My Method For Deciding If An Iffy Coin Signal Is Dig Worthy & How I Pinpoint To Dig It

[Critterhunter]

I know there are several different methods that Sovereign users use to determine if an iffy coin signal that may be a masked coin is dig worthy. Many guys like to switch to PP mode and see if the target moves, indicating that there's a good chance it's an iron false where the phantom coin signal shows up in one place while PP gives you the spot where the iron actually is. I don't like to use this method because if it is indeed a masked coin with iron or other junk mixed in there with it then PP can very well end up pointing you to the iron and not where the coin is giving you it's signal, so I don't like to use that as an indicator that it's an iron false and not a coin.

Mainly I go by just how good the coin signal is in one spot, and how easy and fast it gets to 180 and how good sounding the audio is. If it gives me a good quality signal in one spot, even if the target is a complete null or real junky sounding the rest of the way around the target, I still dig those. That's the criteria for me that it has to pass to be dig worthy. Iron giving a false coin hit will often float around randomly as it climbs to 180, where as a real coin in general will get up to 180 much quicker and in more uniform of a fashion.

But here's how I PP the "coin"...I get in position at that one spot where it gives me the best coin signal, or the only coin signal usually, and then I don't switch to PP mode (I never use PP mode anymore, or very rarely, to PP targets...Even if they are good targets). Instead, I wiggle the tip of the SEF at the area as I approach the target and then when I first start picking up the high tone just a little bit I stop right there and dig. Most often the target will be from the edge of the coil to out say 3 to maybe 4" (but that's really stretching it) from the base of the "V" shape at the tip of the SEF coil.

The reason I make sure you use this method only from the side of the suspect coin signal that gives me the best coin ID is that if it is a coin then I'm sure I'm using the coin to lock onto as my reference point for PPing it. Had I tried to PP it from anywhere else around the target from other sides where I'm not getting the best coin ID (or none at all) from it then chances are if it is a coin I'd be PPing the iron or trash that is nearby it and not the coin it's self.

This method works best for me, and rarely am I digging the trash and not the coin in these situations (if indeed it turns out to be a coin mixed in that trash).

 

[Ism]

Thanks Critter, I just started using the tip of the coil method for additional reference. The "fix" mode can tell you if its a high conductor or low, but once again, iron could come in as either so its just another reference tool.
The more tools in the arsenel, the less digging trash. Very good info, keep it coming!

 

[Critterhunter]

Thanks. Yes, I'm a big fan of using the tip of the coil to PP. Not just for that, but also to sniff between targets when I expect a coin might be in there. The last 2 to maybe 3" of coil at the tip (and tail) of the SEF is VERY sharp in it's detection field. While the center is above average and sharper than a conventional DD coil, the tip and tail are even more laser like.

On thing though for PPIng using that. I generaly stop when I just start to hear a high tone come out of the target as I approach and wiggle at it. If it's say less than 5 (or maybe 6") deep the coin is either going to be right at the edge of the coil to at the most perhaps 2 (MAYBE 3 if it's real shallow) inches in front of the base of the "V" on the coil. However, I've noticed that with some coins that are deeper than 6" now the coin will first give that somewhat high tone response at perhaps a half inch to maybe an inch into the coil below the V. Reason being I guess that the DD field is broader the closer it is to the coil, and less wide past say about 6" or so. However, these aren't hard and fast rules. I'd say that most of the time, even if the coin is say 8 or 9" deep, it still will start sounding off with a slight high tone right when it's at the very edge of the coil at the base of the V. The more you practice this the better you'll get an idea for it at various depths, but I really don't find it to be that much of an issue. Usually it's right at the edge of the coil when I start to hear the high tone.

Don't move over the coin and then away as you wiggle (back towards your feet) because the Sovereign will tend to lock onto the high tone and keep sounding off with it even if you've moved say 2" or so away from the edge of the target. It's better to approach the coin with the tip wiggling as you go until you start to hear that high tone come out. Not a perfect high tone, but hints of it. Really, I bet if you kept moving forward until the high tone was near perfect or completely perfect then the coin would probably be about a half inch to an inch into the coil or so, at least at depths deeper than 6". You just have to fool with this stuff and learn on your own. You might be one of those people who moves it forward until you get a perfect high tone, and then as said the coin is probably a half inch or so under the coil, depending on how deep it is past 6". I suspect that if the coin is say 9" or deeper the coin won't start giving the high tone until you are maybe an inch or more into the coil, because the field deeper in the ground is a bit smaller. Not as bad as a concentric gets with a reduction in detection field at depth, but a DD still shrinks a tad when it gets real deep.

 

[Rick(ND)]

If it is not a real deep target I will use the tip of the coil also and use small sweeps back and forth while moving the coil forward, then backwards until I start to lose it, then I just move the coil forwards and backwards and not side to side with the tip of the coil so my signal will be about a inch into the signal. Now i know where it is and will turn 45-90 Degrees to see it is still in the same spot and find the target about a inch in from the tip of the coil. Now if it is deeper like over 7 inches I use the pinpoint and will go the side to side for the best signal, then push the coil to the ground and turn 90 degrees and go side to side again and center the target, now it will be right under the center of the coil. If it was a iffy signal to begin with I will hold the coil still and switch back to disc and slightly wiggle the coil, if it nulls it is iron, if the tones start to climb or really don't change I will be digging as it is at the very edge of detectors depth. On those that move once you go to all metal pinpoint it is probably iron, but if you know your Sovereign good you know that signals was too good in disc and if you checked it right to begin with you know you were able to get a good signal coming from 2 different directions in disc, so you have to go back to disc to pinpoint it and this is where the Sun Ray S-1 probe really pays for itself when you go into the hole you will be digging. It can tell you which signal is good and which is iron.. I was able to pick out a Franklin half with a big bolt touching it that was on the half about a half inch. Gave a iffy signal, but seen on 2 different angles I could get a 180, then a null and coming at it form different directions 2 of the 3 angles I could get a quick 180, then a null. Dug a plug and used the S-1 and got a solid null, but got a small high tone and when dug deeper I seen the bolt and when I moved the bolt seen something shiny with a rusty spot on it which turned out to be a Franklin half around 6 inches deep.From experience you will be able to tell the good signals from those with iron in the same hole and those that are iron falses. Also with the GT which has more power than the other Sovereign it will fool you on iron more, but coming at the signals from 2 or more different angle in disc you will see the target will not repeat in the same place but one way, the other angles it will repeat in a different area.

Good luck all.

Rick

 

[Critterhunter]

Even though I wired a remote PP switch in the grip of my GT, I rarely use PP mode anymore. For one reason sometimes PP won't hear the target that is deep while I have no trouble hitting it in discrimination. And also because I prefer discriminate to PP so I know I'm zoning in on the coin signal and not any iron or other junk that is nearby. I've also had issues with PP mode sounding off over a very broad area with no way to center on the target. I suspect that's due to either minerals or iron that has leached into the ground around the target.