Nickels worth of advice

[RotZorn]

So me and the F5 are very well acquainted now, and I really figured I'd get the hang of this by now but I'm beat! So I have to ask....

I'm having a lot of trouble finding nickels.

Pennies, dimes, quarters are no problem, but for a while I just stopped digging stuff in the nickel range (even when the confidence was at max) because it was never a nickel. I may have dug 5 or so the whole time I've been swinging this thing.

Anybody got any tips? Any tricks you got to tell if its a nickel before i dig it? Is this just a weakness of the F5? I haven't heard of anyone else having this problem, so I'm starting to believe the problem is me! Lol - HOPE IT IS ACTUALLY!!! Because I can "fix" me easier than if its the F5. Maybe it just has trouble telling the two apart because they are close together in the range of conductivity? I don't know?!?! But I really hope it's something with me that I can work on.

It seems every time I'm positive it's a nickel, it ends up being a shard of aluminum or a pull tab. So for a while I just stopped digging what the detector told me were nickels.

I still dig solid sounding tab signals because I'm afraid I'll miss rings or other jewelry, but it's frustrating to find Q's, D's and P's no problem at all..... and possibly be missing buffaloes or Indian heads.

Any advice would be helpful. Thanks in advance!

 

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[Rawhide]

Nickles are also pull tabs on my F75. There is no setting Im aware of to find more nickles, just have to keep digging those vdi numbers of 35. I dont find a lot of nickles. I dont use a lot of sensitivity, and no disc also helps. I dont think your doing anything wrong at all.

 

[treasurehound]

You will dig more nickels when the VDI remains the same. On my MXT PRO it is usually around 19 or 20. Each time you swing over it the VDI will be the same if a nickel. If it is a pull tab numbers will be different each time you swing over it. Check your VDI on your machine by laying a nickel down and swinging over it. You will get the number for your machine. Now there will be some pull tabs that will also be in that same range but not too many. This will save you a lot of digging. I can almost tell if it is a nickel or not before I even dig. My nickel count skyrocketed once I learned to watch the VDI.

 

[RotZorn]

Thanks I'll give that a shot, I just finished building a small test bed before work today. So this will be my first use of it I guess. Gonna go home and stick a nickel or two in there with some tabs.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

reply

Yes there are other machines where the TID is ssseeeooo expanded, that yes, you can tell nickels from the beaver tails, foil wads, shrapnel, etc... Except when those junk items perfectly mimic the size and conductivity of nickels. Other machines (like yours perhaps) have more "broad' categories where it just lumps various items into the limited # of quadrant/groupings. For example, the CZ6 "nickel" category is fairly broad, categorizing a range of things to put into that range. Whereas the explorer's 3d axis is more "telling".

But what I'm saying is only true for new nickels. When you have older deeper nickels (V's and buffalos), the TID begins to skew. But it can be "learned" on a site-by-site basis, if you want to put the time into it.

 

[RotZorn]

Yes there are other machines where the TID is ssseeeooo expanded, that yes, you can tell nickels from the beaver tails, foil wads, shrapnel, etc... Except when those junk items perfectly mimic the size and conductivity of nickels. Other machines (like yours perhaps) have more "broad' categories where it just lumps various items into the limited # of quadrant/groupings. For example, the CZ6 "nickel" category is fairly broad, categorizing a range of things to put into that range. Whereas the explorer's 3d axis is more "telling".

But what I'm saying is only true for new nickels. When you have older deeper nickels (V's and buffalos), the TID begins to skew. But it can be "learned" on a site-by-site basis, if you want to put the time into it.

Sooo.... You would do what if you were me Tom? Buy a new machine?!?! Lol

Seriously though I am willing to take some time with this, what do you recommend for practice?!?? I'm all ears to any suggestions you have, you've been at this way longer than me, so I'd really appreciate any tips ya got man.

 

[scotty544]

With the V3i, I get fooled occasionally, but like they said in the above, a nickel will always read a consistent vdi number of 19, where most tabs will bounce. Also if depth and age goes into it, you may not get the exact same number, as Tom stated. I have found more nickels by using this method then I ever did before by at least ten fold.

 

[Sapper724]

Even with the Garrett, I have the same problem. Coins usually are consistent numbers, trash usually bounces. Good luck!

 

[RotZorn]

With the V3i, I get fooled occasionally, but like they said in the above, a nickel will always read a consistent vdi number of 19, where most tabs will bounce. Also if depth and age goes into it, you may not get the exact same number, as Tom stated. I have found more nickels by using this method then I ever did before by at least ten fold.

Hmmmm. Nickels in the air usually hit in the low 30's. But tabs are high 20's and low 30's. I'm just gonna have to work with it some to learn the difference I guess?

The 5 is really good at letting me know Q's and D's by the way they sound. Deep dimes have a very unique "tiny" sound. The nickels are killing though.

I suppose there is the possibility that maybe I just haven't had the coil over many and that's why I have not dug much of them. Gonna practice some and try to teach myself the way they sound?!?!

 

[scotty544]

Remember depth changes the vdi on almost any metal, on every detector. After you get past a certain point of depth the vdi will get jumpy. I am sure that I am missing a lot of nickles, b/c I usually don't dig unless the vdi is pretty consistent 19. They all seem to be 5 inches or less. If I get say a 16 17 or 18 I will consider digging if the number stays consistent enough. So consistency plus vdi = nickels...

 

[mr helton]

Same deal with my F2..

in the last month and a half:

1 half
36 quarters
66 dimes
11 nickels
285 pennies

Oh well

 

[RotZorn]

Same deal with my F2..

in the last month and a half:

1 half
36 quarters
66 dimes
11 nickels
285 pennies

Oh well

Haha that's too funny I actually started the thread because the wife finds waaaaay more nickels than me lol. And she uses the F2!!!