dahut
Hero Member
- Nov 6, 2004
- 809
- 54
- Detector(s) used
-
21 years behind a coil
Fisher F70
Bounty Hunter Lone Star
Tesoro Tiger Shark
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
Like most detectorists, I have tried many detectors in my nearly 20 years of detecting. Name a make commonly available and I have likely tried some, if not most of their offerings. But every now and then I like to go back to my roots; back to basics, so to speak.
My first detector was a Tesoro Silver Sabre II, a great detector and a good first learning tool. I no longer have it, having graduated now to the latest âreplacementâ of that venerable old goodie, the Vaquero. I doubt a better âbasicâ detector exists.
I took the âVâ out today for a little while to a local school, just to get reacquainted. While swinging, I re-learned some things that will likely be of interest to the newcomer and especially those who have a Vaquero themselves. While many of you die hard button grubbers will sneer, after today I am dubbing my Vaquero, âThe School Yard Kingâ
1. The Vaquero is fast
It has a whipsnap target response. In a school yard, where targets are not too deep, this is a plus. Every Tesoro I have ever owned has shared this trait.
Benefit: You can cover a lot of ground without missing targets.
There's no need to creep this thing - when you hit a target, youâll know it, so keep it swingin at a moderatley fast pace. Then slow down on it and process the signals as you encounter them.
Oh, I forgot. Dump that goofy VCO pinpointing. The Vaquero will pinpoint just fine in DISC, using the tried and true "x" and "circling" methods. This saves time, once you develop a smooth flow and the light wieght only makes this easier to do.
2. DISC is excellent
In our rush to ID everything in the ground, we'll believe any ad hype thrown at us and soon forget that there are really only three target ranges we need be concerned with:
A. Iron range - ferrous targets like nuts, bolts and other junk
B1. Low midrange - foil/nickle/ tabs/gold
B2. Upper midrange - tabs/gold/screwcaps/zinc Cents
C. High range - everything else
Benefit: The âVâ can handle this with ease, and if you use the following method it becomes a functional ID unit!
Hereâs how to set it up.
First, get a nickle and a zinc cent and place them on the ground a few feet apart. Ground balance your âVâ and then sweep the nickle as you thumb the DISC knob. When you hit the point that nickles DISC out, place a marker on the dial face. I use little day-glo pink âstickiesâ for visibility. Now do the same with the zincer.
Next, consider U.S. nickels as your pivot point - detector makers do, you know. To start, turn your DISC control to the line below nickle; I call this the âPivot Lineâ. You have just effectively eliminated most of the iron trash and foil bitsies youâll encounter. Now start searching.
When you hit a solid target, thumb the DISC knob to the nickle pivot point you previously marked. If the signal drops out, it probably is a nickle, or something VERY close to it. If it is still there, STOP, reset the DISC control to the pivot line and dig. Simple as that.
You notice I didnât go further with my âthumbing.â This means that, yes, you will get pulltabs - but so what? I donât worry about them, as eliminating them eliminates anything that falls in their range, including gold. I have found some nice gold items in schoolyardsâŠ
You CAN continue âthumbingâ up into the pulltab range, if you wish, but I say donât bother with that in school yards - iron and foil are the enemies here. Save the tab thumbing for the parks.
3. The Vaquero is sensitive
In the movie âShrek,â our ogre-ish friend Shrek likens himself to an onion, with layers of personality. All you have to do is peel away the layers in order to know him. The âVâ is like that; it has layers of SENS on tap and becomes a different unit as you employ each layer.
Benefit: You will not miss much!
For normal hunting a setting of 6-7 is adequate. You really donât need more in your modern school yard.
But, youâll find that by turning the THRESH up a little, the resulting âhyper tuningâ sharpens target response, especially to foil at my recommended DISC settings. I turn mine to about 1 oâclock on the dial face.
Finally, when you get to deep sandy or bark chip areas around play equipment, you can wind out the hyper tuning - increase the SENS along with the THRESH to get extra depth and reach down deep for long lost goodies that others may have missed.
I usually go to about 9-10 on the SENS and swing the THRESH control to about 3 oâclock. This also helps if you think you on a very old section of the school grounds and there is potential for some deep finds.
For example, the school in todayâs search was built in 1936. The old buildings are long gone, but the play yard where I was searching is the same earth from all those years ago. I have found coins back to the 40âs in this part of the schoolyard. Hyper tuning could turn the trick here.
4. Grip, grid, grid
Benefit: Thorough hunting fills your pouch
Mark out your school yard into squares and work these, overlapping your coil sweeps as you do. Before I start searching, I walk out a squarish area, dragginâ my foot through the dirt. This leaves easily followed grid lines, to make sure I thoroughly work the area. In sand, just drag one foot as you hunt.
Being thorough is important. Just wandering around, swinginâ your coil here and there, is a poor plan. Youâll be surprised what is left behind by the guys who do this, or only hit the swings and monkey bars. In fact, I usually do the play equipment LAST.
The stuff in the pic is from about 40 minutes, at a school that I know is hunted by others. Note that some of the coins have laid there for a long time, obvious by their discoloration. None of this came from the play equipment or swings, either - I never made it to them!
[attachment 1 ]
In truth most of these âsecrets,â are just good detecting practice, picked up over years of relic hunting. However, if you consider everything a ârelicâ, you will soon adopt the needed methods for ferreting them out. Good luck and happy hunting.
My first detector was a Tesoro Silver Sabre II, a great detector and a good first learning tool. I no longer have it, having graduated now to the latest âreplacementâ of that venerable old goodie, the Vaquero. I doubt a better âbasicâ detector exists.
I took the âVâ out today for a little while to a local school, just to get reacquainted. While swinging, I re-learned some things that will likely be of interest to the newcomer and especially those who have a Vaquero themselves. While many of you die hard button grubbers will sneer, after today I am dubbing my Vaquero, âThe School Yard Kingâ
1. The Vaquero is fast
It has a whipsnap target response. In a school yard, where targets are not too deep, this is a plus. Every Tesoro I have ever owned has shared this trait.
Benefit: You can cover a lot of ground without missing targets.
There's no need to creep this thing - when you hit a target, youâll know it, so keep it swingin at a moderatley fast pace. Then slow down on it and process the signals as you encounter them.
Oh, I forgot. Dump that goofy VCO pinpointing. The Vaquero will pinpoint just fine in DISC, using the tried and true "x" and "circling" methods. This saves time, once you develop a smooth flow and the light wieght only makes this easier to do.
2. DISC is excellent
In our rush to ID everything in the ground, we'll believe any ad hype thrown at us and soon forget that there are really only three target ranges we need be concerned with:
A. Iron range - ferrous targets like nuts, bolts and other junk
B1. Low midrange - foil/nickle/ tabs/gold
B2. Upper midrange - tabs/gold/screwcaps/zinc Cents
C. High range - everything else
Benefit: The âVâ can handle this with ease, and if you use the following method it becomes a functional ID unit!
Hereâs how to set it up.
First, get a nickle and a zinc cent and place them on the ground a few feet apart. Ground balance your âVâ and then sweep the nickle as you thumb the DISC knob. When you hit the point that nickles DISC out, place a marker on the dial face. I use little day-glo pink âstickiesâ for visibility. Now do the same with the zincer.
Next, consider U.S. nickels as your pivot point - detector makers do, you know. To start, turn your DISC control to the line below nickle; I call this the âPivot Lineâ. You have just effectively eliminated most of the iron trash and foil bitsies youâll encounter. Now start searching.
When you hit a solid target, thumb the DISC knob to the nickle pivot point you previously marked. If the signal drops out, it probably is a nickle, or something VERY close to it. If it is still there, STOP, reset the DISC control to the pivot line and dig. Simple as that.
You notice I didnât go further with my âthumbing.â This means that, yes, you will get pulltabs - but so what? I donât worry about them, as eliminating them eliminates anything that falls in their range, including gold. I have found some nice gold items in schoolyardsâŠ
You CAN continue âthumbingâ up into the pulltab range, if you wish, but I say donât bother with that in school yards - iron and foil are the enemies here. Save the tab thumbing for the parks.
3. The Vaquero is sensitive
In the movie âShrek,â our ogre-ish friend Shrek likens himself to an onion, with layers of personality. All you have to do is peel away the layers in order to know him. The âVâ is like that; it has layers of SENS on tap and becomes a different unit as you employ each layer.
Benefit: You will not miss much!
For normal hunting a setting of 6-7 is adequate. You really donât need more in your modern school yard.
But, youâll find that by turning the THRESH up a little, the resulting âhyper tuningâ sharpens target response, especially to foil at my recommended DISC settings. I turn mine to about 1 oâclock on the dial face.
Finally, when you get to deep sandy or bark chip areas around play equipment, you can wind out the hyper tuning - increase the SENS along with the THRESH to get extra depth and reach down deep for long lost goodies that others may have missed.
I usually go to about 9-10 on the SENS and swing the THRESH control to about 3 oâclock. This also helps if you think you on a very old section of the school grounds and there is potential for some deep finds.
For example, the school in todayâs search was built in 1936. The old buildings are long gone, but the play yard where I was searching is the same earth from all those years ago. I have found coins back to the 40âs in this part of the schoolyard. Hyper tuning could turn the trick here.
4. Grip, grid, grid
Benefit: Thorough hunting fills your pouch
Mark out your school yard into squares and work these, overlapping your coil sweeps as you do. Before I start searching, I walk out a squarish area, dragginâ my foot through the dirt. This leaves easily followed grid lines, to make sure I thoroughly work the area. In sand, just drag one foot as you hunt.
Being thorough is important. Just wandering around, swinginâ your coil here and there, is a poor plan. Youâll be surprised what is left behind by the guys who do this, or only hit the swings and monkey bars. In fact, I usually do the play equipment LAST.
The stuff in the pic is from about 40 minutes, at a school that I know is hunted by others. Note that some of the coins have laid there for a long time, obvious by their discoloration. None of this came from the play equipment or swings, either - I never made it to them!
[attachment 1 ]
In truth most of these âsecrets,â are just good detecting practice, picked up over years of relic hunting. However, if you consider everything a ârelicâ, you will soon adopt the needed methods for ferreting them out. Good luck and happy hunting.
