Gold Rings & Pull Tabs

[Diggo]

I wanted to make a comment on the resulting tones of gold rings and pull tabs. There are many vids on YouTube describing/ showing how pull tabs and gold rings can sound alike, and it appears, even across different machines, they do. I have watched several of these videos as this is demonstrated. However, what I notice is usually the presenter holds the gold ring in his hand and moves it below the center area of the coil and doesn’t pass it over the outer edges of the coil. Or, as in one video, the guy was holding his EQ 600 and passing only the middle of the coil over a gold ring. And of course you can hear the familiar strong mid tone. Now, I used a Vanquish in the past and I now use an EQ 700. I found one 14k gold ring with the Vanquish (I was a beginner and only had it six months) and I've found two gold rings, 18k and 22k respectively, with the EQ 700. The one ring with the Vanquish, the 14k, and one ring with EQ 700, 22k, both had a quick and noticeable high chirp as the edge of the coil passed over them. Otherwise, the rings sounded just like pull tabs. I've also been able to recreate this at home. In one YouTube vid, the guy did actually pass his gold ring across the edge of the coil and I heard the quick, brief high tone. But he didn't seem to notice that his entire bowl of pull tabs didn't do that. So, while it's true that many, many times a gold ring can sound exactly like a pull tab, if you listen carefully you may hear that quick high tone when you're over gold and move your coil's outer edge over the ring. In the vids on YouTube, the guys there aren't moving the gold rings under the entire coil when they do there test and never get that quick high tone as a result. Of course I've learned to dig all pull tabs, but I also listen for that bonus quick high tone that gives me more incentive to keep digging.

 

[StanTheManStan]

I experiment with target sound width. Tabs, iron bottle caps and aluminum screw caps give a wider than they are target sound width because they are sheet metal. They act as a wider antenna. If you spread them out, they are bigger. Rings and coins are denser mass and sound about their physical size. A higher recovery speed and tone that breaks off quickly helps get the target size. If you’re only looking for coins and rings, there is no point in digging something that you can tell is bigger.

This doesn’t work for all tabs, especially if they are bent. But does eliminate a lot. Raising the coil or quick swings over the target helps get a better sound profile.

 

[Diggo]

Thanks Stan...this info is extremely helpful! I'll definitely start focusing in on tone width/size. Keep the tips coming! :o)

 

[Beachhunt1]

There is no cookbook recipe. Some may depend on where you're hunting. With the equinox 800, in certain conditions I feel comfortable skipping solid 14 numbers.
But if you're a dedicated beach hunter, NOTHING sounds or acts the same in salt and sand. Skip nonferrous signals and you will skip gold.

 

[Digging Prayers]

I wanted to make a comment on the resulting tones of gold rings and pull tabs. There are many vids on YouTube describing/ showing how pull tabs and gold rings can sound alike, and it appears, even across different machines, they do. I have watched several of these videos as this is demonstrated. However, what I notice is usually the presenter holds the gold ring in his hand and moves it below the center area of the coil and doesn’t pass it over the outer edges of the coil. Or, as in one video, the guy was holding his EQ 600 and passing only the middle of the coil over a gold ring. And of course you can hear the familiar strong mid tone. Now, I used a Vanquish in the past and I now use an EQ 700. I found one 14k gold ring with the Vanquish (I was a beginner and only had it six months) and I've found two gold rings, 18k and 22k respectively, with the EQ 700. The one ring with the Vanquish, the 14k, and one ring with EQ 700, 22k, both had a quick and noticeable high chirp as the edge of the coil passed over them. Otherwise, the rings sounded just like pull tabs. I've also been able to recreate this at home. In one YouTube vid, the guy did actually pass his gold ring across the edge of the coil and I heard the quick, brief high tone. But he didn't seem to notice that his entire bowl of pull tabs didn't do that. So, while it's true that many, many times a gold ring can sound exactly like a pull tab, if you listen carefully you may hear that quick high tone when you're over gold and move your coil's outer edge over the ring. In the vids on YouTube, the guys there aren't moving the gold rings under the entire coil when they do there test and never get that quick high tone as a result. Of course I've learned to dig all pull tabs, but I also listen for that bonus quick high tone that gives me more incentive to keep digging.

Thank you,
More notes in my little detector book.

 

[BobOso]

Same with silver rings, if you pass on a target, you might miss the silver. Areas where I hunt I find larger squares of aluminum, perhaps 1 x 1 inch, you get tired of digging them, but occasionally there is a ring. I have not found any gold there , but who knows. Dig it all.

 

[StanTheManStan]

I don’t dig unless my rules say I must dig. If the target sound profile is the size of a coin or ring, I have to dig regardless of ID. I set the tone-break down into the iron range because gold can get pulled down. I’m an old timer. I spend more time listening than digging.

Caps and tabs tend to give a wide sound because if you roll them out, they are wide. Some tabs give a tight sound, I dig. If they’re crumpled, they may give a tight sound.

I spend time training my ears. Lay down a tab, nickel and gold ring. Every now and then, spend a few seconds going back and forth. Coins and caps.

You can tell the difference between a coin and tab. The coil coming off a tab gives a hard break and gives a softer-round break coming off a coin.

You can tell the difference in the density of the target. But I don’t trust myself to hold the difference in my head to use it in the field. Exception being foil. If it’s flat, it gives a wide weak flat sound. If it’s wadded up, gives a good sound.

I don’t dig zinc if I know it’s a zinc. Flat round sound solid in the middle. Exception being if there is congestion. A lot of things tend to get pulled up or down to the zinc range.

You can put a gold ring in an aluminum cap and put a steel cap above and below it and tell there may be a good target in there. Try it. With the ring in there, it will give a ring size sound profile. Take the ring out and it will give a flat wide sound profile. You can hear the hole in a ring, but I wouldn’t trust that in the field.

Sound interpretation varies from person to person, detector, and settings. It’s something you have to train with.

 

[Diggo]

Stan...maybe not possible but a video demonstration where you show and describe these sound profiles would probably be really helpful.

 

[StanTheManStan]

Video wouldn’t be any good because interpretation varies with person, detector, and settings. This is something you have to teach yourself. Lay out the targets. Coin, ring, tab, cap, al-cap; far enough apart so that they don’t interfere. Train yourself to distinguish the difference in the size of the targets. Ignore ID, only interested in size.

You want a hard break after the coil comes off the target, faster recovery speed. Try a single tone at first, but you don’t have to stick with that.

Quick jerks back and forth over the target may work. Raising the coil higher over target and swinging may work better.

They are antennas, mass. A cap spread out is a wider antenna, gives a wider sound profile. If you unwind the wire in your coil, it’s an antenna of a certain size.

XP’s Gary Blackwell pulls the coil back while swinging to get the profile. If sound breaks off, it may be a good target. Same idea.

You probably already do this to some extent. You get a nice tight sound and a good ID, and you know you probably have a good target. Everybody already does this some; this is just more focused on the subject. If you can eliminate targets that can’t possibly be a ring or a coin, then you spend more time on target that may be good.

IDs can get pulled one way or the other. If the sound profile is the size of a ring or coin, dig. If it’s too big, walk.

 

[Diggo]

Excellent pointers Stan...thanks!

 

[CountyWorker]

There is no cookbook recipe. Some may depend on where you're hunting. With the equinox 800, in certain conditions I feel comfortable skipping solid 14 numbers.
But if you're a dedicated beach hunter, NOTHING sounds or acts the same in salt and sand. Skip nonferrous signals and you will skip gold.

Yep, this was a solid 14.

 

[Beachhunt1]

Yep, this was a solid 14.

No doubt! I can show you some "14" rings too. Notice I said , some days...... Like the 4 or 5 days a year that really small waves bring in pull tabs. Today I will have the Equinox out and 14's will not be skipped. I doubt there will be many tabs today.

 

[Ken Clad]

But if you're a dedicated beach hunter, NOTHING sounds or acts the same in salt and sand. Skip nonferrous signals and you will skip gold.

This is probably the most important thing I’ve read to date on the subject of beach hunting. It’s where I spend most of my time.

 

[metaladdict]

I will say one thing, with my At Pro pull tabs will vary the vdi but a gold ring will be a steady vdi.