Ignoring the "highs" and digging only the "lows" in the surf and wet sand

[hobbit]

Ignoring the "highs" and digging only the "lows" in the surf and wet sand

Gary Drayton’s post of his great finds with the new CTX3030 got me thinking of a technique Andy Sabish suggested years ago in “Mastering the Explorer XS”. He simply advised discriminating out all high conductors and digging only low conductive targets. The idea is ground coverage. The less time spent digging silver, dimes, quarters and other high conductors, the more ground covered in the search for low conductive targets that stand a substantial chance of being gold. I am sure we all ignore high conductors in the surf, at least occasionally. I sure do. I was wondering how many of you do it more or less religiously when hunting “jewelry beaches”.

 

[ddmac60]

Thanks for a great video.

 

[hobbit]

Thanks for a great video.

Glad you enjoyed it.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I have owned 3 Excals, still own 2. I have had no problems with any of my pods... I love the configuration and also like the seperate battery from the controls. Both of the excals I have had the stock knobs removed and larger knobs installed to make it easier to turn as well the new knobs have brass settings and SS set screws.. Both Excals have custom 15 inch coils on....

 

[jyt2017]

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Gary Drayton’s post of his great finds with the new CTX3030 got me thinking of a technique Andy Sabish suggested years ago in “Mastering the Explorer XS”. He simply advised discriminating out all high conductors and digging only low conductive targets. The idea is ground coverage. The less time spent digging silver, dimes, quarters and other high conductors, the more ground covered in the search for low conductive targets that stand a substantial chance of being gold. I am sure we all ignore high conductors in the surf, at least occasionally. I sure do. I was wondering how many of you do it more or less religiously when hunting “jewelry beaches”.

 

[Can Slaw]

Most of the beaches I hunt are hunted by so many hunters now that if you don't dig all of the targets above a null......you will die of boredom. A few years ago you could pick and choose targets if you wanted to. But not anymore in my area.

 

[dewcon4414]

CS not much different here. There are a lot of tiny pieces of brass that keep you digging but its pretty boring unless you hunt in PP. Then you get to dig..... but even that is getting harder with PIs and WOTs in the water. Guess you just have to enjoy being out..... at least the view is good.

Dew

 

[Sandman]

I've always only scooped the mid tones on the CZ-20 and the low growl on the Excal an pass up the high coin sounds. A lot depends on how much competation there is on any given day. If I am on a beach by myself and I have lots of time, since I am retired, I will dig the coin tones with the Excal. The knobs have been replaced years ago with SS hex screws as the ones with brass get frozen.

Let the Newbies waste time digging coins while you go for the GOLD.

 

[hobbit]

I've always only scooped the mid tones on the CZ-20 and the low growl on the Excal an pass up the high coin sounds. A lot depends on how much competation there is on any given day. If I am on a beach by myself and I have lots of time, since I am retired, I will dig the coin tones with the Excal. The knobs have been replaced years ago with SS hex screws as the ones with brass get frozen.

Let the Newbies waste time digging coins while you go for the GOLD.

I am really less concerned with competition from other hunter's than from competition with mother nature. On the beaches I usually hunt, heavy items sink deeply and they sink quickly...this is not necessarily the case everywhere...I think it depends on a variety of factors. The picture is from two hunts this past weekend. I did not show the trash and should have. It is actually easier for me to pass up a blaring high "quarter" or "dime" signal than a "trashy" one. I believe the "trashy" signals are gold a lot more often than the super high signals. I actually passed up quite a few high tones in these hunts. I am not saying the super highs can't be gold...they surely can, but I think on a target rich beach there comes a point when you are better off passing up targets that are very unlikely to be gold in favor of covering more ground. Will you miss gold? Of course. But you will also miss it if you are never able to put your coil over it when it is in detectable range. You can't get it all, anyway you slice it...


Eariler in the thread when I mentioned Excal "pots", I did not mean "pods". I meant "pots" as in "potentiometers". The control knobs and shafts on the machine. Not only must you upgrade the knobs, but the shafts will eventually start to leak. "O" rings only last so long. And when your machine is over 10 years old, you will start having to replace those "O"rings yourself...And if you happen to drop the machine and it lands on one of those knobs...ouch...the impact goes straight through to the curcuit board...The bottom line is that the Excal if the best waterproof VLF for beach hunting hands down, but save the proceeds from some of those golden finds for maintenance and eventual replacement...

 

[Bootyhunter1971]

I know there are issues with the knobs on the Xcal. But the pods was what attracted me to the Xcal. I like the separation of the battery and brain much better than a box especially since im not hip mounting. No doubt there are improvements that SHOULD be made without us having to do it. Designing a more expensive machine wasnt the answer ML.

Dew

Wow I really hope the CTX3030 is not Minelabs answer to "a new water machine". Please tell me an Excal 3 is in the works.... The 3030 may be "all that and a bag of chips" but for a water machine I want a dedicated water machine, not a jack of all trades and master of none. I don't want to have to look at a screen or more importantly worry with a screen while I am in the water. 10ft is ok for wading but what about diving? Also in the ocean you can be in 3 or 4 feet of water then get a huge swell to slap you in the back of the head, I don't know all the physics of water pressure but what if the $2500 machine senses that as more than 10 ft and leaks?? I want an Excal 3 with all the improvements or at least most that we all know are possible.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

3030 is not a replacement for the excal, you can't take it very deep. Water is secondary it is primarily a land detector.

 

[s1u2r3f4]

I have owned 3 Excals, still own 2. I have had no problems with any of my pods... I love the configuration and also like the seperate battery from the controls. Both of the excals I have had the stock knobs removed and larger knobs installed to make it easier to turn as well the new knobs have brass settings and SS set screws.. Both Excals have custom 15 inch coils on....

Can you tell me what knobs you bought. Was just getting ready to order from Anderson when I saw this post. thanks!

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

I agree with wanting an Excal 3, and I want detachable head phones and search coils for flexibility, to save me the effort of having to modify it later.
Especially, since the more flexible Sovereign GT is being phased out of production. For me Minelab can keep their CTX-3030, I like the multi variable tones of the Sovereign and Excalibur and that is that!

I chose the Excal over the, In my opinion equally capable Fisher CZ21, as I like the way the brain and batter pods are attached over the way that the CZ21 housing is attached, which I suspect is more vulnerable to damage and has more drag in the water. It is not a matter of which is the better detector but of which design tradeoffs you prefer. In fact I am looking for a used CZ21 as it has different capabilities.