Most relic hunters are fixated on getting maximum depth out of their machines, because to do so might reveal goodies missed by others. This seems to be borne out by the fact that when a known relic producing area is stripped for construction, all kinds of goodies start popping up for those lucky enough to be hunting it then. What I need input on, is it really that stuff is now within reach or is it more that a lot of the trash that was masking these goodies, has been stripped off? Does anyone have experience with hunting a site that was later turned into a construction site and what did you notice? Should we instead be focused on ways to better unmask targets?
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Is it masking or is it depth?
- Thread starter Canewrap
- Start date
I believe that VLF technology as we know it has reached the wall. The next big step is target masking. As we all know the bigger mass target (such as iron) generally wins out when we pass the loop over targets. Target separation is the key that relic & coin hunters are looking for. It does not matter if you have a TID or a beep & dig machine, getting a detector that will separate the trash & treasure is what the makers really need to concentrate on. Depth goes along with the concept that the detector Will only go as deep as we can hear the target. I believe that incredible depths are there, its the iffy signals we dig that the detector "sees" that we discover the deep 10-15 inch coin size objects, along with a little luck!!!
Masking is the major problem and the increasing use of I.D. meters doesn't help as surface targets are not being removed to the same extent.
As far as depth is concerned over in Britain where the metal target could be as old as 3000 years when you go to a site thats being stripped for future construction work you soon realise there's not a constant rate of sinkage as far as coins/rings and similar small/light objects. If just the turf is removed for resale then you have the optimum detecting site. If they remove a few feet then instead of the red letter day you might expect you can be on almost dead ground with the majority of finds in the spoil heaps. All depends on the depth of the hardpan and if there's been deep ploughing.
Then you have to add displacement effect where a heavy object sinks. Stick a paving slap in the centre of your lawn and gradually over years it will sink and lighter items will rise around it.
Over here iron is the major problem so many only detect a old site on the basis that the standard machine will go deeper on damp ground so will give it a miss in drought periods. Problem is that the damp ground which does carry the signal deeper also increases the masking effect of iron halo. One way round this is by using a pulse based machine which though very sensitive to iron is less sensitive to iron halo but here you need pulse based discrimination which is why so many are waiting for Dave Emery to get his pulse discriminator sorted.
At the moment a good way to reduce masking is to switch to pre motion technology and use the all metal mode.
Gold Sovereigns from amongst small iron that has stained the coins (stains can be removed with acid as gold is almost pure at 22 ct)
Other picture is coins around 2500 years old from an area where the ground was built up by coastal sand then inhabited so the iron was in a layer above the coins.
As far as depth is concerned over in Britain where the metal target could be as old as 3000 years when you go to a site thats being stripped for future construction work you soon realise there's not a constant rate of sinkage as far as coins/rings and similar small/light objects. If just the turf is removed for resale then you have the optimum detecting site. If they remove a few feet then instead of the red letter day you might expect you can be on almost dead ground with the majority of finds in the spoil heaps. All depends on the depth of the hardpan and if there's been deep ploughing.
Then you have to add displacement effect where a heavy object sinks. Stick a paving slap in the centre of your lawn and gradually over years it will sink and lighter items will rise around it.
Over here iron is the major problem so many only detect a old site on the basis that the standard machine will go deeper on damp ground so will give it a miss in drought periods. Problem is that the damp ground which does carry the signal deeper also increases the masking effect of iron halo. One way round this is by using a pulse based machine which though very sensitive to iron is less sensitive to iron halo but here you need pulse based discrimination which is why so many are waiting for Dave Emery to get his pulse discriminator sorted.
At the moment a good way to reduce masking is to switch to pre motion technology and use the all metal mode.
Gold Sovereigns from amongst small iron that has stained the coins (stains can be removed with acid as gold is almost pure at 22 ct)
Other picture is coins around 2500 years old from an area where the ground was built up by coastal sand then inhabited so the iron was in a layer above the coins.
Joel-Winnipeg
New member
That is one nice handful. 
The only sure way to beat masking is to start with a small coil and remove any and all targets
then use a medium size coil and do the same thing; then use a large coil to get what the
other coils missed; and then sit back and wait until they come out with new technology
and repeat all the above! IMHO
then use a medium size coil and do the same thing; then use a large coil to get what the
other coils missed; and then sit back and wait until they come out with new technology
and repeat all the above! IMHO
Nauti
Well-known member
I think xt 18000 has hit it on the head.If you want to make sure you get all the good targets from a particular area you have to remove the bad targets.Basically if you want maximum results you have to put in a lot of really hard work.I reckon that if searched some of my sites in all metal and dug everything i would have a greater haul at the end of the season......problem is i'm just to lazy to do it.It does not matter what latest bells and whistles machine you have,they all miss targets in discrim mode.....the only sure way is the hard way.(The more you put in....the more you get out)