Can You Use Tone and/or ID To Tell Type Of Coin On GT?

[Critterhunter]

Since I've got a used GT on the way with the new Minelab meter I began to read up on the VDI numbers I can expect. I was surprised that despite the large amount of numbers the unit can display it doesn't seem to have the ability to seperate copper pennies, dimes, quarters (all clad), or even silver dimes, quarters, halfs, etc. I would have figured that the numerical ID would be slightly different for most of the coins. While on my QXT Pro it only had a penny and "COIN" zone, I could figure out what the coin likely was based on both the audio response and the tendency of the meter on a target (IE: Zincs in the penny range, copper pennies bounced evenly between penny and coin, clad dimes stayed mostly in the coin zone but would hit penny here and there, quarters stayed in the coin zone, silver dimes stayed in the coin zone but had a higher pitch than clad dimes, silver quarters stayed in the coin zone and were also higher pitched than a clad quarter yet more round and fuzzy than a silver dime).

I'm hoping there are sound and visual clues to what the coin is on the GT just like there were hints in the QXT Pro. I know the old rule...don't rely on the meter. Still, I do like to have a clue as to what the coin might be before I dig it just for the anticipation factor. A friend's 6000 Pro XL with the old analog meter gives a much more refined target ID. He can tell by where the needle is if it's likely a clad dime, silver dime, clad quarter, silver quarter, half, and even dollar. Seems strange that a digital meter wouldn't have the same resolution. Are any of the analog ones for the GT ability to do this?

 

[Bling]

over 3 years of useing a GT iv gotten pretty good at tone id...i do know a copper penny from Gold or Silver but you must be careful iv had more than one silver ring sound just like a clad dime.

 

[Beachnut]

Hello Critterhunter

I to am a newbie / non-expert to the GT as I got mine almost 2 weeks ago, with the meter. Yes the meter has helped a lot! But I hope to be able to do without it eventually. I start out by throwing a quarter down, and adjusting / calibrating the meter to read 170 to the quarter. (Need to re-set the meter at the beginning of each new hunt as it seems to change). When you have it set, it stays put fairly well. As you hunt, each coin / target does have a different sound, and reading. A Gold ring is like 138-144, Nickle; near 155, penny / dime 164-166, Quarter 169-172. You can determine depth with intensity of sound over the target. the louder the squeal, the shallower the target. You mentioned your friends Whites 6000 Pro, I have the DI Pro SL with the analog meter, yes you can read penny, dime, quarter, but you will be digging 3 times as much trash with the Whites as you will with the GT! When the GT "sounds off" the likely hood of having a valid, good target is so much better than the Whites.

I just put a new 12 x 15 SEF coil on from Kellyco on my GT today, boy is it different! You get readings off your sand scoop even with it nearly 3 - 4 feet away from the top of the coil! Now that's a BIG AIR test! I noticed right away that it is way more sensitive than the stock 10" coil as I rarely had the sand scoop in my other hand setting the 10" coil off. The 12 x !0 IS heavier, but you cover so much more ground, and it does seem to go deeper. Penny's still seem to hit hard and the best on the GT, even with the SEF coil! I also learned how to hunt trashy dry sand today. Instead of fighting the sensitivity control in manual mode, (which was just not working out no mater how reduced I turned it), just fling it into auto, and hunt away! It screens out most all the trash, yet still hits good and hard on coins and Jewelry. I found a 12 - 14" fine silver chain with a quarter sized silver "peace" sign on it. It hit real loud, meter read 174, thought I had a quarter! All this in a very trashy beach area! Then it hit on a silver bracelet with diamonds. (I think it is fake though).

Good luck with yours when you get it.

Beachnut

 

[UtahRich]

This isn't unusual. I used to have a Tesoro Toltec 100 that had a meter that was arranged the same way. While it had an analog meter, all of the coins, penny and up, were grouped on the far side of the meter. So there wasn't a way to tell a penny from a silver dime or half dollar. But there was excellent separation of everything in between. Foil, Nickels, tabs, tab tongues, etc were all easily separated. For whatever reason, the engineer decided that expanding the middle section of what we think of as a standard meter was a bigger benefit that being able to sort between pennies, dimes, quarters and so forth.

At the time, I found the meter somewhat frustrating to use as I had previously used a Teknetic Mark I which had pretty good target separation both with the Meter and the audio.

I don't know why Minelab arranged their meter scale the way they did. Perhaps somebody on the forum may know. I did rescale my meter yesterday to 180. With the short amount of time I used the detector with the 550 meter, I felt that the readings were jumpy and had a difficult time settling on a given reading. I will have a better idea on how it does later today when I take it out for its maiden voyage with the adjusted meter.

As for your trouble, I just picked up a copy of "Finding Gold, Silver, and Coins with the Minelab Sovereign and Excalibur Metal Detectors" by Clive James Clynick. (2006) This is one of the better books I've acquired over the years regarding the use of a specific model of detector. It is up to date and includes info on the GT. The author minutely details target identification by metal types using the audio. i.e. copper, silver, gold, iron, steel, etc.

It doesn't solve your issue of separating out the coins with the meter, but it does lend hope that as your ear becomes attune to the audio clues, you will be able to tell the difference between clad, silver, copper, gold and so forth.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Critterhunter,I have never been able to separate copper and silver with the ID and tone with the Sovereign nor does it have a depth meter.But what it will do is separate the Zincs from the Indian Heads and early wheat's.Most who are new with this machine are not very unimpressed.By the way your GT with the 10 inch Tornado coil will give a 180 on the meter for that seated dime buried a foot or more that everyone has passed over.One of the best detectors to ID nickles I always could tell when it was going to be a Buffalo or V.Heck my old Teknetics Mark 1 could tell the difference between a clad dime and silver but no depth and still doesn't give near the information of the Sovereign.Again learn the unit and you will be impressed.No dime store cowboys here,use this unit exclusively for a month and you will understand.

 

[kered]

the only 100% way to tell what it is is to dig it out