As it is everywhere, it has been very hot here lately. With the humidity our heat index has been over 100 nearly every day for about 2 weeks straight. Hasn't stopped me entirely though...I had to get out and metal detect a few hours here and there when I could get away. Not a lot of luck however, a couple of dollars worth of clad, many pull tabs and screw tops, and the finds pictured. I'm finding it difficult, even with the screen protector film, to read my etrac screen when the sun is shining and it's hot. I am sure you all feel the same about that issue, it is extremely frustrating to have to turn your machine this way and that to try to decipher what the numbers and read outs are on signals. I have a theory about why our machines have this problem but....that's for another post. The finds I have pictured here are all from an extremely trashy site where some houses have been demolished. There are pull tabs and other metal items littering the surface and for several inches deep. A few days ago, however, I purchased a 6x8 SEF coil for such sites and went to try it out today. A few feet away from my van I "dug" a memorial penny (dirt is hard as a rock after having been packed by heavy equipment and then subjected to extreme heat and direct sunlight) and then less than 2 feet from that I hit a 12-42, 12-43 signal. I figured it was just another memorial as those are numbers I'm hitting them on at this site but out pops a 1917D Mercury, pretty worn but it is silver. All of this area I hit last week with my stock 11" procoil but it was just too hard to isolate good signals with all of the conductive metal trash .... and after staring at my black screen for an hour or so, I just gave up. I did manage to pull out the Missouri Chauffer's pin with the procoil last week, it hit at 12-46 and I was thinking silver but it's made out of aluminum. Couldn't figure out why it hit on that number until I returned today and found a memorial penny in the same plug. I guess the penny and pin were hitting together to make the 12-46. Also found today with the 6x8 were the two tokens (anyone recognize the one with the Rabbit? It has the letters P R and HB with the number 5 seperating the four letters). Looks like an old piece, the signal and numbers were the same as the 14 memorial pennies I dug today in the area but I always dig those numbers, just never know. Also retrieved a Missouri tax token, pretty common here and hit on 12-26, then there's part of a harmonica reed, a wasted junk jewelry heart with a picture of two sweethearts in it (another dissapointing 12-46 target!), and the big crusty round thing with the flag on it is the top of a very old bell of some kind I guess. Wish it were whole and in better condition. The smashed memorial penny (railway near here, I guess someone laid it on the tracks and then lost it later) and the little button were finds from last week with the 11" procoil. But I am really liking the 6x8 coil for trashy areas. Besides what I have pictured, I dug at least 13 memorial pennies, 2 clad dimes and lots of trash, but it was a lot easier isolating signals with the smaller coil. I'm going to try it tomorrow at another very trashy site that was a pre-civil war fairgrounds and later a long term camp ground for Union troops. Last time I was there I found notta and was told by someone living in the area that it has been hit pretty hard by 4 or 5 different metal detectorists. Before them, and after the houses that were on the lot were torn down, he said his brother picked up 3 three ring bullets there. I'm hoping the smaller coil will help me find a few CW relics and I hope, I hope, I hope, some old silver from the fairgrounds. Wish me luck!!!
HH to you all and here's hoping the heat breaks soon!!
Brad.
HH to you all and here's hoping the heat breaks soon!!
Brad.
