hunting without much sucess

[falcolnx]

Been hunting off and on for awhile since I was little and my dad had a garrett. I was recently given a detector after mine "disapeared".
This new one is a used bounty hunter pioneer 505. I think its far from top of the line or its been really abused somehow.
The question I have is why am I getting a signal say at 4 inches but I dig down 8 inches before I find a metal object?
I am trying to make this one do till I can afford a new one but I am getting alittle frustrated by false signals and bad depth readings. I am considering just hanging it up till I can get a new detector

 

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[TORRERO]

probably its a bigger target than a coin,
Machines are calibrated to signal on coin sized objects,
but if you get a can, it will see it on the serface, but the can is 6" deep...

 

[falcolnx]

I went ahead and got a soda can and a clad quarter. And your right the can on the ground read 4 inches. The quarter read as a quarter but also showed the same depth even though it was on the same level as the can.
Guess I will just ignore the depth gauge. That only leaves the false signals to figure out

 

[Shambler]

Guess I will just ignore the depth gauge

That's not a good idea! Digging trash is part of the hobby. If you're hunting in an area where you believe old coins and relics are then using the depth meter is your best bet to find them. Often deeper targets have a different target ID than shallow ones, combining what you hear with the depth gauge can make you very good at finding the old stuff. Just keep digging and the experience you'll gain will make it easier and easier each time you're out.

Good luck.

 

[gmanlight]

If you think its a big target like a can lift up
your coil , if it sill hits at knee level its not a Quarter.

Also if you can go do some easy digging at a beach or tot lot
with wood chips and learn the sounds

 

[bigscoop]

Here's a few tricks you can play with for your Bounty Hunter before digging. Once you have centered the target, position the center of the coil over the target and then impart a rapid up and down vibration to the coil. Quite often, while using this tactic, the signal will lock into a different signal or a more solid tone that's actually quite accurate. However, pop cans, pull tabs, the old bottle type caps, they're just part of what you're going to have to live with. Another trick is to keep raising the coil as it passes over the target as this can offer a bit of a clue as to whether it is a large target such as a can etc. And last, bigger targets, such as cans, will offer you a much larger pinpoint diameter then most coins or rings, so if you have a rather large pinpoint area, say more then a couple inches, it's usually going to be a bigger target, and especially true if the coil has been raised off the ground 3 or 4 inches. Play with these little tricks and I think you'll find that they can save you a lot of digging and also give you a bit more confidence in your machine. While it's not a top of the line machine, a lot of good finds have been with a Bounty Hunter and it will find good targets for you as you become more efficient with it.

And one other thing, only use as much sensitivity as needed as this can cause you get a lot of false signals.

 

[bigscoop]

Here's a few tricks you can play with for your Bounty Hunter before digging. Once you have centered the target, position the center of the coil over the target and then impart a rapid up and down vibration to the coil. Quite often, while using this tactic, the signal will lock into a different signal or a more solid tone that's actually quite accurate. However, pop cans, pull tabs, the old bottle type caps, they're just part of what you're going to have to live with. Another trick is to keep raising the coil as it passes over the target as this can offer a bit of a clue as to whether it is a large target such as a can etc. And last, bigger targets, such as cans, will offer you a much larger pinpoint diameter then most coins or rings, so if you have a rather large pinpoint area, say more then a couple inches, it's usually going to be a bigger target, and especially true if the coil has been raised off the ground 3 or 4 inches. Play with these little tricks and I think you'll find that they can save you a lot of digging and also give you a bit more confidence in your machine. While it's not a top of the line machine, a lot of good finds have been with a Bounty Hunter and it will find good targets for you as you become more efficient with it.

And one other thing, only use as much sensitivity as needed as this can cause you get a lot of false signals.

You might also try laying four pennies on the ground a few inches apart, say in a square, you probably won't be able to pinpoint each one of them seperately until you start slowly raising the coil, as you keep doing this you should be able to pinpoint each one. Try this, you'll see what I mean and quickly begin to understand how you can use your unit's "search cone" to your advantage.

 

[BIG61AL]

here's another trick you can use......if you think your target is a pop can go to the left of the target in all metal mode and slowly bring your coil to right until you get a tone and stop. Remember that spot. do the same thing on the right. If the gap between the spots is three or more inches it is not a coin. a coin target will have a fairly narrow gap.

 

[Monty]

Depth and size of the target are the two things my old GTI 2500 had that I have not seen on other detectors. It is calibrated for several different size targets and will give you a ball park size range. I really miss that feature on my Minelab Safari. I think Garrett is the only company that has that feature. Monty

 

[falcolnx]

Thanks for all the good advice! Been out acouple times, sensitivity was a lot of the issue. That tip helped a lot. As far as the rest goes there is still a lot of "get used to it" needed on my part.