Digging WAY too much iron with my Cortes!!!!!

[pjroo33]

Went out yesterday to a site I've hit a few times before with my Explorer II. This was my second outing with my Cortes and the first time I've used it at this site. I noticed that it did not matter where I set my discrimination, I would sound off with a nice TID of 95 on large iron. It happened multiple times, even with my disc set just above zinc. Can anyone tell me if this is the norm? I can't remember the last time I dug iron with my Exp II. Thanks

 

[jersey devl]

If it at the 8-9" range (deep) that happens to me sometimes too and if its large iron closer to the surface it usually says lift coil,but to stick on 95 after 2-3 swings over it doesnt sound normal to me.

 

[JOE(USA)]

Are you using the "sum" mode to check it? Joe

 

[Boilermaker27]

I don't have a Cortes but I do have a Tejon. Everyone says Tesoro's love iron and I think they are right. However, being a relic hunter this is nice. My Minelab found a lot of minnies but boy did I pass up a lot of iron. With the Tejon I have found four gun tools; one pistol; one Enfield gun sight ( a great find ); and a number of other iron objects that many simply do not find. Aside from that when I replaced my Minelab (the Tejon was just a fill in machine) I went back to my field and found almost nothing, the Tejon cleaned it out. Iron is a problem in coin hunting though and if there is a lot of iron I am screwed. I need a machine with target ID and am considering a Cortex or a Minelab 70. Had a DFX and did not like that machine at all.

 

[pjroo33]

I don't have a Cortes but I do have a Tejon. Everyone says Tesoro's love iron and I think they are right. However, being a relic hunter this is nice. My Minelab found a lot of minnies but boy did I pass up a lot of iron. With the Tejon I have found four gun tools; one pistol; one Enfield gun sight ( a great find ); and a number of other iron objects that many simply do not find. Aside from that when I replaced my Minelab (the Tejon was just a fill in machine) I went back to my field and found almost nothing, the Tejon cleaned it out. Iron is a problem in coin hunting though and if there is a lot of iron I am screwed. I need a machine with target ID and am considering a Cortex or a Minelab 70. Had a DFX and did not like that machine at all.

I feel like the Cortes is fantastic at coin hunting!!! I'm just not used to digging up iron.

 

[JOE(USA)]

I don't have a Cortes but I do have a Tejon. Everyone says Tesoro's love iron and I think they are right. However, being a relic hunter this is nice. My Minelab found a lot of minnies but boy did I pass up a lot of iron. With the Tejon I have found four gun tools; one pistol; one Enfield gun sight ( a great find ); and a number of other iron objects that many simply do not find. Aside from that when I replaced my Minelab (the Tejon was just a fill in machine) I went back to my field and found almost nothing, the Tejon cleaned it out. Iron is a problem in coin hunting though and if there is a lot of iron I am screwed. I need a machine with target ID and am considering a Cortex or a Minelab 70. Had a DFX and did not like that machine at all.

I feel like the Cortes is fantastic at coin hunting!!! I'm just not used to digging up iron.

pjroo33:

Are you using the "Sum" mode? Joe

 

[THingfool]

As jersey said, large pieces will hit 95 but shouldn't stay after a few swings. You will also see that bar graph is showing iron even tho it is reading 95 a lot of times. HH

Ed

 

[Tykit]

I don't dig much iron with my Cortes. Sometimes I will get a 95 number but a portion of the IRON bar is showing at the same time, that tells me that the target is iron. All the numbers normally match up with the correct bars, except for iron targets at times. Also I can tell by the sharp beep that it is a larger piece of iron without looking at the meter. If you want to dig a lot of rusty iron try a Fisher CZ. I have 3 other detectors (Golden Umax, Fisher CZ7aPro, Fisher ID Edge). The Cortes is my favorite. When I get a signal I look at the catagory at the top of the screen (NICKLE - TAB - RING). If I want more info I then look at the Bars, and for even more info I look at the numbers. The 95 numbers are very sensitive and so they are less stable. Sometimes I will just look at the numbers, sometimes just the bars. I also look at the depth reading on many targets. I use the SUM mode for tones at times, if I hear a high tone then I know it is a quarter. The SUM mode won't give an audio signal on very weak targets because of the vast amount of information the detector is processing, the extra processing loses some senitivity.

 

[Rusted_Iron]

All the Tesoro machines are pretty much the same when it comes to iron. If one wants to ignore most iron, Tesoro is not really the best brand to buy. There are settings and techniques one can use with Tesoros to help avoid iron, but like they say; Tesoros love iron.

I have found after putting many hours on my Tesoro that there is a difference, or maybe a couple differences, between an iron signal and a coin. Washers and iron rings give great coin-like signals... until you turn the disc up to about "Scap". There is a slight clipping. Sometimes it is very, very subtle. You will notice something not right. It takes a lot of hours to know your 'tector.

Incidentally, I was out the other night in the backyard with the Explorer... got a faint warbly signal. Hmm, said I... a deep coin.

I dug, and dug, and dug...

...... thick, caked, nasty square nail, sticking straight up, at about 10 inches deep

 

[Big Dig]

..... I noticed that it did not matter where I set my discrimination, I would sound off with a nice TID of 95 on large iron.

Hi,
If you look at the bar graph when detecting iron, you will typically see smearing....as in multiple bar segments showing one or more bars during the swing besides just iron or another target ID # (ie 95) when you sweep. Do an air test with a round washer, and change the position of the washer form flat to on edge to see the different ID numbers as well as how the bar graph smears across the screen. Do this test with a rusty nail and change the position of the nail to see the difference in response. A round/spherical iron object will discriminate more accurately. It may be more important to watch your bars than the ID number when you think the target may be iron. You will see a different response in this test because iron gives a nonlinear signal due to shape (especially round) and the fact that it is iron...not to mention the potential halo effect. Compare the bars and ID # to a coin. You should see a difference so you can avoid iron. The larger the iron piece the harder it is to disc.

You should also notice that the tone will sound slightly different when you sweep in the opposite direction of the target….a good target will be repeatable in both directions. If you only sweep in one direction, it can be hard to tell iron. I recommend turning between 45 and 90 degrees when you find a target that might be iron, due to the orientation in the ground. You should be able to see a difference in your display, and possibly produce an unrepeatable or broken/chirpy sound.
Last, lift your coil if the target appears to be shallow. This can help the ID be more accurate, in addition to the sum mode.

I hope this helps. I sent you a PM, but never heard back.
--Casey@Tesoro.com