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Been trying somthing new

woodbutcher

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Joined
Jan 29, 2014
Messages
7,878
Location
Western Pennsylvania
My entire hunting up till lately has been all about chasing the elusive silver coins.I think I got em all,,my junk drawer is loaded with just about everything coin related and I just don’t seem to be able to hit nothing but wheats,not even worth the effort..I know the old saying,if your finding wheats you’ll get silver..not in my stomping grounds,I got em.
So,I’ve changed to hunting low conductors,you got it,I want gold jewlery,or whatever is cool in the low conductor range.
But hell,it’s hard to dig everything.So I got the 800 again,figured it will help.Great machine but for me I just dislike the compressed ID. So I bought a DFX too cause everyone raves about how well it IDs rings and bla bla bla.. I’m not a whites guy,never have been.Dont have a college degree in engineering either,which I think is required to understand the DFX.
I did locate two gold items last year,found both with the explorer se pro. And both were deep,and the explorer just locked On and wouldn’t let me walk away from either one.Never experienced that with any other machine,let alone a dedicated coin hound like Fbs.
I sure do look at the beach guys here and when they post I listen.And Skippy too, he just pulls rings like it’s nobodys business from the dirt. All the successful jewlery hunters all seem to use different rigs,so I’m assuming it’s a lot more than the machine your using. But man,that light just hasn’t come on yet,no matter what I’m using.
Just a little frustrated,had my dfx up and was gonna get somthing else ,god only knows why.But it fell through,so I’m stuck with that dinosaur for a little while longer,maybe try to do some more reading on it and figure out what makes it so great for jewlery in others opinions.
I was always told if you wanna dance you gotta pay the fiddler. Sure hope he takes pulltabs and pop tops,cause the gold just don’t seem to come for me.
 
Did

Good with the Etrac on silver , have the CTX 3030 now , ready to break it out of the closet , along with the Deus , it's been a long time since my last land hunt, but as silver goes up , its treasure , my buddy used a DFX , he did ok on clad, but lacked silver , he pulled a few Indians the day I hunted with him , but I did to with the Etrac , hang in there Wood ! Surfs UP :tropical:
 
I myself have many detecting hours accumulated with not much to show for it. It's so bad, my wife tells me I need metal detecting lessons. I recently acquired an Etrac and I am determined to learn that machine. I would say try and learn the DFX if you can. I consider myself a Minelab guy now but one of my first machines was a Whites M6 (different animal than the DFX) which I really liked. It can be really frustrating to spend hours detecting and not find much but I still enjoy it.
 
Good with the Etrac on silver , have the CTX 3030 now , ready to break it out of the closet , along with the Deus , it's been a long time since my last land hunt, but as silver goes up , its treasure , my buddy used a DFX , he did ok on clad, but lacked silver , he pulled a few Indians the day I hunted with him , but I did to with the Etrac , hang in there Wood ! Surfs UP :tropical:

I gripe sometimes but it's actually alot of fun digging up the mid conductors even if they're junk. The anticipation of a gold something coming out of the hole is the fun part. Just can't give up hope,it's there I just gotta find it.
 
Like others have mentioned in the past, a big part of finding stuff like silver coins is location, especially with public areas because who knows how much the public areas in your town had been hunted even before you got into the hobby.

Unlike clad, silver is very unlikely to be replenished once it has been dug out of the ground. So if past detectorists had hunted your areas in the past you have to look for the silver they might have missed :lol:

I live in a fairly small town and found out that detectorists had covered a lot of the public areas long before I even got into the hobby, so finding good stuff is a challenge but it is a fun challenge and I enjoy detecting regardless. (much more fun exercise than walking on a treadmill :lol:)

While I still think private property permissions in general should have a better chance of silver, the very few private property permissions I've hunted so far has not had any silver.

Surprisingly enough the 2 silvers I've found so far (both Mercs) were found in public areas, one was last year in a small park that I had been told was already hunted a lot long ago, if I remember correctly that Merc was about 8 inches deep, the one I found this year was in another part of town next to an old now unused basketball court and was maybe only about 3-4 inches deep.

So those 2 silver finds showed me that while silver might not be plentiful in areas already hunted a lot in the past, there still can be silver to be found that past detectorists missed.

......just have the mindset of enjoying the challenge and simply have fun trying !
 
Wood-butcher, Let's analyze this s-l-o-w-l-y :

....,I want gold jewlery,....

Great objective ! I mean, doh, which of us md'rs DOESN'T want "gold jewelry", eh ? :roll:

....But hell,it’s hard to dig everything......

..... Sure hope he takes pulltabs and pop tops,cause the gold just don’t seem to come for me.

These quotations are no doubt born out of the observation that alloyed gold jewelry reads all over the scale. Esp. in the low & mid ranges. Thus, we "have to dig everything" and thus "that's hell". As opposed to cherry picking for high conductor copper and silver coins, and .... yes, .... "less hell". Have I captured your lament correctly so far ?

....So I got the 800 again,figured it will help.Great machine but for me I just dislike the compressed ID. So I bought a DFX too cause everyone raves about how well it IDs rings and bla bla bla.....

And this quotation muses the notion that some detectors can help/aid to tell junk apart from alloyed gold jewelry. D/t "expanded TID" (graphs, expanded tones, etc...). Have I captured your musings correctly here ? If I've done fair justice to your post, then me thinks you are falling for the common mistaken notion that the "trick to finding gold" is to 1) Dig junk till your arms fall off, and 2) have machines that supposedly make "alloyed gold sound different than aluminum junk"

I would dispute both notions. For starters, to address #1 : The trick is not to "dig junk till your arms fall off". The trick is : Location Location Location. Because it's ALREADY A GIVEN that alloyed gold mimics low & mid conductor aluminum. So nobody needs to be told to: "Dig lows & mids if you want gold rings" :roll: So instead, the trick is to go to hunt locations where gold jewelry and junk ratios aren't quite as punishing. Namely : Swim beaches . And other lists of spots that will be better than "blighted parks". Here was a good post on that :

http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=289945&highlight=enhancement

To address #2 : The fastest way to put an end to the notion that anyone can tell gold apart from aluminum better, on certain machines (or with supposed learned audio tricks), is to simply take that claimant out to the nearest blighted inner city urban park, and turn them loose. See how much gold they dig, and how much aluminum they can leave behind. You will soon hear the sound of crickets. Oh sure, they might employ some "ring enhancement programs" (of notching), but that's not the same as "telling aluminum apart from gold".

So, the solution to finding more gold jewelry is not types of machines or junk-digging, it's: Location location location.
 
I feel ya woodbutcher... I tried the NOX 800, it was hard to hear the tone difference for me and as far as the VDI locking on? forget it...
with the E-trac I opened my 12 line all the way across in my discrimination patterns, and lately have really been listening to the tone of the target that falls in the Gold, nickel, foil, slaw range... I have found nickels, bullets, brass, costume jewelry, all give off a smooth strong consistent tone even if the numbers jump a bit... while pull tabs, can slaw, and foil will all be a weaker more scratchy inconsistent tone, with very jumpy numbers. I'm pretty sure Gold will give off a consistent tone, unless it's a necklace or bent ring... I'm still waiting on my first Gold anything since I really started training myself very recently to hear not only the silverish high tones, but the mid range tones as well... Good luck in your pursuit, I imagine it will take me some time to learn a small piece of foil from a gold earing...but eventually I will do as I do with silver and high tones... I still dig the occasional rusty nail or crushed aluminum can... because of the "what if" factor!
 
...... I tried the NOX 800, it was hard to hear the tone difference ...

...., I imagine it will take me some time to learn a small piece of foil from a gold earing.......

Max, based on the above quotes : Are you trying to suggest that there is an eventual "tone difference" that: If someone were *skilled enough* , that they could eventually tell the difference between alloyed gold and aluminum ?

And if so, do you know of anyone who claims to have "attained to this Zen status" ? If so, here's the fastest way to dash that claimant person's notions: Simply invite them out to the nearest inner city urban blighted park, and turn them loose. See if they do any better than "random eventual odds". I believe you will hear the sound of crickets. :roll:
 
If anyone who ever digs a gold ring, and thinks to themselves: "That sounded different", It can be easy to think: "Gee, if I could *only* harness the differentiation of that "different sound", then.... I could pass more aluminum and dig more gold. Since: After all: that gold ring 'sounded different' "

But what they don't realize is that they are merely subject to the trick of psychological selective memory bias:

Every time we stop to dig something, we subconsciously think to ourselves: "This sounds different". But when it turns out to be junk, we subconsciously poo-poo the premonitions and think "Gee, after all, it *did* sound kind of like junk". And we promptly dismiss our premonitions.

But after 100 junk signals, we FINALLY dig a gold ring, then ONLY THEN do we remember our premonitions and think "Aha ! I knew it !" :roll:

It's no different than when you wake up in the morning, and it feels like your "dream came true" (eg.: hearing the song on your alarm radio that you were just dreaming about, etc....). You think " Aha ! I'm psychic !". But the truth is, that we dream hundreds of dreams per night, none of which come true. So we promptly forget them all within 10 seconds of waking up. But if one coincidentally comes true, we think : "Aha ! I'm psychic !" So too does the same apply to md'ing.
 
I have just set a fairly narrow range on any of my machines to collect nickels along with high conductors....the Bill S trashy park pattern....when I don’t seem to have enough high conductors alone to pay attention to. This is on turf. There’s NO way I can be gunning for ALL low-mids, it’s not possible. It’s not enjoyable or physically possible.
I will submit that a couple of rings I’ve found DID have a very short and “stout” audio quality to them which was different. This was with the Explorer and 5” Sunray coil. Wanna know the kicker? They were both COPPER. So it does no good, even IF the sound “seemed” to be different than that of a coin or junk. The smattering of gold rings I’ve found have been found digging nickel signals.
 
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I’ve found that old front yards are great for silver halves. I’ve dug over a dozen in front yards with the Explorer. Still have my DFX, great for locking in on those shallow conductors. Absolutely killer on property stakes, it’s my go-to when I get a request to locate those boundary markers.
 
Tom, there is no mis-information in my post...I was giving MY opinion as others do. and yes, not an act of GOD but I can hear tonal differences in targets in the same VDI range... can I say for certain as you suggest that said object will be Gold over trash? I never said that. I posted about the difference in tone... I use the E-trac in multi tone , it gives higher or lower, louder or softer, smooth or rough, broken or consistent tones... so again yes... a nickel has a very strong solid tone both ways, and in the same VDI range a pull tab has a slightly quieter tone that changes slightly when turning 90 degrees...
I'm not gonna highjack this thread just to constantly rebut you like you want... I try not to post on here as much just for that fact... have a nice day... HH
 
My entire hunting up till lately has been all about chasing the elusive silver coins.I think I got em all,,my junk drawer is loaded with just about everything coin related and I just don’t seem to be able to hit nothing but wheats,not even worth the effort..I know the old saying,if your finding wheats you’ll get silver..not in my stomping grounds,I got em.
So,I’ve changed to hunting low conductors,you got it,I want gold jewlery,or whatever is cool in the low conductor range.
But hell,it’s hard to dig everything.So I got the 800 again,figured it will help.Great machine but for me I just dislike the compressed ID. So I bought a DFX too cause everyone raves about how well it IDs rings and bla bla bla.. I’m not a whites guy,never have been.Dont have a college degree in engineering either,which I think is required to understand the DFX.
I did locate two gold items last year,found both with the explorer se pro. And both were deep,and the explorer just locked On and wouldn’t let me walk away from either one.Never experienced that with any other machine,let alone a dedicated coin hound like Fbs.
I sure do look at the beach guys here and when they post I listen.And Skippy too, he just pulls rings like it’s nobodys business from the dirt. All the successful jewlery hunters all seem to use different rigs,so I’m assuming it’s a lot more than the machine your using. But man,that light just hasn’t come on yet,no matter what I’m using.
Just a little frustrated,had my dfx up and was gonna get somthing else ,god only knows why.But it fell through,so I’m stuck with that dinosaur for a little while longer,maybe try to do some more reading on it and figure out what makes it so great for jewlery in others opinions.
I was always told if you wanna dance you gotta pay the fiddler. Sure hope he takes pulltabs and pop tops,cause the gold just don’t seem to come for me.

interesting! you say you got all the silver, yet you continue to locate wheat ear cents.this has ALWAYS been the "barometer" so to speak, of locating silver in the site as well.point is, if "silver" has been eliminated as you put it, then those "wheats" shouldn't be there either.if it was me i would continue to hunt those areas until "all" the wheats are gone, and even thence would never write the site off, but continue to wack it every so often for as long as possible.again,"key indicator" is that wheats are STILL being found!..I'm just sayin'

(h.h.!)
j.t.
 
It's not the machine, it's the location and determination of the hunter.
In the right location with a new detector if someone finds 2 gold rings they'll think it's a gold killer.. I bet anyone coming from a 'muffler on a stick' to a real detector thinks it's almost magical too.

I have just set a fairly narrow range on any of my machines to collect nickels along with high conductors....the Bill S trashy park pattern....when I don’t seem to have enough high conductors alone to pay attention to. This is on turf. There’s NO way I can be gunning for ALL low-mids, it’s not possible. IT’S NOT ENJOYABLE or physically possible. .........The smattering of gold rings I’ve found have been found digging nickel signals.

^^ This is what I do in a trashy areas and the nickel/zincoln signals are my only chance for gold. In a good location, beach, farm field, ball field or clean yard (yes, they do exist), I'll dig everything above iron. There's still very very little gold to be found except maybe on beaches.
 
True , location is #1. Do you have to dig till tour arms fall off ? No. But in all my years , the guys who consistently pull quantities of gold do just that. Particularly at a swimming/water environment. Skippy and a few others seem to do well on gold in the dirt. But none will ever get the quantities as a water hunter. Skippy has a thread somewhere on what he does , it's good.

On a wet sand beach , I dig about 90% of all targets. In the dirt that's not possible. One of the reasons I've never been a serious dirt digger. Aluminum and nickels do sound and register like gold. There are a few little tricks around this , but that is another thread. Contrary to what Tom says , I have on occasion hit a signal where I KNEW it was a gold ring. PERIOD. Not some physiological , after the fact mind trick. He himself says he would have passed a low grunt on a gold chain his buddy found. Which leads me to believe on his "nail riddled" wharf beach that he has passed gold with his detector. If his challengers would have stuck it out and dug more , I think they all would be surprised.

Regardless it is still a numbers game. The more you dig , the higher chances of you finding gold if that is your objective. But 1st you must start off with a good location. Experience 2nd. And selection of detector and equipment 3rd.
 
... but I can hear tonal differences in targets in the same VDI range... ...

There is no dispute to this statement. But the devil is in the details, when it comes to going from this statement, to thinking that gold and aluminum "sound different". Here's why :

Because SO TOO does each aluminum glob "sound different from each other". And SO TOO does each pair of gold rings "sound different from each other". And so too can I find an aluminum glob and a gold ring that will "sound identical".

Thus yes, all objects "sound different", but there is not a particular class of "sound" that is "primarily gold" vs "primarily aluminum". Am I making sense ?

I saw a dealer make a video where he waived a few aluminum objects, that each gave a certain sound (abrupt, or short or choppy, or tone or whatever). Then he waved a gold ring, and .... sure .... it "sounded different" than the prior aluminum objects. But what this test fails to take into consideration, is that SO TOO will each gold ring variation sound different from each other as well. And so too will each aluminum glob sound different from each other.

So the question is not "do they sound different ?". The question is: Can that be harnessed to tell aluminum apart from gold ? And the answer is : No. And if anyone tries to say differently, all you have to do is say "Let's go to a junky park and you show me". You will never find anyone to accept that challenge, that can show you anything better than 1) random eventual odds, or 2) notching, which is not the same as telling aluminum apart from gold.
 
... hit a signal where I KNEW it was a gold ring. PERIOD. Not some physiological , after the fact mind trick.....

Notice that I called this selective memory psychological trick : "Subconscious". Guess what subconscious means ? Subconscious means you/we/me are unaware that it is going on. Thus, sure, we will all deny to our dying day that it was selective memory bias going on.

And if I'm wrong, and someone can hear a signal and "know it's going to be gold. PERIOD", then there's a simple test to test this out : Merely take them to a blighted junky park, and have them flag those signals that they "know are going to be gold rings". What do you think the results of this test would be ? :?:
 
interesting! you say you got all the silver, yet you continue to locate wheat ear cents.this has ALWAYS been the "barometer" so to speak, of locating silver in the site as well.point is, if "silver" has been eliminated as you put it, then those "wheats" shouldn't be there either.if it was me i would continue to hunt those areas until "all" the wheats are gone, and even thence would never write the site off, but continue to wack it every so often for as long as possible.again,"key indicator" is that wheats are STILL being found!..I'm just sayin'

(h.h.!)
j.t.

Yes,I got all the silver. Took the 800 out today for a short spin, 4 wheats ,a nickel and a quarter. I think the etrac sucked all the silver out if my spots. Just some old wheats left...
As for tonal difference in gold, I can say it sounds more solid imo, but then again it could be my imagination. Hell,who knows
 

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Hi Woodbutcher.

Pay no attention to Tom. I like his posts....the more people he can discourage from jewelry hunting the less competition there is for my treasure of choice....gold jewelry!

The DFX is a good detector, even if it is long in the tooth. If you are just going to use it to hunt gold jewelry then I'd recommend you configure it for just jewelry. Put it in single Frequency 15 kHz, turn Id normalization off, Set your disc around -25, notch out everything above zinc cent. Put the filter on 3, set the sweep speed on 3, set your recovery speed so that small targets sound small, and turn tone id on so you can hear the conductive ranges. Gold is going to sound small and solid. Your signagraph is going to hold real steady.

When you are adjusting your gain settings, always focus on getting the best audio response possible on something gold....not about loudness, but where you can hear how nice and tight the gold signal is. Gold is small and tight, and full sounding.

The real key to finding gold jewelry is understanding why it gets lost and learning to identify the spots that have the highest potential to contain lost jewelry. Once you get that down, which only comes with experience, you are made in the shade.

Good Luck
 
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