Etrac and no silver

[Dr.Jones]

I'll be honest. I have not found silver yet with this machine. 2 years old. I dunno what I am doing wrong. I'm to the point I feel like switching machines. Someone help me please!

 

[AlienLifeForm]

Research. You won't find silver unless it is there to be found.

 

[Dr.Jones]

I agree. I gave a 1700 farmhouse that is virgin. Family property. 2 years and I haven't found any silver. Found military button and musket ball. There is no way that there is no silver there. It's 6 acres.

 

[Dr.Jones]

Can someone explain an "iffy" signal or a "deep" signal on etrac? I wonder if I'm too selective

 

[Tom_in_CA]

....I gave a 1700 farmhouse that is virgin....

Dr. Jones, I see that you're in New Jersey. And so you simply MUST have oodles of old parks and greenbelts within your easy driving range, that would readily produce silver. A quick look at the forum show & tells show ample folks from east coast states like NJ having no problem racking up silver coins. Forget for a moment the LC's, colonial coppers, etc.... I'm just talking about regular silver (mercs, barbers, roosies, etc.....)

So this tells me that your choice of locations, to start with, is lacking. Like: You give as your hunt spot a "1700 farmhouse". Ok: With all due respect for 1700 farmhouses, farmhouses are not necessarily the best spots. WHEN they are "singular family concerns", and depending on the past industrial usage. Because farmyards get used for parking tractors, welding, trash-burns (in the era before curb-side garbage pickup), and they just toss out the kitchen scraps for the chickens and pigs to peck at (which introduce junk).

Contrast to a municipal yard in town, where .... a turfed front yard was NOT for "farm trash staging area". So you can end up with two very different types of turf. This is not to say that a farmyard CAN'T produce silver. But when you compare to something like "a virgin boyscout camp" or a "virgin camp meeting brush arbor camp meeting location" or a "virgin country picnic site", and ........ you begin to see the difference.

Hence if I was you, I'd be starting on the easier areas first, to sow your wild oats. And THEN progress to the hard-to-work junky farmyards. There's been scores of farmyards that .... NO MATTER *HOW* OLD, I have 'dissed in the first 30 minutes, and "left for greener grounds". You can sometimes immediately tell when some locations simply are not worth the time.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Can someone explain an "iffy" signal or a "deep" signal on etrac? I wonder if I'm too selective

This question will be impossible for anyone to answer in printed text. Because the inherent nature of the question is asking what something *sounds* like. And it's impossible to describe "sound" in printed text. It can only be heard. Not read about. It would be like asking someone: "Please describe the sound of C- major in printed text". Can't be done. You can only hear it audibly to know. That is the limitation of printed text.

You could go to youtube to get accompanying video. But just be aware, that most youtube videos (with "live digs") are not necessarily making their video with the intent on showing what "whispers" are. So ... you may see a live dig, where quite frankly, the signal preceding it was an easy gimmee.

I have seen a few Explorer and E-trac users who made videos WITH THE EXPRESS INTENT of capturing audio for the "deep whispers" of park turf hunting. And show the view the type signal they are trying to isolate. And then show surrounding signals which they are electing to pass.

This may or may not help in your farmhouse scenario. Because I think "depth" and "whispers" isn't necessarily what's at stake there . I think you may just have a location where it's not plush with potential . Ie.: is not mimicking "deep turf park strategy".

If you'd like, I can track down the video(s) I'm thinking of where the guy did an Explorer video (which is like the Etrac), in a SF park, showing shallow clad, vs deep fluty silver/wheatie whispers. That would be a start, for when you leave the farm and angle some old town park commons , etc... in NJ.

A better-way yet, is to simply hook up with a proficient Explorer/Etrac user in your area. Have him flag a few suspected deep silver/wheatie signals in deep-turf environment. Watch the way he wiggles the coil to isolate. Listen to what he's trying to hear. Then you go over the flagged signal and try. From 360*. See how he qualifies "repeatable" versus "flutter". And then conversely, flag a few for him to try and ask him "why or why not?".

And when I say to find a "proficient" user, I'm talking about the guy who routinely comes in with the silver from parks/schools/yards. NOT the sandbox hunter. And NOT the relic hunt guys. Their strategy is a different type "dig all" mindset. Which is fine and dandy for certain types hunting. But for the moment, to get you in the silver-door, I'm talking about the guys who like to ply the parks (where a little cherry picking is sometimes in order), who detest clad (hence might be passing shallow), etc...

This is how the lights went on for me. I'd seen explorer guys spanking me in the parks. So I rushed out and got an Explorer. But ... just like your story, it made no sense. Everything "sounded the same". I heard them "talk about whispers". I'd email and say "what does that sound like ?" Doh! It wasn't till I met up with the guy, had him flag a few wheatie/silver type deep turf signals (at a park where silver STARTED at 7" or more), that the "lights went on". Within 5 targets, I was like a bird-dog on the scent of prey

 

[SD51]

I fully agree with Tom in CA. I have access to an older home from the 1850s and it dawned on me real quick when I detected the back yard. They most likely didn't cut the grass in the front and back yards like we do today. They used the back yard to throw whatever it was they wanted to get rid of. I did however find two silver coins in the front yard, but they weren't from the 1800s.

Now to help answer your question about deep iffy signals, I would suggest if you haven't already done this, plant a test plot with coins at 6", 8" and 10" to start with. This will give you a chance to see what your different settings affect what the E-TRAC. is telling you. Now keep in mind that these coins are not sitting next to a pulltab or bottlecap like what we all experience in the real world. You can adjust your sensitivity manually to see how the detector responds.

Personally, I like setting up the E-TRAC in TTF (two tone ferrous), use my smallest coil (8" presently), set the DEEP to Off, FAST to On, TRASH Density to High, GROUND to Difficult. I will usually find silver by picking out a target like a tree and slowly work towards that target using overlapping sweeps of the coil. Also, I slow way down and will dig any signal that produces a high CO number like a 44 for a dime or a 46 for a quarter. The deeper coins will not always produce a FE number of 12. It will be higher, even into the low 20s. You just have to dig these targets because more than likely the coin is sitting next to trash and everyone else has ignored it.

 

[Tpmetal]

LOW AND SLOW, tom knows whats up his advice is very good.

 

[darktower007]

If you want silver you gotta do what MOST people won't do. Drive to old neighborhoods pull over dressed somewhat nicely. And start knocking on doors.

Tell them your hobby and you look for old relics of years past and was looking for permission to look in their yard.

I've only found 14 silvers since March with the Etrac. Wanna know where 13/14 were found?

People's front yards.


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[Dr.Jones]

I assumed this location was prime due to it being intact and not changed too much since late 1700's. There is a TON of iron though, so I see what you are saying. I put on a 6' Coiltek and went back and found a military button and some other items, no coins. I should say I have only put about 8 hours into this property as well. I feel there may be good things there, just deeper than a small coil can go, and super iron infested for big coils. I see your point on my choice of locations. I assume the older the better, never accounting for the 150 year difference in age allows for 150 years of trash to be in the ground. I will take your advice and hit some parks and try to learn my machine better.

 

[Dr.Jones]

This question will be impossible for anyone to answer in printed text. Because the inherent nature of the question is asking what something *sounds* like. And it's impossible to describe "sound" in printed text. It can only be heard. Not read about. It would be like asking someone: "Please describe the sound of C- major in printed text". Can't be done. You can only hear it audibly to know. That is the limitation of printed text.

You could go to youtube to get accompanying video. But just be aware, that most youtube videos (with "live digs") are not necessarily making their video with the intent on showing what "whispers" are. So ... you may see a live dig, where quite frankly, the signal preceding it was an easy gimmee.

I have seen a few Explorer and E-trac users who made videos WITH THE EXPRESS INTENT of capturing audio for the "deep whispers" of park turf hunting. And show the view the type signal they are trying to isolate. And then show surrounding signals which they are electing to pass.

This may or may not help in your farmhouse scenario. Because I think "depth" and "whispers" isn't necessarily what's at stake there . I think you may just have a location where it's not plush with potential . Ie.: is not mimicking "deep turf park strategy".

If you'd like, I can track down the video(s) I'm thinking of where the guy did an Explorer video (which is like the Etrac), in a SF park, showing shallow clad, vs deep fluty silver/wheatie whispers. That would be a start, for when you leave the farm and angle some old town park commons , etc... in NJ.

A better-way yet, is to simply hook up with a proficient Explorer/Etrac user in your area. Have him flag a few suspected deep silver/wheatie signals in deep-turf environment. Watch the way he wiggles the coil to isolate. Listen to what he's trying to hear. Then you go over the flagged signal and try. From 360*. See how he qualifies "repeatable" versus "flutter". And then conversely, flag a few for him to try and ask him "why or why not?".

And when I say to find a "proficient" user, I'm talking about the guy who routinely comes in with the silver from parks/schools/yards. NOT the sandbox hunter. And NOT the relic hunt guys. Their strategy is a different type "dig all" mindset. Which is fine and dandy for certain types hunting. But for the moment, to get you in the silver-door, I'm talking about the guys who like to ply the parks (where a little cherry picking is sometimes in order), who detest clad (hence might be passing shallow), etc...

This is how the lights went on for me. I'd seen explorer guys spanking me in the parks. So I rushed out and got an Explorer. But ... just like your story, it made no sense. Everything "sounded the same". I heard them "talk about whispers". I'd email and say "what does that sound like ?" Doh! It wasn't till I met up with the guy, had him flag a few wheatie/silver type deep turf signals (at a park where silver STARTED at 7" or more), that the "lights went on". Within 5 targets, I was like a bird-dog on the scent of prey

I agree. I stared out metal detecting with a Quattro and went to ETRAC within a few years, never really learning the Quattro. I don't know any ETRAC users near me, but I will try to post in a different forum and see if someone will help me learn the machine. I just don't know what a "iffy" signal is. Furthermore, I pay too much attention to then numbers. I usually pass over anything that ranges from 20 ferrous and up. Even if it says 41-49 Conductivity. The more ive read the more I see that ferrous can sometimes fluctuate, but if the co is steady, I should dig it.

 

[Dr.Jones]

Also, I have been watching youtube videos for the last 2 hours and I DEFINATELY swing too fast. I figure the more ground I cover the better the chances of finding something. Apparently, Ive been doing this wrong for a bit

 

[Ammoman]

My experience with old farms is not good. So far i have been to 4 farms that date before the late 1800's and have found very little of anything that is coin related. After thinking about it and going back to my history lessons in school it makes sense. Farmers had very little money, early settlers had even less. Everything that farmers had was usually bartered, meaning money was not necessary. If a farmer did have money, it was held tight and kept in the house and not in the pocket. Unless the farm was used as a trading post or store front, coin shooting will not be a good option....still relics will abound.

Now, i have had massive coin shooting success within the town limits. These people needed money to survive. They did not live off the land. They had jobs and everything was within walking distance meaning lots of opportunity's to loose items of value.

City dweller vs farmer....two very different worlds.

 

[darktower007]

I assumed this location was prime due to it being intact and not changed too much since late 1700's. There is a TON of iron though, so I see what you are saying. I put on a 6' Coiltek and went back and found a military button and some other items, no coins. I should say I have only put about 8 hours into this property as well. I feel there may be good things there, just deeper than a small coil can go, and super iron infested for big coils. I see your point on my choice of locations. I assume the older the better, never accounting for the 150 year difference in age allows for 150 years of trash to be in the ground. I will take your advice and hit some parks and try to learn my machine better.

If iron is an issue you need to run in Two Tone and Ferrous, which I assume your using.

If your in multi conduct with a closed screen it will "null" over the iron causing you to miss coins.

In heavy iron i use another detector which is the deus. Some do better in iron, for me the Etrac in heavy iron is a tough nut to crack.


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[Dr.Jones]

Yea iron is bad at this site. I never used TTF. I just learned about it today. I am going to try a few more times and see if I get lucky. I'm going to take time and learn the machine which is what I should have done alreasy

 

[darktower007]

TTF is different. I use open screen auto sense work very slow. In iron silver may not ring up 12/46 etc so dig everything that is a 12 on the Ferrous. This has worked for me hope it helps.


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[DeepseekerADS]

If you can swing it, I seriously encourage you to stick with the FBS technology - those whispers are there. You have to swing a bit slower to hear them. Anything that screams at you is mostly surface stuff. But here and there you'll hear the whispers. Takes a bit to get the hang of FBS, and I say a bit! I was pretty frustrated for a while myself with all the tootie fruitie sounds, but finally settled in to a "relaxation" where I just listened. I never did and do not now pay serious attention to the FE/CO numbers. Just find what you think to be a really good spot, and then take your time listening to what the ground tells you. You may find nothing like that for a bit, but patience is the real key to metal detecting success.

 

[IDXMonster]

No worries Doc, Toms advice is always worth paying attention to. He and others around have been doing this since God was knee high to a grasshopper! I think we've ALL had the intentions of finding silver or even very old coppers and coming home with...not much. In EVERY instance I've found old coins there has been a common denominator. There was a REASON for them being there. We work with POSSIBILITY vs PROBABILITY. Going to places that have been proven producers is the key, especially when learning a machine. Taking the "dig it all" approach to learn what is what is NOT why you bought one of the best discriminating machines ever made! You can do better.
For NOW...REPEATABILITY OF A SIGNAL should be what you're paying attention to. While it is POSSIBLE for a coin to repeat only from east to west but not north to south...you can't go after those signals right now. You will will dig nail after nail after nail after nail....don't do it. Set a simple window. 35-48 CO open...0-25 FE open. Pay attention to your depth meter and keep mental tabs on where those coins come from. You've dug 20 targets and no wheats or silver at up to 4-5"? But you dug 3 targets at 6-7" and they were wheats? Pay attention to that. Generally the older the deeper...it's POSSIBLE to have very shallow silver, but not PROBABLE. This is site specific...the older finds generally start at a specific depth depending on the site! Keep in mind...we are COIN HUNTING here.
Use the stock coil and it does help the depth the keep the sensitivity in Manual. While Auto can and does give good results, you will KNOW that with it in Manual you have full control over what is going on.
The peripheral settings won't affect what you're doing to the point you'll be totally out of luck,just keep them in factory settings. Only change your pattern and your sensivity level. After you noise cancel at the park, adjust the sensivity to where it just starts to chirp sporadically as the machine is sitting still...then back it off 2-3 numbers. Say you get to 24 and it sits there and chirps every 2-3 seconds. Back it down to 22-21-20....with the machine just sitting still you should hear only a steady threshold hum. Now...go to work. Dig everything in that pattern that hits from east to west,turn 90 degrees and make sure it hits north to south. It does? Dig it up. It does NOT? Move on IMMEDIATELY. Make mental notes of your depth and where the clad is coming from. Note at what depth you start to find wheats and silver. Use Multi tone and Conductive sounds, Variability at maximum. Gain at maximum. Your threshold pitch you choose will shift the entire range of tones up or down,depending where you set it.
A lot of this you know, but the most important thing in the bigger picture is LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION!!
In and around old ball fields is where I have the greatest success in looking for old coins. Make sure the location is pre-1950 to give yourself a good chance of changing your immediate dilemma!!
Good luck my friend...

 

[Tom_in_CA]

My experience with old farms is not good. So far i have been to 4 farms that date before the late 1800's and have found very little of anything that is coin related. After thinking about it and going back to my history lessons in school it makes sense. Farmers had very little money, early settlers had even less. Everything that farmers had was usually bartered, meaning money was not necessary. If a farmer did have money, it was held tight and kept in the house and not in the pocket. Unless the farm was used as a trading post or store front, coin shooting will not be a good option....still relics will abound.

Now, i have had massive coin shooting success within the town limits. These people needed money to survive. They did not live off the land. They had jobs and everything was within walking distance meaning lots of opportunity's to loose items of value.

City dweller vs farmer....two very different worlds.

Good post Ammoman. Also to consider: A singular family concern farm yard wasn't for the "express purpose person's handling money". Contrast to a stage stop, for example, where the EXPRESS PURPOSE was people coming and going to specifically stop as travelers, pull out their coins to buy something , etc...

And consider parks and camping too: The EXPRESS PURPOSE of recreation. Think frolicking, then lying prone on the ground to sleep in your sleeping bag at night (which introduces coins to the terrain).

But farm yards ? I think: Welding the tractors, barrel burn the household trash, and so forth. Did travelers come and go from that front yard ? No. Did the residents there go to "recreate" in their front yard , or did they go to the country picnic sites to do their baseball, swim, etc... ?

Not saying farm yards don't have coins, but ........ if coins are the objective, there are sites better suited for coin ratios.

 

[Dr.Jones]

I cannot tell you how helpful this post is. Thank you for taking the time to help me understand what to do. I plan on taking it out this weekend and hitting the local park which dates from mid 1800's