guess its time to trash the MD

[Hosensack]

Other than wheat pennies in my yard I have found only two coins since purchasing a metal detector, neither of which were with the metal detector. An 1863 penny in a window sill I was tearing out at work(along with some buttons) and today my first Mercury Dime removing baseboard. Oh well at least I found them.

 

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[Cynangyl]

congrats on the merc! Just curious....how much time are you spending out metaldetecting?

 

[Hosensack]

I go about once or twice a week, I actually have a nice site, getting alot of nice relics, so I was joking about trashing it, but am still waiting to find a non wheat coin with it.

 

[Cynangyl]

lol I am really new to this and don't detect as much as you do...as far as coins I have yet to find anything but clad but I know it is waitin for me!

 

[GoldSeals]

Greetings,I have a new ace 250 and im unhappy too.I also have an old Jetco Treasure Hawk thats over 30 years old that finds more things.
Ive been lurking on this board for awhile.
My present finds recentally where an old metal portion of a hoe,and a 3/4 inch washer.Ive tried turning down the sensitivity but it still shows something is there when its not.I'll try posting in the detector section soon.
Regards,GoldSeals

 

[Cynangyl]

Greetings,I have a new ace 250 and im unhappy too.I also have an old Jetco Treasure Hawk thats over 30 years old that finds more things.
Ive been lurking on this board for awhile.
My present finds recentally where an old metal portion of a hoe,and a 3/4 inch washer.Ive tried turning down the sensitivity but it still shows something is there when its not.I'll try posting in the detector section soon.
Regards,GoldSeals

Welcome GoldSeals! I am sure if you have been lurking that you have noticed how helpful everyone is so post your issues over in the detector section and I am sure someone will have an answer for you....more likely lots of somebodies will have lots of answers!

 

[Michigan Badger]

Other than wheat pennies in my yard I have found only two coins since purchasing a metal detector, neither of which were with the metal detector. An 1863 penny in a window sill I was tearing out at work(along with some buttons) and today my first Mercury Dime removing baseboard. Oh well at least I found them.

Well congrats on the 1863 and Merc. I've never found a 1863 IH in 40 years of detecting but I have found more IH's than I can even recall anymore. Recently a fellow stopped to chat while I was hunting and he told me he had never found an Indian cent in that town with his DFX. I told him I had found several just recently. I don't think he believed me. His problem wasn't with his brand of detector, his problem really was he didn't understand coin hunting.

As for your detector, here's a tip that may help you.

Set your discrimination high enough so that you tune out most small iron and the signal for most larger trash is somewhat distorted. Distorting iron sounds is the only good use for metal detector discrimination.

Find an area with lots of people trash and hunt very slowly. Focus on the center of your coil NOT THE WHOLE COIL. When you hear a signal move only the small part of the coil back in forth like you were pinpointing a target.

Does the signal quality sound more like a coin?

If it sounds a little better, remove a couple inches of dirt and check the signal again. If it improves greatly, dig the target.

I'll let you in on e secret very few THers will tell. Silver coins, rings, and many other smaller nonferrous targets begin to sound like trash iron at only 3-4 inches (depending on soil). Many soils quickly corrupt signals from good targets. Most expereinced THers know this and this is the reason they dig so much more when they work heavily hunted sites.

We don't have much silver up here in northern Michigan but the last pieces I dug sounded almost exactly like deep trash iron. This is not a brand thing either. All detectors brands do this that are VLF.

Detector built-in discrimination is not at all what people think it is. Most of my discrimination is done between my ears. Meters are for the most part....well lets just say don't put your trust in them. Back in the 80's when this meter thing all started Fisher at first refused to even put meters on their detectors. They told people what they are but the market wanted them so Fisher gave em what they wanted. Probably more good finds are missed today due to meters than any other reason.

Sounds are what really matter. Look mostly for tight, small signals that die out fast when you left the coil a few inches after hitting a target. Make small (short half sweeps) with the coil to really hear the target. Sometimes I barely move that coil. You want to hear the sound of the target. Does it get better the more you listen? If so, remove a little soil and listen to it again.

Sorry for the long post but I feel for you, give it a try...okay? It's one of the major secrets to finding rings

Badger

 

[MEinWV]

It is rather gutsy of Badger to make these statements here, but guess what? He's right on the money!
Especially about meters on detectors. If anybody out there depends on what the meter is telling them, it will probably just lead to more frustration and confusion.

I have stated before that we can learn so much more about our detectors if we use them in the pitch dark. We would also learn more about pinpointing and removal of targets in the pitch dark also.

The meter on my CZ5 is nothing more to me than a fancy battery check, which is not needed either.

Reminds me of cameras. There all automatic now! Get a K1000 and learn how to take photos!

Thanks Badger, for your good info!

Good luck all!................HH

 

[Ricardo_NY1]

To the original author and Goldseals, both you guys own detectors that will find coins. Keep hitting the field. You'll get practice and will eventually run into coin laten ground. Sometimes it's not the detector but the location. If the silver or clad is there, you can probably find it with a $40 machine. If it's not there, no DFX or SE will give a signal.

 

[gold fish]

Sorry, badger, I have to agree with ricardo. I have recently started digging "iffies", and very few turn out any good. If I am hitting a signal that jumps around, or goes from silver to iron, as I pinpoint, I usually don't mess up the yard. On the other hand I will say that ANY cosistent signal is a digable signal.

 

[N.J.THer]

I have a suggestion that may not make sense at first. If you want to find the good coins don't go out detecting so much...huh.

If you go out once or twice a week. Take one of those times every few weeks and go to the local library to do research. (or make sure you do all your research during the off season) One short hunt in the library may turn up a few local sites that can really produce. Also with the internet you can do most of the research from the comfort of your own home.

Look at local history books, newspaper archives (articles, old pictures, advertised gatherings or the lost and found section), old postcards, photos and the local historical society.

The best tool I've used is old maps. Some libraries are members of Sanborn Maps which are turn of the century insurance maps that show exactly what buildings were on the property which is like getting a treasure map with an X on it. Search along the most direct route between the buildings, outhouses, coops and wells. Old USGS maps are good if you can get your hands on them. Just remember the smaller the scale the more detail but they will never have the detail of the insurance maps.

Research, Research, Research

HH and good luck.

NJ

 

[silverswede]

I'm sure alot of people reading this post are saying "My God this guy's finding wheats in his yard and really old coins while he's at work and he's even jokes about giving up the hobby". Actually though you have shared one secret of a great place to coin hunt and thats in old abandoned houses in the very places you found your "good" coins. I've also found some of my best that way too. Along with inside old abandoned cars. They don't all have to be dug.

 

[MUD(S.W.A.T)]

Good things come to those who dig... or something like that. Stop Listening to the sounds your machines make and start digging more.

Keep @ it and HH!!

 

[Hosensack]

the headline was written more in jest than anything, my point was not to complain, as I said I have a very good spot right now and it is in the process of being fully discovered (found the well so far). That is the reason I ma out once or twice a week. Library, historical societies, and all other avenues have been tried, researched out all thats left is dig and search.

It was written more for the irony, I have found but 2 coins of note, while having a hobby of MDing, but found them while working and not using the MD

 

[N.J.THer]

Well in that case always check the ash tray when you get into other peoples car. I always find lots of clad and easy digging too.

Happy hunting and best of luck where ever you make your finds.

NJ

 

[RUDY2003]

I understand what you mean. Sometimes the best finds are laying on the surface...
Keep safe...