LawrencetheMDer
Active member
Last Friday I found a Hugh (10.88g) 14k gold Nugget ring with a 1/4 ct center diamond in the surf. The ring registered 12:22 on my CTX 3030, and I figured it was a pull-tab but imagine my surprise. When I got home to log the ring and double check the reading, air test registered 12:25. This got me to thinking - what in the beach environment could alter or shift the reading along the CO scale? This has particular significance to those of us who rely on the CO numbers to tell us which targets to dig and which targets to ignore in certain situations. In the surf, I dig everything within my acceptance range because targets are few and far between in the water. On dry sand, I often ignore 12:15-12:22s as they're always pull-tabs or push-tabs. However, what if something, sometimes can shift, say, a gold ring from 12:25 to 12:22 or even 12:15? This would definitely alter my digging strategy, since I never want to miss a gold ring.
[attachment 356154 NuggetRing14kw5Diamonds031618.jpg]
I recently viewed a video by "sube" on the effects of iron on CO number of a good target (e.g., coin) and the results were shocking (http://youtu.be/khtK5wYlGmA). In a nutshell, the video shows how iron in close proximity or touching a good target like a coin can cause the CTX 3030 to become silent to the good target, and thus you would miss the good target if you rely on sound only for target detection. However, if you observe the display during the demonstration, which shows both the iron object and coin (purpose of video), you will see that the CO number of the good target (coin) is altered when in the presence of iron. The effects of near-by iron on CO numbers could explain why, in part, not all standard weight denominations (1c, 5c, 10c, 25c) yield the same CO number for the same denomination. For example, dimes register 12:45 about 80% of the time, for me. However, sometimes I find dimes in the 12:37 range where a cent usually is found. Near-by iron may have played a role given where I hunt. What about the effects of black sand?
The take-home message here is that CTX 3030 CO numbers are correct in terms of target identification some of the time but not all the time; CO numbers can be altered by environmental factors such as the presence of iron. If you pass-up targets based on CO number, like pull-tabs and push-tabs at 12:15 or even the ubiquitous cent at 12:37, you are at some risk of missing a good target, like a gold ring.
PS Have you heard of the MDer who found a massive gold ring at 12:37? True. Think about it the next time you're too tired to dig a "cent" at 12:37. I've learned my lesson.
[attachment 356154 NuggetRing14kw5Diamonds031618.jpg]
I recently viewed a video by "sube" on the effects of iron on CO number of a good target (e.g., coin) and the results were shocking (http://youtu.be/khtK5wYlGmA). In a nutshell, the video shows how iron in close proximity or touching a good target like a coin can cause the CTX 3030 to become silent to the good target, and thus you would miss the good target if you rely on sound only for target detection. However, if you observe the display during the demonstration, which shows both the iron object and coin (purpose of video), you will see that the CO number of the good target (coin) is altered when in the presence of iron. The effects of near-by iron on CO numbers could explain why, in part, not all standard weight denominations (1c, 5c, 10c, 25c) yield the same CO number for the same denomination. For example, dimes register 12:45 about 80% of the time, for me. However, sometimes I find dimes in the 12:37 range where a cent usually is found. Near-by iron may have played a role given where I hunt. What about the effects of black sand?
The take-home message here is that CTX 3030 CO numbers are correct in terms of target identification some of the time but not all the time; CO numbers can be altered by environmental factors such as the presence of iron. If you pass-up targets based on CO number, like pull-tabs and push-tabs at 12:15 or even the ubiquitous cent at 12:37, you are at some risk of missing a good target, like a gold ring.
PS Have you heard of the MDer who found a massive gold ring at 12:37? True. Think about it the next time you're too tired to dig a "cent" at 12:37. I've learned my lesson.
