Finally...The Vaquero

[Decdad]

So, I know and love my little bounty hunter iv but have way outgrown it. I live in a early 1900's neighborhood and have permission to hunt in a number of old sites, one is a huge lot behind commercial and gas station buildings. Trash is everywhere. So...what's the best way to discriminate out some trash? I'm going to spend some time going back over my own yard to learn the ins and outs of this machine. Thanks!

 

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[Fletch88]

I just bought a Vaq myself! I've found that stating just above tab on discrim to cherry pick a grid first. Then work back through at a slower pace/ less discrim and dig targets down in nickel/tab range where most gold happens to ring! I've only been able to use machine a few times yet but love it so far. Just learned power balancing through forum. Highly recommend it along with super tuning if you want awesome depth. This is just my style of hunting since I am usually time limited and not able to dig every target or else I would. Good luck!

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[tesorobandit]

So, I know and love my little bounty hunter iv but have way outgrown it. I live in a early 1900's neighborhood and have permission to hunt in a number of old sites, one is a huge lot behind commercial and gas station buildings. Trash is everywhere. So...what's the best way to discriminate out some trash? I'm going to spend some time going back over my own yard to learn the ins and outs of this machine. Thanks!

If you don't start with discrim on low you WILL be shafting yourself on the true gold. I happened upon some 10 k not too long ago which spurred me to air test 10k thru 24 k, and found that 2.5 to 4 notch was suitable to start. Sure you will get trash, but I remember the days whenI got greedy and just notched it high and Isearched for silver. What did I miss? may never know. The only good thing is I can resweep. And resweeping is key. I am of the belief that High and low pressure systems, change in scanning direction, speed of sweep, and re tweaking knobs beit supertuning or powerbalancing will produce unique results. I have bonafide results in every case.
I posted a find of a barber quarter I found yesterday in a yard I have swept and reswept. I have started using a side sweep method as opposed to back and forth to great effect.
I live in an old neighbor hood as well and the prospects are practically endless. Don't sweat the trash. Time will bear out all. Kiss that BH goodbye. I owned one for a week and the tone split my skull. The vaq will carry you for years!
Good luck
Bandito

 

[PostalTwo]

If you don't start with discrim on low you WILL be shafting yourself on the true gold. I happened upon some 10 k not too long ago which spurred me to air test 10k thru 24 k, and found that 2.5 to 4 notch was suitable to start. Sure you will get trash, but I remember the days whenI got greedy and just notched it high and Isearched for silver. What did I miss? may never know. The only good thing is I can resweep. And resweeping is key. I am of the belief that High and low pressure systems, change in scanning direction, speed of sweep, and re tweaking knobs beit supertuning or powerbalancing will produce unique results. I have bonafide results in every case.
I posted a find of a barber quarter I found yesterday in a yard I have swept and reswept. I have started using a side sweep method as opposed to back and forth to great effect.
I live in an old neighbor hood as well and the prospects are practically endless. Don't sweat the trash. Time will bear out all. Kiss that BH goodbye. I owned one for a week and the tone split my skull. The vaq will carry you for years!
Good luck
Bandito

could u please explain "power balancing" to me ive never heard that one before ?

 

[Decdad]

I am pretty impressed so far. I really need to log done hours on this thing though. Big switch from BH. And yard is severely trashy. I figure if I can learn here, I'll be ready for anything. Can someone post the power balancing thread link? I can't find it through the mobiile app. Thanks.

 

[Decdad]

Ok....I apparently just need to sloooow down and read the manual. . I got so giddy with a new machine, I thought I could wing it. I'll be doing most testing and learning. In time, real finds will come!!! I love this stuff.

 

[Fletch88]

There are great videos on YouTube by 53 Silver and Terry Solomon to name a few. As far as power balancing I can't say I've seen enough difference to worry about it. It seems to be just slightly negative from standard balance in all metal mode. I've only been able to hunt in real trashy ghost town once since learning how to PB so I may not have enough time behind the wheel to knock it. Good luck!

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[tesorobandit]

could u please explain "power balancing" to me ive never heard that one before ?

Actually-I'm speaking a bit head of myself. Ignore the super tuning and power balancing for now. The vaq is a simple machine that is almost turn on and go. It is strong enough and has a good detecting sound taht you need to grow accustomed to-I am still learning, and still a sucker to dig ALL. You DO need to know how to ground balance however. Hopefully most of the ground you search will have the same soil make up.
I have resorted to these techniques only after I have scanned yards again and again. If you are a newbie vaq user be happy with finds up to 10" deep, and yeah, at 4 notch you will reap pull tabs and foil, but the true gold 14k to 24k most likely will not show up above the 5 cent mark.
have fun-ain't no luck in this-you will ALWAYS find something.
Bandido

 

[atomicscott]

Be careful on the "power-balancing" whenever I tried it, the ground balance way too negative when switching back to all metal. This can cause problems and lose sensitivity to smaller targets. Standard ground balance procedure is more accurate IMO.

 

[Fletch88]

Be careful on the "power-balancing" whenever I tried it, the ground balance way too negative when switching back to all metal. This can cause problems and lose sensitivity to smaller targets. Standard ground balance procedure is more accurate IMO.

I found it just slightly negative from all metal mode. May be difference in soil? I've just been using the standard method and still hit targets deeper than I care to dig.

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[luvsdux]

As mentioned several times, keep the disc low. However, it is good practice and helpful to determine the possible type of target by turning up the disc knob while swinging over the target until the signal crackles and drops off. You can try this easily over a nickel, tab, etc. to see how it works. If desired, you can mark the points that the different targets fall off or in some cases it may be useful to loosen the disc knob and re-align it. The higher the disc setting, the more likely to be a desirable target other than zinc pennies which are high on the scale. Nearly all the machines I've ever done this with will NOT disc out silver or silver/clad coins with the possible exception of dimes, due to their small size, I guess. You'll be surprised if you work with this for a while how accurate you'll get. I can run close to TID detectors accuracy wise (at least coin versus trash) just takes a bit longer than a display.
luvsdux

 

[wheatymike]

I have been swinging a Vaquero for over a year and i can tell you that it is one good machine. As far as power balancing goes, I don't recomend it. In my test garden it will net me a little more depth. However, it makes the machine too eratic. I have better results just donig a neutral ground balance. When I am hunting an old site, one that doesn't have much modern trash. ie. pull tabs foil ect. I will hunt just above iron and dig all good targets that are small. Most iron has a tale tale signal thats not as clean. In time you will learn these tricks. Be careful about runinig The disc to high ( above zinc). In my experience this will cause the machine to be more subseptable to masking. good luck Wheaty.

 

[wheatymike]

If you don't start with discrim on low you WILL be shafting yourself on the true gold. I happened upon some 10 k not too long ago which spurred me to air test 10k thru 24 k, and found that 2.5 to 4 notch was suitable to start. Sure you will get trash, but I remember the days whenI got greedy and just notched it high and Isearched for silver. What did I miss? may never know. The only good thing is I can resweep. And resweeping is key. I am of the belief that High and low pressure systems, change in scanning direction, speed of sweep, and re tweaking knobs beit supertuning or powerbalancing will produce unique results. I have bonafide results in every case.
I posted a find of a barber quarter I found yesterday in a yard I have swept and reswept. I have started using a side sweep method as opposed to back and forth to great effect.
I live in an old neighbor hood as well and the prospects are practically endless. Don't sweat the trash. Time will bear out all. Kiss that BH goodbye. I owned one for a week and the tone split my skull. The vaq will carry you for years!
Good luck
Bandito

Tesorobandit. What is a side sweep method that you speak of? Wheaty

 

[chinchilla]

I'm with atomicscott, try mastering the standard ground balance first, so that will give you a more stable machine to learn it quicker, then move to the negative set to get that extra depth. good luck with your machine

 

[SpiritRelic]

Yeah,set the disc a hair past tab and cherry pick.If the cherry pickin finds are good slowly lower the disc setting.

 

[Decdad]

Thanks guys. Really loving this machine for my night hunts. Found my first silver a week ago and it was a good 10" down. Faint sound on normal everything but then raised the threshold to get some more clear hit sounds.

I'm still trying to learn the rusty nail vs penny though. It is tricky on the cutoff for the tone. Any tips on the swing style for telling one from the other? Btw, I've pulled 12 pennies, 2 quarters, 1 clad dime, and one silver dime with this thing...over an area I already picked clean with the bounty hunter. Crazy. Thanks.

 

[crazy4coins]

I honestly feel that the vaquero would be unstoppable if it offered tone id

 

[chinchilla]

Thanks guys. Really loving this machine for my night hunts. Found my first silver a week ago and it was a good 10" down. Faint sound on normal everything but then raised the threshold to get some more clear hit sounds.

I'm still trying to learn the rusty nail vs penny though. It is tricky on the cutoff for the tone. Any tips on the swing style for telling one from the other? Btw, I've pulled 12 pennies, 2 quarters, 1 clad dime, and one silver dime with this thing...over an area I already picked clean with the bounty hunter. Crazy. Thanks.

by rusty nail vs penny do you mean on target speed recovery?. if so it depends on the situation, a normal or low sensitivity helps, as well as a correctly set GB, a low sweep speed, and the use of the pinpoint mode

and very important, NO supertuned

 

[fella]

by rusty nail vs penny do you mean on target speed recovery?

I think he means a penny/dime with a rusty nail laid over the top of it.
I had somebody try to show me how great the Vaq was as finding the coin in that situation. Didn't turn out the way he wanted. LOL!
And to add insult to injury the machine I was swinging that day hit it better.

 

[atomicscott]

I think he means a penny/dime with a rusty nail laid over the top of it.
I had somebody try to show me how great the Vaq was as finding the coin in that situation. Didn't turn out the way he wanted. LOL!
And to add insult to injury the machine I was swinging that day hit it better.

Didnt turn out well when I tried it either! Quarter would hit at about 4", but a dime would get masked by the rusty nail everytime.