AT Pro - What does it mean when this happens?

[xpauliber]

Brand new to MD and got the AT Pro to start. So I ran across 3 different scenarios this morning out detecting. What does it mean when the following happens:

1. I get a decent signal that I can find repeatedly by swinging over it. When I turn 90 degrees on the same target, I don't get a signal.

2. I get a decent signal and when I use the pin pointer, if I pull the coil up away from the pin pointer, it gets louder and louder.

3. I was working an area that had a lot of iron and every once in awhile, I get a ping in the 90's but I can never relocate it. Does the signal sometimes ping high because of the iron or is there really a target down there that I should dig?

Thanks for all of the help!
-Paul

 

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[John-Edmonton]

#1) A target not lying horizontal to the coil. That will give a strong signal one way and weak in another direction. More evident with a DD coil.

#2) I don't quite understand the question?

#3) That "ping" in the 90's is a piece of rust left over from an old piece of iron in the soil. Once you begin the process of digging it up, it disintegrates and you lose the signal.

 

[xpauliber]

#1) A target not lying horizontal to the coil. That will give a strong signal one way and weak in another direction. More evident with a DD coil.

#2) I don't quite understand the question?

#3) That "ping" in the 90's is a piece of rust left over from an old piece of iron in the soil. Once you begin the process of digging it up, it disintegrates and you lose the signal.

Thanks for the reply John!

Question #2 was dealing with the pin pointer feature of the AT Pro. I saw a video online where the guy was trying to demonstrate what makes a target "diggable" in his opinion and he would pinpoint it and then move the coil up into the air and it would fade away which he saw as a good sign. I tried this and sometimes it did that but sometimes when I pulled the coil away, the pinpointer would just get louder and louder. I guess I'm trying to learn how to determine whether to dig a target or now.

Same thing with Question #3. If it does indeed ping the 90 but it's iron, can you know that before you start digging or is that just a necessary evil?

 

[RobRieman]

Pick up the coil 6 inches and if you get a good signal you can just about bet it's a sweet piece of iron or a beer can. Or just maybe it's that jar of Morgan's someone buried.

 

[Brit888]

I have also found circular horse harnesses made of steel/iron give off high readings and steel wire in a circle will do the same.

Now if you really want confusion wait until you find 2 or 3 or more lead shot from a shotgun together in the ground. You will have no hair.

I have a Garrett propointer and on a few occasions I have found things which do not set the pointer off but show on the AT Pro. Usually small bits of lead type metal.

 

[Rick (Nova Scotia)]

#2) I can think of no reason why your detector would get louder as you raise the coil...that is strange...except for a GB issue.

#3) a sharp beep , followed by no sound is very typical of a hot rock. If you move the coil away for a few seconds, and then sweep over that area again it will very likely beep again, once.

 

[Fletch88]

# 2 sounds like you were raising it up towards the metal pocket knife in your pocket! lol. I was confused when you said "the pinpointer" vs "I was using the pinpoint feature" of the detector or "during pinpoint mode".

 

[xr7ator]

I've got 3500 to 4000 hours in with the AT Pro.
I like John Edmonton's #1 answer and Rick and Fletch's #2 answers.
On #3, if you are in an area that has produced good finds and/or it's chock full of iron, swing extremely slow and if it sounds good, dig it out!
The only way you will learn for sure is to dig it. There are many that say that those who dig the most trash get the most treasure.
Good luck and do come back with pics of nice finds.

 

[xpauliber]

Thanks for all the responses guys. Here's a copy of a post I made in the "Today's Finds" section. Also, my 5x8 search coil just came in today, can't wait to get it on and see the difference!

I finally got my AT Pro and tried it out behind the house I grew up in at my parents. It wasn't built until the 70's so I wasn't expecting to find much other than some coins under the clothes line and some junk.

I fired up the detector for the first time and I was amazed at finding a .22 caliber bullet down in the field about 6" down. We used to shoot groundhogs down in this field 20 years ago when I lived there. My Dad and brother were with me and I hit the signal and we started digging and we didn't think there was anything in the pile. We all are new to this and thought it was a false signal or something until we used the handheld pin pointer and sifted through the pile and finally located the bullet. I was amazed that this thing could detect that tiny amount of metal!!

I hit two homesteads that I knew of and found a ton of iron. I was running the detector with no discrimination and I was digging every signal to try and learn what sounds it makes and what the resulting dig produced. I was a bit discouraged because I would hit a sweet high tone on a sweep one way but it wouldn't repeat going the other direction and I was worried that maybe it was a really deep object beneath some iron and so I would dig 8-10" and only retrieve a piece of iron or maybe I wouldn't retrieve anything at all. Once I got the hole opened up and didn't find anything, I'd run the AT Pro over the open hole and there wouldn't be any signal. Frustrating, but I know it takes time to learn.

I didn't find any old coins but I did find an arrow from a big buck I missed back in 2008 and I couldn't locate it back then so that was cool. Also found an old pocket watch under an apple tree from an old homestead near that spot also which was the best find of the weekend. So much iron at that spot though and I didn't use discrimination because I was worried about missing something.

Here are some pics of some of the finds. I won't bother showing you the iron pile.

View attachment 1324807View attachment 1324808View attachment 1324809View attachment 1324810

 

[jadocs]

Very cool. I just got an AT Pro myself and love reading these posts. How is the 5x8 coil working out for you? I have been thinking about picking one up myself.

 

[1942 merc]

I have found copper BBs with my ATP and pointer .

 

[tomhighland]

Just keep swinging. By the end of summer you will have a good understanding of your machine. It really helped me to go to the links on some of the more experienced members sites. More knowledge from them, less mistakes by me. I do suggest that you find an area that would have the possibility of a lot of clad, some trash, and get practice using pro mode. Unless you are a relic hunter you do not have to dig lower signals at all. Gold can show up over a wide range. So mid range signals are a must unless your pin point mode tells you the object is large, like a smashed aluminum can,etc. Just have fun with it and soon you will be posting cool stuff for us all to marvel at.

 

[austin_luker]

We are all still learning some are just a bit more experienced than others with are machines. I have had mine over 2 years now and am still learning new things almost daily and still get skunked when I hear a loud signal in the 81 range that fades when I raise the coil (good way to see if its a can) dig it up and sure enough its a chunk of can slaw
Try and get out as much as you can, using your pin pointer will help you find targets faster once you had dug a plug\hole
speaking of pin pointers the new Garret Pro Pointer AT (Garret Carot) is a lot more sensitive than the first model I'm pretty amazed how much better it is than the first

 

[steve1357]

# 2 sounds like you were raising it up towards the metal pocket knife in your pocket! lol. I was confused when you said "the pinpointer" vs "I was using the pinpoint feature" of the detector or "during pinpoint mode".

My F75 will pick up my ProPointer four feet away. Yes, the ProPointer is turned off.

 

[Texas Ed]

Put yourself in a coins - pull tabs - square tabs - aluminum can slaw & trash jewelry garden in your back yard at various depths and practice. Can slaw can come in as a quarter & if you raise the coil slowly & the numbers drop off quickly it will be can slaw. Quarters numbers will fade slowly - large aluminum cans will give high readings & show shallow but the pin pointer will not lock on it - dead giveaway. Anyway I wish you many more great finds while out dirt fishing.

Texas ED