Keeping a notebook

[TrpnBils]

Going to be getting an E-trac in about a month or so and I've been doing a lot of reading. I'm about 6 pages into this forum, have read Andy's book, and read the manual twice so I'm itching to get out and get one. I'm coming off of 7 years of detecting, first with an Ace 250 then a Fisher F5 which I really like, but feel I'm quickly outgrowing.

How many of you E-trac users keep or have kept a notebook with either settings, FE/CO readings and corresponding finds, or other information? Did it help? Do you think it has a benefit of helping somebody learn it more quickly?

 

[surfchunker]

as far as the FE and Co Numbers you'll learn it real quick and I started with an open screen on the Fe from 1-27 but once I tried TTF using the stock relic mode things really clicked for me. I did make cards with the numbers of good and bad targets but I learned them pretty quick on my own and they just set here now ... you do want a decent FE number usually 11 or 12 other things can give you a little higher or lower number, but if the tone is good and the CO number is good and repeatable dig it

 

[TrpnBils]

What I'm wondering most about here though is, at least on the e-trac emulator, something like a round pulltab has exactly the same numbers and tones as something like a flying eagle cent. Is that accurate, or just how it works out on that program? I'll be real happy when I can get my hands on one in person and give it a go. Do air tests parallel the real thing pretty well on this machine?

 

[Elton]

Don't make it to hard please... It is easier than you think to do well with the E=trac...

 

[nge]

Etracs ROCK!

 

[moonshine]

beware that the emulator is a "perfect" scenario. it could mislead you into thinking all copper cents read a perfect 12-42, for example.

 

[TrpnBils]

That's what I figured about the emulator, but it's all I have to work on right now. Either way, if it's not exactly that, I figure it's gotta be pretty close between those two things. I'm sure there are others too that are similar between junk and good targets.

 

[ironsight]

After getting back home and cleaning the finds, i'll document the date, coil used, site and finds. For the better finds of the day, i'll log their approx. locations and depth.
Thats it.

Keeping a detailed log of settings during a detecting session is not practical for my style of detecting. I change settings and patterns on the fly a lot dependent upon changing conditions at a site(s). I view this as a hobby not an accountant's excercise.

Air test IDs paralleling the real thing IDs? Depends.
For shallow coins yeah, pretty much. Air test IDs paralleling the IDs of hundred year old coins 10+ inches deep? Not so much!

Be prepared to dig up a lot of junk before you find the Flying Eagle Cent.

 

[surfchunker]

I use "I Detect" by ginkoware to keep track of my finds. It is a free software download and you can put all kinds of stuff in there, maps, pic's, GPS cords, detector used depth, value, plus it keep a running total of items found and value

 

[TrpnBils]

I use "I Detect" by ginkoware to keep track of my finds. It is a free software download and you can put all kinds of stuff in there, maps, pic's, GPS cords, detector used depth, value, plus it keep a running total of items found and value

That seems interesting, but I could see myself really getting lazy with that because it looks like I'd have to sit down and enter data after I got back from detecting every time. Do you feel like you gain much from using it?

 

[surfchunker]

just to keep track of totals of hunts, items found and clad total, I'd rather do it at home than stopping a hunt to write in a notebook every couple of minutes anyday

 

[Elton]

One that I enjoy doing. If I had to document everything it would feel like a job to me. I never have kept tracking of what, where, when........

[size=x-large]I just enjoy detecting !![/size][


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I'm not suggesting that if you do document it is wrong..It isn't my style I am saying ..Find it, bring it home and box it LOL

 

[nge]

Guaranteed you WILL remember your first silver, first ring, and other memorable finds, even without a paper log book. To this day, I can show you one of my many rings and tell you exactly how deep it was, what machine I was using, location, but maybe not the exact day.......nge

 

[sprchng]

I did the log thing for a while but it lost it's lustre pretty quick. I'd log settings , GB numbers, soil type and moisture plus finds but it all seemed banal after a while. I have a whole bag full of found jewelry and can tell you where nearly every piece came from so why take the time to write it down if you can still remember--good for the mind. Not as many variables as ,say fishing , where some info from a previous trip can get you off to a fast start.

What I DO still do is keep a notepad in the pocket during the Winter. I'll often go out when the Sun is high , even if the ground is frozen , and just detect for good tones at respectable depths , and log them so I can return when it warms up and dig some nice targets.

 

[TrpnBils]

I'm not wondering about it for the sake of documenting every single find, I'm mainly wondering if documenting something simple like ID number might help to flatten the learning curve a little bit on the Etrac!

 

[sprchng]

Take Elton's suggestion to heart--don't make it more difficult than it is.
You can shorten the curve on the etrac to about 3 or 4 hunts if you go somewhere that's target rich and easy digging and do just that, dig.

 

[Nock]

You will be pleased at how simple the e trac is to use after you hunt with it a few times, just start out in factory set coin mode untill you get the feel of the machine , then after say 20 hours on it then learn your menue which is really easy as pushing the button and start making some changes. And if you mess make a factory reset which puts it back where it was when you started with it. The e trac really not hard to use,

 

[TrpnBils]

I will finally be able to "test-drive" one on Friday...getting together with a dealer friend of mine who I'll be buying it from in a month or so!

 

[Elton]

I guess every little bit you learn would help.... you would be able to review your finds and the associated ID at will if you had a record.. Can't hurt !!

 

[oneguy]

Listen to these guys! Before I got my Et I devoured these forums, youtube, sabisch book, etc. I was OVERWHELMED with too much info. Of course because I've been hunting for over 22yrs I over looked all the forum posts that said basically to just turn the machine on, leave it in factory modes, etc. and just hunt.....

It took me a lot of extra time before the light bulb started to brighten (very recently I might ad) because I tried to skip the learning phase and turn pro overnight. Have a long way to go yet...... Keep it simple for starters and time will do the rest.........