Hunt by tone ?

[synthnut]

Ok you guys that are tone hunters, and don’t rely on vid……I’ve been detecting for years, and narrowed my collection of detectors down to about a dozen or so….Back when analog machines were prominent, it was much easier to hunt by ear….Nuances were also a big part of target evaluation…You could tell if a coin was on edge, and other differences in tone like the sweet, smooth sound of Silver….Some of the newer digital machines were ok in regards to tone, but the vdi scale was broad, and there was a ton of adjustments, and aides to help identifying a target….

Today I find myself older, and not wanting to use the older machines because of the weight Of these machines ( and the weight of me too ! )…. I’m thinking that the old proverb holds true here “the hurrier we go, the behinder we get”…..So now we have narrower vdi scales, and multiple tones and ways to adjust them, but STILL have different targets that sound the same !….I think that we might as well be hunting with a Tesoro….About the only distinction that I am hearing is the softer, more quiet, tone of a deeper target….Pennies coming in sounding and vdi’ing the same ? WTF ?…..One poster mentioned that he dug everything over 40…That’s really a fair statement ….If you can’t distinguish by nuances in the tone, and vdi numbers are ganged together, you’re left digging everything!….

You guys digging by tones, what are you hearing in nuances of the tone that I’m not hearing ? My hearing is not as good as it use to be, but it’s not that bad, and my ear buds are pretty definitive with tone and plenty of volume…Tell me the differences in tones, and nuances in the older machines, and I’m right there with you !..
I don’t get it with the Legend….It’s a lighter machine, and has some nice features like Bluetooth and rechargeable batteries, but there’s very little in tones, nuances, or vdi scale that’s helping me identifying the target…Tell me what I’m not hearing or seeing … Teach me oh wise compadres !

 

[Odanscoils]

I'm using a Tesoro. Couple actually.
Though the Simplex gives a bit of good tones.
Basically I hear clear,scratchy and lock on solid.
Depth an size too.
If you do. Real tight wrist wiggle over the target.
It either gets sharper or more raspy.
Best dig a garden and practice.
Or find a nice Tesoro.
I'm sure guys will pop up soon.
I guess the Ork is good and like the Tesoros.
Hopefully I haven't confuzed you more.

 

[Odanscoils]

Ok you guys that are tone hunters, and don’t rely on vid……I’ve been detecting for years, and narrowed my collection of detectors down to about a dozen or so….Back when analog machines were prominent, it was much easier to hunt by ear….Nuances were also a big part of target evaluation…You could tell if a coin was on edge, and other differences in tone like the sweet, smooth sound of Silver….Some of the newer digital machines were ok in regards to tone, but the vdi scale was broad, and there was a ton of adjustments, and aides to help identifying a target….

Today I find myself older, and not wanting to use the older machines because of the weight Of these machines ( and the weight of me too ! )…. I’m thinking that the old proverb holds true here “the hurrier we go, the behinder we get”…..So now we have narrower vdi scales, and multiple tones and ways to adjust them, but STILL have different targets that sound the same !….I think that we might as well be hunting with a Tesoro….About the only distinction that I am hearing is the softer, more quiet, tone of a deeper target….Pennies coming in sounding and vdi’ing the same ? WTF ?…..One poster mentioned that he dug everything over 40…That’s really a fair statement ….If you can’t distinguish by nuances in the tone, and vdi numbers are ganged together, you’re left digging everything!….

You guys digging by tones, what are you hearing in nuances of the tone that I’m not hearing ? My hearing is not as good as it use to be, but it’s not that bad, and my ear buds are pretty definitive with tone and plenty of volume…Tell me the differences in tones, and nuances in the older machines, and I’m right there with you !..
I don’t get it with the Legend….It’s a lighter machine, and has some nice features like Bluetooth and rechargeable batteries, but there’s very little in tones, nuances, or vdi scale that’s helping me identifying the target…Tell me what I’m not hearing or seeing … Teach me oh wise compadres !

Compadres. Wish I could find a virgin one.
And I really wish someone. Maybe Fisher.
Would pick up Tesoros patents and distribution Rites.
And use their iron discrimination and audio circuitry. Absolutely the best.
Why can't anyone of these detector companies invest just a few bucks more on better audio chips?

 

[jim tn]

I don't know how one describes a tone. There is just something slightly different about it. I have a detector that the vdi and tone and tone size tells me its a bottle cap. And this same detector id's some wheat cents with the same vdi as a bottle cap, but often there is a slight variation in the tone and tone size to trigger me to dig. Am I leaving some wheats behind and digging some bottle caps? Yes, for sure on the 2nd, and most likely yes to the 1st, but much to my satisfaction, I am getting the occasional wheat in that vdi range, too. And enough wheats to know there is something different about the tone. ???? HH jim tn

 

[synthnut]

I'm using a Tesoro. Couple actually.
Though the Simplex gives a bit of good tones.
Basically I hear clear,scratchy and lock on solid.
Depth an size too.
If you do. Real tight wrist wiggle over the target.
It either gets sharper or more raspy.
Best dig a garden and practice.
Or find a nice Tesoro.
I'm sure guys will pop up soon.
I guess the Ork is good and like the Tesoros.
Hopefully I haven't confuzed you more.

When it comes to tones, YES,the tesoro was a more telling detector !….I had a few of them, and just sold a vaquero…Selling that one was a mistake….You had to thumb the discrimination knob to know your target, but the nuances/crackly,smooth, etc were much more telling….Size ? Yes….You can hear that on any of the detectors…….same with “lock on” target…..I guess the vdi scale in conjunction with understated or lack of nuances has left me wanting….I’m spoiled by the machines that I already own…

 

[synthnut]

I don't know how one describes a tone. There is just something slightly different about it. I have a detector that the vdi and tone and tone size tells me its a bottle cap. And this same detector id's some wheat cents with the same vdi as a bottle cap, but often there is a slight variation in the tone and tone size to trigger me to dig. Am I leaving some wheats behind and digging some bottle caps? Yes, for sure on the 2nd, and most likely yes to the 1st, but much to my satisfaction, I am getting the occasional wheat in that vdi range, too. And enough wheats to know there is something different about the tone. ???? HH jim tn

How can this detector have so many different vdi numbers for pennies, and give you the same tone, as a clad dime ?(45-46)…..Bottle cap or wheat to me is like pull tab or gold….you’re probably going to dig it anyway to make sure…and a lot of other detectors will give a solid lock on tone to wheats, and not as solid, and scratchy tone to bottle caps….I’m gonna try changing the frequency of tones to see if they’re more telling because right now I’m not hearing it

 

[oldkoot]

jim tn is correct it is hard to describe the difference in tone you get when you go over a bottle cap, for me when I go over a bottle cap there is something in the tone that sounds a little raspy if that makes since it is not the clean tone that you get when going over a coin, when I go over a coin with the Legend the tone stops me in my tracks where a bottle cap sounds good but just not quite good enough.

I set up my tone breaks to put coins into different tone breaks and also adjust the tone volumes and tone pitch for each break so to make it so almost all coins that you would encounter today would have a different sound from low to high I am talking about clad coins since I do not encounter any silvers or coppers, this is what makes the Legend so good yes I still dig trash just like anyone else but with the legend I am digging a whole lot less trash, the area I detect is extreme ground which also comes into play when I detect so I can go no lower then 6-7 on the iron filter with a stability of 3-5 and the audio gain at 1-3 this is what works for me, i run in either 6 tones or 4 tones as the 60 tones is just to much information over load because of the extreme amounts of magnetite in the ground I detect, if I am running in 4 tones my tone breaks are set as followed 1st tone break is at 8 next tone break is at 20 3rd is at 48 so it is basically 1-8, 9-20, 21-47 and 48-60 i then adjust my tone volume low for the first tone break 1-8 i want to hear the bad stuff i am going over barely but i want the legend to tell me not to dig I also set the pitch at 3-4 so I do not dig, the second break is 9 -20 again I set the volume of the tone and the pitch of the tone to 10-12, the third break I set to 21-47 and set a little higher tone volume and set the pitch a little higher at 18 or 19, my last tone break 48-60 i do the same only the tone volume is maxed and the tone pitch is almost maxed at 28, I want that last bin to be screaming

these settings are what works for me on extremely mineralized soil, the soil I detect has extreme amounts of magnatite that on the new mineral meter pegs the meter at 10 bars, I have also seen that same meter change from 10 bars to 3-5 bars with in a 5 foot area and then go back to 10 bars the next 5 foot area again this is very extreme mineralized soil which makes for difficult detecting conditions, I also use the ground tracking most of the time

 

[synthnut]

jim tn is correct it is hard to describe the difference in tone you get when you go over a bottle cap, for me when I go over a bottle cap there is something in the tone that sounds a little raspy if that makes since it is not the clean tone that you get when going over a coin, when I go over a coin with the Legend the tone stops me in my tracks where a bottle cap sounds good but just not quite good enough.

I set up my tone breaks to put coins into different tone breaks and also adjust the tone volumes and tone pitch for each break so to make it so almost all coins that you would encounter today would have a different sound from low to high I am talking about clad coins since I do not encounter any silvers or coppers, this is what makes the Legend so good yes I still dig trash just like anyone else but with the legend I am digging a whole lot less trash, the area I detect is extreme ground which also comes into play when I detect so I can go no lower then 6-7 on the iron filter with a stability of 3-5 and the audio gain at 1-3 this is what works for me, i run in either 6 tones or 4 tones as the 60 tones is just to much information over load because of the extreme amounts of magnetite in the ground I detect, if I am running in 4 tones my tone breaks are set as followed 1st tone break is at 8 next tone break is at 20 3rd is at 48 so it is basically 1-8, 9-20, 21-47 and 48-60 i then adjust my tone volume low for the first tone break 1-8 i want to hear the bad stuff i am going over barely but i want the legend to tell me not to dig I also set the pitch at 3-4 so I do not dig, the second break is 9 -20 again I set the volume of the tone and the pitch of the tone to 10-12, the third break I set to 21-47 and set a little higher tone volume and set the pitch a little higher at 18 or 19, my last tone break 48-60 i do the same only the tone volume is maxed and the tone pitch is almost maxed at 28, I want that last bin to be screaming

these settings are what works for me on extremely mineralized soil, the soil I detect has extreme amounts of magnatite that on the new mineral meter pegs the meter at 10 bars, I have also seen that same meter change from 10 bars to 3-5 bars with in a 5 foot area and then go back to 10 bars the next 5 foot area again this is very extreme mineralized soil which makes for difficult detecting conditions, I also use the ground tracking most of the time

I’m first gonna try 60 tones……I’ve been running 4 tones….My soil is not as hot as yours…..If that doesn’t work for me, I’ll go back to 4 tone, and adjust the pitch, and pitch volume….I like your tone break 48-60 “screaming” !…Lol !…..Don’t we wish we heard more of those !

 

[captnkirk]

I've been running "low and slow" in my beat up Park. Been hunting this Park since 1975 with various Detectors and the two that out perform my other machines are the Legend (this is the one I've decided to stay with) and the Nox 800. Started using a Park program, from a suggestion by a member here, which is simply running in 4Khz (low) and take my time (slow). I run in 2 tone and very little other changes.
Thursday I uncovered a Clad Dime; Zinc penny; Pull Tab; and a 1945 Walking Liberty Half. What was interesting was that they were ALL in the same hole. Talk about mixed signals, and the Half was only down about 3.5". The more I learn about this detector, the more I like it.

 

[Ronstar]

I run maybe a little different thought process. I listen to tones and clarity and then look at the numbers. I know its pretty consistent that 46-47 are dimes and 51-52 are more likely quarters than caps. I had a nice clear 46 the other day that ended up a 1902 IH penny so it is what it is. Lately I’ve been running in G mode which gives the low tone grunts of 3-8 just before or after 58-60 clear tones which turn out to be falsing of halos.
We all learn different and no one way is correct if it doesn’t work for you.

 

[synthnut]

I just got back from a local tot lot and was in shock with a couple of my findings….I hunted in “All Metal” since I was in wood chips instead of dirt…I also slowed my recovery rate down to stretch the tones out in hopes of better audio….4 tone was what was used..I hit the usual suspects except for a few odd balls….I found a nice little 2 heart gold earing with tiny stones in each heart…My wife wants to make it work as a charm…She’s loving this detector!..lol…My next oddball is newer $1 coin…I’ve only found a few of these ever….last but not least, how many of you have hit a penny with a low grunt, and a vdi of 2 ?…….That’s right , a 2 !……I found a 1943 steel penny that came up as a 2 !!!.…Not really valuable, but totally freaked me out !…I did hear the difference on a bottle cap and a penny with the same vdi numbers, but there are still too many vdi numbers for pennies…The drawn out tones now help me better distinguish between certain pennies, and a clad dime…I’ll keep adjusting this detector and will report back…

 

[jim tn]

How can this detector have so many different vdi numbers for pennies, and give you the same tone, as a clad dime

Its still all in the tone! And keep in mind, not all wheat cents, as an example, are created equal. And, what bottle caps I typically recover are of the crushed variety....and on my Nox, they sound pretty damn good. HH jim tn

 

[synthnut]

Jim,
“Its still all in the tone”…….I would have told you the same thing years back with a different detector, but not the Legend…I’m hoping that NM can straighten out their vdi scale to better suit the targets at hand..The tones on this machine are too vanilla and not telling enough for me to hunt by audio….I’d like to see a decent vdi scale to double check what I’m hearing..…..……

or maybe I’ll just notch out pennies altogether….That might be the thing to do !…I’ll check to see what my biggest gold comes in at, and notch from 40-45 or 46….That should cover it without missing any gold !

 

[Odanscoils]

I just got back from a local tot lot and was in shock with a couple of my findings….I hunted in “All Metal” since I was in wood chips instead of dirt…I also slowed my recovery rate down to stretch the tones out in hopes of better audio….4 tone was what was used..I hit the usual suspects except for a few odd balls….I found a nice little 2 heart gold earing with tiny stones in each heart…My wife wants to make it work as a charm…She’s loving this detector!..lol…My next oddball is newer $1 coin…I’ve only found a few of these ever….last but not least, how many of you have hit a penny with a low grunt, and a vdi of 2 ?…….That’s right , a 2 !……I found a 1943 steel penny that came up as a 2 !!!.…Not really valuable, but totally freaked me out !…I did hear the difference on a bottle cap and a penny with the same vdi numbers, but there are still too many vdi numbers for pennies…The drawn out tones now help me better distinguish between certain pennies, and a clad dime…I’ll keep adjusting this detector and will report back…

Awesome
Congratulations
Making good headway.
Earrings are always a fun find.

 

[synthnut]

Awesome
Congratulations
Making good headway.
Earrings are always a fun find.

Thank you !!

 

[oldkoot]

the one thing I have noticed with the Legend is TIDs can be all over the place depending on the ground you are detecting, and how mineralized the ground is can completely skew the TIDs from what others see in TIDs, I do not even use the TIDs because of this I detect by tones if the tone sounds good I dig, if it even wavers just a little I pass it by, when you are detecting over sheets of magnetite it changes everything in a detector because you are basically detecting over a sheet of iron, again the ground I detect is on the extreme side when detecting

for those that do not know what magnetite is, take a magnet and drag it through the ground you detect the little metal particles that attracts to the magnet that is magnetite, I use a rare earth magnet to do this 2.0 inches in diameter now picture that rare earth magnet with a layer of magnetite that is an inch thick all over the magnet, this is what I deal with where I detect, it also changes the way you have to set your detector up, again it is like detecting over a sheet of iron

 

[synthnut]

the one thing I have noticed with the Legend is TIDs can be all over the place depending on the ground you are detecting, and how mineralized the ground is can completely skew the TIDs from what others see in TIDs, I do not even use the TIDs because of this I detect by tones if the tone sounds good I dig, if it even wavers just a little I pass it by, when you are detecting over sheets of magnetite it changes everything in a detector because you are basically detecting over a sheet of iron, again the ground I detect is on the extreme side when detecting

for those that do not know what magnetite is, take a magnet and drag it through the ground you detect the little metal particles that attracts to the magnet that is magnetite, I use a rare earth magnet to do this 2.0 inches in diameter now picture that rare earth magnet with a layer of magnetite that is an inch thick all over the magnet, this is what I deal with where I detect, it also changes the way you have to set your detector up, again it is like detecting over a sheet of iron

You go through, and hear, completely different tones and how they react than I do….Your Legend is set up to deal with the ground that you have to deal with….With this in mind, what works for you might not work for me….You deal with Magnetite, while I deal with high volume trash…That’s what makes the Legend so appealing to so many people…Plenty of adjustments for each scenario…You must have some crazy ground balance numbers !

 

[oldkoot]

You go through, and hear, completely different tones and how they react than I do….Your Legend is set up to deal with the ground that you have to deal with….With this in mind, what works for you might not work for me….You deal with Magnetite, while I deal with high volume trash…That’s what makes the Legend so appealing to so many people…Plenty of adjustments for each scenario…You must have some crazy ground balance numbers !

you are correct the ground I detect my legends ground balance at high 80s to high 90s usually at 95-98 on the GB numbers because of the magnetite the mineralization meter is pegged most of the time at 10 bars and the salt content on the meter is 3-5 bars

like I said it makes for a very very tough detecting scenario most of the time

you are also correct that what works for me may not work for others and most likely my setting would never work for those on milder ground

 

[Odanscoils]

you are correct the ground I detect my legends ground balance at high 80s to high 90s usually at 95-98 on the GB numbers because of the magnetite the mineralization meter is pegged most of the time at 10 bars and the salt content on the meter is 3-5 bars

like I said it makes for a very very tough detecting scenario most of the time

you are also correct that what works for me may not work for others and most likely my setting would never work for those on milder ground

Ever try running a Sovereign on that soil ?

 

[oldkoot]

Ever try running a Sovereign on that soil ?

Nope don't have a sovereign, most of the time I am using a Pulse detector to battle the heavy magnetite, I am in the market for a different PI, so I am keeping an eye on the Axiom and what ever Nokta/Macro comes out with in pulse Tech have read to many bad things about the Mine lab 6000, have a GM 1000 gold monster that does ok but it is still a fight with the magnetite currently using the Whites TDI special edition or was I have recently sold it in preparation for my next pulse detector so I am down to VLFs currently and the legend seems to handle it better then the others I have at the moment, have also been thinking about the Whites GM 24k which is now the Garrets 24k but have not picked up one as of yet, I have read some really great things about the GM 24k, trying to work a trade deal for a Garrett or whites 24k but have had no success as of yet