VDi vs Sound Help Please

[Fishingfromakayak]

VDI vs Sound Help Please

Say you have a AT Pro,,,,it sounds off and VDI is 74. Will it sound the same for a silver ring as it would for a bottle cap ? If the sound is different how is it different ? Thnx for any help

 

[Irishgoldhound]

It will be different. A silver ring is a crisp clear tone with no breaks in the signal, where most bottle caps have a squak sound mixed in the signal. Some caps can be tricky like the new Budweiser caps sound pretty good and crisp. If you're not sure just dig it all like I do, or use iron audio to check. Good luck!

 

[Uncle Jeff]

Yes it will sound the same for a 74 no matter what the target. your machine has 3 sounds, one for a low range, say 1 to 40, then 41 to 70, and a third for 71 to 99, I am approximating the ranges but you get the general idea.... this can be handy if you have a 74 target right next to or under a 25, you will actually hear two different tones on the machine although you may only see the VDI numbers for the 25, telling you there is something under or next to that nail to dig up.

 

[Irishgoldhound]

Jeff, Well I don't know what your AT pro has different but I sure as hell can tell the difference between a bottle cap and a silver ring. I get bottle caps ringing up in the 70's and I can hear the quacking a bottle cap will make on the AT. Some bottle caps are pretty crisp sounding like I said but most you can hear the other metals in the cap compared to a silver ring.

 

[xr7ator]

Here's why, imo, some folks are better at this hobby than others. It definately doesn't sound the same. Some folks just don't have the ear that others do.
The only way to learn the difference is to just do it. FFK, take a silver ring and a bottle cap out in your yard, find a quiet spot where there is no other metal around, set the two items down a foot from each other and go over them until you can tell the difference. Shouldn't take but a few seconds.

 

[rick67]

I'll admit. I still get fooled. I call them all sorts of names and toss them into the bag.

 

[DiggerinVA]

This is exactly why some people say: "I had an AT pro and it sucked....I sold it after 2weeks".....they never learned the machine! It's not a complicated machine, but an experienced user, with a trained ear will know when the coil is over a coin versus a bottle cap without ever looking at the screen. Took me a little to catch on to the subtle differences in signals and when I don't use the machine for a while; I have to "re-learn" it again. This is where the Garretts beat the Fishers/Teknetics IMO is the bottlecaps and iron falsing.....F75 a bottlecap and an Indian penny sounded and looked exactly the same. If you cant tell you are over a bottlecap with your ATP....keep practicing!

 

[MackDog]

Number one you must have good headphones, my grey ghosts make all the difference. When you hear the silver sound you will always remember it. For bottle caps lift the detector coil and sweep the target. The bottle cap sound will start to break up

 

[Fishingfromakayak]

I like the idea of putting silver and a cap in the ground and practicing, this summer I will have to set up a "coin garden". Thnx for all the help

 

[enamel7]

Same thing with the AT Gold. You can definitely tell the difference by how crisp the sound is. I still dig the weaker sound once in a while just to be sure!

 

[Pull tab mcfoilson]

I guess my ear isn't tuned. They sound the same to me. Though if the vdi drops too low below 80. Like 76, I know it's for sure a bottle cap.

On a side note corona caps give a sweet 90s vdi and high tone.

And I dig em every single time without pause.

 

[cactusman]

First be sure you are wearing headphones. Next, if you're getting a lot of bottle caps in a certain range, try using Iron Audio for a quick check. I forget from time to time and still dig one, and there are a few that are alloyed with aluminum or something else that can fool me, but I'd rather dig trash than miss jewelry.

Besides, there is a lot of trash that sounds and ID's like a good target; an example would be what appeared to be an aluminum screw-top that sounded a little off, and it turned out to be a nice large man's gold wedding band. That made for a nice day!

With experience you can minimize digging junk, but unless some incredible new breakthrough technology comes along digging trash is just part of metal detecting. I listen and look for consistency; digging trash is just part of the game, and actually, I'm glad, as if the good stuff truly stood out, anyone could come along and easily cherry-pick it up. In that respect trash is actually your friend. If you want the good stuff you have to dig the junk!

 

[DiggerinVA]

I guess my ear isn't tuned. They sound the same to me. Though if the vdi drops too low below 80. Like 76, I know it's for sure a bottle cap.

On a side note corona caps give a sweet 90s vdi and high tone.

And I dig em every single time without pause.

Watch those 70's signals in older areas.....Indians hit in that area and I have dug them from 69-78,,,

 

[Digger]

Lifting the coil off the ground and watching the VDI numbers can help. A piece of junk will begin to have a jumpy VDI and the sound break up where a solid coin or ring will maintain a more solid VDI number.

 

[Oo-v-oO]

The manual describes the unique sound a bottle cap will usually (and I stress, *usually*) make.

If in doubt, dig it!

 

[Kodiak43351]

I have both at pro and at gold and do deus. I can tell you when I have a bottle cap under coil on the pro and gold but not with the dues unless I change freq. I just got the dues so with time I'll be able to tell but rite now it's hard. Just my opinion.

 

[Normsel]

I have read most of the posts and I am darn good with my AT Pro. I can tell a difference when I hit a bottle cap. It won't sound the same way every time because of soil conditions, depth etc. however you have to dig a lot of targets to learn what you're hearing. I still get fooled sometimes but not often. More often than not I know it's a bottle cap or coin before I dig it. Also you sensitivity can effect the signal you get.

I will say this there are not three distinct sounds. Maybe in a perfect metal detecting site but I have hunted high trash and minimal trash sites and after awhile you learn all the subtle differences. Watch as many videos on the ATP as you can. Most you won't learn anything because they show you stuff in ideal conditions but you can often times pick up lil tricks.

Garrett says it takes about 100 hours to get the ATP down pat, well I say it takes 200 hours to get good with it.

I haven't used my ATP much in the last 1-1/2 yrs because I bought a V3i but since I bought it in Nov of 2012 I have found over $2500 in clad and rings.

In a nutshell it comes down to practice, practice, practice. You can buy the best headphones is the world but if you don't recognize the sounds they won't help. No matter what me or anyone else says it is still practice. I will add that read everything and everyone has different experiences and what works for them