Large Cent drought over....

[Chris(SoCenWI)]

Hello all,

I also posted this on the explorer forum. But I found this first with the F-75 with the small coil so it should go here too.

I haven't found an LC for a couple of years. Last year was the first that I found neither seated or a Large Cent. (Did find a bunch of key dates; that helped) Seemed to be a disturbing trend that good hunting spots were drying up.

This year I've got three seated dimes. (And more barber dimes than mercs, which is a first.)

And yesterday popped out this:

[attachment 101148 2008-08-09.jpg]

There is a little village near here where I've done alot of history research. I met a guy that lives there that is also a history nut. Last year he bought a DFX. He has an old house and the yard is absolutely filled with nails.

I had previously and repeatedly with little success explained to him that you can't use much discrimination and not to rely to heavily on the Sinograph? (White's TID display) . Yesterday was able to demonstrate that with a show and tell that was worth a thousand words.

He had noticed that if he buried a silver quarter and put a nail on top could not get a signal. I pulled out my explorer and F-75 and had a go. I could get a signal sometimes depending on the angle I hit it at. With a concentric coil he couldn't at all. Then started detecting around the yard and marking spots where I was getting a hit and had him check with his DFX. Again the DD coils on my machines did much better than a concentric in trash. It was fun to switch between machines and check out signals without first digging.

One of the signals I first got with the F-75, checked with explorer and looked like a silver quarter. I probed with the periscope to verify it was not iron falsing and let him try. He was able to get a reading but it wasn't saying coin at all.

Started to dig and saw a big green crusty disk. Knew what is was immediately. 1853.

He had been detecting all morning so was a bit tired and we called it a day. I think he was perhaps a little disappointed in his machine.

I hit a few other spots but the mosquitos suggested that perhaps it would be better to wait until fall.

Last night I checked my collection. Already have that date, equally crusted up, so I think I'll give this one to him.

Question for DFX users. He had the stock concentric. I know there are DDs for the DFX. Any suggestions?

Chris

 

[Streak!]

First and foremost....he needs to accept everything down to -50. (to minimize masking) THEN...he needs to put it in single freq........(I prefer 15 in My dirt.....but some prefer the lower freq)
Next....the VDI's on the DFX are (ahem) less than accurate. If he wants to be able to call targets better....he has to pay more attention to the signagraph than the VDI's. The signagraph on the DFX and XLT is a wonderful tool for deciding weather or not to dig...and its far more reliable than the VDI's. You wont call a target exactly...........BUT it will help you pick them out of the debris. Tell him to start paying attention to the signagraph when he digs a target......and a pattern will start to develop. I used the XLT for YEARS....and the DFX for a couple of years...and actually liked the XLT better..EXCEPT in a high mineralization envioroment............like a salt beach. Then the DFX had it all over the XLT. its just a matter of him gaining the experience and confidance in his machine.
Streak!

 

[RonNH]

The DFX has a couple of DD coils. The 6x10 is a good one with about the same coverage length-wise as the stock coil. They make a 4x6 Shooter coil which separates like you wouldn't believe but the coverage is small, it's best around cellar holes and such. On a lawn, the 4x6 can get frustrating but should get between those nails.

Have him set the Recovery Speed to about 25, the Sweep Speed to 1 and do what Streak said to the Disc. He should have it in Tone ID so he can hear the high and low tones and rely less on the VDI's. I used to use a program called ZDAM with my DFX. It stands for zero discrimination, in other words, everything is accepted except +95 which is a hot rock most of the time. I traded that machine and I can't remember the other settings right off hand. Maybe someone on the Findmall DFX Classroom can help with a program. Good luck, Ron

 

[Streak!]

thats ALL I used to use in the cellar holes with the DFX. Great separation............and good depth for a small coil.. Still didnt ID stuff too well...but it helped find em! I still have it in fact.even though the DFX is long down the road. traded mine too. Linda still uses the shooter occasionally on her MXT.

 

[RonNH]

Were you the one that created the ZDAM program? Maybe it was someone else on the DFX Forum but I know it wasn't Dave Z.