I forgot to mentioned that the very tiny targets were found while using a 5.5 inch search coil.The Classic 3SL does not have a meter and I don't need one on That detector.I have been using this detector for a little over 15 years and I just about know if the target is worth digging or not. Most of the time I run the disc just high enough to knock out the small iron and sometimes foil.There are some very small gold targets that I might miss even at Foil rejection.Then other times I can get 2 or 3 more inches using depth by using the BlackSand position even though I will detect a little more trash,It won't miss any gold or other tiny jewelery or small items.
It DOES pay to Know your detector like you said to know what it's telling you.That makes a World of difference.I see it on the forums all the time where someone buys a detector based on the experience of someone else and then if it didn't perform like the other person.then they trade or sell it for something else.There are a lot of Great detectors out there now for every purpose and one detector won't do it all but there are some very good General Purpose detectors that would work great for the average user.All of this talk about "You Have To Have a Certain Frequency For A Certain Type Of Target Or You Won't Find Anything" or "If You Don't Have A Meter You Won't Know What's Under Your Coil" I don't pay much attention to!
Now IF you are a Nugget Hunter You will probably need a Higher Frequency for the Small stuff.But after using this Classic 3SL with the 6.59 KHZ and a Hot little coil the targets I am finding are just as small as the Higher Frequency detectors are finding(Not including Gold nuggets),because I don't prospect for nuggets. and I'm NOT digging up nails and those pesky older crimped bottle caps to get to the Good Stuff! All through the years everyone that has either Posted,Written,or on Video,or has published that "You HAVE TO Learn Your Detector To Get The MOST Out Of It" are ALL 100% Correct No Matter what detector it is or what it cost. I've noticed that there are more newbies out there today than there ever has been and IF they take the time to really learn their detector I Believe they will be very successful with it!
Just because someone claimed to find a coin at xx inches with a certain brand that doesn't mean you will do the same thing. These days on the forums people are so obsessed with DEPTH when purchasing a new detector that they rarely ask about how well does it work in iron,target separation,etc...
It's been said a million times by me and others that are probably More Good Shallow targets masked by trash than what people have already found.For Those kind of targets I don't think Frequency will matter too much.Small coils will help for the most part as well as Fast Recovery detectors.People are so Caught up in Depth and Frequency these days that that's all that matters to them. That's fine with me! No problem! To each his own! I am just saying to give that new detector a chance and take the time to learn it and I think it Will pay off. It Does help to have optional coils,especially Small ones to work in the trash.
My Classic 3SL Modified and wearing a Hot little 5.5 inch Ferret coil is Deadly in trash and iron.I don't sweat the small stuff because my C3SL Finds it all the time with 6.59Khz.
HH!
RonK