First Day, First Find, First Five Minutes in Back Yard

[BoneHed]

Had a MD years ago but was too young and impatient to use it.....now I'm old! I went and paid $550 for a Ranger Pro at Bass Pro, took it home, went into the back yard and within the first 5 minutes found a 1940 mercury dime. Worked a little more and the machine quit working, batteries were good etc. I removed the panel to check the connection and all was good. I took it back and traded it for a land star (why do they make MD's in camo?). I have a couple of questions: When learning frustration can be high. Is the best advice for a newby to focus on consistent tones when sweeping over an object? I've noticed I get a high tone on first sweep and lower on return, can someone give the 411 on this kind of thing. Also, a good tip from a brand new guy: There are two things that nearly everyone does when they play golf. The first is to remove and rings from their fingers. The second is to reach in their pocked at the tee box to get a tee.....18 times during their round. It seems around a tee box on golf courses would be a great place to find rings, has anyone had any luck doing this. And last, what are the most convenient digging tool for deeper digs and smart digging methods. I'm excited guys and girls.
ka

 

[GoGoGopher]

Hello and Welcome to the Forums...Sorry to hear about the Ranger Pro...I also use a Land Star, and like the machine...if your getting different tones when sweeping a target this can be telling you a number of things:
1) The target is composed of multiple metals
2) You are swinging too fast
3) Your not keeping your coil level with the ground, or at a constant height off the ground (no more than 2")
4) The target is on edge (coin standing on edge as opposed to lying flat in the dirt)
5) Your SENS is set too High
6) The terrain your hunting in is uneven or highly mineralized

To correct any of these problems takes time and experience...most new detectorists have so much lust for the silver and gold, that they tend to rush themselves and swing like a golfer on crack...Slow down...take your time...the finds are there, and will wait for you patiently. You should be able to count 2 mississippi from one end of your swing to the other...Most Bounty Hunters require a slow to medium swing speed.
If you continue to get differing tones, turn 90 degrees to your target and scan again...If you STILL get differing tones, you either have a junk target, a target comprised of multiple metals, a very deep target, or a target on edge...Experience will tell you if you should dig or not...I tend to dig any iffy signals, and most of the time, end up with can slaw (shredded aluminum cans), or bottle caps, but you never know when that iffy signal might just make ya rich...Feel free to ask any questions you might have, because the only dumb questions are the ones left unasked...

Happy Hunting,

 

[flash5153]

Same thing Golpher said but different.

Target with low and high tone could and is more than likley junk, but not always. Could be a coin with a piece of trash by it , or 2 coins. Only way to know for sure is to dig it. If you are trying to clean an area out, like your yard. Dig em all, could be something good underneath a piece of junk anyhow.(not even ringing in)
A trick to tell the size of something in the ground. Lift the coil off the ground a few inches, and higher until it goes away and wont read. Do this with coins, depends on what depth they are. After awhile of doing this and reading your depth meter on coins. You will have a better idea if the target is a coin sized object. I do this with almost every thing I dig. (If you have the coil 2 foot of the ground and still get a reading, its not a coin)
Lay a dime and a nickle next to each other and run your machine over it. Play with a few targets in air tests and see how they read.

Golf course??? If you get permision to dig at a golf course, I would be amazed. It's a great thought though.

Digging method: Use a small spade or trowel, Blade about 2" wide. Cut a half moon shape in the grass , fold it back. At that point you can pull as much dirt out as you want. When you find your target, put the dirt back and fold the sod back over and tuck it in. Step on it with your foot and shouldn't be able to tell your was even there. Do not dig in a lawn when it is real dry, or the grass in the half moon will die.
Do you have a pin pointer?

Good Luck

 

[TURNMASTER]

Small tarp or heavy plastic about 1ft x 2ft will help for replacing dirt. Also good for seperating 1914 Buffalo from dirt. I have not hunted a ton with my BH Landstar but am starting to have the desire to master it so I can take friends and kids with me. Seems to be a decent machine though.

HH
Jeff

 

[GoGoGopher]

Very good tips from all...I failed to think about the multiple target senario...I have not done air tests with different coins held close or together...will have to give that a try...I am currently modding my White's Classic II SL again for multi-tone in All Metals mode...can not wait to try it out in a clean area...also want to ship it off to Mr. Bill to have him put his mods in the machine and to tweak it so it will use the Blue Max coils...

HH,