With what may end up being one of the last nice days of the year, I headed to one of my "old stompin grounds". It is a site where gatherings were held in the late 1800's. Today it is just a cornfield and small timber area. Here are a couple pics I've taken of this area in past trips.
[attachment 146562 gatheringplace.JPG]
[attachment 146563 fieldaroundgatheringplace.JPG]
I've been hunting this spot (off and on) for over a dozen years. I suppose in that period of time, I've taken 40 or 50 coins from here with the newest being an 1889 seated dime. Based on that, I figured they must have stopped having picnics here around 1890. Anyway, hoping the corn had been picked, I knew I wanted the X-705 with the small DD coil for working in around the corn stalks. I grabbed the Etrac just in case the corn wasn't picked and I had to hunt the timber. I've hunted the timber with the X-Terra and have dug some deep IH cents. With the larger stock coil on the Etrac, I was curious to see if I had missed any! I had charged the Etrac up overnight, and grabbed a set of new batteries for the X-705. I arrived at the site about noon and found the corn to have been harvested. Good thing as the timber area was waist high with weeds! I parked in the field entrance and grabbed the 705. As I got out of the truck, I noticed there was still a bit of ice in the ditches around the field. So I knew it was going to be slick underfoot. Although I've found coins scattered all over this field, I was wanting to concentrate my efforts on the north end. That is where I dug the last few seated coins. Since it is over 500 yards to that corner of the field, I unloaded everything out of my bag to lighten the load. I picked out a row and started making my trek northward. As I got to the north end, the 705 did that sound you never want to hear when you are that far from the truck........ low batteries! Darnit! I know I had checked them as I started the walk. But apparently I needed to let it run for a bit before making that call. Lesson 1.........check your batteries after the detector has had a chance to "warm up".
Remembering that I unloaded the bag before I started up the field, I had no choice but to go back to the truck for the new batteries. Uttering a few choice words along the way, I "speed hunted" all the way to the truck, with only a half dozen "low battery reminders". (makes me wonder how many there could have been?) I took off the environmental cover and unloaded the old cells. I grabbed the four new ones and started to put them in the 705 when I noticed that one of them seemed swollen. Upon closer inspection, I could see where it had leaked and knew that there is no-way I could put that in my 705. Lesson 2...........Make sure that extra set of batteries are GOOD!
So here I am, in the middle of rural America, with the nearest store 20 miles away. If I had used the AA pack in the Etrac, I could have "borrowed" four of the batteries for the 705. But I had brought the rechargeable pack instead. I wasn't about to go away and not detect. Like I said, this is likely one of the last nice days of the year. So I strapped on the Etrac with the stock coil, and began walking corn rows.
Long story short.......... 3 hours later I had not found a coin and felt like I'd been beat with a board. That open web design stock coil is not the choice for corn stubble, believe me. I staggered back to the truck, again utterning a few more choice words, wondering how many coins I would have found if I had been using the 705. As I got back to the truck, I put the Etrac in the seat and noticed those 4 "dead" AA cells laying on the floorboard. I also noticed the 3 "new" cells still in the package. I figured the 705 doesn't need all 6 volts to operate. So I put in the three new ones, along with one of those I had taken out earlier. Turned it on and it worked just fine. Lesson 3.........if things aren't working out like you planned, improvise.
By this time the sun was getting deep in the western sky and I knew I needed to be home before dark. That gave me about 20 minutes of detecting time before I had to head out. I knew I didn't have time to wander back to the north end. So I decided to work an area along the fence, up toward the timber. Before I could get 6 steps away from where I had parked, I got a good signal with a TID of 10 - 12. Turned out to be a Shied nickel. Straightened up from digging and took no more than 10 more steps, I got a shaky 26 - 28. Pulled off about 4 inches of dirt and it was still in the hole. Now it locked at 30. Sure enough, it was an IH cent. Again, I straightened up from digging and headed for that timber. Believe it or not, before I got another 4 steps, directly in front of the truck, I got a nice high tone and TID of 38. Knowing that I had never dug a coin newer than 1890, I was hoping for another seated dime. I dug the hole and pulled out the damp dirt. Scanned the coil over the hole and pile of dirt, and it was still in the hole. Poked around with my ProPointer and carefully removed another inch or two of dirt. And there is was, that little round piece of silver that keeps me going back. It was dirty. But on the back it clearly said "ONE DIME". Flipping it over to see what year it was, I was shocked to see it was an 1892. Seated coins were not minted in 1892. That is the year they started making Barbers. Now I know that it sounds weird to be disappointed in finding a Barber dime. But all the silver found here before has been Seated. Darn, missed it by one year. But I'll take it! Lesson 4........ don't be disappointed in your finds. It could have been worse, and nearly was!
I walked around that corn field for over 3 hours, swinging that Etrac and stock coil. I found nothing. After storing the Etrac and seeing those batteries on the floor, I decided to give the 705 one more shot before winter. And within 25 feet of where I had been parked all day, I found a Shield nickel, an IH penny and a Barber dime. All with the 705 and 6-inch DD at 18.75 kHz.
Lesson 5.......... don't underestimate the X-Terra.
[attachment 146561 nov302009.JPG]
HH Randy
[attachment 146562 gatheringplace.JPG]
[attachment 146563 fieldaroundgatheringplace.JPG]
I've been hunting this spot (off and on) for over a dozen years. I suppose in that period of time, I've taken 40 or 50 coins from here with the newest being an 1889 seated dime. Based on that, I figured they must have stopped having picnics here around 1890. Anyway, hoping the corn had been picked, I knew I wanted the X-705 with the small DD coil for working in around the corn stalks. I grabbed the Etrac just in case the corn wasn't picked and I had to hunt the timber. I've hunted the timber with the X-Terra and have dug some deep IH cents. With the larger stock coil on the Etrac, I was curious to see if I had missed any! I had charged the Etrac up overnight, and grabbed a set of new batteries for the X-705. I arrived at the site about noon and found the corn to have been harvested. Good thing as the timber area was waist high with weeds! I parked in the field entrance and grabbed the 705. As I got out of the truck, I noticed there was still a bit of ice in the ditches around the field. So I knew it was going to be slick underfoot. Although I've found coins scattered all over this field, I was wanting to concentrate my efforts on the north end. That is where I dug the last few seated coins. Since it is over 500 yards to that corner of the field, I unloaded everything out of my bag to lighten the load. I picked out a row and started making my trek northward. As I got to the north end, the 705 did that sound you never want to hear when you are that far from the truck........ low batteries! Darnit! I know I had checked them as I started the walk. But apparently I needed to let it run for a bit before making that call. Lesson 1.........check your batteries after the detector has had a chance to "warm up".
Remembering that I unloaded the bag before I started up the field, I had no choice but to go back to the truck for the new batteries. Uttering a few choice words along the way, I "speed hunted" all the way to the truck, with only a half dozen "low battery reminders". (makes me wonder how many there could have been?) I took off the environmental cover and unloaded the old cells. I grabbed the four new ones and started to put them in the 705 when I noticed that one of them seemed swollen. Upon closer inspection, I could see where it had leaked and knew that there is no-way I could put that in my 705. Lesson 2...........Make sure that extra set of batteries are GOOD!
So here I am, in the middle of rural America, with the nearest store 20 miles away. If I had used the AA pack in the Etrac, I could have "borrowed" four of the batteries for the 705. But I had brought the rechargeable pack instead. I wasn't about to go away and not detect. Like I said, this is likely one of the last nice days of the year. So I strapped on the Etrac with the stock coil, and began walking corn rows.
Long story short.......... 3 hours later I had not found a coin and felt like I'd been beat with a board. That open web design stock coil is not the choice for corn stubble, believe me. I staggered back to the truck, again utterning a few more choice words, wondering how many coins I would have found if I had been using the 705. As I got back to the truck, I put the Etrac in the seat and noticed those 4 "dead" AA cells laying on the floorboard. I also noticed the 3 "new" cells still in the package. I figured the 705 doesn't need all 6 volts to operate. So I put in the three new ones, along with one of those I had taken out earlier. Turned it on and it worked just fine. Lesson 3.........if things aren't working out like you planned, improvise.
By this time the sun was getting deep in the western sky and I knew I needed to be home before dark. That gave me about 20 minutes of detecting time before I had to head out. I knew I didn't have time to wander back to the north end. So I decided to work an area along the fence, up toward the timber. Before I could get 6 steps away from where I had parked, I got a good signal with a TID of 10 - 12. Turned out to be a Shied nickel. Straightened up from digging and took no more than 10 more steps, I got a shaky 26 - 28. Pulled off about 4 inches of dirt and it was still in the hole. Now it locked at 30. Sure enough, it was an IH cent. Again, I straightened up from digging and headed for that timber. Believe it or not, before I got another 4 steps, directly in front of the truck, I got a nice high tone and TID of 38. Knowing that I had never dug a coin newer than 1890, I was hoping for another seated dime. I dug the hole and pulled out the damp dirt. Scanned the coil over the hole and pile of dirt, and it was still in the hole. Poked around with my ProPointer and carefully removed another inch or two of dirt. And there is was, that little round piece of silver that keeps me going back. It was dirty. But on the back it clearly said "ONE DIME". Flipping it over to see what year it was, I was shocked to see it was an 1892. Seated coins were not minted in 1892. That is the year they started making Barbers. Now I know that it sounds weird to be disappointed in finding a Barber dime. But all the silver found here before has been Seated. Darn, missed it by one year. But I'll take it! Lesson 4........ don't be disappointed in your finds. It could have been worse, and nearly was!
I walked around that corn field for over 3 hours, swinging that Etrac and stock coil. I found nothing. After storing the Etrac and seeing those batteries on the floor, I decided to give the 705 one more shot before winter. And within 25 feet of where I had been parked all day, I found a Shield nickel, an IH penny and a Barber dime. All with the 705 and 6-inch DD at 18.75 kHz.
Lesson 5.......... don't underestimate the X-Terra.
[attachment 146561 nov302009.JPG]
HH Randy
trac for me
HH Randy
Besides, I knew I had 4 new ones in the truck and planned to switch them out later in the hunt. Sooner came before later! But I'd never guessed one of the new ones would be bad! 
HH Randy