Interesting (and disappointing) test with gold ring

[Phillip_in_NM]

A detecting buddy and I decided to test our Etracs on gold targets. Air testing at about 2 inches was a thing of beauty. His $1, $5 and $10 gold pieces as well as the 8 rings we tried all registered along the 12 line, varying from conductivity of 2 all the way to 35. We randomly pulled one of the rings, an 18K ladies wedding band to test in the ground. At 2 inches, both Etracs, his SE Pro, my AT Pro and my M6 all found it just fine and the Etracs read it as 12-29. At four inches, only the SE Pro, the AT Pro and the M6 found it. Regardless of what we did with the sensitivity on the Etracs, neither would see the ring, UNLESS we forced them to use channel 11. Nothing at all on channels 1-10. On channel 11, both Etracs found it but the signals bounced around on the 01 ferrous line, spending most of the time around 01-50. At 6 inches, only the SE Pro and the M6 could find the ring. Both of them lost it at around 7-8 inches.

I would welcome any ideas. I'm hugely disappointed with the Etrac's performance, and since I've always just accepted whatever channel the noise cancel button provided, I'm now wondering how many gold rings I've left behind in the dozens of yards that I've hunted. Since none of the silver I've found in those yards has been deeper than about 4 inches, I'm seriously considering using the M6 for all the yard hunting and relegating the Etrac to ghost towns and areas where I need the TTF.

 

[NebTrac]

While the E-Trac has never been the "lead pony" for gold. Its the smaller gold that often times the culprit. I've found 2 gold pieces with my E-Trac. One a wide thin solid gold man's wedding ring that came in just under nickel (12-10 or so) and the other was a gold pin that came in at 12-06 - Both gold targets were right around 3 inches.

What I'm confused about is the ladies ring should've came in within 1-10 on the Conductive scale. I'd still hunt the yards with the E-Trac and then maybe go over it and see what you've missed in gold target department. If you're gonna be digging low conductive numbers or any conductive numbers where gold might fall in in yards, you just as well hunt the yards in TTF and dig all the E-Trac sounds high on. Just a thought.

Another thing I've noticed is quite often I'll get a low conductor, as you've described. Maybe hitting say 12-03 or 10-02 for example. Then I open the plug and dig, sift, try and pinpoint, run handfuls of dirt in front of the coil and everything I can but without too much success. I've finally found some very small (about the size of a BB) pieces of lead or rolled up heavy foil (like in old toothpaste tubes). So The E-Trac seems to hit them in the ground all right, but loses those low conductors when out is the conclusion I've come to.

NebTrac

 

[Phillip_in_NM]

NebTrac - your last sentence was very interesting - considering we did most of our tests without covering the targets with dirt, just having them in the ground.

 

[Todd Pickens]

Were you running in quick mask or did you use a pattern? I agree that the Track is not the best small gold detector on the market, but its not bad. I found a 10k gold child's ring this year at about 2"or 3"deep in sand. It weighed .6 g. I hunt in quick mask with just a little bit of iron masked out.

 

[Phillip_in_NM]

I was hunting in quick mask. I tried TTF to see if that would do any better, but it didn't help. The only thing that helped a little was forcing the machine to operate on channel 11.

 

[stasys]

Can you make Video, from my experience channel 1 is a bit better for small targets. maybe your use to much discrimination? Your Etrac with X-1 probe?

 

[wpaxt]

And see if the response to the gold ring improves.

Bill

 

[Phillip_in_NM]

I didn't use any discrimination and the ground was set at difficult. I did everything I knew to do to squeeze the last drop of sensitivity out of the Etrac and those were my results. I'll look into making a video, but to actually see it is discouraging to say the least.

 

[Johnnyanglo]

Yep, E-trac is mostly gold-dead to small, thin rings, earings, pendants, etc. The E-trac frequency is too low to be effective on these poor conductors. Its real strength is the ability to cut through mineralized ground where others gag. It'll go very deep on higher conductors in some of the worst soil. Thin rings - not so much.

 

[silversweeper]

Just curious, were you hunting with manual or auto sensitivity? Also, I have found that for some reason on small targets like bits of lead and even brass once the plug is removed and the hole open, the etrac may not register the target after it's been disturbed (finds it okay with the sunray pinpointer just not with the coil), particularly if there is anything else in the ground around it. Otherwise I've dug some mighty small bits and pieces at anywhere from 6 to 9 inches, and two gold rings at around 5 and 7 inches (both 10K, one a wide old lady's wedding band and the other a more narrow man's). Both of my gold rings were found in TTF with wide open screen, manual sensitivity at about 27, deep and fast on, difficult/trashy ground, & high preamp gain. Those settings I rarely vary from unless the site calls for changes. I've not found a lot of gold but then I have to confess that I don't dig a lot of low conductor targets on most of the sites I hunt. After my first 5 gal bucket of pulltabs I just got discouraged.....lol. HH and good luck. I'll definitely be watching this post to see what others have to say and if you post a video.

 

[stasys]

I think hear is something wrong- maybe Silversweep is right you have used auto sensitivity, once after winter I did test with my old XS in auto sensitivity... because inside Etrac old explorer and for depth they are the same. Phillip send us your ring pictures

 

[Phillip_in_NM]

Actually, I tried both auto and manual sensitivity. I was going to go with just auto, but the sensitivity in came up with was only 17, so I went to manual and set it at 25, then 27, then 30.... made no difference. Believe me, I'm not knocking the machine. I'm loving learning it and it just recently got me my oldest American coin (an 1842 Seated Liberty dime), but I tried every trick I knew or had heard of to squeeze every drop of sensitivity to this gold ring out of it. The only thing that made any sort of difference was the setting it at channel 11.

I'll try to send a picture of the ring soon. I know how to do some things on the computer...and know a little about digital cameras. just haven't been able to bridge the two yet!

 

[Craneman57]

My experience with gold(rings,pendants,chains,coins, etc.) has been terrible. The only gold ring( 10k ) I have found with my Etrac was in the same hole with a sterling silver ring. I am actually looking to buy another detector just for gold rings and jewelry. Any suggestions? Now when it comes to coins my Etrac is a coin magnet. So far this year I have found over 2000 coins with the Etrac. I have no beaches where I live so this is all finds in the dirt. Not alot of silver( 6 coins) but I did manage to find a seated dime, 1887, about 3 inches down. Also over 120 Jefferson nickels. I talked to a detector dealer that said if I'm finding that many nickels that I should be finding rings also. Don't get me wrong I love my Etrac but I just wished it would find more rings and jewelry.

 

[rsarge1]

wow this is interresting for me I have the v3i and love it I found enough gold to pay for it the first year but I have not had much luck with deep silver around iron and I am in the market for an e-track as a second machine, I guess if I do get an e-track I would have to hunt an area with my v3i 1st then go back over it with the e-track LOL thanks for the info

sarge

 

[Phillip_in_NM]

Personally, I think the White's M6 is a killer on gold. In the last three years, I've found 15 gold items with it: rings, charms, cufflinks and pendants. Had I not been so determined to learn the Etrac this year, I'm sure I would have found even more gold with the M6.

Phillip

 

[Johnnyanglo]

*** I was going to go with just auto, but the sensitivity in came up with was only 17, so I went to manual and set it at 25, then 27, then 30.... made no difference. ***

Turning the sensitivity up will help in getting deeper targets. It will not make the E-trac more sensitive to thin, small gold targets which are low conductors. The only way that is going to happen is to change the operating frequency - which you can't do.

So, if you want small gold you'll need a second detector with a higher operating frequency, like the GMP, GB2 (runs at 71KhZ for the tiny micro-jewelry, but not for wet sand), GB Pro (almost as good as GB2, but superior for gold rings-coins), F75SE (in bp mode). The higher the freq the better resolution on small, weakly conductive targets like most alloyed gold jewlery.

 

[BHNugget]

I dont get it, the ETrac frequencies run 1.5 to 100 kHz, so why isnt it fine on gold? Ive only had my ETrac since the end of last month and have found 3,14k rings and one 10k class ring. The deepest I'm guessing around 6 inches. I just figured I havent gotten my coil over a deeper one yet. Guess I'll do some testing.

 

[stasys]

only the SE Pro and the M6 could find the ring. Both of them lost it at around 7-8 inches.
.

This is very strange, how can Explorer see ring and Etrac not? coils the same and electronics very similar... Did you try to switch Pro coil from your friend Explorer?
From my experience this two detectors are very similar or the same for small targets, I tested Etrac near Explorer with very small silver coin and foil and results where the same. Would like to see your ring picture and weight.

 

[Johnnyanglo]

I think the jury has decided that the Sovereign/Explorer transmits complex digital square wave at 3.125kHz and 25kHz. There are many harmonics but they aren't used - just the low and high frequency peaks. Similar for the E-trac.

 

[Neil]

only the SE Pro and the M6 could find the ring. Both of them lost it at around 7-8 inches.
.

This is very strange, how can Explorer see ring and Etrac not? coils the same and electronics very similar... Did you try to switch Pro coil from your friend Explorer?
From my experience this two detectors are very similar or the same for small targets, I tested Etrac near Explorer with very small silver coin and foil and results where the same. Would like to see your ring picture and weight.

thats my experience also.