Tracker IV - When to upgrade?

[digmesomestuff]

I know variations of this question have been (and will continue to be) asked and I apologize in advance. I'm a newbie and have a Tracker IV. I get a lot of clad and some jewelry (using tone, sensitivity at 4 o'clock, and disc around 12). I mostly hunt old lots, parks, etc. I spend a few evenings each week doing local research and go to places where older stuff could be found but I haven't found anything older than a 1911 S wheat.

I've logged about 70 hours on my Tracker. I've read in another thread that you should stick with your detector for about 200 hours to really know it. My question is, do I really need 200 hours on my Tracker? Or am I wasting my time trying to find silver with it? I can spend more money if that is the right thing to do. But if it's more about taking your lumps and learning the hard way, I'll just stick with it. I know we newbies are an impatient lot.

Thanks

 

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[Normsel]

Learn the detector you inside and out before you spend more money so you know what kind of features you may want. Then do your research on the models from different manufacturers before you decide. The brand of detector is more of a personal choice and the complexity is as well. It took me about 150 hours to learn my ATP and I have about the same on my V3i and still don't feel I am using it to its' potential.

 

[Garrett424]

I know variations of this question have been (and will continue to be) asked and I apologize in advance. I'm a newbie and have a Tracker IV. I get a lot of clad and some jewelry (using tone, sensitivity at 4 o'clock, and disc around 12). I mostly hunt old lots, parks, etc. I spend a few evenings each week doing local research and go to places where older stuff could be found but I haven't found anything older than a 1911 S wheat.

I've logged about 70 hours on my Tracker. I've read in another thread that you should stick with your detector for about 200 hours to really know it. My question is, do I really need 200 hours on my Tracker? Or am I wasting my time trying to find silver with it? I can spend more money if that is the right thing to do. But if it's more about taking your lumps and learning the hard way, I'll just stick with it. I know we newbies are an impatient lot.

Thanks

I agree with Normsel.

Get to know that T4 until it's like an extension of yourself and you'll gain knowledge and skills you wouldn't otherwise have.

I asked the exact same questions when I was using mine. I just couldn't find any silver coins. I posted numerous threads here just like yours. I kept asking why my machine wasn't finding silver. I now know it was kind of like asking why my typewriter can't spell but hey, we live and learn right??

Finally, I went to a spot that actually had some silver in the ground and scored 4 silver coins, a silver ring, a gold ring and two fake rings in a few hours; not to mention a ton of clad a few cool artifacts.

If there's no silver under the coil no detector will find it because it's just not there. If it's there the Tracker IV is quite capable off seeing it and telling you it's there.

I've upgraded three times since then but first I REALLY learned that Tracker IV. I spent hundreds, and hundreds and hundreds of hours swinging that thing and found some pretty good stuff along the way. What I learned using it helps me every time I hunt to this day. I got to where I could not just hear, but intuitively "feel" what it was telling me. I still hunt that way. If you learn those tones you'll do yourself a world of good. You'll be able to have a pretty good idea of what you're swinging over, what to dig and what not to dig. You can then transfer that knowledge to many machines.

I would back that disc off to about 11:00 to start though. You can be missing small gold even at 12:00 sometimes. If you're strictly after silver than by all means, start at 12:00 and go from there. I would also crank the sensitivity as high as you can get it while keeping the machine stable. If you're far enough away from everything you can often run it at the max. Keep your batteries fresh too. That makes a big difference.

The T4 is a great entry level detector and it's quite capable for what it is. Mine is one of the best investments I ever made and it paid for itself on day one (beginners luck). It's also a great training device to help you hone your overall detecting skills. Once you know your machine, you'll be ready for an upgrade and you'll know when to make the move.

If you just have no love for it, I get it. I have a BH 202 I never really liked that much. I did use it though and found some good stuff with it; including a few silver coins, but it never felt quite right for ME. I'm actually trying to sell that one.

You'll eventually get one that just feels right for you and your style of hunting. In the meantime, keep swinging that T4. Try to get to some spots with good silver potential if that's what you're after. If it's there and you keep digging, it will appear sooner or later. The Tracker IV definitely LOVES coins and that includes silver.

Good luck and HH

 

[g-olden years]

Together with Bounty Hunter Tracker IV my son & I have dug numerous silver coins including an 1848 silver dime, silver jewelry and a total of six gold rings plus a few tiny gold chains! Usually I detect with discrimination totally turned off, and sensitivity as high as ground conditions permit without machine screeching. When I feel energetic, I detect in all-metal mode for bigger variety of finds, but when tired I detect with that button pushed all the way to the right so that I can avoid more junk and dig more coins & jewelry. I like the Tracker IV's simplicity, light-weight, & the fact that when accidentally the electronics box was immersed in salt water, I was able to take it apart, dry it out with hair dryer (!), pick out all sand & tiny bits of moisture with q-tips & toothpicks -- and that baby was then good to go again although it had gone totally dead when immersed in the ocean -- and the box was never supposed to be under water, though the coil can. I like a cheap machine that does even more than its manufacturer claims, lol. Last year my son upgraded to a Teknetics which he loves, but I'm happy as I am. Have fun no matter which machine you use! Andi

 

[Frankn]

Learn to use your detector properly and when it ceases to satisfy you upgrade to something that will.
The thing is, you have to upgrade yourself, before the detector. Just a thought. Frank

 

[digmesomestuff]

Thanks all. I will stick with the Tracker and improve my skills. I will focus on that. Your feedback is most appreciated. It was extremely helpful and enlightening! Garrett, thanks for the tip on the disc. And G-olden Years, congrats on that silver. I hope to hunt with my son when he's old enough.

 

[SvenS]

Here's a remastered Tracker IV I built up for my wife. Lightweight, balances perfectly, new housing, 3 pc. s-handle--lower HB rod, middle and upper from A Detectorpro Wader.
Replaced all pots, addeded on/off toggle switch, added volume control, kept the low battery LED and dumped the meter. Left the manual ground balance option for a later date.
May not be deep, goes deep enough for my wife.

 

[Garrett424]

Here's a remastered Tracker IV I built up for my wife. Lightweight, balances perfectly, new housing, 3 pc. s-handle--lower HB rod, middle and upper from A Detectorpro Wader.
Replaced all pots, addeded on/off toggle switch, added volume control, kept the low battery LED and dumped the meter. Left the manual ground balance option for a later date.
May not be deep, goes deep enough for my wife.

Beautiful mod there. Very impressive and I can tell you took your time and did a really nice job.

Bounty Hunter should take some tips from you. That thing would sell like hot cakes simply because you got rid of the "muffler on a stick" look and created something that actually looks cool. You could sell em' yourself in multiple, made to order colors.

All you need now is that ground balance an 11" DD coil (Fisher makes one that'll plug right into it). I'll bet that thing would be quite a capable machine. If you were to waterproof it and make it fully submersible, forget about it. I'd probably buy one from you.