Request recommendation for mode and settings for searching old home site

[lamarkeiko]

PennDirtDigger , that sounds like a good idea to try on a site like mine to start so I could see if there are any good finds there without spending so much time digging trash. Once you know there are some good finds to be found, one can lower the discrimination to help locate good finds among the trash.

Lamar

 

[NHBandit]

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

Well hell then, no need for any of us to be here. That response is about as useful as the guys who always answer "Google it"..

 

[nagant]

i printed 2 manuals and keep one by the bed, memory is shot. Used tesoro's so long buttons/screens on a detector slow me down at first, still have a natural callus on the side of my disc thumb. . What helps me is practicing getting to the advanced settings on the back porch with sensitivity and volume reduced.

 

[vferrari]

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.

I would use this setup with caution unless you are purely going for coins (and even then, some US coinage will be missed by this setup). TID's bounce and change with soil conditions, orientation, and presence of nearby targets. I will note that war nickels can ring up higher and trimes typically fall in the 16 range. You will totally miss gold jewelry and coinage with this setup and brass and led relics such as flat and military buttons and minie balls, if those are important to you. I know the property is 1908 and the earlier history of the site may not have produced the targets I mentioned above but I mention it because there may be stuff in the ground that was dropped well before 1908 depending the history of the site. The machine will certainly run quiet though...

 

[PennDirtDigger]

I agree with all you wrote. Lots of good old goodies would be missed. I tried this setup at a trashy Park around picnic pavilions and the silence was beautiful. The only thing that rang out was coins and the sterling piece. I’m certain I missed the gold stuff that I hope is there but it was sure fun to walk through such a trashy area and cherry pick. I’ve picked this spot as my test lab so I’ll be going back to It many times.

 

[vferrari]

Agree - when you have limited time at a site or if you cannot afford to tear up the landscape, then a custom discrimination/notch pattern will work well in trashy situations - you will find stuff, but must also acknowledge a lot will also be left in the ground. Classic trade-off of metal detecting.

 

[lamarkeiko]

I don't have limited time at this site, and the owners said they don't care if I leave holes. (I did tell them I will fill all my holes & remove trash.) My thought is, I can try some cherry picking there first to at least find some coins which I think should be one of the most likely good finds there. Then if I start finding some, I can lower the discrimination to dig the other missed finds. If I can find some coins with fewer digs, it will help my patients doing a lot of digs with no discrimination.

Lamar

 

[PennDirtDigger]

Very good plan. Nothing revs me up at a site like finding an old coin

 

[lamarkeiko]

Yesterday i went to the old site and spent a good 3 hours searching around the foundation perimeter about 10 ft, and around an old oak tree (5 ft across the base) very near the foundation and on one side of the foundation where an apparent walkway extended, I went out about 30 ft. Most of the time I searched in Park 2, sensitivity 16, and with discrimination set as PennDirtDigger mentioned, except I accepted VID 14 also. Even with that discrimination, I still dug much iron trash that would still tone in to me as a good signal. No coins found, and only one find of interest which is a round copper plate 2 5/8" diameter with Franklin written among scroll work. If anyone knows what that is, please let me know. The shovel head was about 6" down. Lots of nails. Only a couple appear to be square nails.
I'm attaching some photos so anyone can chime in on what I've found. I'm disappointed I didn't come up with any coins. I felt that some coins found would really help age this site. I will go back there again some time again.

Lamar

 

[CoinHunterAZ]

The Franklin copper plate "may" have been the label to an old wood stove. That's an old brand name IIRC. That's a nice find BTW. I'd keep working it for sure, and your cleaning out the iron junk will eventually make the spot easier to hunt in the future.

 

[lamarkeiko]

I did some Google search and found out what that emblem came from. It's not a stove, but from a sewing machine. This is a Franklin model from the Domestic Sewing machine company starting 1911.

Lamar

 

[CoinHunterAZ]

That's awesome! I would have never guessed it was from a sewing machine.

 

[treasureguy56]

I would defer to what " vferrari " recommends because he has the most obvious experience . That being said , I too am new to this type of machine - but I have several decade's of detecting knowledge and have only had opportunities to hunt trashy sites this year . If you have previous hunting knowledge don't let this machine scare you too much ! I have found by slowing down my coil sweep speed a bit and letting the machine do its thing " regardless of the mode you are in " you WILL have success ! You will have to check out some of those iffy signals to get the hang of what the machine is trying to tell you .
Im now finding that I enjoy a good trashy site because I get to explore just what this machine is capable of and when I do make a good find there I know I've accomplished something .
Besides , those trashy sites still have some good stuff to find because most people pass them up !
Good Luck to you .

 

[treasureguy56]

I guess it depends on how you ask the question , If you cant treat someone with a little respect then maybe ignore the question . Not everyone may Know as much as you think you do or even agree with your perspective . The man asked for some basic help and if you don't want to give it that's your prerogative but there is no need to be rude ( and yes you were rude and you know it or you would not be defending yourself so strongly ) .
Lets just move on OK !

 

[jeff of pa]

Posts Deleted By Me !

I Agree Move On !

When someone asks For Help, You's have 2 Choices that are Allowed.
You can Help if you Know How, Or you can Pass & Not look Clueless & Rude

 

[lamarkeiko]

I haven't been to the site for awhile. It's been rainy and now I've come down with a cold, but I do plan on going back. I think next time out, I may hit some promising looking trashy area that I searched before, but lower my discrimination. I think I may just have to dig and remove a lot of that trash to help show some good finds. I feel there has to be some good finds there, I just need to keep digging.

Lamar

 

[CarsonChris]

I hunted in 2 tones for the first time yesterday. It really makes non ferrous items pop.

 

[lamarkeiko]

I wanted to report that I hunted this old home site one more time last June for a couple hours without finding too much but iron trash. One old .342 cartridge case and a partial licence plate. I covered a small area and was digging everything. The weeds had gotten very high and the ground very hard. I don't plan on going back until fall after the rains come to make conditions a little easier for digging. I have since gotten a 6" coil which I haven't tried yet. I will try it the next time at this site. I've been gaining more experience with my detector, so hopefully that will help me get more success at this site. I do believe there are good things to find there.

Lamar

 

[secondstar]

You'll love the 6 inch coil for working the thick trash. I don't give my Equinox the attention that it deserves, but when I do I usually go out with the 6 inch coil and hit the trashy spots that most would walk away from. I've found plenty of coins mixed in with the trash using Park 1 plus the 6 inch coil.