Delta ??

[Osage]

I received my new delta . Could anyone tell me what setting you would suggest for old yards and some parks ? Does anyone use the notch settings ? What provides most stable VDI readings ?


Any advice would be appreciated.
Greg

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

DR.ÖTEK Metal Detector, Waterproof Gold Detector, Pinpoint & Terrain Modes, Professional Metal Detector - Grab it through Amazon!

[circuit323]

Love my delta! I have tried to use the a1 and a2 all metal modes, but the areas I hunt have way too many iron targets. I don't feel the all metal modes give me enough feedback on what the targets could be. I am trying to use them more to learn the tones, but I'm not having much luck. I run mine on discriminate with a sensitivity at 8 if it is my first time in an area. I discriminate out basic iron(foil too if area is really trashy). I ONLY use the notch if I'm hunting an area with an over abundance of aluminum.
If your old yard is pretty clean, try the a1 or a2. They are very similar with a1 being more sensitive( for better and for worse). What I've read indicates a1 and a2 go deeper. I have yet to master them.

 

[Auba14]

Normally I hunt in the discrimination mode, sensitivity set to just below the point where it begins to chatter. Usually leave it "stock" and do not notch anything out. If I find a "good" target sometimes I'll switch over to either A1 or A2 just to see how it responds to the target. A1/A2 kind of remind me of the old style BFO type detectors. Once you got used to what they were telling you all of the sounds made sense. The house I live in was built in the 1890's but the grounds are so iron infested it is, for me, almost impossible to hunt it in A1 or A2. My daughters house is quite a bit newer and does not seem to have very much iron in the yard. Have not had much of a chance to hunt there yet but it seems that I can go a good bit without have the detector grunt at me every foot or so. Try them all, as nothing substitutes for actual "stick time". You will find out what works for your area and what will not. Hope you find a lot of good stuff. HH.......

 

[Phantasman]

As acoin and jewelry hunter, I usually disc out Iron (or half of it on my LRP). Disc-ing out Iron on the Delta removes the first 40 of the 100 of the on screen numbers, leaving 60 numbers for everything from foil to high silver. If you don't want to "hear" iron, concentrating on coins/jewelry, and don't mind a 1" loss of depth, disc out iron and go. If you don't mind hearing the iron signals, hunt in disc with nothing disced out and gain an inch of depth.

Since most of what you're going to dig is going to be 5" or less, discing iron is no big deal, IMO. Like said, sensitivity is set high enough where you don't get false signals, usually 8. Some can get 10 without problems. But the depth between 8 and 10 isn't much, again maybe an inch. The Delta is an awesome machine for the price. Learn it, and you will master the 1"-6" area as well as $1000 units.

 

[Osage]

Great helpful answers!

I wonder at what depth I should expect to get a accurate and stable VDI reading.

My first chance to really use this detector will be tomorrow. Looking forward to it .

Again! Thanks for the advice,
Greg

 

[Phantasman]

You may be surprised. Don't worry about depth. Believe me. the Delta will have you digging enough of what's available. Try to remember the number of what you are digging. Take your time, it ain't going anywhere. If you dig 3-4 tabs at say 56, then 56 has the best chance of being a tab, but maybe not. If it's trying to hit 55 or 54 once or twice, it could have a good chance then to be a nickel, maybe a buffalo. High tones are easiest, especially when they lock on to one number. Silver. But don't be surprised to find a soda can. The trained eye and ear learns the difference over time.

Good successful hunters are patient.

 

[Osage]

Way too much fanaticism concerning depth .
Again, good advice.

I bet you're an interesting fellow .

 

[pgfhgs]

I run the Gamma as a turn on and go for coins anything above 77 could be a coin of at least copper if the delta runs similar.

 

[atomicscott]

I noticed when swinging the Omega that lowering the sensitivity really helps in trashy sites. Found my oldest wheat (1910) ever at 5" yesterday at a super trashy home site. Sensitivity was at 57. I get better separation in all the trash with the lower sensitivity.

 

[Garrett424]

I LOVE my Delta.
I usually hunt in disc mode set just above iron (40). I don't want to risk losing any gold.

As far as stabilizing your VDI, once you hone in on your target, tighten up your swing to the least possible amount directly over you target as close to the ground as you can get it. Just keep your eye on the screen and you'll see those numbers stabilize.

Try it next time you hunt and practice with it. The more you hunt with this machine, learn it's language and "become one" with it, the more you're gonna' love it. It will amaze you with it's sensitivity and depth, even on the tiniest targets. You won't find anything better in it's price range. It's a wonderful machine.

As far as notch goes, I have fooled around with it but rarely use it anymore. I just don't need it. I also frequently hunt with no disc at all. That way I can immediately tell how much iron is in the ground. I never knock out foil because small gold can sometimes hit in the foil range. I'll dig foil all day long for a gold payoff. Same goes for pull tabs.

Set your sensitivity as high as you can without it becoming unstable. Deep in the woods you can often run it wide open. Around any EMI you may have to crank it back. I rarely have to go any lower than 10. Even at the factory preset (8/70%) this machine is still extremely sensitive and very impressive with it's depth.

Overall, get out there and use it. Use the numbers but learn to hunt by the sounds as well. That's very important. As you go on you'll find that you begin to intuitively know what it's trying to tell you. The more you use it the better you'll understand (and like) it. It's really user friendly and won't take long at all.

I got mine at the end of last year's season and didn't have too much time to really use it like I wanted to but I'm already off to an awesome start this year, thanks to the Delta. I've already dug some really incredible targets that have truly surprised me, not to mention making me a little richer and expanding my coin collection.

 

[Osage]

Good way to explain the VDI stability question.
Thanks,

 

[Garrett424]

Good way to explain the VDI stability question.
Thanks,

No problem.

Also, really bouncy signals are more likely to be trash but not always. I had one last year that was all over the place and it turned out to be a 14K diamond/sapphire ring. So you never really know what's under the coil until you dig it up and physically see it with your own two eyes.

The machine can only make a best guess based on the target, depth and soil condition. Heavy oxidation can really fool the machine as well so don't ever be afraid to dig "trash". You just may find some gold or other nice targets. The more you dig the more treasure you'll ultimately find.

 

[Dirtslinger]

There is some really good advice above, I'll only add that when I'm running mine, I "cross-check" most signals. If it locks on a number, I'll turn 45* and if it doesn't bounce, it's usually a coin. If it did bounce, lift it up until the audio signal fades a tad and the numbers jump, chances are it's trash. It's a good practice to guess what's in the ground before you dig. It keeps your mind focused and teaches you to learn the machine quicker. Try to remember what fools you the most and why. It's much quicker to focus on the surprises than it is to just get sedintary when starting out. Tot lots are great teaching tools. Don't forget to check your yard and make a test garden. It's a lot easier to learn the detector dance when the deck is stacked.

 

[Dirtslinger]

No problem.

Also, really bouncy signals are more likely to be trash but not always. I had one last year that was all over the place and it turned out to be a 14K diamond/sapphire ring. So you never really know what's under the coil until you dig it up and physically see it with your own two eyes.

The machine can only make a best guess based on the target, depth and soil condition. Heavy oxidation can really fool the machine as well so don't ever be afraid to dig "trash". You just may find some gold or other nice targets. The more you dig the more treasure you'll ultimately find.

There's a lot of good info there, sometimes the audio trumps the numbers. When in doubt, dig it out. It's a darned easier thing to forget digging a junk hole than it is to pass an iffy signal and doubt it for hours.

 

[Garrett424]

There's a lot of good info there, sometimes the audio trumps the numbers. When in doubt, dig it out. It's a darned easier thing to forget digging a junk hole than it is to pass an iffy signal and doubt it for hours.

When I dug that 14K diamond/sapphire ring I initially passed it over due to the bouncy signals. They were all over the place from 41 to the 90's. I moved along but that "little voice" (that NEVER lies) told me to backtrack on that one. I literally walked backward about 10 steps, located the same bouncy target and dug it up. I was SO glad that I listened to my intuition and not the numbers on the screen. They're still only a best guess given the conditions.

The ring was lying vertically on a slight angle and the soil was damp. It was a good 7 inches down. The deeper the target the less accurate the numbers CAN be at times.

I got (what I thought was) a solid quarter signal earlier this evening. It was really deep. Turned out to be a highly oxidized and very old nail. I know it was old because I dug a Colonial coin in the same spot. A few centuries underground can change everything and all bets are off. The machine can sometimes get fooled and to truly know for certain you have to dig it.

And remember, people who dig more trash dig more treasure. It's a numbers game. Sometimes there's just no rhyme or reason. I dug two awesome gold targets a few days ago in very wet soil after a short but heavy rain. I've hunted that spot at least a dozen times and passed right over both of them.

I was lucky because the conditions were perfect at that moment. The numbers were also spot on. That wet soil very often increases conductivity of the targets and can reveal more goodies.

 

[Dirtslinger]

Amen, I backtrack more than I care to admit. I'll pass some iffy targets by a few steps and start that silly shoulda-dug-it conversation in my brain. My machines run on batteries and hope. I've only had to replace batteries so far. The hope meter recharges on new permissions!
Damp soil also digs better. Win/win!

 

[Garrett424]

Amen, I backtrack more than I care to admit. I'll pass some iffy targets by a few steps and start that silly shoulda-dug-it conversation in my brain. My machines run on batteries and hope. I've only had to replace batteries so far. The hope meter recharges on new permissions!
Damp soil also digs better. Win/win!

I agree 100%.

I rely and COUNT ON my intuition. It's my best friend in many ways.

Seriously, I've done some serious research on the subconscious mind and even learned the basics of remote viewing (and yes,it works). The subconscious KNOWS way more than most people will ever be aware of. It's an incredible gift we have. Everyone is capable of tapping into it to some degree or another. It's a skill that like any other, gets better with practice.

I would be lost without it. It surely helps when it comes to hunting treasure. I also regret the times in my life when I ignored it. I could have saved myself a great deal of pain and suffering had I only listened and acted on the information.

I was driving away from a spot recently but that little voice told me to hit a tiny strip I was eyeing on the way out, that I had overlooked. I literally backed up my car, walked back to the spot and dug up my oldest coin ever within minutes, exactly where the voice told me to look; a 1787 New Jersey copper. I was ecstatic and grateful. I can't explain it but I know it works quite often.

When I dug my two gold targets the other evening I was in a huge field but I started where my gut told me to start, right in the middle. Lo and behold, I scored a beautiful 10K HS ring and a 14K necklace within minutes. I'm still amazed.

Never, EVER ignore your intuition. In this hobby it's your best friend. I learn that more and more every day. I'm very Zen like when hunting which is why I prefer to hunt alone; not always but definitely more often than not.

 

[Dirtslinger]

That is awesome! Some things you just know. Some stuff you just have to learn the hard way. It's pretty funny how the universe works that way. I either solo hunt or go with the wife. I'm pretty lucky that I don't have a lot of people doing this around here.

 

[Garrett424]

That is awesome! Some things you just know. Some stuff you just have to learn the hard way. It's pretty funny how the universe works that way. I either solo hunt or go with the wife. I'm pretty lucky that I don't have a lot of people doing this around here.

Yeah me too. I have yet to run into anyone else actually hunting. One time I ran into a really cool guy whose been hunting since 1960 but he wasn't hunting at the time. He wanted me to join a club but I thankfully declined the offer.

I hope the hobby doesn't gain too much in popularity in my area.

 

[Osage]

I think many are going to benefit from this post.

Finally got out for about an hour in a big empty lot that appears to have had some houses in thirties or forties completely removed. I felt that it was worth checking because of the way trees lined up in the lot.
Not a lot- 1980 dime, 1950 wheaty, 1972 nickel, 1972 Lincoln, and a nice 1982 little ice cream truck. I do enjoy just zoning out everything and concentrating on detecting.
Yes! It's hard not to like this little machine.