Wet Soil vs Dry Soil

[livetoplay804]

Does this really make a difference in how well a detector will perform.

Also, I have a pretty big digger, about 16", it has a 6" handle and 10" of shovel. We were hunting an old home site the other day and several times when we would make the initial plunge into the earth, the digger would go all the way in. This may be a common thing in some parts of the county, but here in SW Missouri, you do not see that much.

I am afraid if the soil is this soft, coins could be very deep. Any thoughts or ideas?

Chris from Missouri

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Treasure of Victoria Peak - Grab it through Amazon!

[Daniel in Ak]

wet conditions most deffiently improve your detectors abilities.When its raining I wait a few hours depending on if the ground is saturated or not but I will be out there after 24 hours digging in the rain at my hot spots where relics are few or extremly deep.Heck snow is moisture also and you'll find me out there digging in the snow also.
As for deep coins you ask in wet soil granted in soft soil items will be deeper,but then again in the winter while freezing some whill be pushed up because of the frost and freeze effect.Remember dont expect everything to be shallow but rather deep because of the amount of years they have been in the ground.Good Luck
Daniel

 

[gregl01]

Hi, I agree with Dan on this one. My detectors always respond better after a rain. Wet ground must conduct better. I always do well after a rain.HH
Greg

 

[slow sweeper]

Yep, damp soil helps. As for depth I don't think gravity plays much of a part on how deep coins go. In a park you can have years of mowed grass clippings covering up coins making them deeper. In soft soils a coin may work it's way down a little deeper if there is external pressure forcing it down but a lot of old coins are found relatively shallow. 4"-6". And newer coins can be found deeper. Go figure. In some spots someone may have brought in top soil for landscaping burying coins deeper, while someone else may have scraped some soil away to level a spot.
And as a side note I know about S.W. Missouri soil. Ten years ago I spent two years living in STONE County. I know it was named after a person but the name sure fit the type of ground there.

 

[Monty]

I have a BH detector that false signals like crazy after a rain for some reason.? My ACE doesn't care one way or the other. The only real difference I have noticed with the ACE is that it is easier to dig after a rain!
? As for soft soil, I find it a lot where there is obvious signs of gophers or moles at work.? Also, soft soil usually has a lot of worms in it.? I don't know if the soil attracts the worms or vice versa?? I have noticed that grassy areas where? the mowing was done and the clippings left on the ground usually has soft soil for the first 3 or four inches and then it may get hard like the clay areas around here.? Sometimes if an old house is torn down they will haul in fill to level the lot which makes for softer soil.? Just my experience.? Ever loose a coin down a gopher hole?? I have!

 

[livetoplay804]

Thanks everyone.

Sometimes there can be so many variables to metal detecting. Its hard to remember each one. The reason I ask about he wet is on this one particular house, the soil was soaked, the house was very old and big, and we were supposed to have been the first ones on the house. Same man lived in it since '56. I sweep a Spectrum, Dad sweeps a DFX. Other than a few memorials we found nothing. I mean nothing. Hunted all morning and found nothing.

Thought it might have been the wet soil or the real soft soil. Just could not figure it out. Were going to go back and give it another try. We have some different strategies but still nothing except memorials.

I guess if its not there its not there.

Stone county is horrible. This house is in Stone County.

Chris from Missouri

 

[Monty]

Chris when you say you are finding nothing, are you getting false signals or just not getting any signals at all? What kind of a detetctor are you using and how do you have it set up? This info would help us figure out why you are not hitting at least a few good things.

 

[livetoplay804]

I swing an Eagle Spectrum, Dad was using a DFX. We both tried several setups including stock set ups and modified set ups. I even tried my 6" Blue Max coil for awhile. Soil was not black but rocks were not as plentiful as they are in other areas of SW Missouri. We adjusted the basics such as Pre Amp and AC Sensitivity.

We are going to go back and adjust our Recovery Speed and Fade Rates. We think this might help decipher through some trash.

We used Garretts for years, recently switched to the Whites. We have had some good luck with the machines, so I dont think it the machines, its just the site and set ups. Maybe the soil and trash could have some major factors as well.

Chris from SW Missouri