Request recommendation for mode and settings for searching old home site

[lamarkeiko]

I have had an Equinox 800 for about 1 1/2 months now with 27 hours detecting experience with it so far. A close neighbor has an old home site on their property with only the partial remains of a foundation showing. I don't know if the property has ever been searched with a metal detector before and don't have any history of the property. I believe that a home may have been there at least since 1908 according to a USGS Historical Topo map. Without knowing anymore about the site, what mode and settings would be a good starting point for the site? This will be my first time at an old home site, so advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Lamar

 

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[Peyton Manning]

Don’t wait for advice, turn it on dig beeps

 

[Peyton Manning]

BTW glad to have you with us

 

[vferrari]

Use multiple modes with the default settings other than changing the number of tones to your liking. I would use Park 1 to start then try it again with Park 2 or Field 2, shifting to 5 tones on the latter for consistency in the way the targets will sound off (I personally like 50 tones, but that is an “acquired taste” lol). Park 1 will favor high conductive targets like silver and copper, while the "2" modes will hit harder on mid conductive targets like brass, lead, and gold. So go with the mode suited to the targets you are primarily recovering. Otherwise, don't overthink or overtweak things. Be sure to noise cancel and Ground balance each mode separately and experiment with tracking ground balance, if necessary due to soil conditions. Also, don't be afraid to interrogate target hits with different modes (I store one of the two modes I am using at a site in the user profile slot so I can quickly shift between them when "interrogating" a target, with all metal (horseshoe button) and with pinpoint to get a bead on size and depth of the target. Regardless, I would initially just dig every repeatable target tone in whichever mode I am using including the bigger iron targets just to see what the site is giving up before attemoting to cherry pick or make more selective dig decisions through target interrogation and then pick a primary search mode from that experience.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Have you bothered to read the manual yet? It's pretty clear from the mode names what situations they are intended for. Start there.

 

[lamarkeiko]

Yes, I've read the manual several times, and continue going back to reread different items as I learn the detector more. Some things in the manual weren't understandable at first until I've had more experience with the detector. This is the first detector I have had since my purchase of a Garrett ADS III in 1983, which I still have and still works. The 800 is a total new learning experience.

Lamar

 

[Tpmetal]

do what v ferarri says. Then once you have a handle on it start playing with things like recovery speed. In old home sites full of iron I tend to bump it up as I get closer to areas of activity and iron, like close around the house/barn.

 

[Toecutter]

Vferrari is spot on... I to am new to the 800 maybe around 80 hrs, also new to old home sites, I havent asked for advise but I am already doing exactly what Vferrari is saying... i ran park 1 and was getting choppy signals i switch to field 2 and could get a consistent signal in the same spot the target was a copper button with a iron back...

 

[lamarkeiko]

Thanks vferrari for the advice. I made a copy of your advice and plan on giving the site a try tomorrow. I really haven't hardly tried using the all metal horseshoe button much so I don't understand how you use it for interrogating.

Lamar

 

[vferrari]

It is best to try all metal on clipped or one way non-ferrous tones because those are likely either mixed ferrous or falsing ferrous targets. The horseshoe allows you to hear the iron grunt to let you know if what you are hearing is likely iron. If the grunt tone sounds off synchronous with the non-ferrous or clipped high tone, especially in one direction, it is probable iron. But you will have to dig it to be 100% sure.

 

[lamarkeiko]

Thanks again vferrari. I'm assuming when you say clipped, you are referring to a very short tone. I'll be trying your advice soon.

Lamar

 

[PennDirtDigger]

Very simply dig it all. Park 1 works great, field one works great. I'm hitting an old homestead area in the woods and pulling out everything including old horseshoes, old silverware, old kids toys, an old treble gilt button, the still loaded barrel of an old pre civil war pepperbox gun and even sterling silver cane pieces. Even the old nails and tools you might find are really neat. If it beeps dig it!!

 

[vferrari]

Thanks again vferrari. I'm assuming when you say clipped, you are referring to a very short tone. I'll be trying your advice soon.

Lamar

Yes, it is clipped because the detector is derecting it as non ferrous for part of the swing and non ferrous for the other part of the swing as the coil passes over the target. If discrimination is on, you won't hear the ferrous tone and the signal sounds clipped.

 

[Iron Buzz]

Have you bothered to read the manual yet? It's pretty clear from the mode names what situations they are intended for. Start there.

That was kind of a snarky comment, to be honest. Many of us have come to not trust either the user's manuals, or the default settings the detector comes with, and prefer to get the thoughts of experienced users. Nothing wrong with, or lazy about that. I was honestly surprised at how good the default settings were on the Equinox. I wouldn't give you two hoots and a hollar for most of the defaults on my XP Deus, however.

 

[lamarkeiko]

I went out to the site yesterday pm for about 1 1/2 hrs. My first time at the site, and found that the site is loaded with trash. It's almost impossible to make a swing without multiple signals.
There is much rusted iron trash. Nails, bolts, pieces of tin cans of all sizes, wire, iron plate, etc. It seemed that all tones would ring in, and vid numbers from low to high. I started digging all at first to see what was there, then I tried the all metal button, and I think I now know what is meant by the iron grunt. I would get a target with a fairly good high tone and push the horse shoe, and then would get mixed in with the signal the low tone in the negative vid numbers. I then stopped digging targets that showed the iron grunt with all metal, and only dug them if the tone and vid number stayed about the same when I pushed the horse shoe. I was able to find some non ferrous finds that way, but nothing of value. Several empty cartridge shells, melted aluminum and other unidentifiable brass items. I'm sure there are good finds there, but with that much trash I think it will be hard to separate.
With this report of what I'm getting at this site, should I make some changes of how I search? Nothing has been discriminated yet. I've been sticking with the default mode settings.

Lamar

 

[vferrari]

You shouldn't change your approach - keep hitting it and do what you are doing. Unfortunately, you are going to need to get some of that trash out of the way. If you don't start hitting some keepers after a few visits and/or a lot more hours, though, the site might just not have much to offer. You really can't make that assessment after only 1.5 hours, though. Also, do dig up the occasional mixed ferrous target as you may get a pleasant surprise because what you may have are multiple targets under that coil or a non-ferrous target that is fooling the detector (it happens). You have to decide to play the odds and risk leaving a keeper in the ground or tediously dig everything - no free lunches unfortunately. Also, it sounds like a great candidate site for the 6-inch coil.

 

[lamarkeiko]

I plan on putting more time in the site. I kept the sensitivity at the default setting. I was reading that lowering is some may help eliminate some of the iron, so I may try that next time out.

Lamar

 

[vferrari]

I plan on putting more time in the site. I kept the sensitivity at the default setting. I was reading that lowering is some may help eliminate some of the iron, so I may try that next time out.

Lamar

Lowering sensitivity a little will help keep ferrous from overloading the coil and may unmask some shallower keepers. Experiment with different modes and even single frequncies.

 

[cudamark]

Very simply dig it all. Park 1 works great, field one works great. I'm hitting an old homestead area in the woods and pulling out everything including old horseshoes, old silverware, old kids toys, an old treble gilt button, the still loaded barrel of an old pre civil war pepperbox gun and even sterling silver cane pieces. Even the old nails and tools you might find are really neat. If it beeps dig it!!

All well and good at some old locations where desirable relics might be found, but, places such as urban parks, sometimes it just isn't practical.

 

[PennDirtDigger]

I saw this on the minelab forum and tried it myself at a very trashy area. it worked wonderfully well finding coins and a piece of sterling jewelry. Cancel all numbers except 12, 13, and 18 thru 38. you will pull nickels at 12,13 and 18 on up will get you the rest. According to the post silencing 39, 40 on the top end gets rid of garbage as well. Silencing the other numbers in all that trash could be a blessing but also you are eliminating other potential goodies. It is a great way to quiet your machine though and the coins will sing out.