New to Metal Detecting - Equinox 600 Odd First Find?

[riz600]

Hello,

Just started metal detecting when my wife bought me an Equinox 600 for Father's Day. I've read, watched some videos, and talked with a local shop about how to get started. To practice, I began searching my back yard and testing some regular current coins on the surface. After I began trying to search my back yard for anything that might really be in the ground. Some background, my house is in an area which appears to have been old farmland in the early 30's and 40's.

So I began searching and getting a fairly regular reading of 14. Based upon what the manual said and the video's I thought I might have found some nickles. I began digging (screen showed 4 down arrows) and I hit 8-10 inches and found nothing. I swept the spot again in multiple paths and still received the same reading so I dug another 8-10". At this point I'm believing I'm not doing something right and that I should practice more when my wife says "keep digging and see what you find". To make this short, at 3ft 2inches I found what appears to be an old lead pipe. Guessing it's from watering the fields back in the day? Not really sure. Anyways, is this normal to find items this deep with a metal detector?

I was using Park 2, auto ground balance, noise cancel, recovery of 3 and default sensitivity which I believe is 20.

Thanks and any guidance on how to get better and learn is greatly appreciated!

 

[Rick(ND)]

As you use the detector you will learn little trick of the trade, such as going to all metal and seeing how big this signal is or how long it is. the depth meter and the ID is for coin size targets so some deep trash will be a bigger signal and shows not as deep as it really is. Myself I many times just pick the coil a little higher while swing it and if the signal sound just as loud it is bigger target. What I am saying is if the signal seem to sound loud and while swinging I raise the coil up maybe 6 or so inches and it sounds the same it is bigger target and know the depth is bigger.
The biggest thing to remember is the ID is a probable target and with my 800 the nickles lock on at 13 and may drop to 12 while a 14 is always bigger alum foil or some can slaw from the little I have used mine.


Good Luck and have patience as you will learn the more you use this great detector.

Rick