My reflection on the AT Pro performance.

[JimmyCT]

I have been using the AT Pro for the last few years and will sum it up with this statement: I absolutely love using this machine in iron infested areas! I use to run away from these areas....now that I have the AT Pro, I run into them

As I was coming home from my hunt today,I was reflecting on my finds with this machine. I can positively say, some of my best old coin finds came from iron-laden areas using the AT Pro. For me I use the Pro Zero mode, very little IRON Disc: sometimes I leave it on 0, sometimes I increase to 15 but no more than 28. All depends on my "tolerance level for that particular day" Some nails squeak through at lower iron disc but that is ok. I would rather check out a couple of iffy signals then to use too much iron disc and possibly walk right over an IH cent or silver dime that is buried in the nails. Make sure you Ground Balance. For me, I auto GB and then manually drop the GB number 10 points. Iron audio ON, 3-4 bars max sensitivity and sweep S L O W! aka Turtle advancement in the iron.

Don't be afraid to use low sensitivity settings. Remember with all the ferrous junk, you will not be attaining good depth anyways and you will be shocked and I mean shocked at the shallow coins you are missing by using too much sensitivity. Just ask me as I am a perfect example of using too much. However using the AT Pro in heavy iron,I have learned LESS is MORE.Think of the "high beams in the fog" concept. Go ahead, give it a try at one of your beaten-to-death iron riddled sites and then report back to me. Keep at it, you WILL pull out the goodies where everyone else has failed in the nails. Hey, I made a funny

The low-down on what I want you to take away from this post (if you have not done so) find iron-infested areas,attach the 5x8 coil then go have a blast! It takes time and remember go s l o w. I have personally have witnessed others swinging three feet per second through heavy iron and never find a thing worth writing about. I can't imagine why.... I am going to continue doing what works for me. This post is meant to be an encouragement and (for those that have never done so) to try something different in heavy iron.

 

[John-Edmonton]

Good comment, and very true! I also like hitting junky areas and always go slow to see if I can hear a slight "ping." That always gets a follow up with a dig! I have found a coin under a bottle cap several times. The AT Pro just does it's magic! Too many people get too wrapped up in getting depth. There are other factors which contribute to getting great finds. That sniper coil and or 5" x 8" coil work great in real junky areas.

 

[HaloEffect426]

Ok.....I'm enjoying this good info......just three bars of sensitivity????????
Well ...i haven't quite got to order my 5x8 just yet....but .....i think...i will try this tecknique out on the next nail bed i try n hunt anyways...
Thank you for the info!!! Ive gotta try this !
HH
HaloEffect426

 

[HaloEffect426]

On that same note...I've been tinkering with the iron audio but i just dont have enough
Experience with it yet...i've had a few signals in a really trashy spot...that is kinda
Hard to describe.....settings were ; pro zero, sens.down two bars, discrimination set to 30
Ground bal...auto then turned down bout ten numbers......got this really wierd signal
Hit the iron audio on swept it real slow and got a burrrp.....ping.....burrp. The center "ping" was giving me something in the high
60'S...although i try not to pay too much attention to the display....like most of you ou here suggest
So... I dunno....what was in the middle of all that.....sounded good.....and i was going
REAL slow....think i passed on digging....perhaps i should have dug?
What do you think?..
I know it is hard to describe in words how tht signal is....so bare with me here lol!
....still learning this atp....standard 8.5x11dd coil......
HaloEffect426

 

[JimmyCT]

Halo,

Yes I run low sensitivity usually 3 bars. Sometimes 4 if the iron is a little less dense. The first time I dropped my iron Disc to 15 I went back through one of my nail patches and discovered an IH cent in a heavily hunted area. I believe because I dropped by iron disc from 28 to 15, it allowed a high tone squeak to break through.
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?79,2330331,2330331#msg-2330331

The part I highlighted below is exactly how I found the IH cent. When you get a little bit more practice, drop the disc to 15 and re-hit your hunting areas. I highly suggest you get back to that spot and dig up that high ping. That's how the detector reacted when I went over the nails and IH cent. The numbers were jumping all over the place right up into the high 60's. I isolated the signal the best I could and received a high ping back and forth over the target. I knew I was definitely digging. You will learn that iron will kind of drift off and not give a steady high tone and suddenly turn to a iron signal. When in doubt... dig it up! Don't get me wrong, I dig my share of nails especially those that are bent. I wouldn't pay too much attention to the numbers. Its that mid / high tone you are listening for. - Jim

On that same note...I've been tinkering with the iron audio but i just dont have enough
Experience with it yet...i've had a few signals in a really trashy spot...that is kinda
Hard to describe.....settings were ; pro zero, sens.down two bars, discrimination set to 30
Ground bal...auto then turned down bout ten numbers......got this really wierd signal
Hit the iron audio on swept it real slow and got a burrrp.....ping.....burrp. The center "ping" was giving me something in the high
60'S...although i try not to pay too much attention to the display....like most of you ou here suggest
So... I dunno....what was in the middle of all that.....sounded good.....and i was going
REAL slow....think i passed on digging....perhaps i should have dug?
What do you think?..
I know it is hard to describe in words how tht signal is....so bare with me here lol!
....still learning this atp....standard 8.5x11dd coil......
HaloEffect426

 

[HaloEffect426]

Earthlypotluck,
Ok....got it.....yeah....i normally know better ...n when in doubt...dig.....i .for some reason.just didnt dig that one
Thank you for the tips...this helps alot...understood with the sensitivity set to 3 bars in the heavy iron spots....4in a little less heavy.

I suppose i should aske how and when you turn on your iron audio ....?
Are you only turning iron audio on when you're. In the heavy iron?
Or do you run it all the time? So far, i've. Been only kicking iron audio on to
....well....help determine with one of those bottle cap signals.....john edm.
Suggested stomping on those bottle cap signals to break the halo and make the signal
More obvious as to it being a bottle cap.....and that works!....pretty cool

Ok on going back over hvy. Iron infested spots with a lower (12-15 ) discrimination.
A giving the place more .....s.....l....o....w scanning and listening....

I dunno if having the iron audio on all the time might drive me a little batty...with
Alot of grunting and burrping sounding off....BUT. if that's what it takes,
To pick out those missed coins....then ill try to deal with it i guess..lol
It nice to read these tips from you.....
............also it nice to read that the big majority of atp users have strong faith in their
Machines ......you must know how it is as with any new detector ya put good, hard earned money into.....takes some learning curve ta get the most out of
You're new machine...and build up some confidence in it...
That's where i'm at.....each time i go out with it though....it gets a little better, little easier ....glad to read good expierienced folks, like you, sharing your good info....
Much appreciated !
HH
HaloEffect426.

 

[JimmyCT]

Chris,

I have only had the AT Pro for a few years and I am still learning. For me, I love to run with the Iron Audio ON. To me its much more "telling" and I feel like I am missing out on the true story what sits below the surface if I shut it off. I use to run my iron disc up around 38. I then started reading a lot and learned how much that is masked at higher iron disc settings. After making some nice non-ferrous finds at lower iron disc settings, that is when I revised my settings to 28 or less. For the most part I run iron audio ON as it tells me when I run into a patch of iron and also tells me where past activity was. Once I find a place loaded with iron, I slow down and concentrate on the area. There are times (but not many) where I will turn off Iron Audio to give myself a break. To sum this whole thing up, do be afraid to try different things. Also hit the same areas from many different angles too. Don't keep running through the same scenario every you hit the same place. That IH cent (in the article I provided) was just a squeak and I mean just that. One degree off I may not of picked it up. Will never know for sure but I have a good feeling that the lower iron disc level of 15 truly made the difference. Why? I have been through this area countless times and always used high(er) iron disc settings. The FIRST time I dropped it to 15, I picked the IH cent up. That is my story and I am sticking to it

Earthlypotluck,
Ok....got it.....yeah....i normally know better ...n when in doubt...dig.....i .for some reason.just didnt dig that one
Thank you for the tips...this helps alot...understood with the sensitivity set to 3 bars in the heavy iron spots....4in a little less heavy.

I suppose i should aske how and when you turn on your iron audio ....?
Are you only turning iron audio on when you're. In the heavy iron?
Or do you run it all the time? So far, i've. Been only kicking iron audio on to
....well....help determine with one of those bottle cap signals.....john edm.
Suggested stomping on those bottle cap signals to break the halo and make the signal
More obvious as to it being a bottle cap.....and that works!....pretty cool

Ok on going back over hvy. Iron infested spots with a lower (12-15 ) discrimination.
A giving the place more .....s.....l....o....w scanning and listening....

I dunno if having the iron audio on all the time might drive me a little batty...with
Alot of grunting and burrping sounding off....BUT. if that's what it takes,
To pick out those missed coins....then ill try to deal with it i guess..lol
It nice to read these tips from you.....
............also it nice to read that the big majority of atp users have strong faith in their
Machines ......you must know how it is as with any new detector ya put good, hard earned money into.....takes some learning curve ta get the most out of
You're new machine...and build up some confidence in it...
That's where i'm at.....each time i go out with it though....it gets a little better, little easier ....glad to read good expierienced folks, like you, sharing your good info....
Much appreciated !
HH
HaloEffect426.