Prizm2 help

K-Man

Full Member
Apr 12, 2007
162
2
marinette, wi
can anyone help me with the prizm2. when i go out and get a signal i pinpoint it. well when i get the center of the hit i dig well when i digg about 2 inches i check to see if its in or out of the hole. and sometimes it still says in the hole so i dig some more and check again well by now im about 4- 4.5 inches and it still say in the hole so i digg another 2 inches. by now im getting fustrated because it still says in the hole. am i doin something wrong or could it still b in the hole or is my md goin goofy.
(k-man)
 

Upvote 0

UnEarthed72

Hero Member
Jun 29, 2007
949
4
THE EMPIRE STATE
Detector(s) used
ACE 250,Whites prism2
I have been using a prizmII as well,although i havnt had a problem finding coins in the hole,what i have been doing is when i get a signal I'll pinpoint it until the beep is the sharpest(most crisp sounding)when pinpointing a fading sound means your moving the coil off the target.Now when you hear the best signal while pinpointing(go slowly)I'll leave the coil on the spot as the detector rings out..most times your target will be right about center of the coil where the shaft connects,and dig a slightly smaller plug than the size of the coil.The coin most times(95%) will show up in the hole as will the larger plug keep you from damaging it.

hope this helps
HH ~Shawn~
 

UnEarthed72

Hero Member
Jun 29, 2007
949
4
THE EMPIRE STATE
Detector(s) used
ACE 250,Whites prism2
Most of my finds have been in the 2-6in range,the only time a target was deeper than that was when i got a 50cent/dollar signal and it turned out to be a 1950 Franklin half dollar at 10 inches..also if you get a surface hit on the prizmII it has a very distinct tone(really low buzz type sound).
 

JOe L

Hero Member
Aug 24, 2007
864
275
Colonie, NY , That's around Albany
Detector(s) used
Minelab X-Terra Pro.
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
I do not own the prizm but, often have the same problem. I solved it by getting a hand held pin pointer. I am amazed on how hard it is to see a coin when it looks just like the dirt.
Before my pinpointer I at times gave up on the dig due to the fact I could not find the target.
I suggest a hand held pinpointer in your tool bag...
 

John (Ma)

Silver Member
Jul 12, 2007
3,637
8
Western Massachusetts
Detector(s) used
Minelab Excal 1000, Tesoro Silver Umax, Tiger Shark and Whites MXT.
If you are sure you are pinpointing correctly, then it may still be in the hole, especially if it's a larger type item. Ground conditions can sometimes alter exact pinpoint, too. Our pinpoint on our Prizm 2 is generally right under the 2. As mentioned, I cannot say enough about a hand held pin pointer. I do not leave home without it and its well worth every penny!
 

allanw23

Jr. Member
Dec 19, 2006
61
0
oklahoma city, ok
Detector(s) used
Whites, Tesoro
Make sure you move the coil away from the target after you found it then pinpoint and go back over it. I see a lot of people stopping over the target and start pinpointing. Hope this helps.
 

EasyMoney

Sr. Member
Sep 15, 2007
476
7
Sweet Home, Oregon
Detector(s) used
Primarily my Fisher cz-70 and Compass Relic & Coin, plus many others
I have a Prism III and I don't have these problems. The only fault with Prisms is that they love little pieces of linear iron and steel (wire, nails, etc) and they don't go very deep. With a little practice though you will never need a pinpointer at all. Here is how to do it:

When you find a target just keep it in discriminate mode (NOT all-metal, because all-metal is a wider search pattern) and quickly wave it back and forth only, not forward and backward. Fan it quickly, little by little, slowly working the coil toward the center of the target 1/2" to 1" at a time, quickly narrowing down the detection width of the target. If you are off target it will signal only one direction, left, or right,, not both. If you are right over the target you will get a sound each direction. Do NOT wave it back and forth 2"-6" at a time, because you will never find the center that way. It will just drive you nutz! If you do this, no matter what, you will always be on center. If you fan it too slowly it will never center well for you. If you still find a signal in the hole and have done exactly as I just wrote, you can bet your paycheck that the target is still in the hole but a bit deeper than you thought. Always dig holes with straight sides too otherwise it confuses your detector as to where the target actually is, left, right, or front or back. A Prism II and III will get up to 6" on a penny or a dime in near perfect soil conditions, but seldom will it detect any deeper, unless the coin is larger.

I have never used a pinpointer in my life on any of my 20 machines, including Minelabs. With a little practice you won't need one either.

One other thing to consider: If you have highly mineralized soil your Prism can often make a sound once the soil is removed, even though there may be nothing in the soil. Hot rocks do this, and detectors that have a black sand mode will work best used in that mode if this holds true. If that doesn't help, then it's time to check the hole in all-metal using the switch to pinpoint it with, to see if there really is something metal in there or not, or if the detector is just reacting to a new matrix, it being a new and different type soil (the empty hole). Remember, that the detector sees an air test as yet another different type of soil, not as "air".

Good luck and HH
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top