AT Pro and nails

[SeekerProB]

I have been a little discouraged when I set my discrim up to eliminate nails only to have 80's and 90's turn out to be bent nails. No iron grunt to it at all. Recheck the hole and that is it. Some of the nails are very very small, some very large. Due to time constraints, I don't want to waste time on nails. My thoughts have been though, well this indicates a large structure was once here so there will be other finds. I am a newby to this and am loving it. learning a lot just being out there so i guess it is all good anyway! Thanks to all the folks that chime in with such good information it has helped me in the process of learning!

 

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[Joe-Dirt]

The shape is fooling the machine

 

[67GTA]

Those types of nails are hard on all machines. It is just part of the hobby. Some older square nails give good signals even when they are straight. Even iron rings and washers sound good.

 

[Icewing]

Any rusty iron with a hole, bent nails, and rusty flat sheets of metal such as bits of old cans or old roofing sheet metal will all trick even the best machine. I got into a mess of all of the above yesterday and it drove me nuts. I eventually loaded up and found a different place to hunt.

 

[SeekerProB]

Thanks, so it's not just a newby problem.

 

[Icewing]

Thanks, so it's not just a newby problem.

No sir.

 

[Hillbilly Prince]

I have been a little discouraged when I set my discrim up to eliminate nails only to have 80's and 90's turn out to be bent nails. No iron grunt to it at all. Recheck the hole and that is it. Some of the nails are very very small, some very large. Due to time constraints, I don't want to waste time on nails. My thoughts have been though, well this indicates a large structure was once here so there will be other finds. I am a newby to this and am loving it. learning a lot just being out there so i guess it is all good anyway! Thanks to all the folks that chime in with such good information it has helped me in the process of learning!

You might try factory reset and run in pro mode. That seemed to help if you are going by audio. My eyes are wonky and my new glasses are sketchy at the exact distance to see the numbers lol.
I've noticed people have posted digging signals that seemed worthless and turned up great stuff.
Perhaps the thing to do is a lot of research, try to think of places no one else thought of detecting.
Really you never know what is right under your own feet in your backyard.
I've noticed something about endeavors\hobbies. There comes a point where there is frustration, a feeling one is spinning their wheels. The people who dig in and don't quit are the ones who succeed.

 

[signal_line]

Depends on where you set the Iron Rejection. The higher the number, the less trash. The are several instructional videos free at the Garrett website. The High-Resolution iron rejection is one of the most powerful/important functions so you should learn how to use it. Really sounds like you should have re-checked the hole to see if any good targets under the nail (assuming you have things set right). One way is to put the nail down on the ground and adjust the iron discrimination until it is just barely eliminated. You shouldn't be picking up very many nails, almost none, so something is not set right or there are other targets in the hole.

 

[Opie]

Not all nails are the same, Through out the years many different metals have been used. IE galvanized nails have added heat processed zinc for rust proofing, these ring out with no problem. Livestock square nails (pick a period 2000's 1900's 1800's 1700's all were made with different metal types) While this should not pose a major difference, it will when you take into account different ground minerals and their effect on and with iron's natural break down process in the ground. Detector target picture is the other issue, a bent nail breaks down differently than a straight nail. Less activity (break down or rust) on one side or the other effects what the detector picks up while processing the target. This is where the so called "Halo" effect was started. Now if you believe in the halo effect or not, I'm not arguing, what I'm saying is that the started "metal" before the break down process began and the existing leftover after it stopped are two different types of mineral.
I recommend seeing what types of nails are found with what types of ground conditions your in, and learn what the detector is seeing. You'll find this can tell you what kind of area or period your in and also can help if you need to tweek up or down on any ground tracking or ground balancing issues.
Good luck! stay Gold
Opie

 

[dts52]

I have been a little discouraged when I set my discrim up to eliminate nails only to have 80's and 90's turn out to be bent nails. No iron grunt to it at all. Recheck the hole and that is it. Some of the nails are very very small, some very large. Due to time constraints, I don't want to waste time on nails. My thoughts have been though, well this indicates a large structure was once here so there will be other finds. I am a newby to this and am loving it. learning a lot just being out there so i guess it is all good anyway! Thanks to all the folks that chime in with such good information it has helped me in the process of learning!

It’s a common trait of the AT Pro. That machine loves old square nails and often gives a signal that you just can’t ignore. It’s part of the price you pay. You can turn down your sensitivity, sometimes that helps. I’m the type of MDr who just cannot force himself to ignore iffy signals. But that’s why I have such an amazing collection of square nails, flip tabs and bottle caps. I hate leaving a field wondering what those iffy targets were that I didn’t dig. To make matters worse, some of my best finds have come through as iffy signals ( not that I have many best finds).
HH
dts