HOT ROCKS HELP

[Treasurechic]

I live in N.H. and we get alot of rocks that give a positive signal, some areas can drive you crazy, I currently own a target I.D. detector that tells me when it is a hot rock, which helps eliminate frusration, Is there a way to descriminate hot rocks on a non Target I.D. machine? or would a target I.D. be best? I am asking because I am looking for a deep, reliable yet lightweight detector and Tesoros fit the bill, my problem is I already owned a Vaquero which I loved to death BUT it picked up so many positive/hot rocks it drove me crazy, I really want a tesoro I have a weak back and the unit I have now is just too heavy for me. Could I have been ground balancing incorrectly? and if so does ground balancing help eliminate hot rocks? PLEASE any tips are appreciated!

 

[Architex]

You might try ground balancing it TO a hot rock and see if that helps.

Good Luck.

 

[Sven]

I don't mean to get on your case but, didn't you ask the same questions about hot rocks a number of weeks ago and you got all the correct answers on how to deal with them, even Monte the Tesoro expert gave some lengthy advice.

Why not pick up one of those nasty hot rocks and ground balance to it?

That's exactly what I did when I owned my Silver Sabre U-max that I added ground balance to that hot rock. At one school ground in Kennesaw, Ga there were tons of small hot rocks, once I GB'd to them, had no problems detecting the site. Picked up a pocket full of coins in that school ground.

 

[tabdog]

Like I said before,

I can tune them in, or I can tun them out.

If they sound off, I can easily tell what they are.

I don't have to dig them.

Practice, practice, practice.

I have a few places where they were a problem

until I learned about ground balancing.

Now, there is no problem.

I just deal with it, whether I'm using a Vaquero

or a Silver, I just hunt and deal with it.

Tesoro'es handle ground conditions just fine

as far as I'm concerned,

Tabdog

 

[Treasurechic]

Thanks every one, I just wanted to make sure I make the right decision before purchasing another detector, I guess I did ask the same basic questions a while ago, but could not seem to find my post on it, Thanks for every ones patience!

 

[Treasurechic]

I have also heard that G balancing the rocks out helps, But that it may eliminate good targets, I personally dont see how that could be since gold, silver and copper are different compositions. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks very much for your help on the matter by the way!

 

[Sven]

I have also heard that G balancing the rocks out helps, But that it may eliminate good targets, I personally dont see how that could be since gold, silver and copper are different compositions. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks very much for your help on the matter by the way!

It's been about 4 years since I really did any detecting here in Ga and been to that hot rock school. I would like to help you out some more and grab the Tejon and see how it reacts. Since getting the Cibola nad Tejon over past month, it's been really to hot to get out and don't live near that school anymore otherwise I would go get a bunch of hot rocks and or take the Tejon over there. And report back with results.....I won't even be able to do that for some time to come, after injuring my back 10 days ago.

I can't recall if a GB'd using some neg. GB control or not. If it did go negative, I was still getting about 5 inches on coin depths and plenty of coins came out of that school yard, small pocket full. Tuning out the hot rocks was better than constant repeatble good sounds that turned out to be rocks. Not sure what performance might have been lost in that situation. I do remember after 3 hours packed up and left,
the hard ground and the biting bugs were driving me nuts.

You may just want to dig a bucket of hot rocks take them home and make a hot rock test garden. That way you can experiment just outside your door anytime you have some free time.


I remember switching to a 6x9 widescan coil on the White's MXT once owned and it helped in the mineralized hot rock grounds. I never put the stock coil back on. Had the MXT for 3 years, brought it to GA with me from NY and ended up selling it. It lost 50% of it's depth capabilty in the soil down here.

I am sure you will be happy with the V. It's a lightweight machine, easy on the wrists, forearms and back. And you may think about buying a widescan coil for hot rock areas. You would probably feel more confident in a machine if you had a local experienced user teach you the ins and outs of using it. Learning from a book or written word doesn't always work for everyone. I learn a lot faster if someone physically shows me....Any clubs in your area?

 

[Treasurechic]

Yes, I am a member of the local club, unfortunately most of these members use high end Minelabs an Fishers with too many bells and whistles. I also considered the Cibola with its preset GB since the mineral content here in NH can be super in one area and horrible in the next, mabye I am better off just turning down the sense and not chancing Gbalancing constantly and possibly incorrectly. I did notice that the positive rocks rang in high like quarters on the surface, I could just distinguish them and move on! what do you think about the Cibola instead?

 

[Sven]

I only got about 3 hours in with the Cibola before it got dark a few weeks ago. I did not encounter any hot rocks at the school ground I was in. It was a fairly quite detector until you went over a coin. And I had the sensistivity up into the full boost range and the Threshold up at 3:00 position. No chattering at all, ran nice and smooth.

It has factory preset ground balance. Before I started to detect, I did push the pinpoint button in and hold it down then lifting and lowering the coil to check GB. The threshold tone remained the same, so assumed it was balanced for the ground at the school yard.
Haven't been to any highly mineralized ground yet with the Cibola, be a while before I can go detecting again.

Was entertaining the idea of adding GB and an all metal switch to the Cibola. But hunting in all metal might be for fast swing sweeping as it has a fast retune speed. Could wear your arm out. If I could figure out how to slow the retune speed, may do the mod. May just leave it like it is, as this will be my wife's detector.

I really liked this detector, I was able to tell the difference in sound between a dime and quarter and other stuff. Now I was using the new Max Ratphones.......

 

[Treasurechic]

I guess the best bet is go for the Vaquero and practice with it and have patience, I hate to get the Cibola and find out that I would have been at an advantage with the V. Thanks again for your thoughts, By the way I am very sorry to hear about your back, you sound like you really enjoy detecting and being laid up can be very depressing, HANG IN THERE!!! I will let you know of my progress when I get the new V.