First day in the water with the Excal + some questions...

[bgscofield6]

So today I finally had a morning off work and it wasn't raining. So naturally I wanted to go out to the local reservoir and get into the water at the little beach that they have there.

When I first got there I had never dug a hole with a 4 foot scoop before so I thought I would detect the beach for a bit until I got the hang of it.

20 min. later and NO signals leaves me worried about my new machine. Is it broken? Am I swinging too quickly? Too slowly? Then I finally get a hit, the tiniest piece of tin foil I've ever dug and then another one not too far away. I decided that I had better just get into the water and start since there the beach was picked clean by someone else.

I got lots of signals in the water, but my recovery technique certainly wasn't going to impress anybody. Most of the time I just kept pushing the target away from me when I tried to recover it. Are there any tips on recovery technique that anyone can give me? I'm using a 4 foot scoop from Babb's. Out in the water it is quite rocky with some sand mixed in and clay at about 2-3 inches deep. Thanks for any help guys!

I did successfully dig 6 targets, though. I got a quarter, 2 pennies, a junk earing, junk ring, and a sterling silver ring, so all wasn't lost on the day. The sterling ring came out black, so I'm guessing it's been there a while.

 

[RobRcer]

I try to pinpoint it, (find the area where the target is) then if the water is clear enough, keep an eye on the spot and put scoops a few inches behind it. But if it isnt, i put my foot down behind the coil when i think the coil is sitting on the target, then put scoop down infront of foot, and i normally recover it within a scoop or two.

If you want to clean the ring, get a small glass cup, fill 3/4 full with water and with 1 TBSP of salt, mix well. Then get two 6 inch pieces of copper wire, and on one piece put the ring, and on the other, put a stainless steel washer. Connect the wires to battery, prefferably 9 volt or less. U will have to switch them around until bubbles start coming off the ring. Here is one i did, that isnt a ring though.

 

[bgscofield6]

I can't get it to bubble no matter which way I connect the wires. I have tried this in the past on other coins and never gotten any of them to bubble or react at all either.

What could I be doing wrong?

 

[RobRcer]

n/t

 

[bgscofield6]

I'm using an 18v adapter with 2 alligator clips. One connected to a stainless steel spoon and the other to the coin / ring. Clear glass with water about 3/4 full and 1 TBSP salt and some lemon juice.

I got this setup from reading other websites, posts, etc. and never gotten any results from it.

 

[syfta]

I just cleaned one, water/salt maybe more than a tablespoon or 3 I use a 12 volt transformer off an appliance or something. once connected with the clips to a stainless spoon or something stainless you should see bubbles off of the ring or the spoon. you want the bubbles off of the ring and it should work. I would check the power supply.

 

[Bottomfeeder]

Electricity goes from negative to positive. I KNOW we were all taught that its positive to negative, but thats wrong.
Hook your negative lead to the ring or coin and the positive to a stainless steel spoon. Fill a non metallic cup or glass almost full with salt water, put the stainless steel spoon into the mixture with the positive wire hooked to it. Don't let the wire clip get in the water. the negative lead goes on the coin or ring, and you put only the object in the water, keep the wire clip out.
Reason for this is it will lessen the effect of the electrolysis, and its hard on the clips.
Check your object every 30 seconds or so, the closer you put the two items, the faster they clean, but its also harder on your power source, and can sometimes damage a delicate coin mark, or silver finish. it's easy to overdo the cleaning. Stop when the object can be washed clean with soap and water.

 

[normdiver]

Looks like for a first day in the water you did good. Now tell us your settings, This is what most of us use
Discriminate, not Pinpoint Discriminate on 0 Volume on what u like best, I keep mine on 3/4 Threshold, just so you can hear it, Sensitivity about the 10:30, 11:00, 12 noon area,Do Not Use Automatic, this is what I use, others may change theirs.
Find your target with your coil, place your left toe just behind the coil on the bottom, move your coil and put the scoop just in front of your toe and scoop, in a clay bottom you don't have to get a big scoop, the object is usually on top.

 

[cubfan64]

Very odd as I've got a similar set up and it works fine. I'm sure you've done this, but check the obvious things like making sure you've got good wire to alligator clip connections. It really does sound to me like you've either got no power from the wall plug or your transformer is dead.

It won't hurt to dump more table salt (or baking soda) into the water, maybe you're just too dilute, but I would think you'd still see bubbles.

 

[bgscofield6]

I am running it on the following:

Discriminate
Threshold to wear it's just barely audible
Discriminate on 1
Sensitivity about 12 oclock

I'm not having a problem finding the targets. I just can't seem to retrieve them. The beach that I am at has sand about 1" deep, then big gravel / rock. One rock that came up barely fit into my scoop. Then after the gravel / rock you hit HARD clay. I give you guys props because this digging it tough.

I went back out today and got a penny, a dime, a broken junk ring, a canadian nickel, and a few bottlecaps and other misc trash. I would say 3 out of every 4 targets I find gets left in the water becauss I can't pull it up.

As for the electrolysis I will try a different transformer. This one could be dead.

Thanks guys!