Deep Targets

Smudge

Bronze Member
Jul 9, 2010
1,532
44
Central Florida
Detector(s) used
A Propointer tied to a stick
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I've been thinking about something and it has raised a question in mind.

Suppose you are using a non-TID "beep and dig" deep seeking detector.

You are running on low discrimination to acheive extra depth.

You hit a signal and then start turning up your discrimination to see if the target is worth digging.

The signal then disappears.

So here's the question:

If you lose the signal, how do you know you've lost it because its junk and not because your increase in discrimination has cost you depth so that the detector can no longer find it?
 

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hanoverdigger

Jr. Member
Oct 27, 2010
63
6
Hanover County, Va.
Detector(s) used
Whites MxSport Teknetics T2 SE Nautilus 2 b
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Maybe you have turned the disc. up past the point where it will knock out the certain metals you are detecting? Just my thoughts.
 

Sandman

Gold Member
Aug 6, 2005
13,398
3,992
In Michigan now.
Detector(s) used
Excal 1000, Excal II, Sovereign GT, CZ-20, Tiger Shark, Tejon, GTI 1500, Surfmaster Pulse, CZ6a, DFX, AT PRO, Fisher 1235, Surf PI Pro, 1280-X, many more because I enjoy learning them. New Garrett Ca
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Since deep targets are weaker, hence the whisper sound, turning up disc to see what it might be will lose depth. There is no way around it I don't care if you are using a pulse or a VLF. Makes no difference if we are using +$1000 dollar detectors or beep and dig entry level ones. Disc loses depth!
 

mrwilburino

Hero Member
May 7, 2010
680
617
Northern Ohio
Detector(s) used
Fisher, Teknetics, Minelab, XP
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
That's why I got away from one-tone machines. I'd rather use multi-tones and keep the disc as low as possible to minimize depth loss.
 

TerryC

Gold Member
Jun 26, 2008
7,735
10,996
Yarnell, AZ
Detector(s) used
Ace 250 (2), Ace 300, Gold Bug 2, Tesoro Cortes, Garrett Sea Hunter, Whites TDI SL SE, Fisher Impulse 8, Minelab Monster 1000, Minelab CTX3030, Falcon MD20, Garrett Pro-pointer, Calvin Bunker digger.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Disc is a depth eater! If you get a good, repeatable, signal at depth... DIG. If you're just looking for clad (defined surface) don't worry about disc. If you're going deep.. better targets.. use little to no disc. Good luck. TTC
 

goldentruth

Hero Member
Nov 3, 2011
523
38
French Gulch, North Calif.
Detector(s) used
"WHITES" GOLDMASTER "GMT" & "TESORO GOLDEN SABRE II" with silent search.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
TerryC said:
Disc is a depth eater! If you get a good, repeatable, signal at depth... DIG. If you're just looking for clad (defined surface) don't worry about disc. If you're going deep.. better targets.. use little to no disc. Good luck. TTC
TerryC. or others: What do you settings on the sensitivity dial do you use on the VLF MD so you dont lose depth.?
 

TerryC

Gold Member
Jun 26, 2008
7,735
10,996
Yarnell, AZ
Detector(s) used
Ace 250 (2), Ace 300, Gold Bug 2, Tesoro Cortes, Garrett Sea Hunter, Whites TDI SL SE, Fisher Impulse 8, Minelab Monster 1000, Minelab CTX3030, Falcon MD20, Garrett Pro-pointer, Calvin Bunker digger.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
goldentruth said:
TerryC said:
Disc is a depth eater! If you get a good, repeatable, signal at depth... DIG. If you're just looking for clad (defined surface) don't worry about disc. If you're going deep.. better targets.. use little to no disc. Good luck. TTC
TerryC. or others: What do you settings on the sensitivity dial do you use on the VLF MD so you dont lose depth.?
Goldentruth... If you mean sensitivity in a GOLD machine, put that little nuggie you have on the business card or poker chip (don't have one?? get one.) into the ground and work up from no SEN to where you feel compfy that you are not missing gold sizes similar to the test piece. I set the sen on my GB2 so that the local black sand stops getting me mad then work the test piece in the soil. SLOW sweep. Practice,practice,practice! Teaching your ear what to HEAR is vastly more important than watching the display. Hope I've been a help... or at least made sense. Good luck. TTC
 

U.K. Brian

Bronze Member
Oct 11, 2005
1,629
153
Detector(s) used
XLT, Whites D.F., Treasure Baron, Deepstar, Goldquest, Beachscan, T.D.I., Sovereign, 2x Nautilus, various Arado's, Ixcus Diver, Altek Quadtone, T2, Beach Hunter I.D, GS 5 pulse, Searchman 2 ,V3i
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Never increase the discrimination. Buy a detector that has a worthwhile all metal mode that you can switch into and it should provide more depth and provide a clue to deep iron. Could be by the signal in all metal sounding wider in all metal or perhaps offsetting to one side.
All the general tips of sweeping from several different directions apply.

Tone discrimination is a bit of a crock. With a T2 for example its almost always suggested that tones should be used for better performance. If you have your own in ground test bed with the same coin or item buried at ever increasing depths you find that at some point (and not that deep) that a good target indicates as iron. Switch into straight "beep and dig" discrimination and go back along the line and you will find that that "inferior" system will give a good dig me audio on the target that the tones have indicated as iron.
 

goldentruth

Hero Member
Nov 3, 2011
523
38
French Gulch, North Calif.
Detector(s) used
"WHITES" GOLDMASTER "GMT" & "TESORO GOLDEN SABRE II" with silent search.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
TerryC said:
goldentruth said:
TerryC said:
Disc is a depth eater! If you get a good, repeatable, signal at depth... DIG. If you're just looking for clad (defined surface) don't worry about disc. If you're going deep.. better targets.. use little to no disc. Good luck. TTC
TerryC. or others: What do you settings on the sensitivity dial do you use on the VLF MD so you dont lose depth.?
Goldentruth... If you mean sensitivity in a GOLD machine, put that little nuggie you have on the business card or poker chip (don't have one?? get one.) into the ground and work up from no SEN to where you feel compfy that you are not missing gold sizes similar to the test piece. I set the sen on my GB2 so that the local black sand stops getting me mad then work the test piece in the soil. SLOW sweep. Practice,practice,practice! Teaching your ear what to HEAR is vastly more important than watching the display. Hope I've been a help... or at least made sense. Good luck. TTC
Thanks for the advice. I will use what you said. I have heard ground ballance is important. I have a old VLF machine now, I plan to get a gold bug II. an expert No.1 seller/dealer told me the gold bug is one of the top for placer gold/nuggets & one of the best values for preformance. Thanks a bunch,good luck.
 

Swartzie

Hero Member
Mar 15, 2009
791
52
Tuscarawas County, Ohio
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Tejon
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Smudge said:
So here's the question:

If you lose the signal, how do you know you've lost it because its junk and not because your increase in discrimination has cost you depth so that the detector can no longer find it?

You don't know. If it's deep and you're in doubt then dig that fu@ker out!
-Swartzie
 

TerryC

Gold Member
Jun 26, 2008
7,735
10,996
Yarnell, AZ
Detector(s) used
Ace 250 (2), Ace 300, Gold Bug 2, Tesoro Cortes, Garrett Sea Hunter, Whites TDI SL SE, Fisher Impulse 8, Minelab Monster 1000, Minelab CTX3030, Falcon MD20, Garrett Pro-pointer, Calvin Bunker digger.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
goldentruth said:
TerryC said:
goldentruth said:
TerryC said:
Disc is a depth eater! If you get a good, repeatable, signal at depth... DIG. If you're just looking for clad (defined surface) don't worry about disc. If you're going deep.. better targets.. use little to no disc. Good luck. TTC
TerryC. or others: What do you settings on the sensitivity dial do you use on the VLF MD so you dont lose depth.?
Goldentruth... If you mean sensitivity in a GOLD machine, put that little nuggie you have on the business card or poker chip (don't have one?? get one.) into the ground and work up from no SEN to where you feel compfy that you are not missing gold sizes similar to the test piece. I set the sen on my GB2 so that the local black sand stops getting me mad then work the test piece in the soil. SLOW sweep. Practice,practice,practice! Teaching your ear what to HEAR is vastly more important than watching the display. Hope I've been a help... or at least made sense. Good luck. TTC
Thanks for the advice. I will use what you said. I have heard ground ballance is important. I have a old VLF machine now, I plan to get a gold bug II. an expert No.1 seller/dealer told me the gold bug is one of the top for placer gold/nuggets & one of the best values for preformance. Thanks a bunch,good luck.
You will love the response of the GB2. I also have another killer machine... a Whites GMT. I prefer the manual ground balance of the GB2 to the Auto in the GMT. Whites (I believe) shot themselves in the foot by saying , on page 17 of the included manual, that to really be able to get small gold, go to manual ground balance. I am paraphrasing but PHOOT out the window goes Auto ground balancing! I have recently found my first nugget with my detector (see post). A .61 gram beauty. I have been looking for over a year! It will not be easy but go get yours too! TTC
 

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