About 3 weeks ago I decided to switch from using a white's dfx to an etrac. I've owned the dfx for quite a while and although I took a lot of time learing many of its various quirks....I just never liked it that much. There were just too many adjustments I had to make on it each time I went detecting, depending on the site and location. I made some pretty nice finds with it but I sure had to dig a lot of holes to get them (not that I expect a treasure in each hole....just like to have a little better chance of knowing what I'm digging prior to putting spade to dirt). SO....I bit the bullet and bought the etrac. I've spent several hours each of the last 3 weeks detecting a few different sites, learning my new machine and have been reading Andy's new book (anyone know someone who wants a copy? I accidently bought an extra!) . After trying a few different settings I've settled on a wide open quick mask in TTF, auto +3 sensitivity and some other minor tweeks. Many of the sites I'm hunting currently are pretty trashy, lots of voids in the threshold on even this machine when much discrimination is used. Plus a lot of the sites have been heavily hunted. So here are some pics of my best finds so far. Not included are a pocketfull of wheaties spanning from 1917 to 1950something, and about 15.00 or so in clad change, and a bucket full of trash/wadded aluminum/etc.. The Civil War finds ....a toe tap, very nice General Service Staff coat button (the writing in black on the back are my site numbers that help me record my finds), a (possibly chewed) musket ball and a 44 colt dropped bullet, all came from my own yard which I've waved a dfx over for hours over the past few years. I also found one of the Rosies here, the 1952, as well as the neat old copper button. (of course by the same token I found a 1907 Indian in great shape with my dfx a few days before my etrac arrived....like that machine wanted to tell me it didn't want to get put into the closet to gather dust...lol). The lock is a very cool early combination lock, called a "No-Key" lock. Found it unlocked, then while cleaning it accidently locked it...duh. Fortunately I was able to pick it back open without damaging it. Also found with my new etrac....a 1930 Ford "Thirty Years of Progress" token, a 1940 Captain Midnight Membership medal, and the old "Mother" pin which still cries out for some cleaning and straightening (it was all wadded up from probably a mower hit). Those last three finds, the lock, and the Indian came from some very trashy ground around some old houses that are going to be coming down soon. Of course I also dug a lot of junk there. Still learning the numbers on my new etrac but I'm liking it a lot so far.
This evening I'm headed back out to a local park where they're pulling some sidewalks. Used to be a fair ground in the mid 1800's. Found the 53 Rosie there and a couple of wheaties yesterday. Am not holding out much hope for a serious haul but sure would like to add some indians or some silver with the date digits starting with "18"......lol. Wish me luck, I am definitely due for a really nice silver. A lot of construction going on here locally in the next few months, plus I and a friend have gotten permission to look on some other possibly great sites that could yield finds dating from the early to late 1800's at least, so I'm hoping to have some nice new treasures to show off soon.
Hope you all have great success in your hunts.
This evening I'm headed back out to a local park where they're pulling some sidewalks. Used to be a fair ground in the mid 1800's. Found the 53 Rosie there and a couple of wheaties yesterday. Am not holding out much hope for a serious haul but sure would like to add some indians or some silver with the date digits starting with "18"......lol. Wish me luck, I am definitely due for a really nice silver. A lot of construction going on here locally in the next few months, plus I and a friend have gotten permission to look on some other possibly great sites that could yield finds dating from the early to late 1800's at least, so I'm hoping to have some nice new treasures to show off soon.
Hope you all have great success in your hunts.
