One beep---then silence. What does that mean?

[MikeOregon]

Hi, all,

I'm new at MD'ing and have a question. There are times I'm out (in between the massive and constant rainstorms we've experienced lately) and I just get one very short beep. Try as I will, I cannot replicate the beep. I can stand there and wave the coil over that piece of ground for a long time, and there's no beep. I can turn and instead of going, say, north-south, go east-west, and there's still no beep. So my question is, is there really something down there? Should I dig anyway? Why would something just beep one time and not repeat? Sorry if this is ignorant; it has happened a number of times and I just wondered what you more experienced folks would have to say on the topic.

Thanks,

Mike

 

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[Michigan Badger]

I'd dig the spot or two and if nothing turns up I'd turn the sensitivity down and check the ground balance if you have a manual adjust machine.

Lots of things can cause false signals. With some machines even weather conditions can do things.

But, even with the best detector false signals happen.

 

[The Beep Goes On]

Hi,

I've experienced this too. From what I've read and experienced it can be caused by a number of things...

- Your digging tool is off to one side and the machine is picking it up
- Your control box is in a bad position, if it is hip, cuff or chest mounted
- Your coil cable might be causing interference
- You might be not be keeping your coil level at the end of a sweep
- A ground balance or uneven ground mineralization issue
- A target that is picked up initially, then discriminated out by the machine

That's all I can think of for now...hope it helps and HH!

 

[Burdie]

What kind of machine are you using? Sensitivity is a major cause by being to high. Everyone has mentioned valid causes also.

 

[Jeffro]

The list Beep gave is pretty good- here's a couple others to check.

Sometimes iron will give a false signal, have you ever hunted on the lowest disc. setting? You will know what I mean if you try it. Get a great big, low "WHAAA" (iron signal) and sometimes, at the end, a brief "Bling" (coin signal) ?this is a false signal, of course. But if you are running at a higher discrimination level, the iron will be canceled out, so you won't even know its there. You'll just get the false coin signal.

Sometimes a coin on edge can give a signal thats tough to repeat.

When this happens to me, I criss cross the area, going slower, from a couple different directions. If I can't get it to repeat, I'll drop down to the lowest discrimination level I have to see if its iron giving a false signal. If it's not iron, (which is rare for it to be neither, considering your machine is balanced) then I dig. just to see what the heck the sucker is, so I can satisfy my curiosity.

You'll gain experience by digging them all, anyways. But this is what I have found here in Eugene.

BTW- I have noticed that when the ground is REALLY wet, like here recently, I get more of those signals. Don't know why yet, maybe the rain is bringing out a marginal, deep coin that I would normally not even get a signal on?

I have also experienced a tree root or two that will give a signal, don't exactly know why there, either!

Hope this helps- HH

 

[slow sweeper]

Yep, Beep Goes On covered it pretty well.
Have you tried going into pinpoint mode, which will most likely be an all metal mode, to try to relocate the signal? With some detectors a target that would normally be discriminated out will give off a good signal if near the outer edge of the coil. Then when you try to relocate it the detector will discriminate out the target as it should. Of course if you're in a trashy area, once you go into all metal you will pick up any and all trash below the coil so this may or may not help.
Of course it just might be that deep once in a lifetime find. Unfortunately no metal detector is foolproof.

 

[jeff of pa]

I always blame it on swinging TOO fast for my machine to Be Correct.

When I slow down over the area, it Either Comes Back
OR Disappears Completely.

When it Disappears , I figure Hot Ground or Rusted metal.

HOWEVER, BEFORE I move on, I check it from Every Angle, Listening for even a whisper.

 

[JakePhelps]

If im swinging on very low disc mode and i get a beep that doesnt repeat I turn it on all metal mode and it usually repeats then, its usually something deep that its having trouble finding.

 

[EDDE]

with my machine an X5 if i disc out nickels and swing over a nickel fast as jeff said it gives a short beep that i cant repeat i turn my disc down to xcept nickels well you jnow the rest well all the signals ive dug that are like this have been a nickel

 

[Monty]

I don't now what kind of machine you are using but on my Garrett detectors, one way beep shallow usually means trash. A deeper weak beep may sometimes be a deep coin. Having a depth meter helps a lot on these mystery beeps. Sometimes if I inadvertantly hit the ground it will let out a beep in protest. (Is that a fart?) Like someone else said, if it occurs a lot you probably need to back off on your sensitivity a notch or two. Monty

 

[Ed in SoDak]

I've had this happen. It was metal eyelets on my boots! Striding along, boot and coil might get close enough together. I stop, scan, nothing, because my boot was now clear.

Cables and housings are also mini-detectors, so keep keys and other metal objects away from all of the electrical components.

Don't forget to look above for a power line.

Lastly, try scanning verrry slowly coil flat on the ground, watching whatever readout you have as well as listening.

-Ed