Ok this hobby is a learning experince :pulltab:

[michaelgray71]

This being my VERY first time MDing, and with BH 3300, i didn't have really high expectations for myself or my ability. So i read the manual on line, went through the demo mode to understand the many different sounds and headed out to the back yard after work. I went through the ground balancing according to the manual and started swinging.
HOLY BATMAN! i think i have a lost treasure in coins in there some where cause that MDer went nuts, from one end of the metal spectrum to the next. I grabbed my trowel and started digging, pulltab. Ok lesson learned, zap out the p/t's. Swing again and dig swing and dig swing and dig. After an hour of this i had a pouch full of refuse, a sweaty shirt and a back yard that looked like the the moles were attacking in mass.
Unknown to me, intent as i was on the read out, my neighbor was watching me. "Loose something?"
"Yes, my mind", i'm quick that way.
"Well what's it look like, i'll help you look", with a serious look on his face i realized he wasn't that quick.
"Never mind, I remember where i left it". I came back inside and reread the manual.

Short story long, i learned a few things today.
1. I got a lot to learn about this hobby. The ins and outs and the how toos.
2. I need to practice my plug digging before i go public.
3. My house sits on an old trash dump, i think.
4. Do not run the MDer in all metal mode with the highest sensitivity when your learning, you dig A LOT!
And finally
5. Not every beep or boop is dig worthy.

I'll try again tomorrow and the next day and the next day.

HH
Michael Gray

 

[Boris]

I have been there, just think of all the great exercise you got. I can only speak for myself but it does sound like you have more trash in your yard than I did. My first find was an indian head penny about 15 minutes after turning it on. You will do just fine and posting finds is always fun, there are so many great folks here just chuck full of encouragement and knowledge.

 

[ancummings]

Don't get discouraged. Your yard is the perfect place to dig up and practice in before you go public. Keep working at it and you are bound to find at least a few coins in your yard.

 

[Goldburn]

Pro-Tip... Pull Tabs and Gold rings will sometimes register in the same notch.

It's best to notch out only iron and foil and set the sensitivity at about 3 or 4 (or 9 o'clock on a dial)
It will eliminate some junk, but the pull tabs and bottle caps are always ever-present and annoying. Notching them out will also hide the good stuff.

 

[Boris]

Great advice Goldburn I found a small ladies classring here not long ago and I had almost notched it out on my Xterra-70. On my machine the ring was 14-16 and I had 14 notched out because of the pulltabs.

 

[khouse]

The best way to learn is do exactly what you are doing. You've quickly learned some tips on your own! One thing to do to get to know your detector is play a guessing game. On every target your going to dig simply guess what it is. After a while you machine, mind and targets start to make more sense. But once you find a ring in the pull tab range you'll dig them all. This is exactly why I search for sand to hunt. Beaches, tot lots and sand volleyball courts - beep scoop!

 

[michaelgray71]

not discouraged in any way, more like intrigued. Learning what the beeps and boops mean is, to me, the fun part. That is, before i look at the read out.
Though, i do think i have an abnormal amount of trash in my yard. I dug what i thought was dimes, or at least in that range, and it turned out to be some type of toothpaste like tube made of a light metal, I found 6 of these. I also found small bits of what looked like shredded metal but HEY i getting the trash out of there.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement. I'll keep on hunting and practicing my plugs.

Oh and a couple notes. The wifes don't find it humorous when you tell her the yard looks like that from terrorist moles invading.
And 2. never wave the dirt in front of the coil when searching with your wedding band hand, you'll think you hit it big.

HH
Michael Gray

 

[khouse]

Remember to put the grass side up when filling holes. I just had to say it because I went hunting with my nephew. When he filled his holes he just put the soil in the easiest way. Never thinking the grass should be on top. I straitened him out.

 

[tabdog]

Hay Micheal,

It is tough to get started. So many things to learn. So little rewards.

It is a learning curve. Involves thousands of recoveries to sharpen
your skills.

I have learned to use no discrimination in the heaviest of trash. My
mind can out perform the programs and notching or what ever bells
and whistles there is.

I decide what to dig. I set my machine to the highest sensativity I
can stand and analize the responses. I'm usually looking for gold
jewelry. Trashy responses are more intreging to me than high
conductive targets like coins. I dig all the higher conductive targets
if they are small and might be a nice coin or jewelry.

The point is that if you want to find the good stuff, you must know
the bad stuff very well. It is the key. So, love that trash. It is the
key to knowing how to find the good stuff.

Just thinking your going to go out there with a good MD with
advanced programs and be succesful is a quick road to a bad
start.

You got to find a way for it to satisfy a need in you.

The best results don't come in any treasure. It's the things that you
learn and and the love of doing something very special.

It will either get you or you will leave it alone.

It's got me good.

Best of luck,

 

[GRAY GHOST]

hey michael, just be patient and persistent, and you'll be well rewarded. it takes time and experience, we were all where your're at at some point. learn your machine well; it tells no lies. hh,

 

[Beale]

Yea Michael it is a fun time at first. Heck I was digging big iron pipes, cans, lots of trash. In the end all that digging will help you to learn your machine. Good luck to you you will get better, Beale.

 

[zeekeys]

All kinds of good advice here. With a new detector I pretty much dig it all for a few weeks just to see how the detector does things. All the detectors have a character of their own, so you have to play around and find out how they act. All it takes is just one little break through. It is usually a sound for me that makes the break for me. That one sound and then I notice different sounds it is making and start putting sounds to things. Things to meter readings. Feelings to sounds. It is always a learning process.
It can be over whelming. Go slow and as much as you can. You have to spend time. No one can tell you how. It is your experience. You can get short cuts from other people but you have to get to the short cut before you can use it.
You are doing good, keep it up..Z

 

[Elton]

n/t

 

[zeekeys]

Oh by the way it is ok to swear and cuss. It warms the heart. But not when great grandson is with. Nana, grampee knows a lot of people by the name of SH--heads.

 

[Boris]

Once you get an area cleaned out it is a good idea to bury diff coins and label poker chips above them that way you can get used to the tone/id your machine gives you when you pass over diff coins.

 

[michaelgray71]

Once you get an area cleaned out it is a good idea to bury diff coins and label poker chips above them that way you can get used to the tone/id your machine gives you when you pass over diff coins.

I like that idea Boris, kind of like a coin "shooting" gallery.

 

[Boris]

That is a tip that I learned here from these great people just this Spring. Good luck and enjoy a great pasttime.

 

[cassiekarimom]

one thing I have found is after you dig your plug and set it aside if you have to dig more dirt out have a towel to put the dirt on so you can keep the grass neat and after you find what you are looking for when you put the dirt back in put in about half, pack it down, then put in the rest and pack that down, otherwise the plug might not fit back right, after I put the plug back in I use the back of my digger to pack it down and smooth it out so you can't see where the plug is then I kind of fluff up the grass so it looks like the rest of the grass, with practice you will get good enough that even you won't be able to tell where you have dug.

 

[coinhog]

thats one thing I always sem to forget,, a towel to set dirt on,, I;m forever trying to rake teh dirt back in the hole with my fingers,, and I really need to invest ina good pinpointer,, sometimes I swear I;m chasing a worm with a metal collar on,, scan the hole dig,, scan it again,, dig,, its at this point I either give up,, or keep going, and its usually a new zinc rotted out penny,,, SIGH

 

[michaelgray71]

only decent thing here is the .38 s&w shell casing on the left, The rest is junk.

I did find that i was searching in an old trash burn pile.