A small nail laying directly on top of a silver dime doesn't

[jabbo]

mask the dime, the signal is strong and smooth in discriminate mode. But raise the nail 2 - 3 inches and the signal is short and broken.

 

[SNOWY]

Jabbo, I'm guessing by lifting the nail closer to the coil the coil is "seeing" the nail first.
Then maybe the nail would be discriminating out before the dime was picked up,
this could effect you getting a clear signal on the dime.

Whereas with the nail resting on the coin both the nail and the coin are being "seen" by the coil at the same time.
Then the dime having the best of the two signals over rides the nails signal...

Possible ?

 

[jabbo]

The coin was layed on a cardboard box, then some wood pieces piled on, then the nail was placed on the wood. The nail cancelled out the coin signal, probably happens all the time when we're hunting. I usually hunt in all metal mode and check the target in disc. mode.

 

[SNOWY]

Yeah Jabbo, a case of good old fashioned "masking."
There must be a lot of keepers out there masquerading as nails eh!

 

[Steve(MS)]

Yep. If you have nail(s) above a coin, chances are it will get masked out. It doesn't matter what detector you use. The best senario is to have iron on the same level as the good target and even then there is no guarantee the good target will give a signal. Detectors generally lock on to the stronger signal, in your case it is the nail. Some detectors do better in nails than others but none of them do well with nails far above a good target. Try scattering a few nails around a coin (on the same level) and see what happens, it always helps to know how your detector reacts in given situations.
HH

 

[dahut]

My first find ever was a silver coin, a MERC dime, that gave a broken signal in one direction, a good response in the other . I was a virgin back then, with my first detector, a Silver Sabre II. I didn't know squat about detecting, but had talked to Chuck Clevenger a lot prior to purchase. He told me the one rule to remember... "Set your DISC at the notch below nickle and dig all repeating signals that sound good in at least one direction."

So, with those words echoing in my mind, I dug.

Out of the hole came the MERC - - and a large, rusty 3" nail. That nail was partially masking the dime, I'm certain. The dime had gone unrecovered, in a heavily hunted park, for that reason.

I now hunt with tone detectors almost exclusively, so I can monitor iron presence on the fly. I dont care much for displays (except VDI numbering) and I rarely buy monotone detectors unless I can't pass up the deal. I currently have only two:

A Vaquero - I got a good deal... $285 w/ the 5.75 coil. 'Couldnt pass it up.
A Tiger Shark - For fresh water, it is the only choice. The 1280X is the best 2nd place.

I think EVERY detector made should feature an IRON ID tone.
The units I reach for most often? The Golden or the Garrett 1350 GTP. They both have it.

 

[nick hunter]

There's a trick to search nail-packed and iron-infested areas. but you will need a manual ground balance feature. Sweep, in all metal, above a nail while turning your ground balance knob clockwise. At a certain point, THE NAIL WILL STOP RESPONDING. mark this setting. Now in the field, search first in normal disc setting, then in all metal with the ground balance at your nail elimination setting.

Not only will you find those non ferrous targets that were previously masked, (NO MATTER HOW THEY WERE MASKED, SO A DIME 3" UNDER A NAIL WILL RESPOND), but you will get positive readings on IRON ALLOYS, like tools, electro-plated coins and objects, and other partly ferrous targets.

HH

Nick the Belgian

 

[SNOWY]

Hey Nick, that's worth remembering...

Thanks for passing that on...

 

[dahut]

So you balance the detector to the nails, basically. I assume that when you move away from the nail infestation, you must rebalance.

 

[nick hunter]

Exactly.

I use it to re-scan an iron infested area, after having searched with automatic GB in disc. The trick is only ment to check the area for masking.

Aussies might find the trick useful, as their electro-plated steel coins will, using the trick, read positive and won't mask the better coins.

Nick

 

[jabbo]

It was an air test, items layed on a cardboard box. I stay away from nail infested areas, too hard to search.

 

[tabdog]

n/t

 

[tabdog]

I kind of agree about a low tone for iron.

But when I'm hunting, the iron low tone is seldom used by me.

I have a Euro Sabre which has an Iron ID feature. It has a low tone

for iron and gives a broken tone for some conductors.

But when I'm am hunting I use the single tone option or all metal for most

all of my hunting needs.

I use the iron blank more often for a check.

The all metal and disc give me good info.

I find that the single tone lets me hear masking better than a low tone or

a mix of tones.

I tried for a long time with the low tone, but came to the conclusion that

the single tone is better for me to ID targets.

I'm hooked on the Tesoro single tone.

It's just what I have become very comfortable with.

HH,

 

[kurt-ks]

[quote dahut] He told me the one rule to remember... "Set your DISC at the notch below nickle and dig all repeating signals that sound good in at least one direction."

So, with those words echoing in my mind, I dug.
[/quote] Could someone explain this to a rookie, with every Tesoro I have had I find good sounding targets in one direction but when turn 90deg to pin point no signal. I was told buy others its trash move on?Sounds like I should be digging more!! Thanks--Kurt

 

[DavHut]

Two simple rules:

Any signal that repeats in at least one direction is a digger.
Any signal that repeats and indicates 3" or more in depth is a digger.