Need a bit of advice - Garrett AT Pro in very junky ground

[Flying V Ranch]

Hello everyone! First post here. I have been a lurker off and on for years, but now that I am retired I decided to get a bit more serious with this hobby.

I own a cattle ranch in Texas and I have several old homesteads on my property. One is of particular interest to me so I have been working the area pretty hard. Today I found several shotgun shell caps dating to around 1890 which is right about the time period of this homestead. I know the family that lived here was doing pretty well for the times as I was told that the original house was two story and I think that descendants of the family became lawyers and doctors. The house burned and now all that is left are a few ancient pecan trees.

The problems that I am facing as far as detecting goes are the massive piles of junk iron that is buried everywhere about 8 to 10 inches deep. Plowshares, harness buckles, old wagon parts, and can slaw of every imaginable metal and whatnot. I am just getting to know the sounds from the Garrett and I am getting used to passing over some of the iron grunts hoping for silver or gold coins. The problem I seem to be having is I get a lot of mixed 40's and 50's and when I dig, it ends up being some very rusty and crusty iron hinges or similar. I have iron disc. set at around 35 or 40 yet I am still hearing the low grunts anyway which I do not understand why. On the rare occasions that I get a good 75 or higher tone, I will dig up brass or copper.

Knowing that I am working what amounts to an iron scrapyard, what settings would you suggest? I am currently having meager luck in Pro zero with iron set at 35 and no notches. My soil is dry hard packed sand about two feet deep over red clay. Thanks in advance for any advice and tips!

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Do you have the iron audio on? Make sure that it's off or you will go nuts hearing all those iron signals. You can also eliminate any signal under 70 to improve your odds. You'll miss out on nickels, but no big deal. You won't find gold, either, but you will find IHC's, silver coins and jewelry. If you still don't find silver coins or jewelry, you probably won't be missing out on any gold either.

Many people were land rich, but cash poor back in the day. Most farmers around here were barely surviving from year to year back in the 1800's. I rarely find any big silver on land that farmers owned in the past and I've never found any gold on those properties.

 

[Flying V Ranch]

Thanks for the quick reply Tim! Yes, I do have iron audio off as you are right it would be non-stop chatter otherwise. I am mainly looking for coins or jewelry if I am lucky. I was thrilled to find the brass shotgun shell caps today in fairly good condition. I was easily able to read the markings and find the dates on the internet.

 

[TampaBayBrad]

Wish I could help you with the AT Pro, sorry...never owned one.

It does sound like very challenging conditions. There's not much you can do other than try to go on the outskirts of the iron piles where people may still have been active. You won't get as many targets, but you won't be bombarded with iron signals either. See how far away from ground zero you have to go to hear less iron and then stay in that area to hunt.

There should be a coin or two from that era hiding around there somewhere.

 

[LovestheShiny!]

I've used my AT Pro for going on 7 years, that is a really tough situation you have. Perhaps dig up the large iron and then see what is left.

 

[metaladdict]

Swing slow and wiggle the coil back and forth in a small amount if you get a high tone, many times for me it was a coin.
However the At pro is not so great in Iron, I would buy another detector for your situation. Garrett I do not recommend for iron everywhere.

 

[Silver Saver]

I would suggest watching some YouTube videos with people using the AT pro. Watch live digs on good, bad, and iffy signals. Watch for how the machine reacts to their targets(sounds, numbers, and sweep placement).

That really helped me when I first started.

 

[RgnFn]

While I don't have an AT Pro, I have an Ace Apex, which I presume will have some similarities in behavior, having the same technological roots... I too have two very old properties that are basically iron junkyards. My first mistake was to get the biggest coil they made when I first bought the detector - I have since gotten the smallest (5x8), which helps tremendously to separate out the iron from the non-ferrous. Second, I have learned to reduce the sensitivity - when I first started I figured maximum sensitivity right? No, I've learned to back it off 2 or sometimes 3 notches below maximum, otherwise it's screaming at BB-sized targets. Finally, and most importantly, I've learned to s-l-o-w my swing speed. I used to think, hey I'll swing moderately fast and if something sounds remotely interesting, I'll slow down then - but no it doesn't seem to well at all that way.

Unlike most of the previous posters, I don't use any discrimination at all - I like to hear what's under the coil, even if it's nothing I'd want to dig. So yes, I've gotten used to hearing a lot of grunts. In fact, when I get to an unusually clean patch, I then to freak out that I haven't heard anything in the past few swings - I'll even test it against my shovel to make sure it's still on! That's how much iron I have. So I'm listening for that high-tone amongst all the grunts.

Hope this helps, and HH!

 

[Yell-X]

RgnFn more or less covered it. Use a 5”X8” DD or 4.5” Sniper coil and a slow swing speed.

 

[Flying V Ranch]

Thank you all for the helpful replies! I also thought about getting a smaller coil but I am pretty green still and wasn't sure if I was on track. Thanks for confirming that part.

I have a patch of cast iron plow share pieces (about 40 lbs.) that I have dug up over the years and they are laying on top of the ground now. Today I was swinging the detector over each piece and they were ringing from 35 up to 75 on the scale with dirty tones of both high and low if that's a good description. I also got several clean 80 to 85 tones while searching around the area but was disappointed after digging them up to find out they are still scrap iron straps and gate hinges etc. I am not sure why they would ring so high to be a low conductivity rusted metal?

Lastly I have noticed that if i accidentally bump my coil against something like a fallen limb it chatters and makes a tone. Is this normal? It almost acts if there is a short in the cable or coil. I have wiggled around the cable, connector, and coil but I can't repeat it. But if I gently bump the coil against something it rings out low usually.

Again, thanks everyone for the helpful advice. This forum certainly lives up to it's name!

 

[metaladdict]

Thank you all for the helpful replies! I also thought about getting a smaller coil but I am pretty green still and wasn't sure if I was on track. Thanks for confirming that part.

I have a patch of cast iron plow share pieces (about 40 lbs.) that I have dug up over the years and they are laying on top of the ground now. Today I was swinging the detector over each piece and they were ringing from 35 up to 75 on the scale with dirty tones of both high and low if that's a good description. I also got several clean 80 to 85 tones while searching around the area but was disappointed after digging them up to find out they are still scrap iron straps and gate hinges etc. I am not sure why they would ring so high to be a low conductivity rusted metal?

Lastly I have noticed that if i accidentally bump my coil against something like a fallen limb it chatters and makes a tone. Is this normal? It almost acts if there is a short in the cable or coil. I have wiggled around the cable, connector, and coil but I can't repeat it. But if I gently bump the coil against something it rings out low usually.

Again, thanks everyone for the helpful advice. This forum certainly lives up to it's name!

Yes bumping the coil makes a garrett beep.

 

[JWalker3]

I highly recommend a 5X8 if you do not use one. It will reduce the area you are over and allow you to pick up items in or closer to iron items. There is a slight reduction in depth, but I think its worth it for coin shooting. It's not the do all end all of coils but I rarely take mine off.

 

[MasonDixonMding]

also got several clean 80 to 85 tones while searching around the area but was disappointed after digging them up to find out they are still scrap iron straps and gate hinges etc. I am not sure why they would ring so high to be a low conductivity rusted metal?

The roundness of a item will full the machine. A steel washer sounds great!

As others have said work the outer edges of the site. This will give you more time on your machine. The more time on your machine the better with it you will be.
Don’t expect good stuff ever time out. Some times it just the luck of the swing.
Good luck!

 

[Sorthious]

I know most people won't prescribe what I'm suggesting, but I like to clean a site out over time, and if I'm in the mood. If you are, dig sounds you wouldn't normally dig, take the item(s) and trash it/them. Don't leave them laying around! Eventually, aside from really deep stuff, the area will get cleaned out, and may reveal items that were underneath all the trash. If it's your property, there's no hurry to dig it up and you can do so at your leisure. If on any particular day you don't feel like dealing with the junk, then use your machines settings to discriminate out the trash.

As far as learning the machine, take modern coins and various other items and bury them yourself and listen to how they sound; don't pay as much attention to the VDI(Visual Discrimination Indicator). You will eventually start thinking to yourself, "That's a nickel, a dime, or a penny,etc.", before you even look at the VDI. Also, try them at different depths. I noticed, on my Minelab Vanquish, that deeper items registered differently than the same item that was closer to the surface. I'm still learning myself, two years now, and these are things I've noticed. Lastly, a smaller coil, as others have mentioned, have better discrimination and will help isolate coins/jewelry.

Welcome to Metal Detecting Forum, and I wish you luck in your hunt!

 

[Flying V Ranch]

Today I received and installed a new 5x8 DD coil from Garrett. I have only turned the detector on while in my workshop to verify it's working. I have not had time to use it in the field yet. Tomorrow will be a great day to hunt and test out the new coil. One question...Do I need to adjust any settings for the smaller coil? Do I need to do a factory reset? If yes, how exactly do I do a reset?

In other news today, I had about 15 minutes to hunt and right off the bat I found a huge strap buckle of some sort. I weighs about a pound and is made of iron. It looks like it was made for a thick leather strap, so it was probably some sort of horse or mule harness. Is there a way that I can take a picture on my phone and have Google try to match it to something for identification? I know you can do that with plants, but I am unsure about other items.

Thank you very much everyone for the warm welcome to the forums and the excellent advice!

 

[FreeBirdTim]

However the At pro is not so great in Iron, I would buy another detector for your situation. Garrett I do not recommend for iron everywhere.

My AT Pro works great in iron. I detect colonial cellar holes full of nails and always pull out all the flat buttons and brass targets with no effort. The key is to go very slow and listen for the higher tones in between the iron grunts.

 

[TampaBayBrad]

Is there a way that I can take a picture on my phone and have Google try to match it to something for identification? I know you can do that with plants, but I am unsure about other items.

Install the Google Lens app in your phone from the play store (android) or app store (Apple). Follow it's instructions on how to use.

 

[aviationgale]

Today I received and installed a new 5x8 DD coil from Garrett. I have only turned the detector on while in my workshop to verify it's working. I have not had time to use it in the field yet. Tomorrow will be a great day to hunt and test out the new coil. One question...Do I need to adjust any settings for the smaller coil? Do I need to do a factory reset? If yes, how exactly do I do a reset?

In other news today, I had about 15 minutes to hunt and right off the bat I found a huge strap buckle of some sort. I weighs about a pound and is made of iron. It looks like it was made for a thick leather strap, so it was probably some sort of horse or mule harness. Is there a way that I can take a picture on my phone and have Google try to match it to something for identification? I know you can do that with plants, but I am unsure about other items.

Thank you very much everyone for the warm welcome to the forums and the excellent advice!

Factory reset I believe is holding down the on/off button till it beeps. (Few seconds) I always hold my coil in the air when I do it.

 

[maxxkatt]

this only applies if you are considering buying up to a more expensive detector. XP2 will solve your problem but you will spend about $1,200+ dollars for that solution. Then use rattlehead's silver slayer program to have a nice quiet hunt and only find coins above TID 87 which will include clad and silver but no nickels. My detectors have been AT Pro, 800, vanquish 400, CTX3030 and now the XP2 which is the best of the best for my hunting. Relic, coins, totlots and volleyball courts. Of course the XP2 is way overkill for totlots and volleyball courts but necessary for relics and coins.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Spend $1,200 more to maybe find a couple more Mercs? No thanks...