I've been detecting for ten years and have come to understand that detecting is 90% location and 10% Metal Detector. I Have a Whites Dfx Spectrum which I love because of all the bells and whistles. Go online to find out more about your detector's capabilities and optimum settings based on ground conditions. After planting a few objects yourself at depths of 2" to 8", determine how well your setting are adjusted to detect these objects. Once discovering optimum adjustments, do a little research on the areas you plan on detecting and let your coils start flying. Some coils have different levels of sensitivity based on how fast or slow you swing them. I suggest going over any area at different swing speeds and also different angles as well as different sensitivities. Try to dig everything in areas that should be promising, remove the trash as you go along. Some valuable items have their signals masked by trash items lying right next to them. Try to revisit areas you have hunted before traveling from different directions. Right after a descent soaking of the ground by rain you may notice an increase in signals possibly deeper in the ground. Keep your fingers crossed, have patience with yourself and your equipment and most of all enjoy the other things the hobby provides other than treasure, like peace of mind and solitude! Good luck.
