Tips to find survey rebar markers? DFX 300

chirper97

Sr. Member
Mar 28, 2005
483
171
south charleston, wv
Detector(s) used
White's V3i, White's DFX 300, Garrett Infinium PI, Fisher CZ6A, Garrett Deepseeker and Groundhog ADS
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Using my DFX 300, I'm having difficulty finding markers.

I used block edit to reject all VDI numbers, then 'learned' only a rebar marker.

Walking along the approximate line, the detector was going crazy with all the metal in the ground. No good consistent readings or tones.

Tried adjusting Sensitivity down to 1, and it didn't appear to clarify.

Any tips?

Here is a good link:
http://blog.armchairbuilder.com/3842/how-to-find-property-lines/

Once you locate the surveyor's pins, here is a tip I discovered:

"As for finding pins down the road....what I recommend to clients (as was recommended to me from a client) is once you know where your pins are located......Very carefully (so you don't disturb the monument) dig around it enough to put a coffee can or piece of PVC pipe around the pipe and flush with the ground. Then fill the bottom of the PVC pipe (don't fill over the pin) with concrete. The concrete will keep grass from growing over the pin, make it easier to find, and harder to remove."
 

Last edited:
I searched for mine with my detector,and was semi successful. After I found the first one, I measured out where the others were likely to be using string and a stake. Then I searched a four or so foot square around the stake. That worked great to find two others. The fourth corner was a different story. I dug everything, which included a bazillion nails and iron pieces. I finally gave up and paid a surveyor to find that marker. Turns out it was way down and the tv cable ran right over it.

I would say search in all metal and dig everything.
 

I've done this successfully several times. I ran in all metal as rebar markers are usually pushed into the ground and only the small top part is observable. Also, I had the approximate locations pointed out so I didn't have to cover acres and acres of ground. They'll sing out in all metal, but as we all know, in trashy ground that could get to be pretty tedious. Persistence and luck should get the job done.
luvsdux
 

Google Utility Cable Finder...This is what you need.... c900200.jpg
 

Appreciate all the helpful replies!
 

I concluded that due to the importance of an exact line, that my surveyor should mark the line, and I plan on following this recommendation:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/ralei...#ixzz2xRzasGGp for making the pins more permanent and easily identifiable, using quikrete and a short length of pvc.

Usually there is an orange streamer tied to the rebar pins, but I have found that these are too easily removed with aggressive weed whacking.

Finding your property pins is a great exercise in using your detector, and I'm curious to discover more successful techniques/settings. I may experiment with my DFX 300 with:
1. Block edit/reject all numbers
2. Learn rebar VDIs
3. From the rebar VDI numbers, experiment with omitting several; attempt to isolate an iron rebar unique number.
 

Just leave the settings alone and when the DFX blanks ,that's when you don't hear the threshold than you are on top of it.
The DFX will blank going over a horse shoe also.
 

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