Knipper
Jr. Member
- Jan 21, 2005
- 48
- 34
- Detector(s) used
- Minelab Explorer SE, Minelab Excalibur II Troy Shadow X-5
Keith (Found you here, too! 
)
As to pinpointing, here are another few tips that might help...
1. In pinpoint mode, don't assume the target is below the CENTER of the coil...it might be, but I recently found out that on my SE, it is under the point where the shaft attaches to the coil, or very slightly in front of it. That makes it about two inches IN BACK OF the center of the coil. I think it might a bit closer to center the deeper the target, but you can eyeball this by just putting a coin on the ground, lifting the coil and estimate where your strongest signal is relative to the position of the coil over the target.
2. Before entering pinpoint mode, move your coil to one side of the target, then put it in pinpoint mode and scan back over the approximate location. If you put in pinpoint mode directly over a target, it might null out the signal. You'll get a signal on either side and a null in the middle. This is because if you're right over it, you might actually be tuning the machine to the target rendering it neutral or sometimes even negative to the circuitry. (Heh, need I say, that when moving the coil slightly to one side first, make sure you're not over ANOTHER target...junk perhaps), or that may make things a bit harder too.
3. The stock coils are a "Double D" configuration. This is very different than other "concentric" coil configurations. Instead of a tapering cone going down into the ground, you have a field that looks more like a two inch wide by twelve inches deep by ten inches long board with rounded bottom corners going into the ground. Yes, the signal will still be stronger in the center (or approximate center...see above) of this field, but if the coin is shallower, you will get a signal along the entire length of this field...harder to pinpoint a shallow target. The pinpoint mode helps center it, but another thing you can do, (since the signal is audible along its entire length) is this: when a signal is detected, pull the coil back towards you while doing a tight back and forth sweep. When the signal disappears, move very slowly forward until you start to hear it again. The target will be right below the FRONT of the coil, where the two halves meet. I still prefer to try to position the target under the approximate center of the coil, as I'm so used to doing it that way. Also, I'd only do this on shallow targets...3" deep or less.
It took me quite a while to get used to double D coils, having learned on concentric ones, where the strongest signal is dead center of the field.
You saw my post on another forum that explained the one way signals you might get and why...remember that, too, when setting your discrimination pattern.
Knipper
)As to pinpointing, here are another few tips that might help...
1. In pinpoint mode, don't assume the target is below the CENTER of the coil...it might be, but I recently found out that on my SE, it is under the point where the shaft attaches to the coil, or very slightly in front of it. That makes it about two inches IN BACK OF the center of the coil. I think it might a bit closer to center the deeper the target, but you can eyeball this by just putting a coin on the ground, lifting the coil and estimate where your strongest signal is relative to the position of the coil over the target.
2. Before entering pinpoint mode, move your coil to one side of the target, then put it in pinpoint mode and scan back over the approximate location. If you put in pinpoint mode directly over a target, it might null out the signal. You'll get a signal on either side and a null in the middle. This is because if you're right over it, you might actually be tuning the machine to the target rendering it neutral or sometimes even negative to the circuitry. (Heh, need I say, that when moving the coil slightly to one side first, make sure you're not over ANOTHER target...junk perhaps), or that may make things a bit harder too.
3. The stock coils are a "Double D" configuration. This is very different than other "concentric" coil configurations. Instead of a tapering cone going down into the ground, you have a field that looks more like a two inch wide by twelve inches deep by ten inches long board with rounded bottom corners going into the ground. Yes, the signal will still be stronger in the center (or approximate center...see above) of this field, but if the coin is shallower, you will get a signal along the entire length of this field...harder to pinpoint a shallow target. The pinpoint mode helps center it, but another thing you can do, (since the signal is audible along its entire length) is this: when a signal is detected, pull the coil back towards you while doing a tight back and forth sweep. When the signal disappears, move very slowly forward until you start to hear it again. The target will be right below the FRONT of the coil, where the two halves meet. I still prefer to try to position the target under the approximate center of the coil, as I'm so used to doing it that way. Also, I'd only do this on shallow targets...3" deep or less.
It took me quite a while to get used to double D coils, having learned on concentric ones, where the strongest signal is dead center of the field.
You saw my post on another forum that explained the one way signals you might get and why...remember that, too, when setting your discrimination pattern.
Knipper
