any way to get around pull tabs and bottle caps

thepoolguy

Full Member
Jan 17, 2008
138
52
hi, new to this but love it. went to a friend of mines house that used to be a small store from the 20s to the 60s. found a few old coins but as you can imagine a million pull tabs and bottle caps too. my question is im wondering if there are mds that are better that others to discriminate against them. we have a whites classic 3 now. thanx in advance dave
 

Eu_citzen

Gold Member
Sep 19, 2006
6,484
2,111
Sweden
Detector(s) used
White's V3, Minelab Explorer II & XP Deus.
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
There are "good" discs but you will loose some goodies to as you wrap up the disc. Those are the "standard" pests we have to face, better get used to it. If your prepared to loose some extra goodies look at the DFX, Explorer Se and similar. There are cheaper to like the Xlt, mxt etc some one can fill in better then me I bet. :thumbsup:
 

Charlie P. (NY)

Gold Member
Feb 3, 2006
13,004
17,108
South Central Upstate NY in the foothills of the h
Detector(s) used
Minelab Musketeer Advantage Pro w/8" & 10" DD coils/Fisher F75se(Upgraded to LTD2) w/11" DD, 6.5" concentric & 9.5" NEL Sharpshooter DD coils/Sunray FX-1 Probe & F-Point/Black Widows/Rattler headphone
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
What he said. I can notch them out with my F-75, but the cost is that anything near those objects (beside, below, above) may be nulled out. I prefer to watch the VDI when I get a hit and dig the signals that are in the coin ranges. Even then jewelry will be missed. You can't dig gold rings to the exclusion of pull tabs - just doesn't work that way. You can get 80% maybe with a top-end detector and careful operating, but as far as I know none are perfect.

Bottlecaps really fool detectors when they are relativelt fresh and flat. An old, rusty one on edge or crushed gives a "clipped" signal (unless you have a detector that gives an alarm ring instead of a truer tone). Some detectors have a "bottlecap" mode or program that highlights them even more (making it easier to decide not to dig) but the cost will be depth.

TANSTAFL - There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch
 

Tom_in_CA

Gold Member
Mar 23, 2007
13,837
10,360
Salinas, CA
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Detector(s) used
Explorer II, Compass 77b, Tesoro shadow X2
The Whites classic 3 has a disc. knob. Just take a few samples of the different types of pulltabs you want to reject, and wave them in front of your coil in an air test. Slowly advance the knob till you find out where each one type starts breaking up. When you find the level that knocks out most or all of them, just use that setting. Yes, you'll miss nickels, most gold rings, and coins masked by multiple tabs covering them. But for some sites, you just can't be a hero and dig them all w/o going nuts. Might just have to go for the coins at this site, and save your jewelry hunting for less junked-out sites.
 

Eu_citzen

Gold Member
Sep 19, 2006
6,484
2,111
Sweden
Detector(s) used
White's V3, Minelab Explorer II & XP Deus.
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But for some sites, you just can't be a hero and dig them all w/o going nuts.

Yes you can but tell the other guy to MD there first with little disc so he can remove most of it! :tongue3:

Experience can help you to a certain degree to "disc out" pulltabs etc. Some will have their own tricks to not have to dig all the P-tabs. I'd suggest you experiment a little as Tom said to before deciding to buy a new MD.(or used)


Regards,
Eu :coffee2:
 

Farmercal

Hero Member
Mar 20, 2003
687
1
Earth
Detector(s) used
Explorer II, X-Terra 70 & Excalibur 1000
I just dig them and add them to my aluminum recycle pile. I have found that the pull tabs and bottle caps are sometimes real close to the surface so getting them out is easier and a real target. The problem with discriminating them out is you might discriminate a coin as well. I sometimes will ignore the pull tabs if I am short of time and concentrate on only good tones.
 

DFX-SCOTT

Full Member
Mar 18, 2008
132
0
Detector(s) used
WHITES DFX
THE ANSWERE TO YOUR QUESTION IS (WALK LEFT OR WALK RIGHT OF THE PULL TABS)
JUST JOKING!
IF YOU REALLY LIKE THIS SITE I WOULD HUNT ALL THE GOOD TARGETS FIRST,
THEN FOLLOW BACK THROUGH AND START DIGGING PULL TABS,
MY 14K WEDDING RING ON MY DFX HAS A VDI # OF +44
MY MOUNTAIN DEW PULL TAB COMES UP A +44 ALSO
IF THE TAB IS DEEPER IT WILL REGISTER+ 25 +28
 

deepskyal

Bronze Member
Aug 17, 2007
1,926
61
Natrona Heights, Pa.
Detector(s) used
White's Coinmaster 6000 Di Series 3, Minelab Eq 600
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Find another place to go... :o

I tried an urban park Sunday and my detector wouldnt shut up it was soooooo thick in trash. I found one quarter, a '67, about 5"...and that was sheer luck!


I have a DFX and even notching wouldn't have helped. Pull tabs, shreaded pop cans, bottle caps, tin foil, the amount of trash was overwhelming.

It's such a shame. The park dates to the 1830's and there is layers upon layers of trash from over the years...and i picked Easter Sunday to try it because the "bad" elements that have littered it over the years were absent.

I bet there are some awesome coins deep in the ground there...but like old Charley Daniels said...you gotta know when to hold em...know when to fold em....so I walked away.
Al
 

Pepper2004

Bronze Member
Dec 17, 2007
1,624
10
Southwest Georgia
Detector(s) used
Whites GMT, Whites M6, Vibra-Probe 570, Ace 250, Bounty Hunter 202, Bounty Hunter Pioneer 505, Whites MXT, 2 Bullseye11
TreasureTales said:
deepskyal said:
...but like old Charley Daniels said...you gotta know when to hold em...know when to fold em....so I walked away.
Al

Uh, I think that was Kenny Rogers.

Your right, TT. Kenny Rogers sang that. (now that dang song will be in my head all night)! As for pull tabs, bottle tops, they are a part of MD'ing. Save them in a five gallon bucket and cash them in when it is full to pay for batteries or gas.
 

doctorbb

Full Member
Nov 2, 2007
108
4
CA via TX
I have used a Classic III for years and here's a trick I sometimes use. If your Classic is a newer model there is a white painted strip above the disc knob. If not just stick a piece of white tape there. Put the disc knob to the preset ring mark. Now scan a gold rind and turn the disc knob clockwise as far as possible and still produce a full signal. Mark this spot on the tape. Now scan a pull tab and mark where its signal breaks up. It should be maybe 1/8" or 1/4" to the right of the gold mark. Then hunt with the disc set on the preset ring mark and when you get a signal turn the disc knob clockwise until the signal breaks up. If the signal is still solid passed the tab mark then it's likely a good target. If the signal breaks up before the tab mark then it could be gold or a nickel. If it breaks up at the tab mark then it's likely a tab.
 

deepskyal

Bronze Member
Aug 17, 2007
1,926
61
Natrona Heights, Pa.
Detector(s) used
White's Coinmaster 6000 Di Series 3, Minelab Eq 600
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Must be true...the minds the first thing to go...or was it...???

I stand corrected ..Kenny Rogers it was. I think it's every time I see Charlie's pic, just remind me of CD. No disrespect meant Charlie.
Al
 

Charlie P. (NY)

Gold Member
Feb 3, 2006
13,004
17,108
South Central Upstate NY in the foothills of the h
Detector(s) used
Minelab Musketeer Advantage Pro w/8" & 10" DD coils/Fisher F75se(Upgraded to LTD2) w/11" DD, 6.5" concentric & 9.5" NEL Sharpshooter DD coils/Sunray FX-1 Probe & F-Point/Black Widows/Rattler headphone
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
..Kenny Rogers it was. I think it's every time I see Charlie's pic, just remind me of CD. No disrespect meant Charlie.

Al


No offense taken. :wink: I actually met Kenny R. once when he did a Christmas show and my wife's 4th grade elem. school chorus did some background for a couple of his numbers (I got to help shepard/chaperone). He was kind and patient with the kids and seemed a genuinely nice guy (and I got to sit in the "orchestra" front row for the concert). He took the time to talk to the kids ahead of time and later thank them backstage afterwards. Seemed a real & approachable "regular" guy.
 

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