Sumthins just not right...

hollywood13185 · Mar 21, 2009

Hey guys this Safari has got me scratchin my head for sure. In my other post I talked about the air test and how it would only pick up a dime at like 4 inches. Anyway I hunted my sisters old house that has been there since 1910. I hunted all day and dug nothin but clad and nothin over 6 inches. Whats the deal?

The very first time I hunted this place I dug 4 wheats, one from 1916, and that was with my ace 250! So I figured there had to be silver and that the Safari would find it boy was I disapointed. If theres anybody out there that can maybe shine some light on this that would be great.

Thanks in advance, Josh

sniper19612003 · Mar 21, 2009

The way I see it, You haven't had the Safari for a long time. Just because you found copper doesn't always mean your gonna find silver. Just take your time and learn the machine. Take it out to other sites and see how it reacts. The more you use your new detector, the more you'll learn how it works and what it is saying to you. There are times that I'm standing around scratching my head also but I still get the gumption to keep on goin. The Safari is a good machine. Relax and enjoy it. After a while, you'll say it was worth it. Good Luck and Happy Hunting.

Sniper

steve from ohio · Mar 22, 2009

If the silver is not there, you will not find any.

Air tests on a FBS detector like the Safari are worthless to indicate how deep a detector will detect.

FBS and BBS machines expect ground to be present in order to operate correctly. A good coin garden is more indicative of detection depth. But there are problems even with that. Ground conditions in your coin garden may be different than where you will be detecting.

I would not worry about not finding silver yet. Silver will come and will be found if it is there.

Iron Patch · Mar 22, 2009

That's detecting!

Monty · Mar 29, 2009

My Safari will air test a silver dime at a measured 7". I found and dug a clad dime at 9" that had been in the ground for some time. What kind of batteries? Mine didn't like Rayovacs and just wouldn't perform with them. Just some ideas. Monty

hollywood13185 · Mar 29, 2009

Hey Monty Im using Duracell 2400 NiMH batteries. They've lasted longer than regular batteries but thats all Ive noticed.

Irontask · Mar 29, 2009

Josh,the Safari is probably set up wrong,go back to your owners.These FBS units will find deeep silver.Another problem its not a good idea to use detectors that have different sweep speeds.The Ace requires a faster sweep and the Minelab slow.Do your home work and learn the Safari and it will surpass your performance expectations. Good Luck Ron

obxguy2000 · Mar 29, 2009

Glad to know that I am not the only one having problems with thier Safari.....

Iron Patch · Mar 29, 2009

The 250 probably has a signal boost making the targets come in fairly loud. Do you have the gain turned up on the Safari? If not you might be bypassing the deep stuff.

hollywood13185 · Mar 29, 2009

Thats what my Dad uses is Texas instrument (Bounty Hunter) and loves them. He has 2 Bounty Hunters and the Titan 3000XD that so far can find everything the Safari can.

obxguy2000 · Mar 30, 2009

Just like I said in another post, I bought my dad the BH Pioneer 505 on Kellyco.'s BOGO sale when I got my Safari. We both went out this past weekend and he was finding all kinds of goodies. I just found bottle caps.

hollywood13185 · Mar 30, 2009

Well guys Im on vacation this week so Im headin out today to try the Safari thing again. Ill let you know what happens. Josh

Monty · Mar 30, 2009

I was about to give up on my Safari but Minelab users keep encouraging me and I think I am getting a little better at communicating with it. I am going to a club hunt next month where a lot of new silver and wheaties will be planted. I should be able to set the Safari up perfect for a club hunt. If it doesn't work out then I may have a different attitude. Someone else said something about it being heavy. Well I find it much better balanced and easier to use than my old GTI 2500 and it seems lighter, and I have a very bad back problem.
We'll see. Monty

hollywood13185 · Mar 30, 2009

Well today in an old park I dug $2.02 in clad and about 5 screw caps and can slaw. I noticed tho you can avoid cans easily by pinpointing and sizing up the target. Large silver signals are more than likely cans. All in all 5 quarters and 7 dimes and some pennies nothin old nor deep as of yet tho. Guess Ill try it again tomorrow.

Monty · Mar 31, 2009

Damn thos screw caps! They have been my bane since getting my Safari. I have been working on learning the sounds of the FE mode and for me they are a little easier to distinguish than the Conductivity mode. Of course all of this was with air testing since it has either rained or snowed all week! I gathered up a variety of targets and placed them in groups according the the pitch of the sound I hear for each group. I was able to distinguish 4 different, distinct sounds and each of the test targets were sorted accordingly. I have a low frequency hearing loss and if I can make out 4 different sounds, anyone can with some work.These are the sounds the best I can describe them and what targets I was able to fit in each tone. Yours may be different because of the difference in hearing ability.
1. "Tweet" , very high pitched repeatable signal: Quarters ( clad and silver), 1972 Kennedy half dollar, 1923 silver dollar, silver rings, coin size silver objects. Showing silver on the linear scale, 36 to 38 on the conductivity scale.
2. "Twitter" , not quite as high pitched as #1 and with a slight warble or twitter sound: Clad and silver dimes, wheat cents, copper pennies. Showing in the far left side of the silver scale, 38 on the conductivity scale.
3. "Whistle" medium high pitch, sounds like someone blowing a whistle to me: Can slaw, aluminum pulltabs, nickels, lead with high tin content disc. In the Gold and aluminum range showing a 14 on the conductivity scale.
4. "Toot" Much lower sounding pitch than any of the others: Brass shell casings, jacketed rifle bullets, 14k gold ring mans ring. Showing 22 on the conductivity scale, gold/aluminum range.**Noted exception is the zinc penny that had the same sound but showed a 34 on the conductivity scale and copper range on the other. This one kinda' puzzled me so I ran it several times and still got the same sound, just different readings.

Don't know how helpful this may be to you who are having problems. Now I need to take this scale out into the field and see how accurate the air tests are. And as a final note, the detector was set on the coin scale but cross programed to the FE mode, auto sensitivity and noise cancelled after making the change to the program. The 6" DD coil was installed. I could pick up clear repeatable air signals at 7+ inches depending on the size of the target. Monty

hollywood13185 · Mar 31, 2009

Thanks Monty Im hearin the same stuff. I noticed that the screw caps alot of the time have a squeek kinda noise to em, and a true dime will be more of a clear flutey sound. Sorry bout your weather there I think we're catchin a little of it here. But not enough to keep me inside thank goodness.

rmptr · Mar 31, 2009

I almost always toss a nickel out, to verify my machine when I get started.

If you're concerned with depth questions, drill a nickel, tie it to a bit of string,
and drop it in a slice at the place you are detecting for verification.

There's a difference between on edge, and laying flat, of course!

Best
rmptr

Ha! Ha! Screw caps!
It's also amazing how unique bits of aluminum canslaw can appear precisely as high dollar jewelry!

Got to dig 'em all!
:thumbsup: