Was hunting with a friend with an e trac and he got a barber dime at 3". I usually don't dig anything under 4" due to most likely being clad ,unless numbers are hi 40's. I asked him how did he know it was silver ,and he said by the tone. He threw a clad dime ,along with the barber on the ground and he demostrated the different sound. I hunt in combined ,then I tried 50 conductive to sound like the e trac ,and I could not tell any difference between the two dimes. I also watched a video by Dr tones ,and I can't figure out what he was actually doing. Wasn't sure if he meant he was holding the pinpoint button while checking at a 90 degree angle ,and then when the ferrus # changes to 13 then it probably is silver??? Not really sure. If anyone has other ways of telling difference between clad and silver ,besides digging every 3" Target, would be very grateful.....hiluxyota.
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how to tell if its silver or clad
- Thread starter hiluxyota
- Start date
I for one cannot tell if it is silver or not. But, using some of the data displayed and sounded, I tend to think in the GH 4 tone patterns, I get a purer signal on silver, and the number have to be good, like 12-44/46 and the target icon has to be in the right place. I often see the numbers in the stock 'coin' pattern much more reliable and in that program I tend to see the number move from 12-44/45/46 to 13/15/46 when I center pinpoint over the target. I hunt using the GH Pattern/program and use the stock coin program as my 'flip' back program.
I think Dr Tones says he feels that about 8 out of 10 times that shift to 13 from 12, while pin pointing, is the key to 'knowing' if it is silver. And after saying all that I am going to dig almost every signal that has the right icon display position, and the right tones, repeats, with a small target icon. I know some of the guys I hunt with using ATPro's say they can tell if it is silver by the numbers being in the 86 range, but I have not seen them do it while I am watching. On several occasions they have confirmed that my target I am about to dig is silver. I have no idea what their 'correct' percentage is.
I think Dr Tones says he feels that about 8 out of 10 times that shift to 13 from 12, while pin pointing, is the key to 'knowing' if it is silver. And after saying all that I am going to dig almost every signal that has the right icon display position, and the right tones, repeats, with a small target icon. I know some of the guys I hunt with using ATPro's say they can tell if it is silver by the numbers being in the 86 range, but I have not seen them do it while I am watching. On several occasions they have confirmed that my target I am about to dig is silver. I have no idea what their 'correct' percentage is.
I also use gone huntings mode. Sometimes I would use the stock coin to cross check ,but I find that the vid#'s are always different from gh mode. So I would switch to hi trash just to cross check the target trace from ferrus/coin to tell that it wasn't junk or iron. Next time I get a good hit at 6" I will switch to coins and look at the #'s. and see if I can find a difference.
Jason in Enid
Active member
Quit over-thinking it and dig the target! If you want to know if it's silver, dig it and look at it.
TheGeorgiaCanuck
New member
The E-trac has a distinctive silver warble sound. Unfortunately they did NOT transfer this over to the CTX. I'd say thats probably one of the most sought after upgrades if possible for the CTX.
Southwind
Well-known member
I guess I'm at a loss here. My CTX was able to tell silver from clad just as well as my E-Trac. Actually I felt the CTX was a tad bit more reliable.
You know I saw the same thing posted when the SE and the E-Trac came out. All the Explorer users said the new SE, and then the E-Trac, didn't have the good old "silver warble" like the [enter last Explorer here].
I watch for the CO of 45-46 to show up on over half the swings for a silver dime and up to 47 for a silver quarter. Not 100% reliable but most of the time it will tell you silver not clad.
You know I saw the same thing posted when the SE and the E-Trac came out. All the Explorer users said the new SE, and then the E-Trac, didn't have the good old "silver warble" like the [enter last Explorer here].
I watch for the CO of 45-46 to show up on over half the swings for a silver dime and up to 47 for a silver quarter. Not 100% reliable but most of the time it will tell you silver not clad.
Jason in Enid
Active member
hiluxyota said:
If that is your attitude you probably are better off with a toy detector. You obviously don't understand exactly what the abilities and strengths of the CTX are.
Hiluxota, your question was a good one, at least for me. You asked about how to determine if it is silver or not before you cut a plug and several answers were to that question. I think your response: 'get a Bounty Hunter' was on point.
I think the entire reason for a company to build a CTX, or for that matter every high end machine, is to provide the user all the information possible so as to predetermine using the displayed data what is there and not have to 'dig everything' to see what it was. Most of us dont dig enough silver coins to make some sort of really factual determination as to whether it is silver or not before we dig. But, as you asked, if we can get info from a lot of other folks about how they make some sort of experienced based 'guess' it certainly helps us all to better utilize all the features of the machine. If I were to just dig everything on the demo places I hunt, I would never get anywhere. Small pieces of copper, old screw tops, old pieces of plumbing lead, can slaw, aluminum siding clips, roofing nails, copper washers, copper nails, and on an on. I dig almost everything that I 'think' might be a coin. Even those splotchy 37-39's that turn out to be really chopped up bits of zincs. I have dug about 12,000 coins in the past 17 months with the CTX, a lot of them pennys, 2100 wheatbacks, and about 270 silver. And I dig very little trash.
So, again, good question and if we all contribute our experienced based knowledge, we just might get to the point we can tell what coin it is, and the date ranges before we dig. lol
I think the entire reason for a company to build a CTX, or for that matter every high end machine, is to provide the user all the information possible so as to predetermine using the displayed data what is there and not have to 'dig everything' to see what it was. Most of us dont dig enough silver coins to make some sort of really factual determination as to whether it is silver or not before we dig. But, as you asked, if we can get info from a lot of other folks about how they make some sort of experienced based 'guess' it certainly helps us all to better utilize all the features of the machine. If I were to just dig everything on the demo places I hunt, I would never get anywhere. Small pieces of copper, old screw tops, old pieces of plumbing lead, can slaw, aluminum siding clips, roofing nails, copper washers, copper nails, and on an on. I dig almost everything that I 'think' might be a coin. Even those splotchy 37-39's that turn out to be really chopped up bits of zincs. I have dug about 12,000 coins in the past 17 months with the CTX, a lot of them pennys, 2100 wheatbacks, and about 270 silver. And I dig very little trash.
So, again, good question and if we all contribute our experienced based knowledge, we just might get to the point we can tell what coin it is, and the date ranges before we dig. lol
Dirtbag Kevin
New member
Test the ground.. Dig at least 5 clad/silver targets as deep as you can find them. If you are finding 1970 clad dimes at 5 or 6 inches then chances are your silver will be at 7-9 inches.. If you pull a silver at 3 inches, well then you will be going home with a lot of clad.. More shallower silver dimes hit at 44-45 conductive and the quarters and halves at 46-47.. Clad dimes hit at 43-44 tops.
Dwayne2010
Member
Hi Guys, I am new to the CTX, I got mine about two weeks ago and like the original poster, I have been digging iron nails constantly. For a guide, I ended up buying a 1967 Canadian Quarter which hits about 12-46. Based on that, I used a Silver program yesterday and modified it to the point that the only place on the LCD Screen not discriminated out is the top right area. I still ended up digging nails and alumininum foil. What I noticed is, I will see the numbers 12-44 12-46 jump around a little bit with the round circle with the cross hairs, then at the same time, I may also see the diamond down at the bottom right. I haven't dug a silver yet, but nails. I am finding this very confusing. I figured that for sure each time that I dug, it was for a silver. I will post my settings for my silver program when I figure out how to do that.
Dwayne2010
Member
Here is what I am using for my Silver. Maybe somebody can tell me what I am doing wrong or what I can change.
My numbers will shift from 12:45/46 to 13:45/46 over silver and I don't need to be pinpointing for it to do that, it just does. Not 100% of the time but quite often, they sometimes also go to 12:43 then to the switch. It also seems to depend on the settings because I've also seen it not happen while experimenting over a silver dI'm on the surface. I also watched Dr. Tones video early on and am great full to him for posting that. I can also hear a slight tonal difference when going over a clad dime and silver dime on the surface, but in actual hunting conditions it's difficult for my ears to be able to differentiate between the 2. I don't remember which settings work best, but I usually hunt in ground coin seperation, with 50 tone conductive. If I use combined, the tones are the same to me. Do some experimenting on surface silver & clad dimes, if you haven't already.
Jason in Enid
Active member
Dwayne2010 said:
You are going to miss a LOT of silver with that screen!
Jason in Enid
Active member
jas415 said:
But it's NOT about "digging everything". Nobody said we should be treating out CTX like a PI detector. Some people just seem to think that this detector is a magic wand that will let them dig up only the silver and leave everything else behind. That isn't reality, and if that is the reason for buying one, you truly are better off with a cheaper detector. You can use the price difference to go buy some more silver for your collection.
Well put jas415. The e trac guys always have me check their targets for iron ,since the ctx is better at telling. All I want is for a more experienced user to let me know what to look for between the clad and silver. I'm not hunting clad. That's why I pass on 3" targets ,unless its real hi 40's. Or solid gold signals.....the e trac does have that slite different sound ,that I can't tell with the ctx. Specially whom I use combined mode.
martygene
Member
Dwayne, iron nail falsing can be troublesome some times. try sweeping on a 90 degree angle and quite often you will hear the low grunt of iron yet at 90 degrees the other way you can hear the high tone... most of the time if i get the low grunt on a 90 degree angle it is iron and you will see it in the lower left of the screen ( if you are using open screen) seems like the pointed end of the nail is what causes the high tone to happen.
also, i highly recommend using the stock silver program for a while to get used to the machine and then do some fine tuning.
( i use ferrous coin, open screen, combined audio)
also, i highly recommend using the stock silver program for a while to get used to the machine and then do some fine tuning.
( i use ferrous coin, open screen, combined audio)
Dwayne2010 said:
As you are checking the target raise your coil up and down. Numbers may change a little but the tone will pretty much stay the same. Like Jason said dig it and you will know for sure. Experience is the best teacher. It is hard to compare other peoples hunting environment ,soil conditions, swing speed and overall hunting habits without being there. Keep swinging the silver will come if it is there. HH 