39/ Understanding “Out of Range” Responses
There is nothing more exciting than getting a solid signal with the Racer that is too deep for the ID circuit to “lock on” to. At some of the sites I hunt, these often turn out to be turn-of -the-century coins or artifacts. These signals appear on the meter as “-----”. To begin with try:
-varying your sweep speed, length and direction to try and bring up an ID.
-begin increasing the Gain to try and bring the signal into ID range.
-try reducing the Gain to lessen the effect of nearby iron targets.
You can also do a quick ground balance beside the target to make sure that the machine is tuned for that exact ground.
Finally, the manual suggests that you try a slowed sweep as well.
If there were to be a main underlying theme of this book, it would be that many of the advanced methods that make for a highly effective hunter have a “grounding” in simple basic skills. These skills such as “sizing” targets, depth estimation by ear, and “discriminating” in all metal mode are learnt partly at the bench. Becoming skilled with the Racer--either in “Reverse Hunting” or in recognizing good ”out of range” responses has a basis in these skills.
That said, finding an effective method of confirming these targets can produce some real surprises. Many of the out of range responses I've gotten
have come in at 9 or 10 inches plus on the depth meter. Now, it's a basic principle of pulse hunting that the deeper a small target responds from, the more likely it is of being non-ferrous. This is because non-ferrous objects
“carry” a signal to the surface with more strength. Conversely, ferrous targets blend with the ground more, electrically speaking--producing a larger, surrounding field. This field also caries to the surface, but in a much wider, less consistent shape. So the most important test you can do with an out of range signal is the most basic: Is it narrow or wide in Pinpoint and / or All Metal mode? Again, being able to make good calls with this test comes from time spent bench testing, and time in the field. It's worth noting also that there is a “middle ground” to this target test in that many objects
that are valuable will be made of metals that corrode into the ground. Brass, lead, and tin are examples. As a generality though, coin signals (and most
brass curio objects) will be narrow, sharp and distinct--even if they are faint. In All-Metal mode, even partially masked signals will usually have a stronger “center” that tells you where the non-ferrous object is sitting.
For the most part, when a target will not “lock on”--there's good reason. The most common reason is that the machine cannot separate it from the
surrounding ground. This is often the case with corroded nickels. Generally, when a target is not giving an ID, it's a good idea to be optimistic but at the same time--extra stringent with your tests--especially those that tell you the size and consistency. Based upon the out of range responses I’ve dug, the way to become more accurate with these is to watch for stuff that’s not more or less symmetrical (elongated) or just too small to be anything of value. This is where telling the depth by ear comes in.
40/ Out of Range Responses Cycle
-acquire an out of range response
-use the cross-sweep to check its shape size and consistency
-Three Tone: does it stay in the coin range?
-Two Tone: does the added depth of this mode bring up an ID ? What does the VCO tell you about the size and depth?
-circle the target using different sweep directions / lengths / speeds to try and bring up an ID
-use Pinpoint mode to get the exact location and depth. Are these consistent with a coin sized object? Does the VCO confirm this?
- in All Mode, try and get an ID and make a ferrous / non-ferrous determination.
-assess the signal based upon all of the above sources of information.
-dig / not dig?
Not to say this is written in stone but it’s worked well for me at a lot of tough sites.
(From "Mastering the Makro Racer" by Clive James Clynick)
There is nothing more exciting than getting a solid signal with the Racer that is too deep for the ID circuit to “lock on” to. At some of the sites I hunt, these often turn out to be turn-of -the-century coins or artifacts. These signals appear on the meter as “-----”. To begin with try:
-varying your sweep speed, length and direction to try and bring up an ID.
-begin increasing the Gain to try and bring the signal into ID range.
-try reducing the Gain to lessen the effect of nearby iron targets.
You can also do a quick ground balance beside the target to make sure that the machine is tuned for that exact ground.
Finally, the manual suggests that you try a slowed sweep as well.
If there were to be a main underlying theme of this book, it would be that many of the advanced methods that make for a highly effective hunter have a “grounding” in simple basic skills. These skills such as “sizing” targets, depth estimation by ear, and “discriminating” in all metal mode are learnt partly at the bench. Becoming skilled with the Racer--either in “Reverse Hunting” or in recognizing good ”out of range” responses has a basis in these skills.
That said, finding an effective method of confirming these targets can produce some real surprises. Many of the out of range responses I've gotten
have come in at 9 or 10 inches plus on the depth meter. Now, it's a basic principle of pulse hunting that the deeper a small target responds from, the more likely it is of being non-ferrous. This is because non-ferrous objects
“carry” a signal to the surface with more strength. Conversely, ferrous targets blend with the ground more, electrically speaking--producing a larger, surrounding field. This field also caries to the surface, but in a much wider, less consistent shape. So the most important test you can do with an out of range signal is the most basic: Is it narrow or wide in Pinpoint and / or All Metal mode? Again, being able to make good calls with this test comes from time spent bench testing, and time in the field. It's worth noting also that there is a “middle ground” to this target test in that many objects
that are valuable will be made of metals that corrode into the ground. Brass, lead, and tin are examples. As a generality though, coin signals (and most
brass curio objects) will be narrow, sharp and distinct--even if they are faint. In All-Metal mode, even partially masked signals will usually have a stronger “center” that tells you where the non-ferrous object is sitting.
For the most part, when a target will not “lock on”--there's good reason. The most common reason is that the machine cannot separate it from the
surrounding ground. This is often the case with corroded nickels. Generally, when a target is not giving an ID, it's a good idea to be optimistic but at the same time--extra stringent with your tests--especially those that tell you the size and consistency. Based upon the out of range responses I’ve dug, the way to become more accurate with these is to watch for stuff that’s not more or less symmetrical (elongated) or just too small to be anything of value. This is where telling the depth by ear comes in.
40/ Out of Range Responses Cycle
-acquire an out of range response
-use the cross-sweep to check its shape size and consistency
-Three Tone: does it stay in the coin range?
-Two Tone: does the added depth of this mode bring up an ID ? What does the VCO tell you about the size and depth?
-circle the target using different sweep directions / lengths / speeds to try and bring up an ID
-use Pinpoint mode to get the exact location and depth. Are these consistent with a coin sized object? Does the VCO confirm this?
- in All Mode, try and get an ID and make a ferrous / non-ferrous determination.
-assess the signal based upon all of the above sources of information.
-dig / not dig?
Not to say this is written in stone but it’s worked well for me at a lot of tough sites.
(From "Mastering the Makro Racer" by Clive James Clynick)
