Frustrated and discouraged

[kyleeskastles]

As the title says i just dont know right now what is up and i need to vent.

I got two metal detectors now, the BH pioneer 202 and sharpshooter II.

Sharpershooter II is seems like it can find a target fairly well, good repeated signal over target but shows no depth, and metal probability may as well not exist, cans are silver and zinc pennies are pulltabs?? Depth of detection is terribly shallow. The max i have found something was 8 inches, a unopened mountain dew. Overall the better detector, but it leaves alot to be desired it seems when i watch you guys banging out the goods or youtube vids, im like golly man either i am the most unluckiest man to ever detect or i just dont have the know how/right gear.

The pioneer 202 tells depth fairly accurately, but trying to find a target is frustrating as heck. I will be doing a sweep motion exactly aas it instructs in the manual going along and it will just fart(what it sounds like lol) then i will freeze and search over and over the same area, and it will fart here and there very sporadically and its very rare it will get a repeat target signal, and so far only on pull tabs it seems. Trying to pinpoint even a 6 inch area of where the target may be is so frustrating i just want to throw the thing.

I run both machines on notch with discrimination at about the 9 o clock position, or sometimes all metal for the sharpshooter then see what it is with notch. It picks up gold silver, clad fine, on my kitchen table. Notches out iron and small junk like nails and tacks etc. Honestly i wish i had one good MD that is a good mix of both machines features. Been drooling over a fisher f2 or garret ace 250

Dont even get me started on the BH pinpointer, thank god the thing was free is all im say on this thing. Compared to vids of a garrett, i may as well be using the ol needle hanging on a thread wives tale trick.

On top of that since i started the absolute best thing i have found is a 1944 war nickel and a gold half loop earring. This area was a bustling trade center since the 1850's, with a large influx of german immigrants, slaves, market trade etc. No reason at all im not finding stuff.

Either someone/s has completely cleared out everything or i am doing something wrong.I know for sure im get money together in a few weeks for a used garrett pro pointer and im not too sure the BH pinpointer will make it out alive! I am determined to stick with this hobby as it sure as heck beats sitting in the house all day and night plus my kids love it. But i wont stick with it with if it isnt at least fun and relaxing.

Any ideas, need better gear maybe? Advice? Is this the norm?

 

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[Msdigger22]

Don't get discouraged I've had problems with bounty hunters falsing and trying to pin point I would suggest saving up for a used ace 350 or something along that line just keep at it. The good stuff might just be out of reach for your detectors

 

[cudamark]

If you have the funds, I'd get better equipment.

 

[airscapes]

My advice to you is to go back and read the manual for the 200. Then go use it, do what the manual tells you to do.. learn what metal make what sound.. I took a quick look at the manual and there is info there that once you understand it will help you. I would expect those grunts you are hearing is iron.. Read the manual cover to cover, do the test things to hear the different tones an then go use it in a location that is not to trashed up.. Next day, read the manual cover to cover again.. Yes I know it sounds silly but I did it with my machine and every time I read it, I learned something I did not realize I had read.. It is important to USE the machine in-between reads.
Yes a better machine will be better but you will need to do this exact same process with anything you buy.. they are not magic and don't find things on there own, you have to know how to work it, what it is saying.
Good luck and keep at it, you will have that AHHA moment before you know it.

 

[OWK]

Kyle.... Sounds like you are just learning to use your detector, and not understanding how your discriminator is set, or is working.

I've never used your detectors before, but I can tell you that it is not unusual for my detector to let out a chirp over a target in one direction, but not in another. Or to just catch the edge of something and make a noise, and then I'll have a difficult time reproducing that noise. But if I turn off the discriminator, I find that there IS a target there.... it's just the discriminator suppressing it.

There's a good deal of smarts that goes into making the detector be able to ignore some metals, and not others. There are software algorithms involved (at least with new detectors). And sometimes those algorithms get fooled. For example, my Fisher F70 is very good at ignoring old rusty nails.. unless those nails happen to be bent into a U or a Circle shape. Then it will let out a chirp (often only from a particular direction). It takes a little time and patience to learn what your detector is telling you, and to learn to believe it.

The best thing to do is practice with known items. Even air testing. Set a few coins, nails, pulltabs, washers, and other targets in your back yard, and practice with your detector. Learn how the discriminator behaves with various targets, at various depths, and various angles (even swinging speeds). You can just lift the detector to simulate different depths. Its not exactly the same as buried targets. But its close enough to get a feel for your machine.

Spend a couple of hours. Its well worth it. You don't need to upgrade your machine until you master it. Even the lower end machines are generally pretty capable if you take the time to learn what they are telling you.

 

[dirtlooter]

airscapes and owk are both right, but the more closely you read that manual, the better you will truly understand what your machine is telling you and how to use it more efficiently. sleep on what you have read, then read it again only slower, you might be surprised at what you realize. I have been brain traumatized several times (ruptured brain aneurism, multiple strokes) and have found that when I repeatably read something, I finally begin to glean the good stuff out of it. (just writing this required the use of the word perfect feature of this computer as I struggle to spell correctly). I am not denying that you may someday need an upgrade but one or both of those machines might be better than you realize.

 

[Sandman]

My advice is simple. Get better detectors as the quality control of First Texas (BH) low end machines is low with cheapest components. They are a step up from a magnet. Try to find a used 250 or better yet, get a Tesoro if you really want to find the goods and they pinpoint great where you only need a screw driver to probe for the coin and pop it out. No screens to mess you up.

This is a fun hobby and we shouldn't have to go berserk trying to find a coin in the dirt. Metal detectors only read the conductivity of the item and can't tell us what it really is. The screen could say anything and that goes for depth too.


Read my signature below.

 

[airscapes]

(just writing this required the use of the word perfect feature of this computer as I struggle to spell correctly). I am not denying that you may someday need an upgrade but one or both of those machines might be better than you realize.

Shame I never thought of that when I was in skool.. Stroke and other damage aside.. English just suks! i before e except after c and a couple of dozen other exceptions.. silent this and silent that.. wonder if there is something i can use to silence the wife when she goes on a rampage.. maybe a Big fat silent E would work?
But I digress.. back to our original programing..

 

[kyleeskastles]

that could be it, on the discrimination setting, it could be just barely trying to discrim out a signal and occasionally is not able to do so from corrosion or whatnot. Even though i can wave a perfectly ok nail over both in the notch out test, the 202 will still occasionally ring a old rusty one. But other then that i dont know what is up, maybe false signals, heck i dont even know. The sharpeshooter is great for all kinds of shallow modern stuff, and the 202 when itll actually get a good ring.

Im not expecting to strike it rich on a cache or heck even find a perdy diamond ring, but with the history here i do expect at least some older silvers. But nada, no luck. If the 1944 hadnt of been but about an inch deep i doubt i would of found that.

After reading the manual again i think this may be the issue: http://greatlakesmetaldetecting.com/pdfs/pioneer_202.pdf
Page 15

2nd paragraph talks about signal. This is the exact problem i am having with the 202, but on all targets except pulltabs. OWK mentioned a chirp in one particular direction over a target, this is what it does. But instead of a chirp every sweep or few it will make a low tone almost fart like noise every 10 sweeps or so and the direction doesn't matter. This is the most frustrating thing about this machine. it acts like its a false on a actual target and i have managed to dig a few things up when it does this by pulling out the sharpshooter out of frustration and using the all metal pinpoint feature dealie wacker it has, so i know its there when i go through that hassle. It is always a old copper or a nail btw, yet table test shows nail should be discrimed out at notch?! And copper normally rings loud and solid on everything i have seen and the sharpshooter. Not to knock the 202 but is is literally a professional pulltab machine for me. That is the only thing it does well. Oh and the depth feature which i really really enjoy. I almost wish i could pull out the depth circuitry and stick it in the sharpshooter lol. But i am in no way qualified to pull such a mod and wont try.

As for the sharpshooter, it is really good at pinpointing and locating targets as i mentioned. It is a very good machine at that. Lack of a depth indicator really sucks for me though. I dont know if i got to dig 1 inch or 8 inch or even an idea of what to look for because the metal probability indicator is just wacky as all can get. I wouldnt bother digging 8 inch in this cement soil for a copper or pulltab, but am forced to with this machine because i dont know if i am passing up something else or if itll be that deep. I read that this can happen and watched a few vids of some guys testing out this machine with the same replicated results so i suppose that is the norm. This sharpshooter II is just a few features and depth power away from being a really good machine imo.

Honestly i really need a machine with the features of the 202 and the reliable targeting of an object the sharpshooter demonstrates. If possible a better metal probability would be a plus but not a complete deal breaker. If i can get that out of something (200-300 bucks would be my budget) it would make daddy a happy boy, momma not kill me over the expense lol, and be a better experience for the whole family. Heck even my 5 year got frustrated and told me the fart machine sucks and she wants more pirate treasure!

has anyone had a good positive fun experience with anything at all in that price range? What is this tesoro you recommend sandman?

 

[airscapes]

Just remember, if there is a pull tab or nail at 3" and a silver at 5 just below it.. no machine is going to see the silver..
This is a LOT of data but it will may help you understand what is going on under the ground.. Read it in sections as it is a huge amount to process
Truth About Search Coils
And this
Halo Effect
and this glossary is also very helpful
Glossary of Metal Detecting Terms

The F2 is in that range and most who have it, love it.. then there are those who don't spend enough time to learn it and just keep buying more and more expensive machines thinking that is how you find better stuff..

 

[Dave Rishar]

On top of that since i started the absolute best thing i have found is a 1944 war nickel and a gold half loop earring. This area was a bustling trade center since the 1850's, with a large influx of german immigrants, slaves, market trade etc. No reason at all im not finding stuff.

Either someone/s has completely cleared out everything or i am doing something wrong.

You may have answered your own question. As tempting as it is to blame the equipment for a lack of finds, there simply may not be anything there to find. Last weekend I spent several hours at a school from the fifties and turned up three zincolns and a handful of beaver tails with the old circular ring pulls. I walked over maybe two or three pieces of obvious trash during that time. There simply wasn't anything there...not even garbage. That's not the first time that I've been skunked that hard either. I know of at least two other fields where there literally is almost nothing, and you'll be lucky to find a piece of can slaw, let alone anything of value. It's odd, but such sites exist.

I'd recommend trying a few more sites while you're saving up money for a better machine. If there's nothing in the ground, even a high end machine is not going to make those finds happen.

Also, beware of putting too much stock in videos. I'll tell you right now that most of them don't represent reality - or rather, they represent reality with the boring parts removed. It's pretty exciting to watch a live dig on a piece of jewelry or a silver coin, but it's not all that exciting to watch the hour of clad and pop-tops that preceded it, or the next hour of the same that will happen after it...so, those two hours get cut from the final video. Likewise, you won't see a video from the hunt two weeks earlier that was a complete skunk, as no one wants to watch that either. They're not being deceptive necessarily, but the folks that make these videos understand what we want to watch and what we don't want to watch, so we're generally presented with the highlights reel.

 

[redcobra8u]

If you have the funds, I'd get better equipment.

I agree. Better machine= more fun

 

[BARKER]

Hi; Can I intervene here for a minute. Kyle my suggestion is to SELL both units here on TNet. Use that money and what you can add to it t buy a better detector. Whites and Fischer both make excellent detectors that WILL do the CORRECT job you want it to do. They are excellent at disc. and are very accurate on their VDI'S as well and deep.
Look at the Whites M6 or the Fischer F70. You can get either one used for about $300 in the Classifieds here ok.
Stop tearing your air out.!!! This hobby is supposed to be fun and relaxing; not nauseating ok. I have 45 years in the field and I've used them all. Please take my advice and START enjoying this hobby and start making the same finds you see us making here ok. I hope this helps. PEACE:RONB

 

[TerryC]

You are a member since June 2014. May I assume you are also new to the treasure hunting idea? Charles Garrett says 100 hours on the machine before you can say you know it. AT LEAST 100 hours is my thoughts. Plant some targets in "clean" soil. Good targets and trash targets. Play with the controls and make them do what they are supposed to do. One at a time. I have been hunting for over 40 years. I don't profess to be the BEST out there but I can make my detectors do WONDERS. Even the old BFO's, which were the only things available for us poor boys in '70 are better than today's if you can't figure today's out. I am not trying to talk down to you but a 100 dollar machine finds lots more than a 1000 dollar machine that will end up in the closet! Work with what you have... and work... and work. TTC

 

[kyleeskastles]

that is what i am going to do sell em and get a better machine, whichever comes first. Then if i still cant get the hang of it knowing i tried at least a mid level machine i will just go back to bitcoin mining and being bored till hunting season i guess lol. These false signals that are not really false when i test it with the other, then the ones that are actually false or junk that was supposed to be notched out and waste 30 minutes of my time and the kids time and a unnecessary hole is for the birds. Along with the rest of the problems i have about had it. When i notch out nails and zincs exactly as described in the manual and instructional videos yet get nails and zincs its the product not me. I see that you got to deal with pull tabs cans etc to get the gold and that is alright with me. But i dont want to chase a 3 foot wide hole around looking for it. It just looks bad on me and frustrating as a hobby. I tried really hard to like these things but dont got 100 hours on em, maybe 70-80 in the few weeks i have tried em out. Most days im out 5 hours or so every day, but last night finally did it in for me.

For me its like my gun or my car or heck even my coffee maker. I catch on to them all fairly quickly and if the thing aint acting right or doing what its intended to do i will find something that does. It might be perfect for the next feller just not for me. I can read and watch instruction and go out and do it till im blue in the face and if all the things does is sporadically fart unless its a pulltab or works good only in all metal mode then i give up. Knowing my luck some dude will pick em right up, slide these nobs to just that exact perfect sweet spot and somehow tell when a beep is a good signal or when it a fake when there seems to be no discernible difference in the tones on both good and bad targets and be banging out silvers like there is no tomorrow but not me, i have just about had it with em both.

I will try one more time on something good that is within the budget, thinking about a few models and going to do alot more research. Metaldetectorreviews.net is where i am getting alot of feedback from so far. looks like the ace 250 is having some depth issues, but the fisher F2 seems to have a good strong rating. Also looking at kellyco's customer reviews. trying to weed out the top detectors for this price range will be fun at least!

 

[cudamark]

I've used dozens of machines through the years too. You can learn to use any of them if you want to take the time, but, why beat yourself up if you have one that you're just not in sync with? Some machines you just take to and others are a struggle. Find one that "feels" right and spend your valuable time learning it instead of wracking your brain on one that doesn't. If you have a local detector store, take a few out for a test drive and then decide.

 

[ivan salis]

the sounds you are talking about can help in "sorting" things out --that "farting" blatt type noise is for iron / trash items the reason it "hits" and then disappears is you got it notched --si it picks it up then it goes "oh that's trash" and then rejects it --thus no "repeating signal " that's why they say look for a "repeating signal" BEFORE DIGGING.....THE BH line of detectors are mainly "sound" type machines at the lower end -- so listen carefully to the "three tones --the "farty or blatt tone" means iron or trash normally --the mid tone "ping" will be nickles , gold and pulltabs -- the higher tone "ping" will be clad dimes and quarters , pre 1982 copper cents (real copper ) and silver coins --- old trick if you think you found say a 1/2 dollar or can -- lift the coil upwards --if its a coin it sound drop out of detection range but a larger size can type target will not due to the bigger target size. -- some items have very similar "electronic conductivity" signals -- like pull tabs , gold and nickles --so learning to fine tune your discrimation level properly is very important * so you will dig as few pull tabs as possible while still finding as much gold / nickles as possible. *

 

[Rawhide]

Hey Kylee, I own the Pioneer 202 and will say your setting is a lil off. I found if I turned the left knob(power) to about 3 o clock, and the right button(disc) to about 10 o clock I could sniff out silver pretty good. You may wish to try this with a quarter on the ground.

The grunt you hear is exactly that a low tone. Your gold falls into the low tone a long with iron and bottlecaps. Pulltabs are high tone, we all dig em. The middle tone is penny tone.This grunt is also going to be metal artifacts.

Pinpointing with the coil can be frustrating if your rimming a target. After some practice you will get it.

Battery placement makes a big deal also, make sure they are not in the same direction, it will set the machine off.

Now your coil swing is very important, I see folks at a dead run with the coil a foot of the ground. Not many machines going to do well that way. Thats how I cache hunt, but not at a run.

The faster you swing the deeper it will go, but you want a slower consistent swing. You want your coil as close to the ground as you can put it. In grass I would scrub the coil as I swung.

You may just have a clean site, so targets will be few and far between. The notch will do no good there, run all metal. If this doesnt help you, the machine may not be working right.

There is some good advice here, but you will quickly want more machine. Dont pay too much attention to you tube videos. You'll be diggin soda cans at 5 feet lol. 10" inches is about max for most finds. You can go deeper, but I dont think so with those machines. Most of your finds will be well within the 7" inches you will get those machines.

As for the pinpointer, get a cheapo at Harbor freight till you can afford a Garret propointer. Hope this helps.

 

[tabhole]

A really good lower dollar detector is the Teknetics Eurotek Pro with the dd coil. Less than $300 new. Just saw a nice used T2 sell for $355. I use the T2 and have done real well with it.

 

[RonnieInNaples]

Kyle I agree with the other posters. It is not the machine. Take some time to read the manual. For some reason people like to beat up on Bounty Hunter detectors. Have fun and do not give up!