New England (MA) and Midwest (WI) soil differences?

[BlackX]

I've been gone a while. Moved from MA to WI. Finally started getting a chance to detect this past week and it seems as if the SE screen readings are different than I'm used to in MA (and the other places in the NE I detected).

I've managed 4 silver dimes so far ('01, '50, '53, & '61). I'm used to silver dimes, even at good depth, bouncing to 29-30 enough that i can usually tell a silver dime before i dig it. But with these, all four barely bounced above 28 at all. The sound also seemed more faint -- kind of "ghost"-like/whispery, if that makes sense. All were about 6-7".

At this point I'm guessing something in the soil is losing me a few inches in depth and what I'm hearing and seeing is the same as if I was getting hits a few inches deeper in my old haunts.

For those who have traveled a lot between NE and the midwest, particularly SE WI, what differences did you find and how did you adapt to the different soils? (Is Mike M. still here?)

_Rich_

(And, if perchance anyone reading this is from SW WI, any particular suggestions or anything I need to know? I also have a lot of free time ATM if any one wants to head out.)

 

[Chris(SoCenWI)]

I am dab smack in the middle of very south Wisconsin. Beloit. Shoot me a PM with contact info and maybe we can meet up.

Chris

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Lots of possibilities here....and seems you and the Explorer have been sitting a while...Perhaps you lost the trained ear, unit or even headphones are malfunctioning but mineralization can cause strange things and perhaps a local from your area (local clubs and dealers are a possibility or perhaps a Wisc forum member can help as being from Pa. imagine if I moved to Wisc I may be lost also...6-7 inches signal should ring in loud and clear and even at 10 inches or so get a lower but certainly a clear signal.
Might suggest an ear test but lower readings rules out that aspect and suspect your new neck of the woods is quite different than your previous one so you Wisc forum members kindly lend a hand...Minelab gives us the choice of a bunch of settings as for sure mineralization and local conditions sure differ from State to State...

 

[BlackX]

-- moved topic --

 

[BlackX]

Chris, PM sent.

Thanks, Dan.

???, why was my post moved to a low-traffic area?

 

[sgoss66]

Rich --

Any "how to" type of posts are often moved to the "classroom" forum; the "Explorer" forum is generally for posting of finds.

I think the reason you aren't getting more responses is that you asked a very specific question -- it would take someone who has experience with both MA soil and WI soil to answer you in any more than a "general" way.

I will tell you that certainly mineralization will reduce depth. I do NOT get the same depth out of my Explorer, in our red clay soil here in Oklahoma, that some do in the fertile farm belt areas where the soil is rich, deep, and "young" (i.e., sediment deposits and such -- common along the OH and MS valleys). A 9" dime or penny is a very good dig, for me. Others, in different soil1, can manage 10" or more fairly routinely...

For me, a 7-8" dime or penny does, often, have somewhat of that "ghost-like" or "whispery" sound...but part of that is where you have your gain set. If you LIKE that "whispery" sound (I personally DO -- it lets me know it's a deep target without even looking at the screen), then running gain a bit lower will allow that on a deep target. If you DON'T like that, you can always increase your gain to 10 (max) -- which will "normalize" even the deep/small targets to the higher volume audio...

But, with those "softer" sounds on 6-7" dimes, I'd say you are dealing with mineralized soil which is reducing your depth (or else, you are running your sensitivity too low).

Just my two cents worth, some speculation -- since I have never lived in MA or WI...

Steve

 

[AIRFORCEMIKE]

Im SE WI and I have the same issue Black. Seems like in most cases If I get a dime in the 7 inch range its comming up in the 28 range and very faint at times. I was asking myself the same question. I even run Bryces coin program...sensitivity at 26 and its still real stable for me but depth is still about the same. Has to be a soil issue. If your close by maybe we can hook up and do some tests with both of our SE's.

Good Luck,
AFMIKE

 

[BlackX]

Haven't hit any more silver dimes since but I was at a house I found an '84 Barber quarter a couple of days ago and the surface zincolns were consitently coming in at 7-25 instead of the 7-24 I'm used to. It's interesting that the soil under the coin, not just over the coin, seems to affect it as well. 25 was very reliable for me for Indian Heads before -- wonder what they'll hit now.