XLT Question

[engine 823]

Ok I almost always hunt in relic mode on my xlt because I have found I just find more good targets, More digging but better results. If It didn't drive me nuts I would hunt in All Metal Mode.
My question. Sometimes I would like to try a deep silver program on HEAVY trash sites. I already hear it! You will miss lots of great items. Well your right but with the 9.5 " standard coil I can't separate targets very well and with a deep silver program I can block everything except say "89-95" VDI.
Problem I laid a mercury dime in the yard to test with this deep silver program I have and I couldn't pick it up? I placed the xlt in relic and rescanned and got a VDI of "79" solid! Whats up with that?? I thought silver would read in the 90's consistantly on VDI?
Any thoughts

 

[mainer]

I always found that a silver dime would register 81 on my XLT when I used it. Maybe a 79 because it was on top of the ground? Not that big of a deal. Back down your discrimination to except everything 79 and above.

 

[engine 823]

Okay, Could be it was well wore. Thin dime.
Thanks

 

[mainer]

Okay, Could be it was well wore. Thin dime.
Thanks

Most certainly could have been that too. Good luck, the XLT is a fine machine.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

You are under the common misconception that the TID is reading composition (eg.: silver, gold, aluminum, iron, copper, etc...). It doesn't. It reads conductivity. And a part of the determining factor as to where an item will read on a conductive scale, is size.

To illistrate: Take an aluminum can, and ... with tin-snips, cut out a fingernail sized piece. What does it read? Down way low, around nickel or whatever. Now take the tab of that same can, and see what that reads. It reads a bit higher, into the tab range, right? Ok now wave the entire can in front of the detector. What does it read? Probably up somewhere around penny or quarter or whatever, right? But WAIT!! At no time did the composition of the metal change. For each of the 3 sample items, they were all aluminum. Only the quantity changed.

So too is the the principle for silver too. Yes a silver quarter would read at perhaps 88 to 90-ish on the XLT scale. But a silver dime (which is smaller) will read about 80 to 81-ish. And so too, will a silver half dime (thinner and smaller than dimes) read even lower yet.

Thus you have to remember that size plays into it, and the scale designations we've all become used to (ie.: "tab range" or "foil range" or "penny/dime", etc... are all based on coin-sized object calibrations.

 

[engine 823]

Thanks Tom, That makes since. I had never looked at it that way. I detect by VDI number read outs and tone ID alot. Example if it sounds good and has a Good VDI number I would dig but have passed on lower VDI numbers.
Based on what you are saying it makes total since. I may have missed some items.
I know I have used my sons ace 150 and found a couple of coins I had not found with my XLT in Yards I had hunted pretty well but always assumed it was due to other reasons than the fact I may just have decided not to dig the first time around based on VDI numbers.
I guess really the best thing to do is dig, dig ,dig!

 

[Frankn]

I have been using XLTs since they came out and I think it can tell what metal it is to a certain extent. Aluminum will always read on the bargraph at app. 1/8" to the right of the center mark. Nickle will read app. 1//4" to the right of center mark. Most iron [steel], being an alloy, shows as a "smear" or group of signals. I have tuned my XLT over the years to a custom program . It is listed in 5 posts here as XLT 1 thru 5 Check them out. As for picking up a certain item. Jest add that item in your discrimination program. turn on LEARN ACCEPT and present the item to the detector. There is also learn reject. Hope this helps.

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[Tom_in_CA]

Frankn, you say:

"Aluminum will always read on the bargraph at app. 1/8" to the right of the center mark."

Do this: take an entire aluminum can, and wave it in front of your coil. Does it read at that coordinate you allude to? No. It probably reads penny or quarter or something, right? My hunch is that your "aluminum", that you refer to, is a coin-sized piece of aluminum (ie.: tab, or small can-slaw piece, etc....) Not just any aluminum. Most of us know what you meant, but when someone new reads us post things like this, they can't help but think that ..... detectors are telling metal-types apart.

 

[Frankn]

Tom_in_Ca: My present XLT is my main detector. I have been using it for 10 years. I use the bar graph at the bottom of the screen to ID first. If there is a mark Just to the right of center, I just keep going. It is foil, tab, etc. You bring up the issue of an aluminum can. My XLT is peaked up to the point where it always reads OVERLOAD on a can!
The only thing in that signal return to the detector is signal strength, signal return time delay and slight frequency shift. The rest of the magic comes from the computer! Sorry, but I kind of think It knows what is down there, but like us humans nothing is perfect!

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