Tesoro Silver uMax Secret

[Michigan Badger]

Most top detectors have their special extra good points.

Here's one for Silver.


1. Place: Go to a hunted out site that produced lots of old coins in past days

2. Sensitivity: Set it as high as you can without falsing

3. Discrimination: On the O in FOIL.

4. Coil: Use a concentric coil as big as you can get by with (the 12x10 is supreme).

5. Hunt Pattern: Hunt slowly moving ahead a few feet--turn around and go back over the area you covered only zigzagging back and forth. Your doing a pattern like a S over an I.

The idea is to hit underground targets from as many angles as possible.

If you have a small extra hot spot, set up a chalk line and walk it back and forth (up one side, down the other).

6. Signals: The ultra deep coins and rings usually give a broken signal. Sometimes only a tick or click sound. After digging several you'll begin to learn the good ones from the false ones. If it's good the signal will greatly improve when you dig down a couple inches. It will turn to a good/bad broken signal in one or two directions.

Now increase the discrimination just to the left of 12:00 high (5 cent mark). If the signal still holds, dig it up.

At first you will dig nails but in time you will learn the nail sound.

All Siver uMax detectors detect super deep coins with a very tight signal that's usually unlike any other brand detector. The Silver is one of the best at this I've ever found for deep coins.

After digging a dozen of these missed coins at that 6-10 inch depth you'll almost know for sure right from the start what you have before even digging.

When I come unto one I just smile and go to the car and get my digital camera. I like to get pictures of my great coins fresh from the dirt.

Detectorists today still make two major mistakes.

1. They hunt too fast

2. They don't thoroughly cover the area

This process will also work with many other brands and models. I learned it from a treasure magazine article printed back in the 70's. The first time I used it I took about a dozen buffs and IH's from a piece of ground about 6x12 feet. This was in the middle of an old park in western Michigan. This method still works today.

HH,

Badger

 

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[Sandman]

Hi Badger...........Great advice too.

 

[BuckleBoy]

I need to get the concentric coil...and I will eventually. But then I'll give this a try. Thanks, Badger!


-Buckles

 

[Michigan Badger]

Hi Badger...........Great advice too.

Thanks Sandman. Glad to see you're still very active.

 

[Michigan Badger]

I need to get the concentric coil...and I will eventually. But then I'll give this a try. Thanks, Badger!


-Buckles

The Tesoro Silver has a very unique sound for deep coins and relics.

Even today I take my Silver uMax with 12x10 concentric out to some overly hunted site and usually within a short time I dig a keeper.

I really like the Minelab GT and have dug many deep goodies with it. But I think in some soils the Silver with big coil can find more and I don't really know why.

Some days ago I took the Silver with 12x10 out into my own front yard just to check it for one last time. Over the years I've covered our yard hundreds of times with all the top detectors made. Within 5 minutes I had in my hand an 1880's Indian cent. It was down at least 8 inches. The 12x10 concentric gave a loud signal from all directions.

But the Tesoro requires a slow swing speed.

 

[BuckleBoy]

I need to get the concentric coil...and I will eventually. But then I'll give this a try. Thanks, Badger!


-Buckles

The Tesoro Silver has a very unique sound for deep coins and relics.

Even today I take my Silver uMax with 12x10 concentric out to some overly hunted site and usually within a short time I dig a keeper.

I really like the Minelab GT and have dug many deep goodies with it. But I think in some soils the Silver with big coil can find more and I don't really know why.

Some days ago I took the Silver with 12x10 out into my own front yard just to check it for one last time. Over the years I've covered our yard hundreds of times with all the top detectors made. Within 5 minutes I had in my hand an 1880's Indian cent. It was down at least 8 inches. The 12x10 concentric gave a loud signal from all directions.

But the Tesoro requires a slow swing speed.

I learned early on with the Silver that deeper brass required a slow swing speed to be able to hear a good beep--and that was with the stock coil. After my reconstructed stoneware crock sells at auction, I'm going to treat myself to the 12x10 for it.

I love the stability of the machine--which is sometimes refreshing compared to the Fisher. It will be my weapon of choice for the plowed fields this fall. The audio threshold on it--it seems like targets either break it or don't. Not much in the way of partial signals or chatter. Unlike the Fisher, I can't really tell any difference in *how* the beep sounds...

I know you've used many machines--and if you have much experience with the 1265 or 1266, we started a lovely thread about them--and I'd love to have your comments and thoughts on there. More information now on that thread than anywhere else on the net about those machines:

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,166574.0.html

The uMax is a joy to use--light on the arm (I'm sure even with the 12x10 it's pretty light). I wish there were a way that I could get some partial signal on it for iron--so that I wouldn't have to use all-metal mode to find a housesite (switching back and forth between all-metal and disc modes all the time). Any suggestions?

Regards,


Buckles

 

[JOE(USA)]

Michigan Badger,

Good writeup!! I agree fully with the details you covered. Some of us know what that Silver will do,some don't. If they believe your writeup, more will join the club! Joe

 

[Michigan Badger]

I need to get the concentric coil...and I will eventually. But then I'll give this a try. Thanks, Badger!


-Buckles

The Tesoro Silver has a very unique sound for deep coins and relics.

Even today I take my Silver uMax with 12x10 concentric out to some overly hunted site and usually within a short time I dig a keeper.

I really like the Minelab GT and have dug many deep goodies with it. But I think in some soils the Silver with big coil can find more and I don't really know why.

Some days ago I took the Silver with 12x10 out into my own front yard just to check it for one last time. Over the years I've covered our yard hundreds of times with all the top detectors made. Within 5 minutes I had in my hand an 1880's Indian cent. It was down at least 8 inches. The 12x10 concentric gave a loud signal from all directions.

But the Tesoro requires a slow swing speed.

I learned early on with the Silver that deeper brass required a slow swing speed to be able to hear a good beep--and that was with the stock coil. After my reconstructed stoneware crock sells at auction, I'm going to treat myself to the 12x10 for it.

I love the stability of the machine--which is sometimes refreshing compared to the Fisher. It will be my weapon of choice for the plowed fields this fall. The audio threshold on it--it seems like targets either break it or don't. Not much in the way of partial signals or chatter. Unlike the Fisher, I can't really tell any difference in *how* the beep sounds...

I know you've used many machines--and if you have much experience with the 1265 or 1266, we started a lovely thread about them--and I'd love to have your comments and thoughts on there. More information now on that thread than anywhere else on the net about those machines:

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,166574.0.html

The uMax is a joy to use--light on the arm (I'm sure even with the 12x10 it's pretty light). I wish there were a way that I could get some partial signal on it for iron--so that I wouldn't have to use all-metal mode to find a housesite (switching back and forth between all-metal and disc modes all the time). Any suggestions?

Regards,


Buckles

Mr. B, the Tesoros love iron. I know this has been used as a negative for them but really it's a positive if used correctly.

Tesoro's are made so they will not totally ignore iron responses. I personally like this sometimes.

When looking for a logging camp I hunt fast with the 8 or 12x10 coil with discrimination set on the O of FOIL. Any iron the size of a harness buckle will sound off. I know from using Silver Sabres what iron sounds like. It's not like nonferrous metals at the FOIL level of discrimination. And too, iron signals are way too big in physical size to be coins.

I really want some iron because here in northern Michigan some of our best finds are iron. I've found a canonball (small caliber), French Trader knife ca. 1750, over a dozen double bitted axes, 3 complete 6 foot long crosscut saws, loads of blacksmith tools, etc. A good early Michigan lumbering era blacksmith hammer or log stamp can be worth more than a gold piece coin.

I really don't understand why so many hate all iron. Lets face it, after it's all said and done it's about history anyway.

The old Fisher machines are old friends to me. The 1265 or 1266, etc., these were (still are) some of the best ever. I'll never forget my first experiences with the 1260-X! That machine just blew me away with finds! Those are good memories!

Badger

 

[Michigan Badger]

Michigan Badger,

Good writeup!! I agree fully with the details you covered. Some of us know what that Silver will do,some don't. If they believe your writeup, more will join the club! Joe

Thanks.

The Silver uMax isn't the answer to every hunting situation but it will do extremely well in most.

The big challenge with the Silver is to learn how to distinguish iron from nonferrous targets. To do this consistently requires much practice. Most people hang it up before they learn.

Those who learn it's language just love it. In fact, it's this fact that led to the UK making the original Silver Sabre a "cult" machine. It is very very good.

I love the Sovereign GT and it's probably my favorite detector. But, I have found that the Silver does sometimes find things the GT misses. And it goes the other way too.

This is why I like to use two detectors for land hunting. The GT and Tesoro Silver are my favorites for coin/ring/relic hunting. Others are also very good but these two are the best (in my opinion).

But I haven't yet used the F75, F70, SE Pro, etc. Who knows, maybe in the future I'll change my mind. But that's the way it is because there are so many different brands and models.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Mr. B, the Tesoros love iron. I know this has been used as a negative for them but really it's a positive if used correctly.

Tesoro's are made so they will not totally ignore iron responses. I personally like this sometimes.

When looking for a logging camp I hunt fast with the 8 or 12x10 coil with discrimination set on the O of FOIL. Any iron the size of a harness buckle will sound off. I know from using Silver Sabres what iron sounds like. It's not like nonferrous metals at the FOIL level of discrimination. And too, iron signals are way too big in physical size to be coins.

I really want some iron because here in northern Michigan some of our best finds are iron. I've found a canonball (small caliber), French Trader knife ca. 1750, over a dozen double bitted axes, 3 complete 6 foot long crosscut saws, loads of blacksmith tools, etc. A good early Michigan lumbering era blacksmith hammer or log stamp can be worth more than a gold piece coin.

I really don't understand why so many hate all iron. Lets face it, after it's all said and done it's about history anyway.

The old Fisher machines are old friends to me. The 1265 or 1266, etc., these were (still are) some of the best ever. I'll never forget my first experiences with the 1260-X! That machine just blew me away with finds! Those are good memories!

Badger

Thanks for your reply, MB. I guess I should be more specific... Is there a setting on the uMax that will give a partial signal for most nails, but still ring true on non-ferrous and large ferrous? I'd be a little concerned that I might walk through a site without walking over a piece of large ferrous--and would never hear nails (much more plentiful) to know I was even on the site in the first place. At even CW camps, nails outnumber bullets by far (for example). So I feel like I need to have what I can only call a "quasi-all-metal" setting for the uMax so that I can hear the nails, but not necessarily have to dig them.

I never knew you had a 1260-X--that's a Classic! It belongs in your Cult Detector thread (and perhaps even the 1266 now LOL).

You know, the topic of iron is an interesting one... People hate it to the point that some folks hunt with an Iron Cancel on all the time. I will tell you now that if it weren't for Iron I wouldn't have been able to even find One Third of the sites I've detected over the years... I would've missed making some Fantastic finds.

Iron is a sign--and as such, it is the most obvious one (and the most plentiful at just about any old site).


Regards,


Buckles

 

[Michigan Badger]

Thanks for your reply, MB. I guess I should be more specific... Is there a setting on the uMax that will give a partial signal for most nails, but still ring true on nonferrous and large ferrous? I'd be a little concerned that I might walk through a site without walking over a piece of large ferrous--and would never hear nails (much more plentiful) to know I was even on the site in the first place. At even CW camps, nails outnumber bullets by far (for example). So I feel like I need to have what I can only call a "quasi-all-metal" setting for the uMax so that I can hear the nails, but not necessarily have to dig them.

I never knew you had a 1260-X--that's a Classic! It belongs in your Cult Detector thread (and perhaps even the 1266 now LOL).

You know, the topic of iron is an interesting one... People hate it to the point that some folks hunt with an Iron Cancel on all the time. I will tell you now that if it weren't for Iron I wouldn't have been able to even find One Third of the sites I've detected over the years... I would've missed making some Fantastic finds.

Iron is a sign--and as such, it is the most obvious one (and the most plentiful at just about any old site).


Regards,


Buckles

Oh yes, just run it set lower on discrimination. You have great flexability with the Silver uMax.

In a way Tesoros are like Nautilus detectors in that they always let you know iron is present. You know it's iron by the signal quality produced.

All the discriminator knob does is corrupt signals lower than it's current setting.

In your case try setting the Silver on IRON. This should corrupt the small nail signals enough to ID them.

When I set it on FOIL it tunes out most small nails but will give a good click or chirp on larger nails. The very deep buried hoseshores will sound almost like nonferrous metal but with experience one can tell the difference.

Coins past the normal detection range of 5-8 inches may give a one-way slightly broken signal. See, you read all this stuff about no coins being deeper than 7-8 inches. Pure bunk! Lots of coins and rings are deeper than any VLF can reach. But the Silver with the 12x10 concentric can barely hit on them down to about 12 inches deep. Not many machines made today can do this! And most people today only listen for those big obvious BEEPS and they hunt way to fast so they think the deepest coins are 7 inches.

The experienced Explorer and Nautilus persons here know better! Yep, there are goodies way down there.

I hunt lumber camps and I'll bet they're similar to your CW sites only my finds mostly suck.

Okay, I get to the general area with the map/GPS and kick on the Silver set on FOIL (12x10 coil) and do like this big X over an area. When I hit on lots of iron clicks and chirps I slow way down and analyze each signal.

Like with all detectors it takes time to learn the Silver. I can tell by turning up and down the discrimination and sensitivity knobs--raising and lowering the coil--what I most likely have as a target.

Coins are a piece O cake but buttons are a little more of a challenge in that those old brass buttons can sound a lot like buried pieces of tin or even larger nails. It takes practice in the field.

I had the 1260-X in 1982 as I recall. I killed the Mercs and Barber dimes with that machine.

 

[BuckleBoy]

I have the 12 x 10 concentric now. And life is good.


Best Wishes,



Buckles

 

[Ray in CA]

I have the 12 x 10 concentric now. And life is good.

Congrats Buckleboy!! Everytime I think about getting rid of this coil I keep underestimating it and finding stuff!! It's dead on with nickels.

Today I did a little test area with the stock coil vs. the 12x10...I set the sens as high as I could and found a few targets with the stock coil. Then I switched and did the same with the 12x10 and came away with targets I had missed with the stock coil, and a bit deeper too. Disc was at "o" in foil. This convinced me that the 12x10 is getting stuff the stock coil isn't. I just may not take it off except for in trashy areas.

Please post some of your experiences with the 12x10 when you get the chance to test it out.

Ray

 

[BuckleBoy]

I have the 12 x 10 concentric now. And life is good.

Congrats Buckleboy!! Everytime I think about getting rid of this coil I keep underestimating it and finding stuff!! It's dead on with nickels.

Today I did a little test area with the stock coil vs. the 12x10...I set the sens as high as I could and found a few targets with the stock coil. Then I switched and did the same with the 12x10 and came away with targets I had missed with the stock coil, and a bit deeper too. Disc was at "o" in foil. This convinced me that the 12x10 is getting stuff the stock coil isn't. I just may not take it off except for in trashy areas.

Please post some of your experiences with the 12x10 when you get the chance to test it out.

Ray

The 12 x 10 is now my PREFERRED coil for hunting cut Soybean fields. If I'm not in an Iron patch, I can REALLY cover the ground. If I Am in an iron patch, I have to go Very slow with a coil that big--and I also lower my disc. back to IRON. (Unlike the stock coil, which rides nicely on Foil as described above for just about any site that I hunt) Small, deep brass will not sound unless you do so. Tiny brass rivets, cuff-sized one and two piece buttons, etc. will not be heard on my Tesoro unless I back it off. By the time I turn the knob to the L in "Foil" I've lost them if they're deep. Same with Pewter and small, deep lead.

The weight of the 12 x 10 takes a little getting used to, but after swinging a 1266 Fisher for a decade and a half, it isn't bad.


Picking targets out from between the nails is the part I'm least convinced of--and I'll get around to trying a head-to-head 12 x 10 vs. stock coil soon enough.


I'm sure I'll think of some other comments for this thread--but this is a start.



Regards,


Buckleboy

 

[ds6191]

I have this combo(silver and 12x10 coil) and my deepest coins are in the 6 inch range, Thanks for the tip. I've only been hunting since this spring, I've found some older wheats and a few mercs, even a few indian heads. My soil is great to detect in, I just know there are some goodies deeper then 6 inches. I'll try this method when we thaw out . Thanks, Dan

 

[ModernMiner]

MB,
I want to say "thanks" to you for your tip #3 above: "Discrimination: On the O in FOIL."

I have detected with the Silver Umax and 9 x 8 web coil for a few years now as you may know. The combo has worked great for me and I couldn't be happier with the depth too. I was glancing over this post awhile back, and saw this tip on setting the discrim to the "O" in foil.
I have had nothing but success since I started hunting like that!!! Some of my finds since then have been three V-nickels, a gold & black onyx costume bracelet, and one of my best finds ever just last Friday, a 1833 Capped Bust Half Dime.
One of the V-nickels, the bracelet, and the Half Dime were found in areas that I have been over at this plantation property numerous times.
To me these finds prove without a doubt that this method has greatly increased my results. Now I'm wondering what I have missed over these last few years. I've always believed in going slow, gridding, and going back over spots in various directions for greater success.

I may be guilty of overlooking the tip #6:
"6. Signals: The ultra deep coins and rings usually give a broken signal. Sometimes only a tick or click sound. After digging several you'll begin to learn the good ones from the false ones."

I better start digging those as I've just been passing them up thinking they were rusty iron.

Thanks again. I always value your opinion and you've been a great help to us Tesoro Umax nuts.
-Doug-

 

[BuckleBoy]

I may be guilty of overlooking the tip #6:
"6. Signals: The ultra deep coins and rings usually give a broken signal. Sometimes only a tick or click sound. After digging several you'll begin to learn the good ones from the false ones."

After I work a site out, I turn the disc down even farther--to below Iron (and at times even to "min."). That enables me to get small, or deep pewter or lead.

AND if signals (including iron) are sparse in a site, I use "reverse discrimination" with the uMax.

The machine is the Most sensitive in the All Metal mode, of course. So that's the best depth by far (a world of difference from Min disc. even!).


Regards,



Buckles

 

[ModernMiner]

I may be guilty of overlooking the tip #6:
"6. Signals: The ultra deep coins and rings usually give a broken signal. Sometimes only a tick or click sound. After digging several you'll begin to learn the good ones from the false ones."

After I work a site out, I turn the disc down even farther--to below Iron (and at times even to "min."). That enables me to get small, or deep pewter or lead.
AND if signals (including iron) are sparse in a site, I use "reverse discrimination" with the uMax.
The machine is the Most sensitive in the All Metal mode, of course. So that's the best depth by far (a world of difference from Min disc. even!).

Regards,
Buckles

Thanks BB.
I use the all metal mode sometimes to pinpoint the target better and also whenever the signals seems to disappear once you start digging.
Even after all these years I'm still learning. Kind of like my 26 yr marriage.
Good luck this w/end if you get out.
-Doug-

 

[Trackerman]

The o in foil method works pretty well theres only one problem the silver umax doesnt beep when on the o in foil on some gold items its choppy or silent. Unless you set it to all metal then you have to dig everything.