Different coils and the illusion of depth.

[Dancer]

This is what I've noticed in the past, but especially since getting the 5x8 coil. All my experiences are while coin / jewelry hunting. That's mud, beach, and wading. I don't bother much with air testing / test gardens. (Too lazy ) Well I've dug some deep coins with the standard 11" coil here and there. The deepest beach hunting. This was a funny signal which ended up being a 5 coin spill, hole being in the 12" area maybe little deeper.
So anyway the other day I hunted a little used practice field with the 5x8. I hunt it every couple of years. Well started picking up coins that I'd missed through the years. No new drops, depth running from couple of inches to little deeper than the hilt on my digger. These coins have been in there a long time so were heavily stained, some to a dark dirty red. Soil being mostly dark top soil. So why didn't I find these coins years past? Well probably biggest reason was me the hunter. But I do believe the 5x8 has the ability to focus better there for coming up with some nice depths. I think being smaller, I can get away with higher sensitivity than usual. One thing I've noticed a little more often with this coil. You get a weak signal that won't pinpoint. Dig it. In my soil here that's 6 to maybe 7".

 

[John-Edmonton]

The 5 x 8 coil gets incredible depths! It's the only coil I use for relic hunting. It always seems to give a nice clear signal for VDI signals in the 80"s. I also have a theory about going back to sites a year or two later and again finding old buried coins that you swear your coil had gone over many times. My theory is that masking is playing a major part. There is a lot of junk out there, which sometimes interferes with your machine to get anywhere close to a proper VDI number. I will use a staple for an example. A couple of staples could be sitting on top of a silver dime, and could change the target to an obvious junk target, which you of course ignore. So, finally, the minerals in the soil basically break down the metal to the point where it loses any conductivity, and sure enough, a year later this previous junk target suddenly gives a clear VDI reading in the 8o's. So, you dig it and can't quite understand why you missed that target a year ago. The answer is that the masking has finally stopped. I believe this masking is always present all around us, and as time moves on, the chemistry is also always at work changing many conditions in the soil.

 

[Dancer]

The 5 x 8 coil gets incredible depths! It's the only coil I use for relic hunting. It always seems to give a nice clear signal for VDI signals in the 80"s. I also have a theory about going back to sites a year or two later and again finding old buried coins that you swear your coil had gone over many times. My theory is that masking is playing a major part. There is a lot of junk out there, which sometimes interferes with your machine to get anywhere close to a proper VDI number. I will use a staple for an example. A couple of staples could be sitting on top of a silver dime, and could change the target to an obvious junk target, which you of course ignore. So, finally, the minerals in the soil basically break down the metal to the point where it loses any conductivity, and sure enough, a year later this previous junk target suddenly gives a clear VDI reading in the 8o's. So, you dig it and can't quite understand why you missed that target a year ago. The answer is that the masking has finally stopped. I believe this masking is always present all around us, and as time moves on, the chemistry is also always at work changing many conditions in the soil.

John

Masking, Never gave a thought about deterioration of junk targets. I have noticed that going over a site with a pulse induction can eliminate a lot of masking iron. I have found that while wading, the Infinium will clean out an area of iron, & what ever opening the door for the Pro to pick off the good stuff.
Mud hunting, I've noticed that the switch from aluminum to plastic bottles is having a slow but good affect.
Besides the advantages of the 5x8 on the Pro, I'm finding the 8" mono on the Infinium kicks for the same reasons.

Dancer

 

[John-Edmonton]

The 8" coil is nice on the Infinium. To cover more area in a given time, I like to use the large mono coil.

 

[WaterWalker]

Yep, the 8" on the INFINIUM is my winter setup. It gets into the rocky area the larger coils can not. I now have the 3X7 and just might give it a go this winter, if this sand ever leaves the beaches get down to the rocks.

I also purchased the NEL BIG coil for the ATPro...talk about covering ground (sand and fresh water) it is a killer. However, pinpointing has a big learning curve that I have yet to master. But for fresh drops and covering the area you can not beat the combo. I can cover a fresh water area in the same time it took two of us to cover before moving on to the next beach.

On the other extreme...the sniper 4.5" coil I took it to find a stud earring - found 7, but NOT the one I was looking for. The fresh water area had been detected before I got there with an Excalibur and 3030. It has also been the only coil I could sweep between ceiling joist in an attic to find a lost wedding band. I notched out the copper wire and metal electrical boxes...20 minutes and BINGO, go the ring.

Each detector whether PI, VLF - hi, lo or multiple frequency and coil combination has its sweet spot to detect. Pick and choose and you can succeed in finding more than some other "stock" setup. But for this option one must PAY to PLAY.