3030 & My Coin Garden Some Questions

[Buried Crap NJ]

First off I am NOT dissing the 3030. But in my attempt to better understand the new machine I went out to my coin garden for some testing. Funny story first. I planted this coin garden way back in 1991 and lost the map to where I planted each coin and what they were and depth! I would still use it to check out different settings in the blind. I have just last week found the map and today went out to PP the coins once again. First thing I noticed was the trees grew over twenty years so that was going to make the coins about 5 or more inches off from the starting point. I was using the 3030 and the preset coin mode. I was able to find the .50 cent piece first and then the quarter. But the other coins were not able to be heard with a solid tone, if I were hunting I would not of found some.
What I did was to get the GT out and look for them. The meter on the GT was pretty close to the target ID with the 180 being about 177 and the nickle being 145.I was able to find them all with the nickle being the hardest. I marked them out with poker chips and then rechecked them with the 3030 and now was able to work them to a tone. None of the coins are deeper than 6in and most are around 4in and they are all flat not on edge.They range from a 50 cent piece to a penny with wheats and Indians silver dimes and quarters.When the 3030 was swung over the targets only a few came up on the screen as a FE-CO number?The numbers that came up were correctly identified. With Gonehuntings combined mode program I was better able to hear them. Makes me wonder what if I am doing something wrong with the 3030. I have a hell of alot more time with the GT and only about 160hrs with the 3030 but with only a couple of hrs in the dirt.. Should this be a concern to me? Or is it natural for the targets not to show a number but still sound good even at 4 or 5 inches.
BCNJ

 

[Erik in NJ]

That's a bit worrying to say the least, but hopefully getting the machine set up right will help. Do you have an SE Pro that you can compare it to? I have 5 Minelab machines (2 XSs, SE Pro, eTrac, & 3030) as well as a Garrett 2500 and an F75 Limited Edition that you are welcome to try in your coin garden if you're not too far from me. Drop Bryce a PM and see if he can help with the settings--he's about the best out there.

Best, Erik

 

[C&RHunter]

It may just be some settings need adjusted. Could you provide a little more info on what some of your other settings were? Were you using auto or manual sensitivity, and what the sensitivity numbers were when trying to locate your coins. Also, what Target Separation setting, such as high trash, ferrous-coin, etc, were you using....The sweep speed with your coil could be a factor, as I understand the Minelabs perform better using a slower sweep speed than some detectors.......There are many on here with a lot of time on the CTX already and they have had a lot of success with this machine...HH

 

[Buried Crap NJ]

The first time trying to locate the targets was the factory preset coin program. Then I was using the conbine mode with ground coin,sens. manual 24 ,deep off,fast on,gain 20,open screen FE line 24 This gave the better tones. But still some coins would not show on the screen. the Whaet pennie and copper penny showed. the quarter and half showed up with good numbers. The nickle dime and indain, nothing came up. These were all between 4 and 5 inches laying flat. Like I said in the first post I would have walked pass these if hunting, but once I knew there locations I was able to here them well. With a very slow steady sweep. Don't get me wrong I have recoverd hundreds of coins in a beach setting with gold mixed in during hunts. This was just a jee wiz lets see what the coins look like inthe dirt. I was not impressed. But am keeping an open mind. I am quite sure it's settings. I have dug coins over 6 inches on ahunt in the dirt. Just concearned about the garden thing. Could be outside EMF from the house/yard. No wires above but 110vac electrical burried about 20ft away? Maybe?
BCNJ

 

[Buried Crap NJ]

That's a bit worrying to say the least, but hopefully getting the machine set up right will help. Do you have an SE Pro that you can compare it to? I have 5 Minelab machines (2 XSs, SE Pro, eTrac, & 3030) as well as a Garrett 2500 and an F75 Limited Edition that you are welcome to try in your coin garden if you're not too far from me. Drop Bryce a PM and see if he can help with the settings--he's about the best out there.

Best, Erik

Eric I am in Toms River.

 

[Buried Crap NJ]

Ok I went out and tried some different options. I set the deep on fast offand that made some difference. I also changed up to ferrous coin and that made all but the nickle appear on the screen The nickle is at 5in. Even target trace had some change in the way the machine acted.With some playing around I was able to put my mind at ease as far as the operation goes. This little experiment will go along way to help me move along the learning curve.I was kinda worried about the results when I first ran through the garden. Any other help would still be welcome .
BCNJ

 

[C&RHunter]

Glad to hear some settings changes are helping. It is odd that the nickel is being so difficult. You said these coins have been buried 20 years or so. Maybe over the years, the winter and summer weather conditions have altered the positioning of the coins in the ground. Possibly not laying flat any longer? I'm grasping at reasons for that nickel to be so elusive........Thanks for the update of your testing.....HH

 

[Jason in TN]

Run the sensitivity up higher if it will allow that would help a lot I believe.

Jason

 

[GateKeeper]

I had the same problem as you stated. I ended up running in Combineferrous coin, deep on, auto +3,
and then cranked the gain up to 30. Seems the gainmade all the difference in the world.
CTX is now killing the silvers, wheaties and Indians.
Try it and see if it helps

 

[earthmansurfer]

What I have noticed with the ground settings is the following:

High Trash: In mineralized ground the coins will sometimes move all over the place. The "bounce" is not as clear as on the E-Trac. The instructions state you can use it in all ground conditions, but I don't find that to always be true.
Ferrous Coin: This seems to be the best for me (somewhat iron mineralized ground). It locks targets to the 12 Fe Line.
Ground Coin: Sort of in between the above two in my ground. I would say high trash is more stable but it is close. It clearly needs more mineralization to be effective. Otherwise, the cursor can be way off the 12 Fe line.

Fast On or Off never causes me to miss or get targets. Just as on the E-Trac fast on (at depth though!) can clip signals and somewhat distort VID's (not as bad as E-Trac). I imagine in extremely trashy areas, fast on will make a bigger difference than I have noticed. But the CTX is much faster than an E-Trac anyway, hence why I think "extremely trashy" places will make a bigger difference.

Deep On shouldn't make a difference, in a good way, unless your gain is WAY down. Others have posted that. I find Deep On to not do anything with my gain at 23, except it often slows the response.

I'm Curious what your ground mineralization is like, consider my above comments.

C&R Hunter - The CTX seems to hit coins on edge/angle better than my E-Trac, which I would hope is better than an older machine. I can't believe that that could be a reason for his CTX missing targets.

Albert

 

[hershey1]

BC in NJ looks like you have touched all the bases as far as settings. Maybe the CTX does have a few character defects because it seems we have all found shallow targets the E-Tac has missed but I am like the other guy about the nickle. Nickles and IHs seem to hit hard in my ground. I have'nt used manual sensitivity much Auto + works well in my ground. Thanks for posting your results. HH

 

[grouser]

I have found my firsst and second EVER IH nickels with the 3030,,,your may have turn to an off postion or something ??