New Tiger Shark Owner.....

[Spanky]

I took the plunge and purchased a Tiger Shark .

I wanted a detector that will satisfy my fresh water (Great Lakes) hunting area .

I went to a local lake for two hours in chest deep water and ended up completely frustrated.

This beach is heavily used and I know there is treasure in them waters but I'm not so sure I really know what I'm doing wrong

Instead of a steady hum I get a chattery sound . I was hunting in all metal fast mode. I followed the instructions in the manual and turned the dial 5 full turns clockwise then 1/2 a turn counterclockwise on the ground balancing. I was not hunting in salt mode or ground balancing in salt mode. I had the sensitivity turned down to 1.

I was told there are two zones to hunt:

1)chest deep area
2) edge of the water

There is no real tide to talk about . However after a storm the waves do throw a lot of stuff on shore.

I'd sure like some hints as to settings I should be using so I can keep the faith.I know I got a great detector but its the operator who's
not up to speed .

I've been metal detecting for the last 15 years or more but mostly in parks and sandy beaches and have done well with my Garret 550 but I want to expand into the depths of the water.

Thank you

 

[Scully]

Hi Spanky,

First off, I would not be hunting in all metal mode. One of the things the Tiger is known for is its ability to find small gold while still descriminating out small iron nails. Hunt in the disc mode with the knob set about "2". You may vary that a bit as you see the need to, but at that setting you will get good targets and still knock out pesky iron. Ground balance your machine in a clean spot (all metal fast), and then switch to Disc to hunt. Chains will have a broken sound to them, unless there is heavy clasp or pendant attached. If you find a pendant, stop where you are, turn your disc all the way down, and start a circular pattern from where you found the pendant. Odds are the chain is there someplace.

As far as "zones", there is really only one: in the water. Rings can and are lost from the water line all the way out diving platform. There really is no "hot" area to speak of, hunt the entire area. Women with infants frequent the shore line, so you may find more diamond rings in that area, but as a general rule more rings are lost where the hands start to "dangle in the water", at thigh depth and deeper. If a ring is loose, its more likely to come off once the swimmers hands get wet. But then some parents toss frisbees or balls with their kids and that is sometimes in very shallow water. So, hunt the whole area.

The Tiger has a "squawk" on deeper targets (some call it a lame sounding duck), but dig any target that is repeatable. Bigger iron tends to have a "crackle" to it, a real sharpness. If you have more questions feel free to shoot me an email. I am always happy to talk about the Tiger.

Scully

 

[wilcoy02]

Scully is correct. I have had my tiger shark for 8 days and I have already found 9 very nice rings with it. I have been using my TS the way Scully describes. It outperforms my previous whites model.
The only thing I do not know is HOW and WHY do you ground balance?
How do you know if you balanced it correctly?

 

[Scully]

You ground balance any machine to maximize its performance. By ground balancing your machine you set it to compensate for ground mineralization, there by giving you optimum performance. In simpler language, you set it run its best.

To GB a Tiger, switch to all metal mode, find a clean area with no targets (should be in at least a foot of water), then start with the coil about 10" off the bottom and lower the coil to the bottom and listen to the audio. If the volume increase, turn the GB knob slightly down (counter clockwise). If the audio decrease or goes quiet, turn the GB knob up (clock wise). What you want to achieve is a very slight increase in audio as the coil approaches the bottom. Pay no attention to the sound it makes as you lift the coil, that is not important, only the sound it makes as you lower the coil to bottom. By setting it this way you set it slightly positive, allowing optimum depth. Once this is done, switch back Disc and you are ready to hunt. Deep targets will only be a whisper or a "tic" so you will have to listen carefully.

Hope this helps you out.
Scully

 

[JoeinMemphis]

Scully said... "To GB a Tiger, switch to all metal mode, find a clean area with no targets (should be in at least a foot of water), then start with the coil about 10" off the bottom and lower the coil to the bottom and listen to the audio."
I am glad you put it that way, I never knew if I was GB'ing it to the water, or the soil, THANKS!! Some of the lakes around here must have a fairly high mineral content, because mine will have an audio change when I lower the coil to the surface of the water.
Joe

 

[JoeinMemphis]

What have you found with yours? I have one, and am renewing my permit for Sardis lake today. I unusually have a day off during the week ( when the Corps of Engineers is open ). The best I have found with mine so far is my first silver coin, a 1943 quarter!! Also a silver Mickey Mouse ring. It seems like a great machine, picks things up in the water that my 1350 won't even get a hit on. Too early for a real opinion though, I am still on my first set of batteries.
Joe

 

[Scully]

Yes Joe, always GB to ground or the bottom, and be in water deep enough to allow you to do the coil "bob" with your coil always under water. Good luck to you.

Scully

 

[Scully]

I was honored to be chosen to field test the Tiger when it was first released back in 2000, and I have been using it ever since. I have put a lot of miles on it here in the lakes of Wisconsin. I have found my share of rings, chains, pendants, coins, buttons, and number of oddities along the way. One of the strangest was a bridge of 3 gold teeth found in waste deep water, and I also found .32 caliber semi-auto pistol near a beach in the Madison area. I delight at lifting my scoop and seeing one or several nails in the mix because I know there is a goodie in there somewhere too. I have numerous good finds with nails along in the scoop, and I remember finding one gold ring in a scoop that included 6 small nails. The best "coin" scoop-full was at a small campground lake where I had 6 quarters come up in one scoop. That was a fun day.

Speaking of batteries, you will get far greater output than the manual indicates. I easily get more than 40 hours of use out of one set of alkaline (Rayovac) batteries.

What I tell a lot of newcomers to this wonderful hobby is, it only takes one good find to make your day and with beaches it is basically the luck of the draw. You could hunt the same beach every weekend, and eventually you will be there right after someone has lost their ring. Right place, right time. Competition is getting fierce here, many water hunters so it means you have to pay your dues and get out there and be persistent. Grid your area, cover it well, remove all the trash, and you will eventually hit. Push yourself to hunt the fringe of the beach, the corners where maybe the other water hunters arent going. Dont be limited by the "ropes" because years ago the beaches didnt have ropes and the swimming area was probably a lot larger area.

Scully

 

[JoeinMemphis]

Thank you for the tips! I renewed the permit, and even got the girlfriend to get one too. I am planning to hit the water and get her started with the 1350 up on the dry sand. So far the 10 X 14 DD coil and YF-1 probe have been a good combination in the sand. It seems to cover a lot of sand fairly quickly, but is a bit tiring after a while due to the weight / balance. Where do you get silicone grease for the o rings? I have ordered spare rings and a battery holder, but can't find a "real" size tube of grease.

 

[Scully]

Visit the Tesoro website to find the one nearest you. If they cant help you out send me an email I can I tell you where to get some. Email me at badgermd@tds.net

Scully

 

[JoeinMemphis]

Thank you, I was looking to get a "real" tube of the stuff, not those little baby packs that came with the machine, I also have a waterproof underwater camera housing to seal...