First time on the Umax

[customcutter]

I managed to get about 15 minutes in at the old house today, here on the farm. First hit was really "solid". Didn't think about trying to figure out depth or disc. Dug down about 3 inches and found an old brass grommet, probably from a tarp. First find ever. I headed toward the door of the house about 75' away, got about 10 feet and had another lighter hit, pulled up an old aluminum beaver tail. Another 10' and a modern pull tab. Another 10 feet and another hit. This time it was a zincoln, about 3 inches down. I was able to tell on the last 3 that the signal went away about 3-4" above the ground so I knew they weren't too deep. Also could tell that the zincoln didn't discriminate out like the 2 pull tabs. All of them still had signal at Zn on the disc knob, but the zincoln was "fuller".

Later got over to the north pasture where we spread about 8000# of rye and oat seed for winter grazing. Pulled out the detector again and dug a lot of tin foil, got some good experience with it and found that one piece was tightly waded up instead of flat. I was sure it was going to be some thing better. Found a few rusty nails, a large piece of iron about 1" cube, a couple of copper contacts, a small copper washer, and an aluminum door handle.

I was expecting the different metals to "disappear" as I thumbed the disc knob. However, most of the time I only noticed that the tones weren't as solid. I was running the sensitivity on 10, and the disc know on foil, and then thumbing the disc up and back down. Like it said most of the time it didn't completely go away, just wasn't as solid a tone. I guess tomorrow I'll try running the sensitivity lower when I thumb the disc. and see how that affects the tone.

Any comments or tips on discerning are welcome.

God Bless,
CC

 

[tvr]

For beeps that don't completely discriminate out, listen for the edge of the tone to be sharper (less smooth) as the discriminator is increased. See where it starts to get sharper. If you are not using headphones, a decent set of headphones gives you better sound than the detector speaker does and help to hear the subtle differences in the beep.

If the detector is not chirping randomly with the sensitivity at 10 and only sounds off on targets in the ground, then lowering the sensitivity will probably not make much of a difference other than the detector not going quite as deep.

Throw a nickle on the ground and see if it discriminates out as you thumb the discriminator into the higher ranges.
Cheers,
tvr

 

[grouser]

you should be able to turn the disc up and get NO response from small iron, foil, nickels, then most tabs,then zinks and copppers. I ,,,right on up the scale. I believe you cannot disc out dimes and quarters. I put tape marks where it COMPLETLY gets rid of a few zinks and, nickels.... your disc is off and needs a tune up if you can't do this on yours. Call and ask to talk to Rusty Henry @Tesoro,,, BTW those are all good targets your digging with this machine. You will finds MANY good items if you learn to dig the solid hits, the Tesoro shake and a few Iffy signals when you feel like it or bored, tabs are just pats of it, bottle tops also HH

 

[slingshot]

I have the healthiest disc pot for my Silver umax. Hardly ever took it off min disc. It's a coin machine.

 

[LittleJohn]

Have you started using the dual discrimination on your tejon yet? Vely seldom do I have to "thumb the disc" when I am using my Tejon because of its ability to have two "ready" settings of discrimination. Sounds like you are getting some mileage on the Tejon...the more you get...the better you wil get with it!

 

[Smudge]

Also, sometimes the size of the target can override the discrimination if it is large enough.

 

[customcutter]

Thanks guys. No I haven't even pulled out the Tejon. Trying to figure out the Umax first so that I can help the wife when she has time to hunt. She's been baking fruit cakes for the last two days for everyone.

I did get in about 5 hours at the old house today. Dug up lots of trash, finally gave up on that and only started digging solid hits. Found some old .22 brass, one 22 magnum unfired, a lead sinker, a large sheet of aluminum at least 24"X24", found 2 nickels, 20 zincolns, and 5 copper pennies I think (dated back in the 70's). When did they start making the zincolns? Seems like I read 86 somewhere?

I wish I could get up to town for a few hours with the wife and visit some of the school grounds or playgrounds. All of our school grounds in/near Tampa, Fl are fenced off and locked. Have to have permission (impossible) to be on school grounds. Maybe I'll pull out the Tejon tomorrow and see what it does.

God Bless,
CC

 

[grouser]

yes only dig the good solid repeatable targets the rest of those crackly tones are the discrimination trying to tell you it's junk by giving you scratchy signals,,, you will still get pull tabs and brass and other fine metal trash but that is where the high dollar jewelry is also,,,,every time you pull a tab up it COULD have been a women's gold ring,,,,,

 

[JimGilmore]

1983.

 

[themacgyver]

Some of the '82's are zinc also. I gram weigh '82's. 2.5g is zinc, 3.1g is copper.