A discovery about nickels and discussion of lower conductors

[Nick A]

I have hesitated posing about this discovery a fellow E-Trac user put me on to. However in conjunction with a discussion with another E-Trac user about why he's not finding indian head cents, it came up again and well, here's what I said to him:

"Combining the relic mode (with coins mode) really seems to help nickels come in better. (They hit harder and more solid.) Maybe adding (combining) one of the other modes would help on indians? Not sure. I believe the different modes work on different frequencies. The coin mode is set to be hot on silver - that's why it's a silver killer even in trash. This is why there is a separate mode for ferrous coins - the regular coin mode would stink on iron. Relic mode, you want brass, lead - lower conductors like nickel, so that totally makes sense that it is hotter on these (and maybe less hot on silver). Having said that, am I saying the E-Trac in coins mode might have a bias against nickel and lower conductive copper coins? Yep, I am. The E-Trac will kill silver, at the expense of lower conductive coins. I'm not saying the lower conductive coins aren't going to be detected, but their signals will be narrower and will not hit as hard as silver, so you have to work harder for them and go slow when you hit a hot spot."

 

[Elton]

Thanks

 

[grumpyolman]

I really like the way my ET grunts on nickels. No problem. I probably don't miss too many of them. The digital will jump 12-12, 12-13, 13-12, for a visual backup. Once any of the number reaches 16, it's a tab. Jim

 

[Nick A]

I guess I should clarify, OLD nickels are mainly what I am talking about and seeking. Newer nickels that are shallow, do tend to hit ok, but adding the relic setting made them hit better.

Once any of the number reaches 16, it's a tab.

I dug a 1937 buffalo nickel the week before last that was an 11-20.

I judge tabs by depth reading, not by the ID number, older coins and tokens (needless to say, gold too) are in the pulltab range. I dig tab signals that are 4" or greater in depth as that 4" is about where the "carpet" of tabs drops off.

More on that "carpet" of tabs. The tab was invented in 1962, took a few years to come in to popular use, so at least in my area, the pull tab layer is between 2" and 4" which would correlate to a time period of say, 1965-1990.

 

[Erik in NJ]

The modes have nothing to do with the frequencies as far as I know. It might be other factors in the mode that are making them hotter on certain coins.

 

[mikeeatsbugs]

i was having trouble diggin nickles too, up until recently. i used the edit function to open up that area of the standard coin program. i just shaved the edges of the black off around where they hit. i did the same for pennys too. since i did that i found 5 buffalos and an 1869 sheild nickle (pretty rough shape, but my oldest coin i found). it was only 2 inchs deep and repeated 13-15 , 13-16. thought it was a pull tab but dug it anyways cause it sounded good. i havent noticed my silver count dropping yet( knock on wood). does anyone know where i can dig up a large cent? i havent had any luck with them. mike pa

 

[Neil]

I have hesitated posing about this discovery a fellow E-Trac user put me on to. However in conjunction with a discussion with another E-Trac user about why he's not finding indian head cents, it came up again and well, here's what I said to him:

"Combining the relic mode (with coins mode) really seems to help nickels come in better. (They hit harder and more solid.) Maybe adding (combining) one of the other modes would help on indians? Not sure. I believe the different modes work on different frequencies. The coin mode is set to be hot on silver - that's why it's a silver killer even in trash. This is why there is a separate mode for ferrous coins - the regular coin mode would stink on iron. Relic mode, you want brass, lead - lower conductors like nickel, so that totally makes sense that it is hotter on these (and maybe less hot on silver). Having said that, am I saying the E-Trac in coins mode might have a bias against nickel and lower conductive copper coins? Yep, I am. The E-Trac will kill silver, at the expense of lower conductive coins. I'm not saying the lower conductive coins aren't going to be detected, but their signals will be narrower and will not hit as hard as silver, so you have to work harder for them and go slow when you hit a hot spot."

Nick mine hits nickels real good and I find plenty of them and I dont use any of the modes. I run it just like I did the explorers I had in quickmask with just a few bars. I do like the auto sens on the etrac so I use that more than manual.

do you think there is any bias/preference in quickmask? I thought the machine was opened up this way.

Neil

 

[coindude]

Maybe it is just the soil here in Denver, but I have dug pulltabs 6 to 7 inches deep, and that stinks. I keep digging though cause that is where the gold rings and old nickles are also.

 

[EZrider]

One thing about the Nicks is that more offten than not they are heavy pinta. Unlike silver that doesnt see this, nor gold. The corrosion makes a nickle bounce a bit in numbers.