how to detect parks full of trash

[dustbuster]

When I take my ace to older parks my detector jumps all around and I'm not sure if I should dig or not. I know I'm supposed to dig everything, but some parks have so much in the ground I'm unable to figure if I have an accurate ring or not. Anyone have any tips on how to hone in on what is the target and not trash.
Thanks,
DB

 

[Tom_in_CA]

DB, who says you're "supposed to dig everything"? The people that say that are probably referring to certain type sites: relicky environments, beach, etc.... If they insist that advice is for all areas (lest you miss an earing stud, chain, nickel, etc...), then quickly invite them out to the nearest blighted inner city junky park, and see how long they stick to their advice They will either tell you to pick a better hunt site, or they too will start to pass the surface foil and tabs with a little more disc.

Put plain and simple, there are some junky blighted parks where you would go crazy trying to be a hero and dig all the foil, tabs, can slaw, etc... The ratios might be 100s junk to each nickel or gold.

Assuming it is not a literal blanket of surface targets (masking everything deep), you can elect to cherry pick a bit, and go for only the deep coin sounds, and pass all shallow items. Yes you'll miss shallow gold jewelry, but as you've seen, you'd be better off, if modern jewelry is your goal, to simply go to a swimming beach, where jewelry ratios are much better to begin with, and digging is easy

 

[Olegrumpy]

The key in trashy areas is double :

Lower the sens ( a thing few hunter dare doing), and use a small coil, 6" or under.

Slow sweeps are also necessary if your MD is a slow recoverer.

HH

 

[fng68]

Hey DB,

If you feel like there are keepers to be found, try a small coil.
Garrett has a sniper coil for your rig.

Gool Luck,
Ron

 

[tabdog]

When I take my ace to older parks my detector jumps all around and I'm not sure if I should dig or not. I know I'm supposed to dig everything, but some parks have so much in the ground I'm unable to figure if I have an accurate ring or not. Anyone have any tips on how to hone in on what is the target and not trash.
Thanks,
DB

The reason people say to dig everything is so that a person
can learn trash. If you want to learn to be good at cherry
picking, then you must understand what it is that you are
not wanting to dig (trash).

Go ahead and use disc and notch. That is what keeps me in
gold jewelry.

Find a good easy place to dig. You need tens of thousands
of recoveries under your belt before you can be a good cherry
picker.

I use single tone analog machines. Nio display.

People say I dig every thing. Wrong!!

I hunted a supper trashy site in a park the other day. I used
a Tesoro Compadre. I did not dig one whole pull tab. I only
dug a couple of pop tops and almost no can slaw and no
aluminum cans. Believe me, they were every where.

In tot lots and beaches, a person would be foolish to not dig
everything.

Hay you guys that afrade to try it. Go ahead, take the plunge,
you may learn something,

Tabdog

 

[dustbuster]

All good advice. It is those older parks that have had many years of trash in the ground. I'd love to hunt them, but I get frustrated with every move of the coil. I will heed all your words and turn the sensitivity down and get a smaller coil.. I know these parks are well hunted, but I believe there is still more to be found.
Thanks,

 

[lucky731]

Hey Door, get the Ace sniper coil, its deadley. Thats what I use in those areas. You will be amazed with it. It's like buttoning your shirt with sergical gloves on instead of a baseball mit.

 

[osros]

My problem also, I got a very trashy old park. But if I try to detect with less discrim it just seems impossible to get anywhere. I tempted to reject all but the coins in the silver range with will cover clad also but miss out on nickels and other possible goodies. Even if I do this I will have to deal with rusty nails that ping off a high tone all the time. I'm still hopeful for this park because I found clad from the 60's and I dig up old trash that anyone would have because of how it read or sounded on the detector. So I wonder if the park was hunted at all or lightly and people moved on because of the trash.

 

[dustbuster]

4-H.......
It may be a toy to you, but it is a coin magnet to me. Yes, I am a newbie at this and still learning. There are plenty of people out there who are using the 250 and finding lots of jewelry and silver, I run into them every day. Indeed, I can see the value of upgrading later on when I start looking for older and deeper coins. Right now, I am able to get out nearly everyday and have a blast with my detector. I am thankful for the people who take the time to help me keep on learning. Until the day I start finding more than just gas money I'll continue to get out with my ace and enjoy the fun and exercise and friendships I am forming through this hobby.

 

[tabdog]

4-H.......
It may be a toy to you, but it is a coin magnet to me. Yes, I am a newbie at this and still learning. There are plenty of people out there who are using the 250 and finding lots of jewelry and silver, I run into them every day. Indeed, I can see the value of upgrading later on when I start looking for older and deeper coins. Right now, I am able to get out nearly everyday and have a blast with my detector. I am thankful for the people who take the time to help me keep on learning. Until the day I start finding more than just gas money I'll continue to get out with my ace and enjoy the fun and exercise and friendships I am forming through this hobby.

Hay Dusbuster,

There is always some guy saying his Whites or Minelab or Fisher
is the best , and his is tha biggest or deepest.

I think he missed the point.

I will put my $70 Compadre up against his Etrack in a tot lot any day.

I will smoke him too.

Compadre is KING of THA TOT LOT!!!!!

The Compadre is killer in trash too.

Trash hunting is the subject.

It is the hunter in the end.

A smaller coil will help.

Happy Huntin,

Tabdog

 

[Woodland Detectors]

I'm sorry gents. Didn't mean to upset any one. I was just trying to help out. Indeed the 250 is a great machine I have friends who have owned them. What I was trying to say was for more depth and control you may have to upgrade. My machine pops and pings too. But some of those pops and pings have good have a good tone so, I dig those too. I was trying to stay on track with the thread question...I started with a 100.00 whites Machine myself and found some great things as a kid. I met some great folks as well! Just getting out is a blast...What we find is just a bonus...cheers mike

 

[Digger]

A lot of good advise so let me add my 2 cents

Our city park is 125 years old and is littered with trash. As has been mentioned, digging it all is just not an option. The place would look like a mine field and you'd not be hunting there for long. So yes, digging it all in a tot lot or beach? without a doubt, not such good advice in most other locations.

That being said, it doesn't mean you'll be passing up the good stuff for the next guy, contrary to some claims. You just need to know how to get the best from the detector you use. Small coil, move very slow, use less discrimination(yes less) are all ways to improve performance in trashy sites, but in the end it will be your experience that WILL serve you best. Having a detector with the ability to be adapted to changing conditions doesn't hurt either.

 

[tmanfromtexas]

Recently a few of us got out and hit a picnic grove here in the Chicago area. TreasureFiend was using his SE, Silvergurl was using an ACE250 and GOIO and I were using our Etracs. We let Silvergurl listen to several signals that were kinda deep (6-7). She said they were jumpy and not consistant. One was a wheatie, one was a ghost signal that we all heard but for the life of us couldnt find it and the best was an 1899 Barber Quarter at 5 inches. Even the quarter didnt sound great but was repeatable. You have to go slow and dig those deep iffys to find the good stuff. Good luck. TMAN...

 

[tabdog]

I'm sorry gents. Didn't mean to upset any one. I was just trying to help out. Indeed the 250 is a great machine I have friends who have owned them. What I was trying to say was for more depth and control you may have to upgrade. My machine pops and pings too. But some of those pops and pings have good have a good tone so, I dig those too. I was trying to stay on track with the thread question...I started with a 100.00 whites Machine myself and found some great things as a kid. I met some great folks as well! Just getting out is a blast...What we find is just a bonus...cheers mike

What I was trying to say was for more depth and control you may have to upgrade.

I do not see the connection of depth and power, and
hunting in trash.

Consistant depth in heavy trash is a joke

The more depth, the more masking.

I think people have depth on tha brain.

Hunting in heavy trash with a power house machine
is like mowing a small yard with a bush hog.

I am not against depth,

but come on guys,

Tabdog

 

[tabdog]

A lot of good advise so let me add my 2 cents

Our city park is 125 years old and is littered with trash. As has been mentioned, digging it all is just not an option. The place would look like a mine field and you'd not be hunting there for long. So yes, digging it all in a tot lot or beach? without a doubt, not such good advice in most other locations.

That being said, it doesn't mean you'll be passing up the good stuff for the next guy, contrary to some claims. You just need to know how to get the best from the detector you use. Small coil, move very slow, use less discrimination(yes less) are all ways to improve performance in trashy sites, but in the end it will be your experience that WILL serve you best. Having a detector with the ability to be adapted to changing conditions doesn't hurt either.

Hay Digger,

When you said;


You just need to know how to get the best from the detector you use. Small coil, move very slow, use less discrimination(yes less) are all ways to improve performance in trashy sites, but in the end it will be your experience that WILL serve you best. Having a detector with the ability to be adapted to changing conditions doesn't hurt either.

That is excellent advise. I could not have said it that well.

But when you said;

As has been mentioned, digging it all is just not an option. The place would look like a mine field and you'd not be hunting there for long. So yes, digging it all in a tot lot or beach? without a doubt, not such good advice in most other locations.


I have to disagree.

Location, location, location.

If you got a real good location, dig it all.

It may take six months, but it may be one of the best
spots you ever had if you dig it.

If not, it is just like the rest of the park.

If I find a hot spot, I would be a fool to cheey pick it,

Tabdog

 

[tabdog]

Oh, by the way, I can do all that without making it look like a war zone.
It just takes time.

There was a place in a park near me. It was next to a swimming pool.
Every one and their uncle has hunted that same spot. I mean with
high end Whites, Minelab, Fishers, Etc. It was a trash pit from hell.

One day I found some silver jewelry there!!!

That got me going. I started hitting that spot hard. I dug every little
sound and using no discrimination.

I got at least 5 gold rings there. One had a nice 1/5th ct pair shaped
diamond. One was a heavy 1947 college class ring. Two were expensive
mens wedding bands. I found several gold pendants and ear rings and
even a couple of gold chains. Most of it found with my $70 Compadre.

Glad I did not listen to what people say about trash being impossible.

Happy Huntin,

Tabdog

 

[Digger]

I have to disagree.

Location, location, location.

If you got a real good location, dig it all.

It may take six months, but it may be one of the best
spots you ever had if you dig it.

If not, it is just like the rest of the park.

If I find a hot spot, I would be a fool to cheey pick it,

Tabdog

Oooh you're talking about patients! Well that has never been one of my strong points. I do return to that site with potential over and over until I clean it out slowly. That way I'm not recovering targets every 4".

 

[Woodland Detectors]

When I take my ace to older parks my detector jumps all around and I'm not sure if I should dig or not. I know I'm supposed to dig everything, but some parks have so much in the ground I'm unable to figure if I have an accurate ring or not. Anyone have any tips on how to hone in on what is the target and not trash.
Thanks,
DB~~~~~~~



practice... That's all

 

[Monty]

I don't know how long you have had your ACE but the more you use it the more you will be able to decide what to dig. First off, I discriminate out everything in the lower scale except nickels. The ACE loves nickels but you have to realize that the nickel area is also pulltab area. After some experience you will learn to guess pretty accurate and dig mostly nickels. Discriminate out the pull tab icon and everything up to the high end of the gold scale and leave a few open notches. Then discriminate everything else until you get to the silver scale and leave it. Set your sensitivity at about 4 or 5. Now you can dig every signal and have better than an even chance of finding at least some good junque as well as coins. You don't need to dig everything in a park to find coins and jewelry. Try it and I think you will have more success. Monty

 

[dustbuster]

All excellent advice. Now I will........practice, practice,practice. I've seen for myself that it may be a nickel or a pulltab, or.....even a gold ring! I love my little Ace.