Question for DFX-SE Gregg

[DFX-SCOTT]

DFX-SE Gregg

you seem to be an advanced Metal Detectorer and user of the DFX
I have had mine for 3 winter months or 35 hours.
Do you pass coins at 6 inches deep or does your DFX respond to them very well?
I buried a Indian and a modern dime at around 8 inches and covered them up and got no response
when i swept them. I wondered if this is typical and to be expected at 6 to 8 inch depths

on the other hand i have found coins 6 inches that sound like 1 inch deep?
Scott

 

[Zincoln Miner]

halo effect-the longer a coin is in the ground the more oxidation of the metals in the coin leach in the soil
in which the detector hones in on.I find 8" deep indians and barbers with no problem with my xlt.newly
buried coins have a problem depending on size,depth,and the soils mineral content.

 

[Mirage]

Scott,
I have a coin garden that has been in place for years. The DFX (even with AC in 80 and DC in 40s with preamp at 4) cannot pick up the 6" penny or IH. It can get the 4" silver dime but not the 6" silver dime. It will get the 10" silver quarter. The Explorer II will get the 6" coins, 8" coins - basically everything except the 7-8" penny (smallest - deepest in my garden).

It's funny cause every detector I have had (5 of them) have all been able to get the 10" silver quarter. Those smaller targets are a little more difficult.

Bob

 

[Digger]

Test gardens can be fickle to say the least. In my test garden my DFX can pickup a 6" nickle, but not a 6" quarter. Further testing showed the ground was very bad where the quarter was buried only 18" from the nickle. A few adjustments of the DFX to allow for the bad soil and it picks up the quarter just fine.

I'm not suggesting you start making adjustments to your DFX, you need to first become familiar with how the DFX sounds with the factory preset programs. What you've got to do is become confident in your detectors ability. I've been detecting for 30 years, 2 with the DFX, and I can honestly say at least 95% of the coins I find are less than 6" deep, and the vast majority are 4" or less. And that includes 1800's coins. The only exceptions to this rule for me is our city park that has seen at least 4 floods that deposited mud, and the plowed fields where forts once stood.

Point is, be confident that your DFX is going to find those old coins if they are there. The DFX is quite capable of finding coins at 8" but not without some tweaking, and even then it takes an experienced hunter with any detector.

 

[DFX-SCOTT]

THANKS EVERYONE, I ALWAYS WONDER WHY I CAN FIND 30 CLAD COINS AND ONLY 4 1800S COINS
IN MY YARD.
I THINK IM LUCKY TO FIND THE 4 1860S COINS.

I THINK PENNYS BACK THEN MEANT ALOT TO PEOPLE AND WERE HELD ON TO BETTER.

OR MABEY THERE IS A COIN GARDEN 10 - 15 INCHES THAT I CANT REACH!
ANY SUGGESTIONS

 

[DFX-SE Gregg]

DFX-Scott...thanks for the kind words... I feel I am still learning the dfx also... I enjoy using it...but I must admit I am not an expert when it comes to depth...a major part of the reason I am also swinging a Minelab se now... Part of the reason I never get the potential depth of the dfx...is I use the 5.3 Eclipse coil most of the time..I just love that damn coil! Perfect pinpointing..and perfect target id up to 7.5 inches for me. I tried the programs with the stock coil...even put them on a spreadsheet, I am sure soil conditions also play a major roll....they did not work that well for me.

Here is what I would do if I was you. My favorite dfx program which is a little more advanced...is the eeprom high pro program...it opens up the discrimination...and seems to really do a great job. I like to use tone id on...for me it works.... Try it for a while and start making some small changes... I read to make baloney about oh just crank up the ac sens. and gain....that is not usually the correct answer Scott... What is going to happen is usually an overload condition where you start missing not only deep coins but surface coins overloading! I like to push the pag(gain) to 4..but it just seems so much more stable in my areas at 3. I like the ac sens in the mid 70's...but do not be afraid to lower it when needed... The dfx does not handle emi well at all...I will leave it at that...some say switch to a single freq. but that only helps once in a while...you maybe able to read into that comment.

The test garden thing is something my dfx failed at also... Depth wise the majority will tell you 6-8 inches normally...before it starts I am talking coin sized objects... Anything coin sized beyond 9-10 inches is beyond what I am getting in any program. Get some more time in and you will get better and better... With my dfx I can just kill the clad...but deep silver because of the age of areas I hunt is usually quite a bit tougher...have a few new places on schedule for this year...will see what happens...good luck...Gregg

 

[DFX-SCOTT]

WOW GUESS WHAT DFX-SE GREGG
IT TURNS OUT THE EPROMM DEEP SILVER PROGRAM IS WHAT I ORIGINALLY WENT TO WHEN I FIRST GOT MY MACHINE
THE CHANGES I MADE WERE I BACKED SENSITIVITY DOWN JUST A BIT,
BACKED DC SENSITIVITY FROM 45 TO 40, I DONT KNOW WHY?
AND FINALLY I TURNED MIXED MODE OFF!!!!

CHECK THIS OUT RECENTLY I POSTED A METHOD WHERE I WAS PINPOINTING DEEP COIN SIZE TARGETS WITH MY PINPOINT FINGER
SWITCH, AND MY DETECTOR WHEN IN DISCRIMINATE MODE DIDNT PICK ANY THING UP. WELL I DUG THESE DEEP TARGETS AND
FOUND 1866 COINS

TURNS OUT WHEN I FIRST GOT MY DFX I DIDNT UNDERSTAND MIXED MODE AND IT WAS TOO MUCH FOR ME,
BUT AFTER USING MY DFX FOR A WHILE I NOW KNOW I NEED TO TURN THAT OPTION BACK ON!!

I CAN JUST GO TO EPROM DEEP SILVER PROGRAM AND THE ONLY THIS TO ADJUST IS THE SENSITIVITY IF NEEDED!!!!
I AM SURE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT RIGHT SINCE WERE BOTH USING THE SAME PROGRAM

THE GROUND IS FROZEN TODAY AND NOW I AM REALLY EXITED TO USE THIS MIXED MODE BECAUSE I SEEN EXTRA NUMBERS
FOLLOWING THE VDI #S
I JOINED THIS DETECTING CLUB YESTERDAY AND LOOK WHAT I HAVE ALREADY LEARNED!!!
THANKS EVERY BODY
HAPPY SCOTT

 

[DFX-SE Gregg]

Scott this is a great forum, we all can learn alot here and talk wih great hunters. Mixed mode...hummm all metal...in the areas I hunt it would drive me crazy! But if you think you can work with it...go for it! Yes the eeprom programs add a good base to work off of. I am not sure what is going to be best in the soft spring soil for this year...but he dfx usually performs at its best in spring...good like...when your ground softens take advantage of it...good luck.

 

[DFX-SCOTT]

WELL THAT MIXED MODE WASNT ALL I THOUGHT IT WAS CRACKED UP TO BE
THERE IS ONE THING FOR SURE, I DO HAVE MY OWN CUSTOM PROGRAM SET JUST HOW I LIKE IT.
I WILL STICK TO MANUALY TURNING ALL METAL MODE ON AND OFF WITH MY FINGER PINPOINTER.

I JUST GOT IN FROM DETECTING MY YARD FOR 2 HOURS AND NOTHING
I HAVE HUNTED IT SO MUCH THAT NOW THERE ARE NO SOLID SIGNAL
I JUST DIG HOLES AND FIND OLD SQUARE NAILS AND RUSTY METAL OBJECTS
BUT I AM CONVINCED IF I TOOK A BULL DOZER AND SCRAPED 6 INCHES OF IT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT STORY
SCOTT

 

[DFX-SE Gregg]

WELL THAT MIXED MODE WASNT ALL I THOUGHT IT WAS CRACKED UP TO BE
THERE IS ONE THING FOR SURE, I DO HAVE MY OWN CUSTOM PROGRAM SET JUST HOW I LIKE IT.
I WILL STICK TO MANUALY TURNING ALL METAL MODE ON AND OFF WITH MY FINGER PINPOINTER.

I JUST GOT IN FROM DETECTING MY YARD FOR 2 HOURS AND NOTHING
I HAVE HUNTED IT SO MUCH THAT NOW THERE ARE NO SOLID SIGNAL
I JUST DIG HOLES AND FIND OLD SQUARE NAILS AND RUSTY METAL OBJECTS
BUT I AM CONVINCED IF I TOOK A BULL DOZER AND SCRAPED 6 INCHES OF IT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT STORY
SCOTT

That bulldozer idea would work for all of us! Yes as I said all metal mode is not for most of us! You will be digging everything.... Have you dropped you bottlecap reject...if you are in areas not to infested does not hurt...