Can bands of black sand cause false signals?

[OBXmetalDet]

Last week I was at the Outer Banks and I just can't tell if bands of black sand was causing false signals.

 

[pepperj]

Last week I was at the Outer Banks and I just can't tell if bands of black sand was causing false signals.

What detector were you using when you had this issue?
I do know the early models of detectors had serious issues with black sand.

 

[achanceforgold]

Last week I was at the Outer Banks and I just can't tell if bands of black sand was causing false signals.

I believe they can. In fact some metal detector companies cover the subject. I thought I watched a video or two on how to hround balance for that.
You may want to google your detector and black sand videos.

 

[OBXmetalDet]

What detector were you using when you had this issue?
I do know the early models of detectors had serious issues with black sand.

Minelab Equinox 800.

 

[OBXmetalDet]

I believe they can. In fact some metal detector companies cover the subject. I thought I watched a video or two on how to hround balance for that.
You may want to google your detector and black sand videos.

Sometimes it appeared to give a signal, but not always, so I don't know what to think.

 

[achanceforgold]

Sometimes it appeared to give a signal, but not always, so I don't know what to think.

We have a mining company near us. Called Chemours in Jesup Ga.
They mine the black sand.
It has something called Ilmenite in it.
Which is titanium based.
But depending on the quantity of the Ilmenite it can have a magnetic signal.
Like magnetite.

https://www.chemours.com/en/about-chemours/global-reach/wayne-county

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Depends on how you encounter it. Hunting in very shallow surf the black sand can cause false signals as it rolls over your coil.

 

[cudamark]

Last week I was at the Outer Banks and I just can't tell if bands of black sand was causing false signals.

Yes, and loss of depth too. Usually a PI machine will do better in black sand depending on the actual metal/mineral makeup of the black sand.

 

[CASPER-2]

Yes, and loss of depth too. Usually a PI machine will do better in black sand depending on the actual metal/mineral makeup of the black sand.

my whites PI used to do great in it
My Fisher CZs have never had a problem
my old land machines - pre2000 models always did

 

[Terry Soloman]

Yes, the Equinox can false on black sand especially in a heavy salt environment. On another forum I am on that focuses on Gold Prospecting, this is an ongoing topic. It seems that it can be overcome through settings. I'll ask if I can get permission to copy and paste to this thread.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Yes, the Equinox can false on black sand especially in a heavy salt environment. On another forum I am on that focuses on Gold Prospecting, this is an ongoing topic. It seems that it can be overcome through settings. I'll ask if I can get permission to copy and paste to this thread.

You can post the info, just not a link or the name of the forum.

 

[OBXmetalDet]

Thank you everybody. A few times I would dig in wet sand pretty deep and get signals. Sometimes I couldn't regenerate the signal and other times when I could, I would dig and find nothing.

I guess knowing this will help save me some time in the future.

 

[cudamark]

Coil control is very important in that situation too. You bump the black sand and it will set off the detector, as will bobbing the coil. A nice, slow, even swing works the best.

 

[OBXmetalDet]

Coil control is very important in that situation too. You bump the black sand and it will set off the detector, as will bobbing the coil. A nice, slow, even swing works the best.

I think I've noticed this but I wasn't sure if this was a thing. Now I know.

Thank you.

 

[SunStreak]

Last week I was at the Outer Banks and I just can't tell if bands of black sand was causing false signals.

Yes not even can but certainly do. Black sand full of iron minerals incl magnetite create mask between detector and a target. Recommend to burry targets in black sand and find best settings to find them. There is certain recipe for get rid of false signals if you use mlf machine. Pulse induction works certainly better on black sand. As I know deus ll has even mode you can switch on on detecting black sand.

 

[Sand Swinger]

Thank you everybody. A few times I would dig in wet sand pretty deep and get signals. Sometimes I couldn't regenerate the signal and other times when I could, I would dig and find nothing.

I guess knowing this will help save me some time in the future.

Here's another possibility that I used to encounter a lot of times when beach hunting, until I figured out the cause. I posted about this back in Jan, this might be at least one of the reasons why you couldn't relocate the signal or would dig and find nothing:

Disappearing Signal Tip for Newbie Beach Hunters

Here's a tip for those new to hunting beaches, especially on dry sand. I started hunting beaches probably about 14 or 15 years ago, and in my first year, I was primarily hunting dry sand. There was 1 thing that first year that would drive me nuts. I'd get a good signal, take my first scoop of...

www.treasurenet.com

 

[OBXmetalDet]

One thing I noticed is the following.

1. You get a signal, then start digging and scoop up sand, then shake it out.
2. You don't see anything in your scoop
3. You scan the hole again and now there is no signal.

What happened? After you shook out the sand, sometimes the target is so small it may fall through the holes in your sand scoop, meaning it's now in the pile of sand you threw to the side. This is why you may not get a signal again when you scan the hole for a 2nd time.

So always scan your throw away pile even if your scoop is empty after shaking out each scoop.

 

[cudamark]

There's also the theory that removing overburden also removes the halo of the target, making it a smaller target signal. Minelab machines (and some others) don't do well in air tests. They seem to like the ground matrix to help conduct the signal. This applies to land as well as ocean hunting.

 

[Sand Swinger]

Sometimes it appeared to give a signal, but not always, so I don't know what to think.

Were you using discrimination or hunting in all metal mode?

 

[Sand Swinger]

There's also the theory that removing overburden also removes the halo of the target, making it a smaller target signal. Minelab machines (and some others) don't do well in air tests. They seem to like the ground matrix to help conduct the signal. This applies to land as well as ocean hunting.

^^BINGO^^