DFX in Trashy Area

[BioProfessor]

I have just ordered a White DFX E-Series detector. I am buying it to use in trashy ground on a trip to Europe where I will try and find some Roman material. I recently found the site where our county fair has been held since the 1830's. It has been held at the site every year except for the 2 years they had the Sioux uprising in the area and 18 of them were hung in Mankato. This area is the most trashy area I have ever tried to hunt. In the main fairground area, it is not unusual to get more than five strong hits per swing. Now that's trashy. My current detector is a Garrett Infinium LS that I bought to use on the beach this past winter. When I try to use it on this site, it is pretty much impossible. At least for me. Pretty much what I expected though since it is a PI machine and has virtually no discrimination.

I wanted to examine the site with the LS and just see what I would find. I worked the area for about 4 hours today and dug only the "strong" and "crisp" signals. Signals that did not break up. Signals that remained consistent when the swing direction was changed. I ignored those signals that were real "screamers" and saturated the detector for several seconds after passing over the target as well as those signals that disappeared with the "Iron Check". I used the standard 10"X14" coil as well as the 3"x7" Power DD coil. The photo shows the treasures for the day. Most were found at a depth greater than 10".

What I am doing next is to take the White DFX to the same area and use the preset programs and see if the type of items producing "diggable" signals changes. I also want to use some of the pro settings to see if I can get rid of the main types of trash. I think you can also "teach" the DFX to ignore certain signals.

Anyway, this is a simple experiment that may or may not be of interest. I hope there is enough interest in the effort to generate some comments for me that will help me improve my searching technique and success. I am new at this and really do appreciate any suggestions you have to offer. Tell me if I am screwing this up and need to change something. I want the effort to at least give good data.

Thanks!!! From my short time on this forum, I have learned a great deal. In my opinion, this is the best forum for metal detecting. Everyone seems very knowledgeable and willing to help. I really do appreciate it.

 

[Sandman]

One item you have to use in sites like this is a sniper coil for only getting one item at a time under the coil or in the field. This gives the detector only one target to analyze and a better chance of getting the VDI numbers right. Many have written some fine books on the use of the DFX and it would benifit you to get acouple.

Good Luck,
Sandman

 

[BioProfessor]

I ordered the Eclipse shooter 4"x6" coil. My hypothesis is that this coil is going to give me the best results. Seems like you are saying the same thing. If nothing else, it should be a fun test.

Thanks for the reply

 

[AgileMJOLNIR]

Bio,

one thing I would do since your new with the DFX and some may agree or disagree with me, but I would hunt in all metal mode with no discrimination. This helped me to pick apart the different tones so much easier and faster. It wasn't long before I could swing my DFX and know exactly what a pull tab, nail or a silver coin sounded like.

A smaller coil will definitely help you out. If your new to the hobby and especially new to the DFX I wouldn't even touch the manual settings just yet. You could do yourself harm out in the fields more than anything. I remember one time I passed up a nice V-Nickel that my friend went and found with his cheap-o Radio Shack detector because I screwed up the settings and discriminated it out. Play with the gain and sensitivity if anything.

Remember also that when you go to Europe alot of their old coins register in the trashy tones on your DFX so if you start playing with discrimination to early in the game you could lock yourself into some bad habits and miss alot of goodies.

Just my 2 cents but I hope my advice helps.

 

[BioProfessor]

Your posts have been extremely helpful to me. Thanks for taking the time to reply. I ordered the DFX book you suggested. I was glad to find out about it in time to get it before I leave.

About scanning in the all metal mode with no discrimination with the DFX. That's essentially what I am doing with the LS - right? I listen to the tones and the low to high, the high to low, the high,low,high, solid with no breakup, etc. If I place a penny, a pull tab, and some other objects on the surface of the ground and scan them, sometimes they sound exactly the same. Will the DFX be different? What do you listen for to think "coin," "ring." "pull tab?" What am I missing?

Thanks!!!!

 

[AgileMJOLNIR]

Well when you hunt in no discrimination your going to dig alot of trash in the beginning until you get the tones. Typically when I hunt with the DFX I find most good targets to register in the VDI ranges of 25-90 in most cases. It's kind of hard for me to describe the tones on here but you will see exactly what I mean when you hunt without discrimination. You are going to hear all sorts of sounds and it may be a tad overwhelming at first but stick with it, you WILL learn them and once you get a little more proficient with those tones then you will have a better feel when it comes to notching things out etc.

The DFX is a really fun machine. Just give her a little patience and the 2 of you will be singing beautiful music together soon enough

One thing to remember, gold and pull tabs register in the same areas so if you truly don't want to pass anything up then do like I do, DIG EVERYTHING! The best discriminator is the shovel

 

[BioProfessor]

Agile,

It can't be any worse than the Infinium LS. The array of tones is almost overwhelming. When I am listening and trying to tie the tone with what I dig, I only seem to "hear" tones that are high pitched, tones that start high and then go low. Tones that go low. If I put out a penny on the ground and scan with the standard coil, when the first edge of the coil hits the penny, it is a high signal, when it hits the middle it goes low, and when it hits the other edge it goes high again. Is this the same type of signals you hear? Are there little differences I need to be paying attention to. Maybe I'm not listening critically enough. Are there different high frequency notes? Sort of like pitch. Do I need to try and learn the pitch of the signal or are all high pitched signals from a target the same. They sound that way to me but maybe I'm not listening correctly.

So without describing the tones themselves, do you listen for a change in pitch, a different pitch, a single pitch, different pitches? Am I on the right track?

 

[AgileMJOLNIR]

Yes you are on the right track. I wish I could comment on your Garrett but I have never used one. I can tell you with the DFX though that yes there are different pitches of high, mid and low tones.

A silver quarter and a clad quarter for example sound different so you have to listen carefully to hear it. The VDI numbers will be close but different as well. Am I am commenting correctly? It's late here and I am hanging on thanks to a root beer I am drinking. Hope I am not confusing us both

 

[BioProfessor]

Root beet doesn't have caffeine you know.

 

[AgileMJOLNIR]

Root beet doesn't have caffeine you know.

It's a root beer energy drink

See if this helps you with the tones.

http://home.twcny.rr.com/metaldetecting/page9.html

 

[BioProfessor]

ah, sugar and caffeine. Two major food groups.

 

[AgileMJOLNIR]

Yeah it works for me. I am trying to get some reading in on the Explorer SE. I have one on it's way to me, it should be here by Wednesday so am trying to get to know her as well as I can before her arrival

 

[BioProfessor]

Agile,

The sounds at that site sound nothing like my LS. If I were hearing sounds like that I could do a better job I am sure. I am going to love the DFX. I can actually tell the difference in the sounds. My LS has such a high pitch on everything there is really no place to go to hear a difference. What a difference. I am really looking forward to the machine now. This is going to be good.

Thanks for the site. It is awesome.

Daryl

 

[AgileMJOLNIR]

My pleasure Daryl,

that DFX is going to open up some serious doors for you, it did for me anyways.

I got so proficient with the DFX I could call the coins coming out of the ground before digging them with 95% accuracy. You will do the same I guarantee it!

 

[AgileMJOLNIR]

Oh by the way, these videos will get you very excited. This is from a TV show Whites Electronics puts out called "Treasure Hunting America"

Most of these guys are hunting with your DFX. Download these and enjoy!

http://www.justiceent.com/tha.htm

 

[BioProfessor]

Thanks!!!! I thought I was good at finding stuff on the internet.

I bow to the master.

 

[BioProfessor]

Well the DFX arrived today. Put that puppy together and went to the trashy fairgrounds to see what would be different. Boy what a joy to use. No more 5 hits to the swing! No more screaming signals to drive me crazy. All I get is a low hum and target hits every now and then. The difference in what I hear and what I dig is very different. I used a 6"x4" Eclipse Shooter DD coil from White to get maximum discrimination (or at least that was my thought). That's the good part.

Now to the difficult part. Why does it think rusted bottle tops are quarters? Why does it like aluminum so much? Has anyone used the pro settings and gotten rid of this? If so, I will look forward to learning enough about the machine to be able to start using the pro machines. Just hoping that will be the case.

Also, I noticed that many times the signal is audible when I swing on a target in one direction but when I swing 90 degrees to that, I get no signal. Is that a sign of some type of metal or target? I also noticed that sometimes when I pull the trigger to get a pin point on the target, the signal disappears completely. Any ideas on this?

I know I am just starting out and have much to learn about the DFX. I am just looking for a few answers right now to the immediate symptoms.

Anything anyone has to say is appreciated.

Here are the finds from about 2 hours of hunting. Compare them to the ones with the Infinium LS.

 

[GAR]

A good site to visit is DFXonly.com, here you will find a lot of good information about the DFX. I'm sorry it took so long to respond, but I have been out of town and will be leaving again shortly. Have a great time looking for those Roman items. George

 

[BioProfessor]

Thanks George. I have visited the site but now that I have the machine and a little knowledge (very little) I plan to go back. I am sure it will mean more and make more sense. Thanks for the reminder.

Daryl

 

[AgileMJOLNIR]

Watch out at DFXOnly.com
Most of those guys are kind of the snobs of the detecting community. If you mention ANYTHING outside of the DFX you will get banned.

One day I just asked an Iron rejection question about the DFX and just very lightly said, "I know on my Minelab it works different" and I got banned. They even have the word "MINELAB" censored on their site. Really weird bunch over there.