know what I am doing wrong. I can find Iron, copper, and brass at least 10" down, but I have yet to get anything older than a 1919 wheat ANYWHERE. There were several areas around the jail that were LOADED with small Iron, so digging it all was not really possible.
I have tried slowing way down, still nada as far as old coins are concerned...Just don't know what I am doing wrong.

I am using a Garrett GTAX 550, any help or insight would be appreciated, but I don't know what else to do. I enjoy this hobby so far, but I am starting to get frustrated, and would hate to give it up.

It aint easy.

There may be something that will help.

I had a GTAx 500. Garrett told me over the phone how to
adjust it to the ground in my area.

I never did adjust it because I sold it. I can not remember how to do it.

Contact Garrett. Tell them you are having trouble with noise and depth.
That is what I did.

I now have a couple of machines with manual ground balance when I neeed it.

Happy Huntin,

Tabdog
 

rayredditch

Hero Member
May 27, 2006
574
5
Europe
Detector(s) used
Adventis II, GoldMaxx Power, Whites Surf Master PI Pro DD, Fisher 1280X Aquanaut, Fisher 1265X, Minelab Advantage, Hartmann 1023, Viking 6DX2
And don´t GOLF SWING, keep the coil flat and level above the ground throughout the arc of the swing.
 

Woodland Detectors

Gold Member
Nov 23, 2008
12,712
141
Toll Free ~ 855~966~3563
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Primary Interest:
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any help or insight would be appreciated, but I don't know what else to do. I enjoy this hobby so far, but I am starting to get frustrated, and would hate to give it up.



That's why your not finding any thing! seriously. Ask the guys that have done this for a long time. It's 40 percent skill and 60 attitude mate. Go into it positively before you even get there. Try the house NEXT to the historic site or the ones ACROSS the street. :thumbsup: These are the spots to look...every one want's to hit the Historic sites but, most Ignore the 350 year old oak tree across the street. Don't give up bud... :-\
 

underdogger

Hero Member
Sep 24, 2009
755
4
Syracuse n.y
Detector(s) used
Whites / Prism II/Prism IV/V3i /Surf master II
I am currently shoting a spot that has had 165 yrs of history of fairs Ive only uncovered a few wheaties and one 1 silver rosie dime 1948 . Iam using a prism 2 and have been uncovering washingtons to the tune of fifty a day in the last 5 times I have been there. all clad however I have found many silver charms and 2 rings 4 chains so .go figure. I will take fifteen dollads a day out of this place . and yes Id like to wrap my priz 2 arround a tree also but I have found some nice finds with it. go to plan b and see what that brings. It always stops me from doing just that. happy hunting. Rob. ??? ;D :coffee2:
 

OP
OP
Gunny71

Gunny71

Sr. Member
Jan 14, 2009
309
33
Texas by Gawd
Detector(s) used
Minelab E-TRAC
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thanks again for all of the support and info. Never would really trash my machine(I think), but was feeling pretty frustrated when I made the post. Now I have a better idea of how to search the trashy areas. As long as I am learning something I will never quit.

4-H, I should have thought about attitude, I do know it makes a huge difference in my other hobbies (bowling and shooting...I know, I am lame!) just never thought about it while swinging a coil. If you can see the strike happen before you throw the ball....gotta be the same in detecting! :headbang:

I hear people here taking about the way a target sounds alot, and about how they can tell something about a target by it. Does this apply to models like my 550? It only has two sounds I think, beep and belltone?
 

ivan salis

Gold Member
Feb 5, 2007
16,794
3,809
callahan,fl
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
delta 4000 / ace 250 - used BH and many others too
yes while it has two tones --that it uses to "speak to you" with---- within those tones is a world of info -- first which tone is it then ---how sharp or "crisp" is it ? one really has to learn to "listen" very carefully to "hear" the faint very slight differances with a lot of practice (many hours in the feild --one gets a feel for what its trying to tell you. )
 

Dec 27, 2005
964
16
Bay Area Ca.
Detector(s) used
White's M6, SPECTRA V3I.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
one other tip you might try is detecting when the ground is nice and moist like after a rain at night.... a moist ground will let you get hits that your detector won't pick up when it is dry....especially on deep targets...good luck and hh
 

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