Here's a question for you sube

[brother steve]

Does soil ph have any bearing on numbers? Conductivity?I know it will roast some nice coins.

 

[sube]

Yes lower pH soils are more acid than higher pH soils which tend to corrode coins faster which leaves less coin to detect . So the id #s will be lower same effects happens when the soil is more mineralized . Now pH values are on a scale of 1 to 14 with neutral being 6.5 to 7 as you go either way say # 8 would be ten times less acid than 7 and 9 would be 100 times less acid than 7 same can be said the other way .so a pH of 6 would be 10 times more acid than 7 which would corrode a coin faster and 5 would be 100 times more acidic than 7 .

Know most people think pine trees have acidic ground because pine needles are slightly acidic well after the needles turn brown they are neutral all of them under a tree . But if you know what a white pine prefers for pH which is 5.0 you will see why it grows where it does same as a red oak which prefers 6.5 now planted trees can grow in different pH levels but not as well in nature the trees that grow in the right pH will live and the ones that grow in the wrong pH will be replaced with trees that can grow better .

The value of knowing pH levels of the soil would be will I dig pitted coppers or nice coppers low pH levels mean pitted coppers higher pH levels mean not pitted coppers . Also worms prefer 6.5 to 7 same as most plants Lot's of worms mean deeper coins no worms shallow coins . Look at it this way say we find a white pine the preferred pH is 5.0 that's acidic no worms so the coin falls on the ground and is covered in pine needles usually the coin is where the coin meets the dirt and no deeper . Have you ever wondered why the soil is so dry under pine trees shallow root system sucks up the water quickly and the canopy directs the water to the outside of the trees base .

So if the pH is 5.0 acidic why don't you find pitted coins under pine trees because you need water to have acid . That said arid areas have lower pH levels than wet areas .

They did a study on a pine plantation they recorded the pH level before they planted the trees after 30 years the soils pH stayed the same when they check it .


Dose pH effect mineralization very very little so looking at what trees are growing where you detect can give you imfo are coins deep or shallow pitted or not . sube

 

[PryorCreekJoe]

Nice agronomy/chemistry lesson today. I find it fascinating how little known outside factors, factor into this hobby. It is that six degrees of separation across the whole spectrum and not just across humans.

thanks,
Joe

 

[IDXMonster]

Agreed. Factual information and success have a funny way of always being in each other's company. Nice explanation Sube,I've noticed some of these things...

 

[brother steve]

Thanks Sube! I thought that maybe halos around coins would possible change with the ph. Also trying to correlate ground balance numbers changing with different soils.

 

[sube]

Halos my thought on them , all metals will erode except 24 kt gold some faster some slower they will all form a halo over time if the soil receives moister once a halo forms it dose not get bigger and bigger it actually get smaller over time as the metal erodes away . Rain after rain the fringes of the halo get wash down never letting it build . Let's look at a halo say iron it forms ferrous oxidized that is not metal it can't conduct electricity you don't detect anything more once you get the iron out . In fact these ferrous oxidized grains are not even connected in the soil there separate from one another like a gold chain . So how can it generate a signal though tiny grains of ferrous oxidized I look at it this way the ferrous oxidized is making it hard to hear the pure iron signal lol . Now as to the halo making the target seem louder and hit harder I am going to say no .


24 kt Joe digs a 12 inch dime tells his friends he only got it because of the halo , well I will say he had everything working for him perfect conditions and that's how I see it .
Now as to the ? I think I answered it .



Also trying to correlate ground balance numbers changing with different soils.
These will only change with different levels of mineralization OR you have tons of bottle caps nails or just plain thrash the #s will go down I often think the #s go down because it's to much for the machine to handle so as the ground becomes more cluttered with targets it wants to eliminate the deeper targets and try and id the mid range and shallower targets by reducing sensitivity . sube

 

[brother steve]

Thanks Sube!

 

[dewcon4414]

Pick you up a copy of Fosters digging deeper with the DFX book. These machines have a lot of ability for manual adjustments that most machine do for you. His explanations of ground Phase and most of those setting can really teach you a lot of how most machines work......