Disappearing Targets - Now I know Where Some Go

[LawrencetheMDer]

I can't tell ya how many times targets have simply disappeared while recovering them metal detecting. While taking a scoop of sand to recover the target, I'll scan the hole each time and if the target is no longer in the hole I'll shake the scoop down and remove the target. However, every so often the target is no longer in the hole AND isn't in the scoop. I'll scan the hole, surrounding area, look in the scoop a second or third time...gone. In the surf when a target disappears I assume it was a small light target (e.g., piece of foil, tab) that drifted away once it passed through the holes in my scoop. On land, particularly when windy, I assume that a very small piece of foil (12:02-04 on CTX3030) blew away. Other times when targets disappear I assume it must have been some mineral formation or something temporary that, one disturbed, no longer gave a false signal. And of course, particularly when working in Manual sensitivity, a noise signal may be heard but these are not repetitive. Sometimes mechanically induced noise might be repetitive particularly at the end of your swing (via moving wires, loose shaft, loose coil, etc.). Gone.

Yesterday while metal detecting the beach, again a good signal target vanished as I was recovering it. Gone, no signal anywhere. For some reason, I don't know why, I decided to take one more deep scoop from the hole, which was of considerable depth already. After pulling the scoop out I dumped the contents on a cleared piece of beach and, to my surprise, when I scanned the contents I got a good signal and recovered an aged quarter. I decided to repeat the process whenever I lost a target and recovered a deep target a good part of the time. Apparently, at least some of the targets that were disappearing were simply too deep in the hole for my detector to detect, even with my 17" coil! [ Note, it isn't easy to shove a 17"DD coil into a hole, let alone have it mean anything.] As I attempted to recover the target, apparently, I either hit it directly and pushed it lower or the target fell lower and lower as the hole collapsed with each scoop. The moral of the story is - - - If you even loose a target be sure to take one more deep scoop. The results might surprise you, too.

 

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[Ragnor]

That's real interesting. I had a target this past summer that every time I tried to dig it, it would disappear and then register a short distance away. After digging the target no less than 5 times I just gave up and wrote it off as a 'ghost target'.

 

[trancedigger23]

"ghost target" is right, usually deep but sometimes even on the surface. Sometimes it actually turns out to be really small pieces of metal or metal dust. Other times I just can't explain it by any knowledge I have because I'll even have the pin pointer on it and start digging for it as it whatever it is the pin pointer is right up to it but then I'll suddenly lose the signal in the same exact place and the detector itself is just getting a vague 2-4 inch signal in pinpoint mode with a hard to get hit in the general area. I just move on mildly irritated I wasted so much time on what I thought was a good hit and let it go.

Sometimes I think metal detecting can get a little paranormal because in the forest today I was going back over an area I already searched well and stopped cause there was a snake and right when I noticed the snake BEEP, a solid coin signal and I got a dime. Another time I got a spooked out feeling with no hits at all in a long while down a path which alone was odd, looked up and a black cat was going across the path in front of me and I looked down just in time and a tick was about to go to town on my leg. This was really deep in the forest too, really out of place. Turned back there and went another way, I don't mess with signs of bad luck and other evils like that. Maybe we should have a metal detecting paranormal experiences forum.

 

[bigscoop]

One thing I learned rather quickly in regards to these disappearing targets, if you take too big of scoop sometimes the item will drift off the top with the overload and out of the scoop and back into the hole as you're lifting the scoop back out. This is really common in that soft fluffy sand of summer. Driving the scoop at an angle over the target will also drive it down. I've nearly lost coils trying to chase these escapees as the sand collapsed all around the coil while it was in the bottom of a deep hole. I'm only 140lbs, now try to picture a skinny little guy trying to get his coil back out of the sand as the tide is coming back in. I pull up hard and my feet sink.

 

[smokeythecat]

I don't have much problem with disappearing targets. They are normally either deeper, or at the beach, a tiny piece of foil that has blown away. I normally find the blown away pieces as they really haven't gone far and I spot them.

 

[Tommybuckets]

I use a homemade PVC scoop (no metal at all in the construction) in the surf and can monitor when the target is coming up in the scoop and when and if it slides off the front. I try and gauge how deep it is. If it doesn't sound shallow I take a big scoop off the top, check the hole and try and get the scoop under the target. I pry it a few inches up while sweeping and repeat until the target gets louder. When I hear I am bringing it up I tip the scoop up, timing it so the retreating wave sucks it right into the back of the scoop. I constantly watch the surf over my shoulder so I don't get knocked off my feet by that next wave. A nice heavy ring will slide back along the bottom of the scoop nicely. Small silver or pulltabs can wash right off the side and the occasional pole earring can wash right out the back. If I suspect a pulltab I try and scoop it normally. Pulltabs have a knack of slipping and sliding around the scoop because they are so light. If my target behaves like this I vigorously fan the hole with my foot with a side to side motion. A pulltab will wash right away in light surf action. A ring, even a junker won't fly away out of the hole. It will nestle in unless the surf is too heavy. If the target washes away super easy I don't chase it. It was junk. I have lost that great sounding target or been unable to get it out of the hole. That's the worst because they just dive deep and the hole fills up and you lost it. Those are the frustrating targets. I keep scooping and scooping hoping to rouse it but I can't get down past 18 inches in the surf. My scoop just doesn't cut sand like a T-rex or a stavr or any of the stainlees ones and it takes a lot of finesse but its super fun for me. Man I can't wait to get out there this season!

 

[Tommybuckets]

Ragnor, that sounds like the pulltab phenomenon I was just describing

 

[kanescoins]

I've had same problem recently and with further investigation I have came to find out that 95% of the time are very small iron targets like the worlds thinnest and shortest wire or worlds smallest fishing weight or etc, etc...

 

[cudamark]

Typical of many Minelabs.....they do great with in-ground depth, but, not so good in air tests. After you remove most of the sand/dirt, the halo is gone and you basically have an air test. I find that it can sometimes take several more scoops to get the (temporarily) disappearing target.

 

[FFFPatriot]

When my target disappears, I switch to the "Thin Air" mode on my detector. Switch must be faulty, because it doesn't seem to work for me.