Id be curious...

[CowboyKolo]

I'd be curious...

I've seen a lot of folks post in here about finding stuff 5+ inches down, and I'm hoping maybe someone with a similar machine to mine (White's Eagle Spectrum with a Blue Max coil) might have some advice for me.
I live in Nebraska and at the moment, the ground is so dry it's almost like concrete. With the settings on my machine, the stuff I've been finding has never to my knowledge been below three inches (granted, some of it has been silver Rosies) except for some big iron trash. I'll admit I just might not be looking where the deep stuff is, but if I can't help but wonder if maybe the settings aren't a bit off for the conditions, or perhaps I messed something up while trying to test various settings. If anyone is using a machine similar to mine and has posted on here, if you got any suggestions, I'd be more than willing to listen and
From what I've researched on the history of my hometown, including plat maps, by about 1891 there were about 20,000+ people here, and someone HAD to have dropped SOMETHING from around that time period. I've met a few detectorists and most if not all admit they don't go around the residential areas to hunt, so there's probably lots of goodies waiting. I know, I know, join the local club and get someone to show me the ropes that way. I did join for a while, but due to my work schedule, I was no longer able to make the meetings and I only knew one person there who I since lost touch with.

 

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[Silverseeker]

Re: I'd be curious...

My detector isn't quite the same as yours, but maybe I can help a little. I use a 6000di pro SL, which is quite out of date compared to todays detectors. Most of my coins are 3 inches or less (just like yours). Although I have dug coins up to 8 inches with my detector, 90% are 3 inches or less.

You might want to start out with a coin garden. This is just burying coins at various depths and waiting for a few rainfalls. You can then test your detector to see just what it is capable of. Be sure to write down where the coins are so you don't forget.

Your machine is supposed to be a good one, so hopefully you have more success with it in the future. Good luck, and I hope to see your future finds.

 

[watercolor]

Re: I'd be curious...

"Deep" may be only a few inches depending what part of the country you're in so, I don't think it's your detector.

There are so many variables that will affect soil conditions (which will affect depth). Around where I hunt in northern IL
and southern WI, the frost heave constantly moves things around in the ground. . . I've seen crop fields in WI
that were once cleared of glaciated cobbles in the sandy soils magically seem to reappear several years later
after a series of yearly "hard" frosts.

When I hunt the forests in these areas, many of the "oldies" I've found (pre 1900) were only 4" or 5" deep but,
when I hunted the adjacent manicured grass areas that I KNOW from research have been used just as long, ended
up being twice as deep due to the accumulation of constant cut grass clippings being transformed into rich soil.

Soil types are a result of vegetation decomposition, ground topography (slope) and climate variations (prevailing wind,
annual rain, temperature, etc).

Depth does not necessarily mean you'll find OLD coins, you need to research the locations of where all the activity occured back then

One last thing. . . in many parts of the country, there were many frugal people that RARELY would carry money unless they
were specifically going to make a purchase in town. (Not your typical party person that would loose things in a drunken stupor)

Good luck,
watercolor

 

[chuckbordell]

Re: I'd be curious...

I think that it's true that most people overestimate the depth of the coins they are finding. I've been hunting for twenty eight years, using three different brands of detectors on the East Coast and the Northwest and the deepest coin I've ever found was 7 inches (seated liberty half). I had a digger with the inches marked on the side. Take a ruler or tape measure with you. You'll find plenty of old silver under 6 inches.

Chuck

 

[Wallhangers]

Re: I'd be curious...

Since you are in Nebraska and there is a lot of cornfields there, try to do some research at your local library and find where homesites used to be that are in a field now. Every time they plow that field they cycle those coins to different depths. You might even find one on the surface when your hunting. Otherwise, just hit a lot of those houses. I am finding most of my old coins are between the front door and the road or sidewalk. Also check between where they parked their cars and where they entered their house (maybe a back door). In both cases, they had to pull keys out of their pockets and that's where a few coins get lost. Here in Michigan, most of my wheat pennies fall in the 3-5 inch range and older coins are deeper. Good luck, you will start nailing some good ones shortly.

 

[MonkeyBoy]

Re: I'd be curious...

I've seen a lot of folks post in here about finding stuff 5+ inches down, and I'm hoping maybe someone with a similar machine to mine (White's Eagle Spectrum with a Blue Max coil) might have some advice for me.
I live in Nebraska and at the moment, the ground is so dry it's almost like concrete. With the settings on my machine, the stuff I've been finding has never to my knowledge been below three inches (granted, some of it has been silver Rosies) except for some big iron trash. I'll admit I just might not be looking where the deep stuff is, but if I can't help but wonder if maybe the settings aren't a bit off for the conditions, or perhaps I messed something up while trying to test various settings. If anyone is using a machine similar to mine and has posted on here, if you got any suggestions, I'd be more than willing to listen and
From what I've researched on the history of my hometown, including plat maps, by about 1891 there were about 20,000+ people here, and someone HAD to have dropped SOMETHING from around that time period. I've met a few detectorists and most if not all admit they don't go around the residential areas to hunt, so there's probably lots of goodies waiting. I know, I know, join the local club and get someone to show me the ropes that way. I did join for a while, but due to my work schedule, I was no longer able to make the meetings and I only knew one person there who I since lost touch with.

Get a bigger coil... hunt in relic mode as often as you can stand.. and keep tweaking the machine up till it becomes unstable and then just bring it back slightly... they are out there and they are deep! Dry conditions do hurt like he77... but you should be able to go deeper. Spectrums are good machines.. I hunted with one for a while... but if you can... I personally think the DFX is the way to go, if you are happy with Whites.. esp w/ the 12" coil... wow!!! They will go a lot deeper the 6" to 8" depending on the target. Now, I am a relic hunter.. so that is a different game.. but I have a lot of coins too!!! Hope this helps!!

MonkeyBoy

 

[N.J.THer]

Re: I'd be curious...

Someone mentioned a test garden which is a great way to test the detector. I also read somewhere on T-Net about using different size books to test the depth. I never tried it but in theory it sounds like it would work. Find an area that has no targets the place a coin down then start placing books on top of the coin. Take a swing over the book each time and see if you get a reading. Start off with thick books then go smaller and smaller until you don't get a reading. You can do this inside and test different setting to see which one you get the deepest readings from..

I do agree that most coins will be no deeper then 6 inches if the soil has never been tampered with. I just dug a 1856 Large Cent at about an inch but I've also dug memorial pennies at 4-5 inches. One park I hunt I've found a Indian Head cent at around 1 1/2 inches then a Zincoln cent at 4 inches right next to it. So you never know...I try to dig everything unless I know I have limited time and it is unlikely I will be returning to the site anytime soon.

Good luck

NJ

 

[Indianhead Jones]

Re: I'd be curious...

Hey Cowboy...I agree with Silverseeker...a test garden will reveal a lot about depths you can reach. I have the same machine as yours, White's Eagle Spectrum with the Blue Max coil, and I get really good deep finds with it. You might try experimenting with your sensitivity setting also. Since we ust the same machine, feel free to message me with any questions you may have, and I'll try me best to help you out! But, again....make a test garden and bury silver and gold objects at various depths and practice! Good luck!!

Larry