Learning to trust the machine

[bandroadman]

I have decided that the hardest part of being a "newbie" is to trust the detector. I've begun to really listen to what the ATP is telling me and I am beginning to have success. No silver/gold/rings yet but lots of clad and pennies. I have found several wheats but nothing else yet. I am ready for some rain to soften up the ground here in North Texas because getting more than 4 inches or so is almost impossible and I have been getting good signals deeper than I can dig right now.

Listening, taking my time, and learning.

 

[John-Edmonton]

It can take up to 100 hours before things start making sense. ID-ing coins with any detector is just a probability, and can be influenced by any oxidation forming on a target, it's size and orientation to the coil.

 

[8720roger]

Keep at it tex you will get there and when you do you will realize what a good machine you have,good luck and keep on swinging.

 

[Steve Keppel]

Even check out scratchy/jumpy signals, especially if they're relatively confined, and the screen shows good coin numbers along with erratic other numbers. I have often found this type signal to be a mixed-coin spill.

 

[ralph]

I've observed that some scratchy signals from 38 to 42 vdi can at times be small gold chains.

 

[John-Edmonton]

You just never know what lurks under that coil until you dig it up! Great advice

 

[asiandigger]

Be one with your machine and you'll master it. I have, no one here has yet challenge me LOL Good luck

 

[Moonshine53]

I purchased a Nelcoil Storm just learning how to use it allot of deep targets dig everything.

 

[ohiochris]

There are times when you shouldnt trust the machine , speciffically when the target is showing as being deep. Depending on the soil and conditions the ATP is generally pretty accurate at ID'ing targets up to around 6 or 7 inches , any deeper than that and some targets "may" read lower on the scale and may even have a lower tone. This is not always the case but it happens often. Even silver coins have been known to read as pennies and even give a mid tone if they are deep. I used to skip pennies until I dug one around 7 inches deep , with a mid tone , and it turned out to be a silver dime. That suggests depending on soil and conditions it "may" have read even lower if it was a little deeper , and that a deeper quarter could theoretically even read as a penny , and a nickel possibly as iron. Keep an eye on depth and investigate those deeper targets regardless of what the detector says they are. I check deep targets with iron audio and if they pass that test I dig.