Deep Silver program question

[robertk]

I'm getting pretty comfortable with the "Coin" program, so I have started trying to learn the "Deep Silver" program. I wanted to ask others using it -- how do you decide which signals to dig, and which to ignore? It's a single frequency program, so you don't have the other two frequencies to compare to, and it also has the audio on for every target, so you hear every bit of metal in the ground -- which of course is a good thing, but it also seems kinda like trying to listen to the person next to you at a rock concert.

So far I've found one dime and one penny using the Deep Silver program, both of which were shallow. I've dug a few of the deep signals that had a nice shape to the graph, but so far no silver, just lots of trash. One interesting thing, though -- those pesky bottle caps that show up as quarters in "Coin" mode still show up as quarters in Deep Silver mode too. I had a solid "quarter" target that said it was at 11" today, and it turned out to be a bottle cap. I tried flipping over to Coin mode to analyze, but it wouldn't see the target in that mode (all the sensitivity settings are at factory presets). So I dug it. I didn't measure, but it was probably around a foot deep alright (I was deep enough I was running out of handle on my digger). I don't know how it got down there, but I'm impressed the V3 saw it.

 

[Evan/tn]

wow if it will detect a bottle cap at a foot it should find goodys that deep as well!

 

[BHNugget]

I didn't measure, but it was probably around a foot deep alright (I was deep enough I was running out of handle on my digger).

Cool! Is this in pretty moist soil?

 

[robertk]

I didn't measure, but it was probably around a foot deep alright (I was deep enough I was running out of handle on my digger).

Cool! Is this in pretty moist soil?

It has been raining off and on this week, but not that much. The ground was a little moist -- not even really wet, just moist.

 

[robertk]

It has been raining off and on this week, but not that much.

Me and my big mouth. It was pouring rain when I got up this morning.

 

[robertk]

Ran "Deep Silver" for half an hour at lunchtime at an old house. Lots of iron in the yard (nails, mostly). I dug one bottle cap and one piece of aluminum (both ID'd as quarters), a clad quarter, 9 memorial cents, and a small ring (looks like maybe gold-plated, definitely not solid, with presumably a fake diamond). I could have seen them all in coin mode, too -- deepest was the quarter at about 6" -- but I want to learn Deep Silver. Having found a few quarters now, I'm noticing that the bottle caps tend to VDI higher. If I get a quarter icon, with VDI in the low to mid 80's, it's a quarter. If the VDI is in the low nineties, it's a bottle cap.

 

[Fishnmaine]

That's kinda strange that a bottle cap reading in the 90's ....... usually caps run about 50's to 60's....I have run that program once haven't come across that situation yet.

 

[robertk]

Really? That's interesting. Nearly all the bottle caps I get read high, like a quarter. I don't think I've ever had one below 80. Difference in coil, maybe? I'm using the stock "D2" coil.

 

[captainron]

When you get those 82-83-84 VDI's and go to Analyze, if it's a quarter, the bell curve will have the 2.5 (default blue) on top. The bottlecaps will have the 22.5 (red) on top and the 7.5 (black) will be a bit below that with the 2.5 on the bottom. This is generalized, but, a pretty accurate indicator which target it is.

 

[Larry (IL)]

That is true Ron, but you don't have to go to analyze to get get that info. Just look at the strength of the the frequency bars while pinpointing. It will give you the same information and eliminate the extra step.

 

[robertk]

Except that when you're in the Deep Silver program, there's only a single frequency, so you don't get to compare frequency response in the Analyze screen. You can always switch programs, but if you switch programs and you can no longer see the target, then what? Hence my original question, how do you decide what to dig when using a single-frequency program? And here's a secondary question: is there a way to switch quickly from one mode to another, without having to scroll through the programs? My old Garrett had a "last mode" button which would switch between two modes -- that would be really handy on the V3 to be able to pop instantly from a single-frequency mode to a multi-frequency mode. I haven't tried saving custom programs yet -- could you save two programs with identical settings except one is multi-frequency and the other is single frequency, and have them show up right next to each other in the menu? That would be almost as handy as a one-button switch.

 

[magic]

When you are in the live controls, go to program select then hit enter....It will take you to the list of programs. Select program and hit enter.

 

[ak_1234]

Switching frequencies will alter the way the hardware works so you are right, your target will not be visible when you do that. However, you can see your target and then switch frequencies to 3 frequencies and sweep over it again (in whichever mode - search or analyze - that you want)..

In answer to your secondary questions,
1) To switch frequencies quickly, highlight the frequency live control (use your left/right arrow keys to get to it). Then when you want to switch frequencies, use your up/down arrows to select your frequency mode. Unless you scroll over to a different live control, the next time you use the up/down arrows, you will be switching your frequency mode. That's the quickest and easiest.
2) Yes, you can have 2 programs with identical settings other than the frequency mode right next to each other. But that's a lot more involved and would take some time to set up.

 

[robertk]

Thanks! The live control for frequency works great. I used it today on my lunchtime hunt to check a couple of possible targets, and it worked nicely. (I wound up not digging them -- today was the first day I've taken the V3 out and got skunked -- didn't find so much as a memorial cent. I guess I was looking in the wrong place. )

 

[captainron]

Duh, wasn't thinking, Larry. I know I don't have Alzheimer's, but......I'm not too sure about "Sometimers"!

 

[robertk]

Today I did some experimenting, and the results were frustrating.

First I found a spot of "empty" ground. Swinging the coil gave me no signals, pinpoint gave no signals.

Then I pulled out a plug 6" deep. The ground is dry today (dusty, even).

Then I put a mercury dime at the bottom of the hole and put the plug back in. With the grass on the plug, that puts the dime about 8" below the coil.

I put the V3 in "Coin" mode, gain at 5, and swing the coil (stock 10" D2 coil). Nothing, not even a peep. Didn't detect it at all.

So I turned on TX boost and swing again. I got signals, but they were erratic. VDI typically showed negative, like a piece of iron. Switched to "Deep Silver" mode, tried again, and got basically the same result.

I didn't get a signal I would have dug.

So I thought, OK, maybe a dime at 8" is asking too much. So I popped the plug back out and put a silver quarter in the hole. Swing again. This time I get a solid quarter signal. Good. Switch to "Deep Silver" program. Gain at 7, boost off. Swing again -- still a good quarter signal. Good.

So I pull the plug again, and dig the hole out a bit. I put the quarter 10" down, which with the plug of grass, puts it about 12" below the coil.

Make a few passes in "Coin" mode, and it doesn't see it. So I switch to "Deep Silver", gain at 7, TX boost on. Swing the coil over the plug several times. I get signals, but they're erratic, with VDI fluctuating from +80 to -95. On a few passes, it ID's as a quarter, but on others, as iron. It did get the depth right, though, showing 11 1/2" to 12 1/2". I got better results in analyze mode, with the VDI running 85 to 88, but the signagraph didn't look right -- had any humps instead of just one.

The frustrating part about this isn't that it had trouble seeing deep targets. The frustrating part is that this particular field *does* have iron in various places (old farm tools, mostly), so when I get a signal that says it's iron, or that isn't repeatable from one swing to the next, I'm not digging it. This is even more true in "Deep Silver" mode, since it sounds off on everything, including the iron. So seeing an "iffy" target that VDI's as iron doesn't say "Dig" to me. Apparently that could be a mistake.

How do you guys handle things like this? Is there a strategy to figure out which "marginal" signals are good and which are trash? In this particular field, I might get away with "dig everything that's over 6" deep", but I suspect I'd be digging a lot of trash that way too. Is this just one of those things where you just have to have more experience?

 

[yazoo]

Did you search the ground to make sure it was clean in the deep silver mode?Yazoo

 

[robertk]

Did you search the ground to make sure it was clean in the deep silver mode?Yazoo

Yes. I initially turned on Deep Silver, with boost on, gain at 7 (ground probe recommended setting), and there was no signal in that area. I made sure there was no signal for at least a couple of feet in all directions around the hole.

 

[Schrecky]

I preformed a similar test today. I backpacked in to a cellar hole location and hunted for a couple of hours only finding iron targets and tons of shot gun shell ends. Finally decided to do some testing. I covered a dime at 10" and couldn't hear it using the Coin & Jewelry program with the 10" DD coil. Replaced the dime with a quarter and a weak signal. Switched to the Deep Silver program and got a repeatable solid hit. Then I changed the coil to my Super 12 (not V rated) and also got a solid hit.

 

[Downdeep]

Freshly buried targets do not read as well as ones that have been in the ground. A coin at 10" would have been there a long time.... I buried a penny in my yard. Each week it reads better than the previous.