?s on atpro and recovering

[bush13st_beav3r]

Got an atpro, love it, live it, wife's starting to hate it, lol... Anyways...got perms to dig an old house catecorner from mine...hasn't been lived in awhile...older couple that owned it died 15 yrs ago, kids sold it, and hasn't been lived in for 10+/- years...somewhere, someway, some how...there was w gravel path that is now covered in a couple inches of dirt and grass....so
Question 1: best way to recover targets in rock infested dirt. I've just been using my small 6" handheld shovel that I've sharpened and serrated...cut the grass and dirt making a small plug, then picking away at the rocks and pulling then out til I find what I'm looking for....problem with this, is I'm scared q rock may damage the coin if I chip at it the wrong way, or I'm scared I may marr the coin itself while trying to dig out a rock to GET TO my target... Suggestions?

Question 2...how do you go about pinpointing deep targets that sound off but don't give a vdi?...I've uses the minelab wiggle when able to, but this house has a gang of metal, and the coins love to hang out close with their friends:nails, screws, and pulltabs...so, I guess part 2 of this ? Is: is there a sweet spot or good way of indicating where to dig after just passing the coil over the metal mess then digging and getting it easily....I don't want to dig a coil sized crater to find a zincoln....when I did thus at my house, I STILL didn't find my target, and I have a propointer and use it often... But, anyways....I think I got all my curiousities out, but I may have forgot something....wife came in talkin to me while typing (hate that,) n I lost my train of thought, so I may edit this to include what her story made me omit.....anyways, thanks ahead of time ...gl n HH.

Oh yes, I was going to add in there, that besides the wiggle, I sometimes use the x method, the x and o method, or just the pp button,...dependant upon the situation at hand and my locale, and of course if its just my target, or my target and his friends.

 

[Jay In NewKen]

I really don't have an answer for your first question. That's really hostile conditions to dig in. My only advice would be to use your pinpointer b4 cutting the plug to zero in (if shallow enough), then cut a horseshoe size plug after X'ing the potential target.

For the the 2nd question, i'd suggestion a smaller coil if the area is trashy. Maybe the 5x8 dd would provide better separation. This might help in regards to your first question too.

 

[christo000]

I really don't have an answer for your first question. That's really hostile conditions to dig in. My only advice would be to use your pinpointer b4 cutting the plug to zero in (if shallow enough), then cut a horseshoe size plug after X'ing the potential target.

For the the 2nd question, i'd suggestion a smaller coil if the area is trashy. Maybe the 5x8 dd would provide better separation. This might help in regards to your first question too.

I'll.agree all the way here I see myself a lot before I dig even if its deep ill scan with my probe but also the 5x8 like said will separate a lot of the trash & its smaller size will help a lot in pinpointing the area for me in pinpointing with the stock I seem to have good luck with the up & down side to side motions usually ends up being right in front of the rod where my coil bolt is

 

[bush13st_beav3r]

Thank u. I'll hopefully be able to get some good targets from this home...its old but very very trashy. It has 150 year maple in front. Hopefully just the first grid will have rocky conditions. But I won't know til after work tomorrow. Today with a clad quarter I pulled 4 nails with it too... ...found a 8x5" lead plate.. odd, but, yep..

 

[rks1949]

Got an atpro, love it, live it, wife's starting to hate it, lol... Anyways...got perms to dig an old house catecorner from mine...hasn't been lived in awhile...older couple that owned it died 15 yrs ago, kids sold it, and hasn't been lived in for 10+/- years...somewhere, someway, some how...there was w gravel path that is now covered in a couple inches of dirt and grass....so
Question 1: best way to recover targets in rock infested dirt. I've just been using my small 6" handheld shovel that I've sharpened and serrated...cut the grass and dirt making a small plug, then picking away at the rocks and pulling then out til I find what I'm looking for....problem with this, is I'm scared q rock may damage the coin if I chip at it the wrong way, or I'm scared I may marr the coin itself while trying to dig out a rock to GET TO my target... Suggestions?

Question 2...how do you go about pinpointing deep targets that sound off but don't give a vdi?...I've uses the minelab wiggle when able to, but this house has a gang of metal, and the coins love to hang out close with their friends:nails, screws, and pulltabs...so, I guess part 2 of this ? Is: is there a sweet spot or good way of indicating where to dig after just passing the coil over the metal mess then digging and getting it easily....I don't want to dig a coil sized crater to find a zincoln....when I did thus at my house, I STILL didn't find my target, and I have a propointer and use it often... But, anyways....I think I got all my curiousities out, but I may have forgot something....wife came in talkin to me while typing (hate that,) n I lost my train of thought, so I may edit this to include what her story made me omit.....anyways, thanks ahead of time ...gl n HH.

Oh yes, I was going to add in there, that besides the wiggle, I sometimes use the x method, the x and o method, or just the pp button,...dependant upon the situation at hand and my locale, and of course if its just my target, or my target and his friends.

Just go slow! Some sites you can zip through,others take a different approach. I have a old farm house site that I've been working for over 2 weeks. I've removed at least a gallon (more than likely 2-3 gallons) of nails,iron,ect. I know the "good stuff" has to be there too,the house was built in 1878,but there is a lot of trash to sift through. The ONLY plus is the house was torn down,and now there is nothing but a plowed field,where the house was once standing.

 

[markincypress]

From what I have experienced the small gravel path is what was used before concrete became popular and more readily available to homeowners. The good thing is that the gravel acts like a barrier in keeping coins from going deeper. The bad thing is that it makes digging harder and coins lost before the gravel was placed are really tough to get. I would use my pinpointer after getting a signal and see if it is a shallow above the gravel target or deeper under the gravel one. If shallow use a screwdriver or similar tool and pry the coin out. Deeper ones may require the use of a small shovel like the T handled ones made (Sampson and Ground Shark are two models that come to mind) both of which have a smaller blade like a hand held digger.

 

[rks1949]

Don't forget to check the area along the sides either! Some coins will hit the edge of the gravel and bounce off to the sides. I have a Sampson digger,and it's the tool of choice out in the country,but it makes people a little uneasy in hunting areas in town. Kinda gives the "wrecking crew" idea to many people.

 

[bush13st_beav3r]

Yea, I've had the coins in the sidewall a couple times, but usually it only happens if I havnt gb'd n awhile and my pp is off....but, my gear consists of this:
-t handle shovel(only use n country or secluded areas where I have a deep target
-8" screwdriver
-7" small metal hand shovel I sharpend n serrated
-pruning shears
-5" folding sog springblade knife
-Two towels, one small one big...for plug and dirt
-plastic sandscoop
-camo treasure bag from Garrett w propointer attached
-big black Garrett bag to carry everything
-headlamp for night hunting
-glowstick led light to illuminate screen at night
-and of course my atp and 250 as backup

I was able to hunt the house for bout 40 min last night, found 1.80$ n coins, q huge lead plate, toy car, two shotgun shells, 25-30 nails 10 screws a couple bolts and a couple unknowns... So I've had decent luck so far...hopefully it gets better tho and I get silver...all coins have been from surface down 6", oldest was a 61 penny.

I'm going to make a test garden at this house to get a good idea of deep target w no vdi pinpointing, mainly focusing on targets w masking nails