CTX 3030 Some Disappointing Finds

[fedderdavid]

What type CTX setting should I use when detecting older areas that are littered with lots of buried soda cans, large metal jar tops, etc.? Most of my readings will indicate a silver target and turn out to be a soda can or another type of unwanted find.

This area use to have lots of old homes, which were torn down. I have retrieved at least 10 wheat pennies with my CTX along with a 1943 Walking Liberty Half Dollar in excellent condition, a Gold Bracelet, and 3 Silver Dimes with my Tesoro Compadre Detector , so I know there has to be lots of other good treasure here.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Roland58]

Sounds like a pretty good record to me, especially in the midst of all that trash. The only suggestion I would have (as a newbie myself) would be to try the 6" sniper coil in the heavily trashed areas. If you are using the 11" coil, be sure to use Target Trace and work slowly......the CTX is great at recognizing more than one target and good ones amongst the bad, i.e. a nickel in the middle of pull tabs. Not that it won't lie to you on occasion, but, hey, it is still the best one out there!

I'm still digging the pull tabs in search of the elusive gold ring.........if I live long enough, I WILL find it! Hang in there, it sounds like you are doing everything right already.

 

[INSAYN]

Fedderdavid, this is what I do when hunting areas that have the potential to have buried cans and lids.

I set my main detecting program up to run my pinpointing in "Normal" mode which allows me to notch the pinpoint down to a smaller area (basically center of the target) with a few sweeps of the coil, to nail exactly where this target is.

Then if it was a louder than normal target or too good to be true kind of tone, I will toggle to my other program that has pinpointing set to "Sizing".
Using Sizing allows you to sweep over the target as many times as you like and it will be audible the entire width of the target each sweep rather than ratchet down to center of the target.
Now, I pay attention to what this information it is telling me. If the tone is really solid and even louder than what a coin should be, and if the width of the audible tone in pinpoint is obvioiusly wider than a normal coin or coins, I will check one more thing.
I will take note of the depth reading and lift the coil up off the ground while still checking the signal (not in pinpoint mode). If the depth originally suggested 3 or more inches down, and I now have the coil 10-15 inches off the ground with still a good tone/signal, then it is NOT a coin. It will be a soda can or similar large item.

Now with that said, if I was detecting an old home site, I would probably dig most of these types of signals anyways. There is always the potential for it to be a cache of goodies. Or if nothing else it is removed and potentially unmask a coin or relic in the same area. Parks and schools will occasionally have these smashed soda cans, and again I will most likely dig them anyways primarily to remove them from masking a coin. I'm 99% confident it is junk, but leaving it there doesn't help if I go back over that area again on another visit later in the year and spend time fiddling with it all over again.

That's just me.

 

[GKMan]

Fedderdavid, this is what I do when hunting areas that have the potential to have buried cans and lids.

I set my main detecting program up to run my pinpointing in "Normal" mode which allows me to notch the pinpoint down to a smaller area (basically center of the target) with a few sweeps of the coil, to nail exactly where this target is.

Then if it was a louder than normal target or too good to be true kind of tone, I will toggle to my other program that has pinpointing set to "Sizing".
Using Sizing allows you to sweep over the target as many times as you like and it will be audible the entire width of the target each sweep rather than ratchet down to center of the target.
Now, I pay attention to what this information it is telling me. If the tone is really solid and even louder than what a coin should be, and if the width of the audible tone in pinpoint is obvioiusly wider than a normal coin or coins, I will check one more thing.
I will take note of the depth reading and lift the coil up off the ground while still checking the signal (not in pinpoint mode). If the depth originally suggested 3 or more inches down, and I now have the coil 10-15 inches off the ground with still a good tone/signal, then it is NOT a coin. It will be a soda can or similar large item.

Now with that said, if I was detecting an old home site, I would probably dig most of these types of signals anyways. There is always the potential for it to be a cache of goodies. Or if nothing else it is removed and potentially unmask a coin or relic in the same area. Parks and schools will occasionally have these smashed soda cans, and again I will most likely dig them anyways primarily to remove them from masking a coin. I'm 99% confident it is junk, but leaving it there doesn't help if I go back over that area again on another visit later in the year and spend time fiddling with it all over again.

That's just me.

Good advice for the op...
Roland, I look forward to seeing the first gold ring you find! Please live long enough...

 

[fedderdavid]

Thank you for all the helpful suggestions.

 

[GateKeeper]

Click on link below. Many great programs to download. My Trashy Park program, along with all the great advice might help you out.

Trash Park Program

 

[brother steve]

If I get a good signal say, it reads 12-42, 12-48 and sounds like silver,I turn on it and recheck, still sounds good maybe a little warble sometimes not. This is when I switch to my second program which is wide open ,no disc. It will squeal loudly and then I look at the numbers. 23-38, 21-30 etc, I know its iron. I dig a few once in a while to check myself, but it usually turns up junk. This has saved a lot of digging, especially in junky areas.

 

[Big Boys Hobbies]

Use the Gone Hunting program and never look back. Slow slow slow swing speed in trash.

The Minelab CTX 3030 is an amazing machine but you have to learn it. Holler if you have questions.

 

[Big Boys Hobbies]

I'm still digging the pull tabs in search of the elusive gold ring.........if I live long enough, I WILL find it! Hang in there, it sounds like you are doing everything right already.

Good post!

 

[msviking]

Lifting the coil will show you cans and slaw that are less than 4-5" or so. As posted above, slowly raise coil if it's a coin the signal will quickly fade, a can will hang in there. Also with practice you will begin to be able to discern shallow (<5" or so) cans from coins from the jumpy VDI as you move around the can. Deeper than 6" gets tough, if you are in an area where you might expect silver, dig the deep signals as they can frequently be iffy and fool the best of us.