Iron Mask=More Nails....help

[Anonymous]

I realize that as I open the iron mask screen in the negative direction the detector "sees" iron better but how does that help to find coins next to nails? Maybe I just haven't experienced it yet but I've never found a coin next to one. I've been operating at -10 and I just seem to hear the nails better and dig more. How do you detect a coin next to a nail?? Seems to me that if you dig enough nails eventually there will be a coin next to one. How can I more effectively use this feature?
Thanks,
Tim

 

[Anonymous]

Tim: The Explorer will see coins next to nails(iron or rust ) running in Iron Mask because it will not be attempting to discriminate out all Iron and therefore will not null out because of the preasance of the Iron. The result is you will be able to hear both targets. I realize the trick is to tell the difference between a Iron False and a coin hit it took me a while to know the difference and I still dig nails from time to time but I can't tell you how many coins I have dug with iron in the hole sometimes on top of the target, or off to the side but both in the hole at the same time. I owned a DFX and the Garrett 2500 at the same time as the Explorer and neither of the other detectors would see the good target next to a nail they would null even though I tried to pull back the Iron discrimination on those machines.
Jim will do a much better job of explaining it to you when he sees your post, I just know it works and is a major advantage of the Explorer

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your post Rick. To help hear the coin better do you run in ferrous sounds? And, what iron mask setting do you run at?
Thanks,
Tim

 

[Anonymous]

I do not Tim although I know many others do,for me it is a matter of what I am used to I learned the Explorer using conducitivity and I am more comfortable with it. I usually run -10 to -13 depending on conditions. Other clues are how the target pinpoints iron will often ping one place but pinpoint somewhere else, just be carefull here because if there are two targets in the ground they will sometimes both show up in pinpoint. If in doubt turn over the plug and if you have the X-1 probe it will usually tell you what is giong on.
Just this afternoon I was trying something I read about on the forum. I went to a old but very trashy park. Put on the 8" coil and went very very slow. Within a couple of minutes I had a high pitched hit but very iffy. Only hit in one direction, changed tones and the curser was all over the place but, and this is the best advice I can give you, in one direction it repeated and most important it just sounded right. With the Explorer trust the sound above all else! It pinpointed ok except there were two pinpoints one where I thought it should be, and another at about 2 oclock from where I thought the target should be. I turned a big enough flap to cover both pinpointed targets and the X-1 nulled when I checked the hole. That is usually a good sign the target was a iron false but that upper right target produced a slight high on and off tinkle. I took more off above it and out fell a 1903 worn barber dime. It wasn't 4" deep but had been missed before by other hunters because of the iron in the center of the hole and the near by trash. I rembember very well the confusion you are experiencing but stay with it, concentrate on those sounds and how it pinpoints and how deep it appears to be. The explore is a super machine and has added alot to the hobby for me because the more you use it the more you learn what it is capable of and I find myself going back to places I have already hunted and making good finds as this machine makes me beter. Best of Luck Rick

 

[Anonymous]

Great insight Rick!!! Yea, there's a definate learning curve if you want to get the most out of this machine. I think I'm just gonna tough it out with -12 for a while and see what happens. Anyone can hear a nice, simple, isolated target but if you're ever going to really get full use of this detector it appears that iron mask turned up is the way to go.
Thanks again,
Tim