New need MD help!

[wolfmanusf]

I am new to metal detecting and have gone out for a few weeks and have disappointed with my finds. I realize that it will take time. However today I went out to do a little experimenting. I own a BH Tracker IV and I cut a plug and buried a silver coin that I had at about 4-4.5 inches and put the disc. and sensitivity at reasonable levels...Nothing... I played with different sensitivities and different discriminations still nothing. Finally I put it on all metal mode and it rang in clear as a bell. Why won't it find the silver. It finds clad just fine. Am i doing something wrong? Will I just have to dig everything? Any help would be appreciated.

 

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[Sandman]

I forget if the Tracker IV has ground balancing. You could have had it set wrong but I doubt it. Mostly newly buried coins aren't detectable with Bounty Hunters and some others even at 4 inches. It should find silver real well as it is more conductive than clad. I suspect there might me something wrong here. How are air tests in sounding off on targets. Have you turned down disc. all the way and had sens. at only half way?

try posting this same question on the Bounty Hunter site.

 

[rcasi44]

I agree with Sandman about newly buried coins. All my detectors will find coins deeper in the all metal mode so that part is normal. You didn't say that you buried the same size clad coin at 4 or 4.5 inches. Rob

 

[Jim Hemmingway]

Hi Wolfmanusf,

Sandman and rcasi44 are quite correct. Freshly buried coins are more difficult to detect as compared to coins that have been in the ground for a long time. Detection depths, regardless whether freshly buried or not, vary with the detector model, ground mineralization levels, soil type and moisture content, target masking, how long the coin has been in the ground, and so forth, but of course, also where you have your discrimination and sensitivity settings.

Even with max sensitivity and discrimination mode reduced to zero, it may not be possible for your unit to detect the silver coin at that depth in that disturbed ground. I own more expensive units that have the same difficulty in my ground ( relatively high iron mineralization) with coins freshly buried at 5 inches. BTW, the all metal mode, will easily detect targets at increased depths over discrimination circuits with even minor disc levels set.

Now then, don't let this test disappoint you. Your unit will do much better on coins in undisturbed ground. Ensure that you have your unit properly ground balanced, unless it is preset by the manufacturer (auto ground balance). As well, keep in mind that target masking could be at work with your test. Be sure, prior to burying your dime, the immediate target site is clear of any other signals due to other buried items. Jim.

 

[Ricardo_NY1]

If that was a silver dime you buried down four inches, I doubt my minelab explorer would've picked it up. That's just the way it is, time and time again. You get a good signal at dig a coin out of 7 inches, but when you rebury it at three or four, many a time, you can't pick it up. If your detector can find clad, it can surely find silver. Silver actually sounds better and should be picked up easier if it is there.

 

[nappy]

Quick question. Did you scan the area in all metal prior to cutting the plug and burying the dime? The detector may be discriminating out something beside, over or under the dime and the dime too by default. Depending on the detector and the amount of experience with it, finding something masked by iron or other junk can be very difficult. Try the test again, making sure the ground is "clear" in all metal first. Then try it with some junk,I.E. nail or foil, in the hole a couple inches away from the target. On the second test, with the junk in, try changing your sweep speeds and direction to see if you can work up a good tone in discrim. mode. You may find you only get a dig signal in the direction where your coil goes over the dime before the trash or no signal at all if the trash is above or below the target or if the trash is before the target in the sweep angle. I guess what I'm getting at is the fact that after most detectors discriminates something out it takes a small amount of time for it to start "seeing" again therefore possible passing over a good target in close proximity to the discriminated junk. I hope I didn't get to confusing. If anything doing these tests will help you understand what your detector is trying to tell you. Good luck and happy hunting.

 

[nappy]

Sorry,I just noticed Jim had already mentioned what I was talking about.