Getting real basicc

[Beer15Lax]

Hey all,

I'm new to this forum and this fantastic hobby, and I have some obvious newb questions. Just some of the basics--I have a Tesaro Sand Shark that I've been using on Cape Cod.

After sifting through some forums, I've come across lots of people who say listen to the whispers...What are the whispers? I feel like either I have a hit, or I don't?

This question is going to sound silly, but how do you adequately dig in waist deep water?I have a nice scoop, I just feel like it's difficult to get anywhere with it, and my detector is falling all over. It's probably pretty comical...

Anyway, looking forward to getting better and finally getting a chance to take it diving! Thanks for your help and patience- this forum is really interesting!

 

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[CoinandRelicMan]

You should always use a lanyard (hope this is the correct term) = (a small diameter rope,two to three feet long, with a hoop in the end which the rope goes through to form a loop around your detectors handle then back to you with an attachment to your wrist) allowing you to then let go of the detector(which should then float) and thus allows you to use both hands on the scoop to get good digging effect. Hope this is helpful !

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

You should always use a lanyard (hope this is the correct term) = (a small diameter rope,two to three feet long, with a hoop in the end which the rope goes through to form a loop around your detectors handle then back to you with an attachment to your wrist) allowing you to then let go of the detector(which should then float) and thus allows you to use both hands on the scoop to get good digging effect. Hope this is helpful !

Dang
I put the lanyard on the top of the pole of the stand up water scoop (Oops)!

 

[cdv1]

One that could truely tell you what a whisper with a sand shark is would be Dew Guru, he does some truely amazing things with his shark. I'll give it a go with my explanation and see if it helps. In VCO with the shark, most hits will be loud and blaring but a whisper will be a small rise and fall in the threshold that is repeatable when you go over the target again. The threshold tone on my shark is not real stable but stable enough that I can tell when a wave has caused a slight rise and fall in the threshold, a whisper is much like that but somewhat shorter in duration. I think in time you may notice that good and small targets will be quick sharp edged sounds, much like turning a light switch on and off quickly. Larger targets (beer cans, big iron) will ramp up in sound and ramp down after passing the target. You will start hearing a rise long before you are actually over the target.
Hope this helps some, it is not easy to put into words.... time on the machine and taking time to learn it, not being concerned with finding goodies is how to best increase your finds quicker.
Good luck
Cliff

 

[birdman]

You are in a fantastic place to hunt. I go every year and always find interesting stuff at the Cape. I have never used the sand shark but there are several people here that do very well with them. I am lazy and like basic discrimination for small iron but I have heard with practice you can tell when you hit iron with the sand shark.
Terry Soloman would be a good person to PM also.

 

[lorraine]

You should always use a lanyard (hope this is the correct term) = (a small diameter rope,two to three feet long, with a hoop in the end which the rope goes through to form a loop around your detectors handle then back to you with an attachment to your wrist) allowing you to then let go of the detector(which should then float) and thus allows you to use both hands on the scoop to get good digging effect. Hope this is helpful !

CoinandRelicMan, would you kindly ( if you have the time );post a pic of this lanyard attachment?

Thank you,
Lorraine

 

[Terry Soloman]

Hey all,

I'm new to this forum and this fantastic hobby, and I have some obvious newb questions. Just some of the basics--I have a Tesaro Sand Shark that I've been using on Cape Cod.

After sifting through some forums, I've come across lots of people who say listen to the whispers...What are the whispers? I feel like either I have a hit, or I don't?

This question is going to sound silly, but how do you adequately dig in waist deep water?I have a nice scoop, I just feel like it's difficult to get anywhere with it, and my detector is falling all over. It's probably pretty comical...

Anyway, looking forward to getting better and finally getting a chance to take it diving! Thanks for your help and patience- this forum is really interesting!

Slight “Positive” signals are also called “whisper” signals. This is a very soft or slight, almost unnoticeable, rise in the threshold signal. It will always be repeatable over the target – not random. If your threshold is set too high, or too low, you can miss them easily. If your threshold is not smooth you can miss these whisper signals easily.

There can be a couple of reasons, including EMI, for an unstable threshold. The most common is too much pulse width. Sometimes you can max it out, sometimes you can only run it at the 12-1 o’clock position. It depends on the beach. If you want to make your machine more sensitive and cut down on interference, make sure you are not wrapping your coil wire close to the coil down on the lower plastic rod (see photo).

“Negative breaks,” are also referred to as whisper signals. This is when the threshold gets quieter, or goes away completely over the target. Again, negative breaks are always repeatable over a real target – not random. As you remove a little sand from over the target and re-sweep with your coil, the signal becomes a slight or stronger positive signal.
I use “Normal” mode, because it is easier for me to hear these positive and negative breaks in the threshold – that does not hold true for everyone. MAKE SURE you have set your tone frequency to match YOUR hearing the best (page 12 in the manual). Do you hear high or low tones better? Trust me when I tell you this DOES make a difference.

It takes time on the headphones to learn to recognize whisper signals, usually over 100-hours. Sometimes actually speeding up your swing back and forth helps to recognize these signals. The general rule however is always to SLOW down and pay attention.

I’m right-handed, so I swing the Sand Shark with my left arm. I mount the box up high and use the arm strap so that I let go of the detector and use my left hand to remove the target from the scoop. The arm strap keeps the detector right there attached to me, but gives me the ability to use both hands.

Lastly, using your scoop effectively takes practice in the water. I put my toe just in back of the pinpointed target then place my scoop right in front of my toe for the recovery. This works well with practice. You’ll learn to time the waves. Hope this helps you, and feel free to PM me with any other questions or explanations.

 

[CoinandRelicMan]

The lanyard setup is for waterproof machines only, hope no one misses that fact! Here is a picture of a makeshift one since I don't have my old setup with water machine available to photo. Took me about 20 seconds to fashion this crude example, might need a bit more length and am sure you could easily make improvements, better quality rope some tubing covering on the wrist wrap etc. etc.. Hope this helps !

 

[Beer15Lax]

Thank you so much!!! I'm pretty pumped to get back on the water now. And the pics are really helpful as well!

 

[Crusty penny]

When I hunt in waist deep water I usually snorkel. I set up my shark w the lower shaft only and click it in backwards. I then hing the coil so it it bottom down. I find that this keeps it from flipping up in the current. I use my scoop or fan and dig with hands. I have only hunted twice with my new (used) sand shark and found gold both times :0
I love both sound settings and have dug some deep pull tabs and pennies. I just started detecting with PI and have found six rings. 1 platinum, 3 gold, 1 silver. Platinum ring isn't in this picture because my wife is wearing it

 

[Crusty penny]

I like to set up my lower shaft backwards to keep that coil streamline.

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

Not Safe!

Lorrraine: In my opinion having a lanyard directly attached to your wrist is a disaster waiting to happen.
You need to be able to jettison your detector to prevent drowning if it gets stuck in the rocks or if you get hit by a large wave and need both hands to swim.

You should use a wrist strap which is secured to your wrist by a quick release velcro strip. You can buy theese at surf shops, or better yet just take one off an old surfing boogy board. I prefer those with flat nylon rather than round rope for connecting to the detector. The one I salvaged had a small loop at the end which I simply slipped over the small handle secured to the shaft that I grasp to swing the detector. You want to be sure to connect it in such a way that it does not stress, compress, or rub against the search coil cable.

The upper arm cup of your detector should also be secured to your arm with a quick release velcro strip rather than a buckle for the same reason.

You will also need quick release(s) when using lead weights to hold your position in waist deep or deeper water.

You should always use a lanyard (hope this is the correct term) = (a small diameter rope,two to three feet long, with a hoop in the end which the rope goes through to form a loop around your detectors handle then back to you with an attachment to your wrist) allowing you to then let go of the detector(which should then float) and thus allows you to use both hands on the scoop to get good digging effect. Hope this is helpful !

 

[RustyGold]

Being an older surfer the surfboard leash is a good idea for exactly what Sir Gala Clad mentioned! If you get into trouble you can detach it quickly, depending on its design and get out of the surf fast!