Help with learning curve on Delta 4000

[Idaho Digger]

I took my Delta 4000 out for the first time today (the snow has finally started clearing). The area I searched was on the edge of an old school yard that has a train stop for grain silos across the street.
The kids there must have had a yearly ritual of planting aluminum cans on this strip, I found so many as I was digging everything. What I noticed was that when I got a reading and tone that indicated aluminum, just off of the main signal I would almost always get a fairly solid dime reading. I rechecked the area after digging and it was clear.
I found some clad, a 1963 D penny and a button that had a plastic dome with a picture of trees behind it. The copper penny registered as a dime. I found it at about 7", it was a solid signal. A small bolt at about 8" also registered as silver and was a solid signal.
There was so much trash, the machine was going off quite a bit. Sensitivity was set a 7, Disc mode, nothing notched.
I'm in Idaho and don't think the soil is highly mineralized.

Any tips would be appreciated. I need to get away from the road, but the school was in session and I didn't want to get close to the building with the kids in it. There is still a fair amount of snow on the ground, so areas were somewhat limited. I would have loved to have spent more time, but my old back was screaming at me. This is one of the reasons I got the detector, to help strengthen my back.

This area was settled in the mid to late 1800's, so I won't be finding a lot of the very old prizes you guys in the eastern part of the country will, but there are lots of good spots if I can get permission.

I should add, just before winter, I got in one search (I had just got the 4000), I searched the lawn of an old home my son had rented and came up with a 1900 Silver dollar, a couple mercs and some copper pennies. Maybe I was just in a very trashy area today, but I was a little discouraged. Still, a bad day of detecting is better than any work day !

Thanks, John

 

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[Idaho Digger]

54 views and not one tip ?? No problem, I'll learn it myself, just looking for a hand up. I know you have to research and put the time in, good finds take work, just looking to get on track a little quicker. Guess I'm on the wrong forum.

 

[Garrett424]

You have a great detector. It's a very sensitive machine and in trashy areas it will scream.

Was that bolt that rang up like a dime really rusty by any chance?? If so, get used to it because highly oxidized iron will often ring up high and usually as a dime. Once you dig it and the air gets to it it will go back to a low grunt.

Pennies will often ring up as dimes too since they're so close in size. Not much you can do about that. Aluminum cans will also ring up as dimes. If you raise your coil really high and it's still ringing say over 12-18" chances are it's either a flattened can or a big hunk of can slaw. It never hurts to check though because you found that silver dollar and I'm guessing if it wasn't deep the Delta was screaming.

The best thing to do is just keep practicing. The more you use it the more you'll understand it's language and the more you're gonna' like it.

You really won't miss too many targets with the Delta. The big shock to me when I got mine was just how many targets it was seeing that my other detectors missed. In a heavily used field I couldn't walk three feet without that machine sounding off on something. It was amazing.

In a nutshell though, anything under 40 is likely iron, small gold and 18K can ring up as low as the foil range from say 49-53, larger gold and nickels can ring up from say 51-62 depending on the makeup. 10K can bounce from the high 40's all the way into the 90's sometimes but 14K will usually stay in the 50's.

The zinc range can be tricky. Zinc pennies hit between 75-78 typically as will many bottle caps; but SOME silver jewelry will hit in the same range. I've dug quite a few silver rings at around 77-80.

Pennies, dimes and quarters usually hit in the 80's and up as will silver coins and good Sterling silver/jewelry.
When in doubt, just dig and then you'll know for sure.

Also, if you're over a target and your numbers are bouncing around; move your coil as close to the ground as you can and tighten up your swing to almost nothing. You'll see those numbers stabilize quite a bit in most cases; giving you a better idea what's under the coil.

But again, just get out there and practice, practice practice and you'll know that detector like the back of your hand in no time. It's really a great machine and the more you use it the more you'll like it.
I hope this helps.

 

[driftless]

I love mine, great machine and you just received some very thoughtful advice! Have fun with it.

 

[Idaho Digger]

Thank You for the response Bob. I should add that Bob PM'd me and offered to answer any other questions I might have, a real asset to the forum.
Yes, the bolt, about 1" square was heavily rusted. What you told me is very much in line as to what I'm seeing the machine register. I really was not sure if I had a problem, the machine had a problem or it was just how the 4000 reads targets. Your response was very helpful. When you have doubts about what you are seeing, it starts to make you wonder what might be wrong. The 4000 is one very sensitive machine. This I must get used to, but I view it as an asset.
Time to do more research, get a lot more coil time, dig most everything and start putting some treasures away. I love history, so even things with little cash value can be treasures. The anticipation is always there at the start of every hunt. When you score, it's fantastic. When you don't, you still know that maybe the next time....It's what keeps you going.

My Best, John

 

[Idaho Digger]

I spent about 2 hours today at a school yard. New school there now, but there was an old one there before the new one was built. The tips received from a couple of you were a great help. Knowing now how the machine reacts and Garrett454's tip on fast short swings over a target really made a difference. I was right more than wrong in IDing good targets. I learned a lot in two hours; 200 more hours and maybe I can say "I'm There! Only one silver round, a 1960 dime, but quite a few clad dimes and pennies and one quarter. I'm starting to learn what the machine is telling me. I have a ways to go, but my confidence level is way up. The Delta 4000 is amazing for the price. The targeting is spot on. Little pieces of rusted wire at 6+ inches, a small rusted bolt at 9" (showed as silver as Garrett454 told me it would). Still checking that 49 to 62 range for some Gold. And of course, pieces of tin, small sheet metal, pot metal and iron wire.
I have no doubt than when I find the older spots, the 4000 will do right by me. I got a Garrett pin pointer when I got the detector, money very well spent. Had a cheap pin pointer before, night and day difference.

Thanks Again, John

 

[motohed]

I will say that most detectors act this way , There are very few that hit the mark well . Thats why you have to dig everything in the beginning to learn the scale of that your detector is telling you . It will change with minimal soil differences containing Iron , ETC . It's a guide at best , sometime a poor one .

 

[Garrett424]

I spent about 2 hours today at a school yard. New school there now, but there was an old one there before the new one was built. The tips received from a couple of you were a great help. Knowing now how the machine reacts and Garrett454's tip on fast short swings over a target really made a difference. I was right more than wrong in IDing good targets. I learned a lot in two hours; 200 more hours and maybe I can say "I'm There! Only one silver round, a 1960 dime, but quite a few clad dimes and pennies and one quarter. I'm starting to learn what the machine is telling me. I have a ways to go, but my confidence level is way up. The Delta 4000 is amazing for the price. The targeting is spot on. Little pieces of rusted wire at 6+ inches, a small rusted bolt at 9" (showed as silver as Garrett454 told me it would). Still checking that 49 to 62 range for some Gold. And of course, pieces of tin, small sheet metal, pot metal and iron wire.
I have no doubt than when I find the older spots, the 4000 will do right by me. I got a Garrett pin pointer when I got the detector, money very well spent. Had a cheap pin pointer before, night and day difference.

Thanks Again, John

I knew you'd get the hang of it.
And keep in mind, the gold range can still bounce all over the place; especially when it comes to 10k due to the lower gold content. Also, if you find small, deep gold possibly laying sideways, those numbers can bounce all over the place too.

I dug two really small gold rings last year, both 14K and both bent, broken and deep. The numbers bounced from the high 40's to the low 80's on both targets. But my philosophy is "when in doubt, dig". Had I gone strictly by the numbers my double gold hunt would have been a nothing hunt. My gut told me to dig those targets and I listened to it. The numbers are a "best guess" based on depth, soil, moisture content of the soil, etc. They're not "gospel", they're "probable" target indicators based on flat lying coins for the most part. If a coin is sideways they're less accurate. The deeper the targets the less accurate they'll be.
You will ultimately have to choose to dig or not to dig, which leads me to a most important point.

ALWAYS follow your instincts and if you get a gut feeling or intuition on anything, don't hesitate. Just dig it up. It may be trash but who cares? It may be gold too. You're there anyway so you might as well dig.

You'll find that the more in tune you become with your intuition/instincts/"gut" feelings/"that little voice" or whatever you wanna' call it; the more it will serve you. I swear by it and for the most part, it never lies. It's my best friend when it comes to hunting treasure (among other things). If I miss out on an intuitive hit it's only because I chose not to listen. I only wish I could turn it on at will but for me it doesn't work that way. It shows up when it wants to.

If your gut tells you to hunt a certain area or particular spot, go and do it. You have nothing to lose. You'll be amazed at what appears sometimes. I know I have.

But yeah, you're already getting the hang of it. The Delta is a nice user friendly machine that gives you lots of information once you learn it's language. It LOVES small deep targets and round objects/RINGS. It's definitely a ring finder. I've been digging rings of all kinds consistently since getting mine.

After a few more hunts using it will become second nature. You'll spend far less time wondering and more time digging.
You'll see.....