Got a Compadre

[dcm161]

I got me a compadre about 2 weeks ago, and I was wanted to know if anyone had any tips for me on what the best search setting is? Is it best to search in all metal or some other setting? This is my first detector so I learning as I go. Thanks

 

[Hombre]

dcm

First off.........Welcome to the forum.

The Compadre is a great little detector, it is very good in it's discrimination set up.

If you are hunting for gold jewelery and small gold chains, just adjust your knob to knock out a small surface nail or bobby pin and dig all good sounding hits.

If you are a coin hunter, just adjust the knob to knock out a common pull-tab........don't pay attention to the markings around knob just set up the disc. with actual trash targets.

With the pull-tab discriminated out.........you will miss some good targets. It depends on the area you are searching on how much or little disc. you use.

It does not get any more simple than the Compadre, just got to dig and find out what is in the ground.

Randy

 

[SkiWhiz]

Randy gave you some good info, I just wanted to add if you are just after coins and set the dial to knock out common pulltabs you will also knock out nickels. The Compadre is a little great detector about the best I have ever used for small jewelry and fine linked chains, its a blast to use. Steve.

 

[digginLa]

I don't own a compadre just wanted to welcome you to the forum. Jimmie

 

[Biofilmz]

The compadre is a great machine - good for coins and excellent for jewelry. Like any detector, you have to be patient and not expect the good finds to jump out of the ground. But if you keep at it, the compadre will not let you down, so you'll have no reason to doubt your detector.

Tips - (excellent comments above)
Target depth - One way to help ascertain target depth is to raise the coil and sweep back and forth until the signal disappears. Assuming the compadre can detect a coin at 5-6 inches, if the signal disappears when the coil is one inch off of the ground, then you have a deep coin, if you can lift the coil 6" off the ground and still get a signal, then you have a coin on the surface. For a coin sized target this works very well - larger targets will appear more shallow then they really are, and small targets deeper.

Pinpointing - before digging it is helpful to pinpoint your target even if you own a hand held pinpointer. Make X-shape swings over the target, where they intersect is where the target is. The field of detection under the coil is shaped like a cone (like an ice cream cone), so the as your raise up your coil, the are of detection gets smaller and smaller. So, if you raise the coil as well when you are making the X-pattern you can further focus in on the target.

Good luck.

 

[tvr]

Good advice above.

Another trick to practice is thumbing the discriminator. I hunt with the discriminator set low, either as low as it goes or if there is a lot of nails or very small foil trash, set to knock some of the trash out. When a target sounds off, keep sweeping over the target and use your thumb to gradually increase the discrimination until the sound starts to fade and you loose the target. That gives you an idea what conductivity the target has. Just remember to set it back low before hunting for the next target or you may miss that ring you really want to find.

When you get familiar with the detector, start listening to the duration and edge of the beep, it provides another piece of information. As you approach where a target starts to discriminate out, the edge of the beep gets sharper and more of a cracking on the edge, not as smooth. On irregular shaped or thicknesses (like chains and pendants and foil scraps) the beep is not real smooth and may be different from one sweep direction than it is from another. It you have two target close together, like a nail and a coin, you can also get irregular sounding beeps or differences from different sweep directions.

The more you work with the detector and observe what it is saying, the better you will get.

Compadre is one of my favorites for hunting the wood chipped or sanded play areas (tot lots).
Cheers,
tvr

 

[slingshot]

Well, when I'm looking for coins only, I never go above small foil reject because the Compadre is HOT on nickels and gold and I just can't ignore that. But my additional tip would be to learn the great "sizing" feature of the Compadre. With practice, you can just about tell when it's coin size, small canslaw size, or aluminum can size. Since everyone else gave such good tips, that's about the only additional thing I can think of-besides WELCOME!

 

[dcm161]

Hey Guys thanks for the great tips! I am mostly just looking for an enjoyable outdoors hobby and detecting seems to be the one for me.

 

[tab-nabit]

Some great tips given.
I have to have quality headphones.
Patience and time.
Clean up in the backyard, then expand your search.
Find the sweep speed and keep a good battery.
Dig, dig, dig.
The ProPointer is also a good add-on
Dig some more