Any suggestion for hunting this site?

[Dan(NM)]

Other than a 6" coil, settings, disc pattern etc. This place used to be a WW1 training camp with up to 30,000 men stationed there between 1917-1918. The place covers over 2000 acres and the nails are everywhere. The tents had platforms plus the other buildings where wood. When they shut the camp down they took everything except the nails. I tried hunting combined tones, fast and high trash, but when I tested a non-ferrous target on the ground all I got was an iron tone. There are as many under the dirt as above and to top it off the dirt is loaded with black sand, what your thoughts and advise? I'm still in the learning phase.

 

[CT Todd]

Well the 6" coil is the smart move although I would hunt it with my stock coil most likely. 6" bores me. I wouldn't use any discrimination at all as the null would be way to much. I would hunt it in auto plus 3 and to say slow would be an understatement. I would also be prepared for endless disappointment. During non detecting times I would spend the time looking for a better location to detect.

 

[Jason in Enid]

dig and sift

 

[sprchng]

Rake , magnetic broom , then detect
http://www.harborfreight.com/30-inch-magnetic-sweeper-with-wheels-93245.html

 

[ML]

A couple of beers....before, during, and after. The last few hairs on my head would certainly fall out trying to hunt there. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

 

[IDXMonster]

Dan- all of the above is valid advice for sure, especially the one about going somewhere else...have you tried FE/Coin separation? If you put a coin on top of the ground and get an iron tone in FE/Coin you might have something wrong with your settings, specifically Tone Profile settings.

 

[sube]

It looks like the nails or a problem ferrous coin would be the best mode to use ( ferrous coin separates ferrous from non-ferrous ) however since you have highly mineralize soil your biggest problem is the ground what are your sensitivity #s if there low then it would be wise to go to ground coin ( ground coin separates ground from non-ferrous ) now ground coin won't separate ferrous from non-ferrous as well as ferrous coin it likes to put all iron in the bottom right corner ferrous coin will give both signals coin and nail on the screen separate .

So run ground coin but you well have to attack this from two ways north and south and east and west for best results . Ferrous coin is for low mineralization however I have run ferrous coin with my since as low as 15 and still do pretty well a little more falsing because of the hotter ground but still works so we really need your sensitivity #s .

Another thing the magnet idea would get rid of some of the problem ground coin is like high trash where the ferrous #s fluctuates if you get any #s reading 25.45 or there abouts and is stable I would dig as long as it's not in the right corner. I would disc out 32 to 35 and be listening for any thing that gave a signal and then check it in ferrous coin to see where it puts it on the screen . And don't be afraid to run the stock coil it separates very well and covers a lot more ground than the 6 . Of course in the end you will come up with the best mode and settings for this site so experiment and let us no how it goes . sube

 

[Dan(NM)]

It looks like the nails or a problem ferrous coin would be the best mode to use ( ferrous coin separates ferrous from non-ferrous ) however since you have highly mineralize soil your biggest problem is the ground what are your sensitivity #s if there low then it would be wise to go to ground coin ( ground coin separates ground from non-ferrous ) now ground coin won't separate ferrous from non-ferrous as well as ferrous coin it likes to put all iron in the bottom right corner ferrous coin will give both signals coin and nail on the screen separate .

So run ground coin but you well have to attack this from two ways north and south and east and west for best results . Ferrous coin is for low mineralization however I have run ferrous coin with my since as low as 15 and still do pretty well a little more falsing because of the hotter ground but still works so we really need your sensitivity #s .

Another thing the magnet idea would get rid of some of the problem ground coin is like high trash where the ferrous #s fluctuates if you get any #s reading 25.45 or there abouts and is stable I would dig as long as it's not in the right corner. I would disc out 32 to 35 and be listening for any thing that gave a signal and then check it in ferrous coin to see where it puts it on the screen . And don't be afraid to run the stock coil it separates very well and covers a lot more ground than the 6 . Of course in the end you will come up with the best mode and settings for this site so experiment and let us no how it goes . sube[/quote

I started my sensitivity in auto, but, it was only running around 7 sometimes 9, I switched to manual and bumped it to 18. We're going back with magnets and rakes and clear several test spots to see if it's even worth dedicating much time here. We both feel there is quite a bit of WW1 stuff hidden among the iron. Thanks for all the info.