Another quick question about the Excal 2

[twistidd]

OK- Is there a way I can discriminate out bottlecaps? Because I'm running the Disc at 1 and am spending way too much time digging up bottlecaps. It takes me ten minutes to get to them, because they are so deep and it kills my wrist! I don't want to discriminate out pulltabs, just the bottlecaps. Thanks guys.

Joe

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Joe,

Here is the deal, if you discriminate out bottlecaps and pull tabs, your going to discriminate out some gold. If you want to discriminate out bottlecaps / pulltabs and some gold then turn your disc up to about 5 or 6, but know this, you are discriminating out some gold, and that gold you are discriminating out can easily have, and most like does have rubys, emeralds, and diamonds in it.

I dig every single tone I get that is constant N-S / E-W, I dig lots of pull tabs and bottle caps, but I also dig up diamond earrings, diamond rings, and other gold and some of those sounded just like bottlecaps and pull tabs.

If there was a way to dig only gold signals, there would be no gold to dig, because every one would be doing it and it would be gone.

 

[kevino1960]

Joe,

Here is the deal, if you discriminate out bottlecaps and pull tabs, your going to discriminate out some gold. If you want to discriminate out bottlecaps / pulltabs and some gold then turn your disc up to about 5 or 6, but know this, you are discriminating out some gold, and that gold you are discriminating out can easily have, and most like does have rubys, emeralds, and diamonds in it.

I dig every single tone I get that is constant N-S / E-W, I dig lots of pull tabs and bottle caps, but I also dig up diamond earrings, diamond rings, and other gold and some of those sounded just like bottlecaps and pull tabs.

If there was a way to dig only gold signals, there would be no gold to dig, because every one would be doing it and it would be gone.

bottle caps have a broken sound to them if you do a wiggle the cap will sound good then move your coil away and then pass it over again it will have a short broken in the middle in time you wont have to dig these just listen for the broken tone

My Tiger Shark (Tesoro brand) does the 'broken signal' thing with bottle tops. Problem is every now and then it does that with a coin or something else I want to keep (though usually not gold). I dig everything.

 

[twistidd]

I'm still new to the Excal, but it seems to me that pretty much everything sounds the same. I use a 7-tone machine on land and it is very clear as to what is under the coil. I will attempt to dig a target in the water, but everytime I take a scoop out, the sand fills back in 90%. After ten minutes of doing this, I'll finally get the target- and it's more often than not a bottle cap. Frustrating. It puts a heavy strain on my left wrist lifting the sand up with the scoop. Figured I'd use it on the dry sand, but again the sounds frutrate me. The Ace 250 is better for the dry sand than the Excal seems to be.

I end a 3 hour morning with about 8 targets, one or two might be pennies, the rest trash. Am I doing something wrong? This is all in the water, not dry sand.
Joe

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Joe,

Here is the deal, if you discriminate out bottlecaps and pull tabs, your going to discriminate out some gold. If you want to discriminate out bottlecaps / pulltabs and some gold then turn your disc up to about 5 or 6, but know this, you are discriminating out some gold, and that gold you are discriminating out can easily have, and most like does have rubys, emeralds, and diamonds in it.

I dig every single tone I get that is constant N-S / E-W, I dig lots of pull tabs and bottle caps, but I also dig up diamond earrings, diamond rings, and other gold and some of those sounded just like bottlecaps and pull tabs.

If there was a way to dig only gold signals, there would be no gold to dig, because every one would be doing it and it would be gone.

bottle caps have a broken sound to them if you do a wiggle the cap will sound good then move your coil away and then pass it over again it will have a short broken tone in the middle in time you wont have to dig these just listen for the broken tone in time you will get used to the sounds of targets Ive never had a gold ring sound like a bottle cap or pull tab ive had junk plated rings sound like pulltabs but when im in the water i dig every tone thats constant i do get alot of earings this way but as far as the bottle cap you should be able to tell the differnce good luck

Not all bottle caps sound the same, not all pull tabs sound the same, the broken sound is not always a bottle cap, the wiggle does not work on all caps. There are different base metals used in different caps and pull tabs which changes their sounds. I can identify probably 75% of the bottle caps, but there is that 25% that may or may not be accurate, that is why I dig ALL targets that sound off N-S/ E-W..

I am 100% sure of one thing, I have never ever walked off and left a good target or gold ring in the ground because I though it was a bottle cap or pull tab. I would rather dig 100 bottle caps/pull tab, then walk away from one gold ring with diamonds..............

 

[spez401]

the key to digging stuff IN the water - A REALLY BIG SCOOP

If you use a smaller scoop... very often you can't get deep enough on the first bite to get to your target... and the hole just fills right in. The bigger scoops... nutall, proscoops... etc... they tend to grab the target first or second try.

as for the ace being better in the dry than the excal... i wouldn't agree with that. In the water, it is by far the best machine i've ever used (on the dry sand as well, for that matter).

the learning curve is much higher on the excal than the other machines... you'll get to the point where you can tell the difference between the tones... just keep digging, and it'll pay off

steve

 

[Dixie Digger]

i can tell most bottle caps as they have a null just before and after on the swing,BUT the best 14K Gold chain iv ever found sounded much like a bottle cap! and a few watch's have too.most caps are easy to tell but just every now and then there is this iffy that just dont sound right,then i dig! prob 9 out of 10 times it will be a cap,but the 10th one could be GOLD!

 

[lonewolfe]

If/when in doubt = "dig it"

you' can't have the best of both worlds in the detecting world

detectors just haven't advanced that far yet

I'm waiting for the new X-ray ground penetrating 100% foolproof detector that shows actual pictures of what's buried to hit the market too but

that's just a pipe dream, and where's the fun in that anyway!?

If you discriminate out bottle caps on your detector - there goes at least 60% of the gold too

listen to the others here - learn your machine by taking the time to - start on wet sand to get your pinpointing down (while at the same time) you'll be learning the different sounds, beeps, blips, etc. that ea. target produces and in no time - you'll then be ready for the water and hunting with a high % of accuracy.

Good luck, and most of all = "have fun"

 

[txkickergirl]

Heavy gold bands, and 18k will still pick up, but they are right even a huge diamond ring will be discrim. out. If you eliminate pull tabs and bottle caps. My recent find of the Ruby ring, when I tested it on the land machine showed up as foil. So I no longer discm out foil on my land machines.
I have been using the excal for some time now and am just now beginning to learn the sounds. I still dig the bottle caps, even though I am 98% sure that is what it is, I just don't want to take the chance.

 

[Prairie Prowler]

Great feedback about pesky bottle caps ..some of the spots I search are very trashy ..however I know there is gold lost there. When I was starting out I would go over an area with Disc. high enough to make Bttl-caps sound broken..pick out coins / silver rings ..and get familiar with where targets drop-out & what they sound like..(to build confidence & learn the signals response)..then turn Disc. down to find more gold...It sounds like you are hunting Lk michigan..I know waves there can be real rough..Keep trying /learning and you will eventually get better.. Good Luck

 

[Lake Hunter]

I'm still new to the Excal, but it seems to me that pretty much everything sounds the same. I use a 7-tone machine on land and it is very clear as to what is under the coil. I will attempt to dig a target in the water, but everytime I take a scoop out, the sand fills back in 90%. After ten minutes of doing this, I'll finally get the target- and it's more often than not a bottle cap. Frustrating. It puts a heavy strain on my left wrist lifting the sand up with the scoop. Figured I'd use it on the dry sand, but again the sounds frutrate me. The Ace 250 is better for the dry sand than the Excal seems to be.

I end a 3 hour morning with about 8 targets, one or two might be pennies, the rest trash. Am I doing something wrong? This is all in the water, not dry sand.
Joe

I am new to the Excal II myself. But here are a few pics of what not digging every signal can miss. These two pieces were found at about 10" - 12" and both gave broken signals (but repeatable). I dig every repeatable signal, especially the deep ones. And as far as the Ace 250 goes, it would not have even sounded off to these items that deep. I have one and tried it and it can't.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I will attempt to dig a target in the water, but everytime I take a scoop out, the sand fills back in 90%. After ten minutes of doing this, I'll finally get the target- and it's more often than not a bottle cap. Frustrating. It puts a heavy strain on my left wrist lifting the sand up with the scoop. Figured I'd use it on the dry sand, but again the sounds frutrate me. The Ace 250 is better for the dry sand than the Excal seems to be.

Joe

It sounds like you are using a cheap, small scoop. If you want to hunt water your only hurting yourself with you use the wrong scoop. Get yourself a good scoop (Nuttall, Beach Brute II are just a couple recommedations). I hunt the beaches and in many times it is in some rough surf, you can recover the target quickly with a big scoop before it fills in.

Here is mine, it is the Beach Brute II.

Get the Pro Handle. it really makes it easier to lift full buckets of sand while in the water. Will not break or rust, all SS hardware, multiple positions.

Kellyco has them, as well as Home Depot . http://www.kellycodetectors.com/accessories/pro_handle.htm

 

[twistidd]

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. In regards to me scoop, I'm using a gigantic scoop made by Nuttall Enterprises in Crystal Beach, Florida. It weighs about a ton, give or take, and is a real PITA to drag. I'm also using a separate, smaller scoop for the dry sand.

Yeah, the waves by me can be rough, even on a clear day. But the biggest problems are trying to identify the target by sound, and digging a target. It seems to take forever and a day. I've got a feeling that others who hunt the beaches here have better knowledge of their machines and discriminate out the trash, and leave it for me.

Joe