AT pro questions.

[ThierryA]

I'm quite new with metal detecting and have had approximately 40hrs of use of my AT pro. I have a few questions for the more expert detectorists. Is there anything good to dig in the 40-48 range? I don't want to leave behind any good finds, but I have quickly realized that all I dig is aluminum/foil trash. So unless anyone can convince me otherwise, I will stop digging in that range. My other question is about the "gold range": that's another area of trash digging I would like to eliminate if possible. In that range, there is never any gold, but almost always trash as well. I learned through this forum to pick up my coil with high pitch sounds and high readings to avoid digging cans, and I also know that I need to use my detector for at least 100hrs to familirarize myself with it. Though I am getting much better at it, I want your expert advice to help me resolve some of my problems. By the way, I may sound that I am whining, but I am not. I love every minute spent in the fields looking for anything good to dig.
Thank you all for your help.

 

[jim tn]

Un-fortunately, gold, particularly small gold, falls in the foil range of the 40s. Personally, un-less beach hunting, I very seldom dig those readings. I typically recover a few gold rings annually by digging nickel reading numbers and zinc cent readings. What I look for are those numbers that lock on well. And as far as zinc cent readings, many larger size rings, like class rings, fall into this area. So, yeah, there is gold in those ranges you mention, but also tons of trash. Dig or not to dig? HH jim tn

 

[John-Edmonton]

On shallow targets, it is 99% of the time tinfoil or other junk. I usually don't dig those targets, unless I am hunting an old area and a signal in that conductivity rage comes in as a deep target, I will dig it. It could be a mini ball, or a coin which has developed a thick patina on it. Also, keep in mind that deep targets don't read accurately, so you never really know what will show up. If it's deep, it's usually old.

 

[ThierryA]

Hey guys, it's me again with another question regarding my AT PRO. A few times I had a auditory and reading signals which indicated a deep target of 6-8''. Though the signal was faint, it wasn't always repeatable unless I passed over the area several times. I began digging withing the depth range indicated but no goods were found with my pinpointer. So I placed the coil over the hole/immediate surrounding area and the dirt dug up, but I received no signal as if there was nothing there. I ended up plugging the hole with nothing to show for it. Have any of you experienced this, and if so how do you explain it?
Thanks again for your valuable input

 

[mudpuppy]

Hey, Welcome!

Regarding those deep signals...yeah, this Pro is very deep...even not running full sens it can and often does hit me some very deep coins..on the beach that is...you are right, just keep running and experimenting with its language and you will soon know if its perhaps a good target, or a really deep can of some sort...
Mud

 

[John-Edmonton]

It sometimes happens. What you probably has was the remaining oxide from an old rusted piece of metal. When you started to dig for it, you disturbed the dirt, broke up the remaining oxides making the target disappear.

 

[upnorth]

You got some great info from good people here buddy. Unfortunately I am a cherry picker or predominantly dig upper range targets. I don't even bother with nickels that much unless I'm in the yard of an old house or something. It does not really bother me that I rarely find a gold ring. And I am more or less neutral about water detecting right now. I realize that I get back from the hobby whatever effort that I put into it. I find my style to be personally rewarding despite my obvious self imposed, at times, limitations. One of the interesting aspects of this hobby are all the variables. I tend to put more, or less, effort into a spot dependent upon such things as: Did the site get heavy use back in the day and now has the potential for old finds, Is it trashy and do I have the patience for that today, Has the spot been pounded hard already, Is the spot remote/obscure/virgin, Is the spot a fair grounds, pick nick grounds, an old school site etc. and thus had heavier than normal human traffic, Is the spot better to check in early spring before the grass gets too tall to swing in, Do I need to set up land trespass permissions or did I already set that up in the winter, on and on. For myself copper coins don't hold much interest for me until around the 1930's and going backward from there. But to each their own, and we all find our fun place in the hobby.

 

[ThierryA]

I appreciate the great input I have received so far. To go back to your message Chris, I agree with you about the diminished interest in finding coins from the past 2-3 decades, though I have to admit that I do feel much excitment at this point from any kind of finds. Now, you mentioned spots that have been picked hard prior; how do you know that unless you're talking about a park or a very obvious site where you know factually that detectorists have been before? you also mentioned "land trespass permission"; is it just knocking at the land owner's door to ask permission to spend time on his land, or is it something else, which I may not be familar with? since I'm a novice at this hobby, I want to know/learn as much from my expert bretheren as possible; so any trick of the trade is welcome. So, if you have any personal ways to locate good sites which you wouldn't mind sharing with me (you don't have to worry about me getting on your turf since I live in NC), I would surely appreciate any of your expertise. So, thanks a lot again for all your knowledge sharing and hope to hear from you soon

 

[dgruff]

There is a guy here in Texas that I recently met. He is like, 100% detecting every day, or looking for detectors to buy. Lol, he's DEEP into it. Heck, I guess I would be too if I had the time and no back troubles. Anyway, I digress. He has these really cool cards made up, business cards, with his name, number, and the Metal Detecting Code of Ethics on the back. I don't know if there is such a thing, but he's got it on there, and it looks really nice! I would like to have some myself, actually. He hands them out everywhere he goes, and goes up to people's houses to ask for permission. He gets a lot of places to hunt this way. Plus, it looks legit!
Oh, and to you're original post....I've found tiny ladies gold rings at a solid 42!