Learning new cibola and puzzled.

[Goldbear]

This machine is sensitive all right. I figured out I can't use my hand full of dirt as it will beep on me! No rings or jewelry, short sleeves. I have to turn it above iron to not beep on my bare hand or arm. I suppose its the minerals in us? But I am just not understanding the discrinate and something else. Picking up a bb about 8 inches deep. Cool, nuggets should show well right? But have noticed that I can get a good hit at the surface, dig down 5 to 6 inches checking all the while by the plastic shovel full. It is as if the signal gets weaker when the dirt is removed. That correct?

Tonight I was going along tired of the bits of wire and nails that litter my yard. Went over where the big old pines are and started there. Found a good hit. Turn up to ptab, bam bam. Turn it almost all the way to max discriminate, bam bam. Cool! I start digging, 5, 6, 7 inches, the signal got weaker and weaker and totally dissapeared. I check the plastic bucket I put the dirt in, nothing. Check all around, nothin. Put everything back in the hole, nothin. Settings were all still good. Even back down to iron, no hit. Whats going on?

 

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[Sandman]

I've read this a few times and come back to it to see if I missed something but something is not right here. It is true that some people have a higher electrical charge but I never heard of anyone acting on a metal detector. Picking up a BB at 8 inches is great for sensitivity I think, but gold nuggets wouldn't read the same. As for getting a signal at high disc settings and digging to find nothing means either it was a rust halo which you broke up on digging or something is wrong with the detector. Have you cleaned out the coil cover? Since you are on your property, are you under any electrical wires, have a dog security fence or intruder security system? How does it operate away from your home?

 

[Goldbear]

Well, I was wondering about something rusty. Those bits of wire are everywhere. This used to be a field and it is if they went over an old fence and chopped it up for years. But wouldn't turning the discriminate up get rid of the iron signal?

Fresh out of the shower, no rust or dirt minerals on me. This thing will ping on me without a doubt. Both arms and no jewelry. None of the settings are even all the way up. I do have to get within a couple inches of the coil tho. Guess i have to make sure I use the plastic shovel.

 

[Sandman]

Do you have on your cell phone? Aside from that you may have a faulty coil or bad connector pin. Read http://detectorstuff.com/2009/08/05...ay-by-first-texas-lead-engineer-dave-johnson/ Or you might have to send it in to Tesoro for a check up. Describe what it is doing.

 

[Goldbear]

Just talked to a tech at Tesoro. Their machines with the high gain capability will trigger off our salt content. Turn the gain down a little if using my hands and stay at least 3 inches from the coil. Was starting to wonder if there was something wrong with me, Like I am a cyborg and didn't know it.....

 

[thrillathahunt]

The Cibola is a very sensitive detector AND has it's own "personality". I have been using it for 3 years now, and feel like I have come to know it. Are you using headphones? It seems to "tell" you different things if you are not using headphones. I always use Gray Ghosts.

It does not like small pieces of rusty iron. Even at full discrimination it will still pop and chirp, even crazily sometimes. You have ignore these sounds....listen for solid repeatable beeps, with the disc set right before the 5cent setting. Even at this setting a "loud" solid repeatable beep could be larger iron.

Another thing is that I rarely use the "supertune" mode (where the theshold knob is turned all the way to the right) this makes it even more sensitive. Try keeping the treshold just before it touches the red.

I set the sensitivity to 7 or 8 not "10" or max (this should only be done in perfectly neutral ground)
The more you use it the more you will get to know it. It is really a great detector!

 

[Goldbear]

Yes the tech at tesoro said if there was a big enuf piece of iron totally rusted away the metals signature is still in the soil, dig it away, mix it up, and it will be gone.