Cal_Cobra
Bronze Member
- Oct 3, 2008
- 1,099
- 1,710
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- 3
- Detector(s) used
- Minelab EQ800 & Makro Multi Kruzer, the rest are collecting dust...
A little background on this particular "test" site that I take every machine to that I've owned over the past 12 years since I got my first detector. The site has both mineralized soil, and mild EMI, which some machines handle a LOT better than others. First I tried a Fisher C$ and Minelab Sovereign, and maybe got one wheat penny (C$ was shut down from the EMI). I figured there had to be more there, but it wasn’t until I got the CZ70 that it opened up. Someone had cleaned out the top 6” of targets, so anything left there was either deep, masked or both. First trip with the CZ was like Christmas! After 5-6 trips the CZ played out. Then every new machine I got I’d take there, and see what it could find. The first few trips there with the F75 did well, took my Etrac there and only got one wheat and a maverick bakery token. Then for about three years it petered out, it would take everything I had busting my butt to eek out one IHP or wheat, but silver dried up for about three years. I still figured there had to be more. When I got my Red Racer, I did a shoot-out between it and my (at that time) beloved F75. I first detected it with my F75 LTD2, and got nothing, only iron grunts, zero conductors. Then I switched to the Red Racer and pulled two silvers, an IHP and wheatie. It was an eye opener, first silver in three years, and not one, but two AND it was on basically my first hunt with the Red Racer. Then each subsequent trip with the Racers the site was back on, and not all the old coins were deep, several were masked with iron that prevented other detectors from getting thanks to Makro's world class unmasking capabilities. Matter of fact I had my best day there with my Racer2, something like 12 period coins in one hunt including four silvers, it was simply unbelievable to me that my pounded site that I practically gave up on, produced this many coins in about a 3 hour hunt.
As you all know these sites don’t exactly replenish themselves with period coins, so for for the Equinox to do what it did this weekend is beyond impressive, eight DEEP period coins in about three hours is fantastic! For this site I used Park2, and ran it hot with the gain between 22-24, even was able to run it at 25, but found it started to like deep nails at 25. By the way, this site is loaded with old square nails. The original building that was there burned down in the mid 1800's, and I suspect that they razed the burned remnants around this site, and dumped fill dirt over the razed burnt remains when the built the replacement building went up, as once you get down to around 10" - 12" you seem to hit a sea of square nails. Never have found a seated at this site, it's certainly old enough to have them, but I suspect they are beneath this sea of nails.
This was a deep mid conductor signal tangled in heavy tree roots. Little did I know how deep this would turn out to be! Between my Lesche shovel and digger, and a lot of patience (and a few curse words thrown in for good measure!) I finally pulled brought this sucker back to life, it was a dateless buffalo nickel!
This is what was in that monstrous 10" deep hole!
Total take for this hunt (3 hours) was five teens wheaties, a dateless buffalo nickel, 1902-S Barber dime (yeah!!!), 1936-S Mercury dime, some kind of silver button (that sucker was DEEEEEP), a poppers wedding ring, DEEP civil ware era (?) two piece Navy cuff button (this thing is going to LOVE buttons), and two suspender buckles/clips. Now I will say that the non-modulated audio on shallow stiff is a major PITA for deep turf hunting, so I did dig some zincolns, and shallow clad
This was my second hunt, which I did in Field2. It's a little fresh water beach area that I've pounded over the years. Haven't found a ton there, few wheats, mercs, some rings in the water, and some 1800's relics, but I love the history of the site, and figure detecting it will eventually pay off with something really good (that hasn't happened yet, but I know something really good has to be hiding out there, probably in the water though!).
I've never dug this many wheaties there in one hunt, and I love the wheatie with the iron fused to it!
Also got a nice antique looking sterling silver ring and a 43' silver war nickle:
As I was heading back to the car, I ran into another guy detecting there with a White's MX Sport. Was a pretty friendly guy, and we started chatting. He knew about the EQ800 and said that would be his next machine. He was hunting in the turf, not the beach. I told him I was hunting the beach and he told me that I wouldn't find anything there because he'd already cleaned it out
Now truth be told, I was a bit impressed with his MX Sport as he'd just dug a 9" deep merc when I came up on him. He said he's mainly a prospector and had done a lot of dredging in California but when they shut it down, he moved to Alaska. Interesting guy to chat with for sure.
HH,
Cal
As you all know these sites don’t exactly replenish themselves with period coins, so for for the Equinox to do what it did this weekend is beyond impressive, eight DEEP period coins in about three hours is fantastic! For this site I used Park2, and ran it hot with the gain between 22-24, even was able to run it at 25, but found it started to like deep nails at 25. By the way, this site is loaded with old square nails. The original building that was there burned down in the mid 1800's, and I suspect that they razed the burned remnants around this site, and dumped fill dirt over the razed burnt remains when the built the replacement building went up, as once you get down to around 10" - 12" you seem to hit a sea of square nails. Never have found a seated at this site, it's certainly old enough to have them, but I suspect they are beneath this sea of nails.
This was a deep mid conductor signal tangled in heavy tree roots. Little did I know how deep this would turn out to be! Between my Lesche shovel and digger, and a lot of patience (and a few curse words thrown in for good measure!) I finally pulled brought this sucker back to life, it was a dateless buffalo nickel!
This is what was in that monstrous 10" deep hole!
Total take for this hunt (3 hours) was five teens wheaties, a dateless buffalo nickel, 1902-S Barber dime (yeah!!!), 1936-S Mercury dime, some kind of silver button (that sucker was DEEEEEP), a poppers wedding ring, DEEP civil ware era (?) two piece Navy cuff button (this thing is going to LOVE buttons), and two suspender buckles/clips. Now I will say that the non-modulated audio on shallow stiff is a major PITA for deep turf hunting, so I did dig some zincolns, and shallow clad
This was my second hunt, which I did in Field2. It's a little fresh water beach area that I've pounded over the years. Haven't found a ton there, few wheats, mercs, some rings in the water, and some 1800's relics, but I love the history of the site, and figure detecting it will eventually pay off with something really good (that hasn't happened yet, but I know something really good has to be hiding out there, probably in the water though!).
I've never dug this many wheaties there in one hunt, and I love the wheatie with the iron fused to it!
Also got a nice antique looking sterling silver ring and a 43' silver war nickle:
As I was heading back to the car, I ran into another guy detecting there with a White's MX Sport. Was a pretty friendly guy, and we started chatting. He knew about the EQ800 and said that would be his next machine. He was hunting in the turf, not the beach. I told him I was hunting the beach and he told me that I wouldn't find anything there because he'd already cleaned it out
HH,
Cal
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