Silver uMax project: I learned something today.

[Heilan Laddy]

I picked up a used Silver uMax recently and I really like it. Its just plain fun to use. I was planning to get a Tejon in the spring but now I have changed my mind. I plan to use the Silver as my only detector for this next year and learn all I can with it and see what happens. I plan to spend my money this year on coils. I have the brown 8" concentric and the 5.75 concentric and I will get the 4" and the 10" x 12" in the spring.

I have been reading back posts by Monte and others about the ED-120 Discrimination circuit and masking of targets by iron. Most of the sites I like to hunt have lots of iron. So, I did some of the tests mentioned in the posts for myself. I used a 3/8" x 2 1/2" bolt for the test. With the Silver in disc. mode and set at minimum the bolt was cleanly disced. out . In the "all metal" mode, which is really a motion disc. mode that adjusts lower than the regular disc. mode, the bolt was again cleanly disced. out. I then put some coins under the bolt in my hand and passed them under the coil. With the Silver back in disc. mode and set to min. the quarter came in loud and clear with no loss of depth. The penny, dime and nickel gave no response. So this means in Irony sites I will be missing good coins if they are right up against iron. Then I tried the test in "all metal" and got a signal on all the coins. So It will pay with the Silver to go back over some sites in the "all metal" mode and find some of the coins that were masked.

Next I tried to find out how close the iron could be to the coin and still get a good signal. I held the bolt and a nickel apart in my hand and passed them under the coil. I got a good response with them 2 1/2 inches apart. Any closer and there was masking. This was with the 8" coil in disc. mode with disc. set at min. My 5.75 coil is in the shop so I'll have to do the tests when I get it back.

So I learned that while the Silver runs super quiet in Irony sites I am missing some good coins and by hunting in all metal mode I'll dig some of those masked coins as well as some iron nails. I don't mind digging some Iron as long as I'm finding coins. My style of hunting is to turn the disc. down and dig everything that is somewhat repeatable.

I sure have enjoyed reading everyone's posts and I have learned a lot from this forum. Can't wait for the ground to thaw out around here. Happy hunting to all of you lucky people in the South.

 

[BarberBill]

You should do well in all metal, but be patient with all the trash you'll find. Part of the game, no way around it. Even with 180 disc, and a pretty accurate TID machine, we have to dig trash to find the best and all the goodies. Don't shy away from the 7" concentric coil either, if you find a decent buy. My two bits.
HH
BB

 

[tab-nabit]

Nice post.
I like to call the Silver uMax my Fun Factor machine. It's one fun little machine that's effective and simplistic.
I normally run all my machines in all metal mode, use headphones and let my ears determine the digs. I use discrimination mode's on rare occasions.
For awhile, I didn't focus my attention to the Silver as I was looking at other machines in the Tesoro line and other brands. I think it just didn't look right - funny little thing in a way - but this forum had post's that I finally read and one thing lead to the next - hummmm sounds like an interesting little machine now. So I decided to buy a new one, tried it and liked it. It worked better than expected and is just a fun little machine. Now I find myself grabbing it more than I would have ever thought, as I have other machines but the little Silver fun factor keeps it from sitting unused in the closet.
Optional coils, quality headphones, and the Silver just works in such a fun way.
I have the 5.75 coil in addition to the stock, and thinking on the 12 x 10 coil also.

 

[tab-nabit]

Now I'll have to add the 7" in my thoughts along with the 12 x 10 - hummmm

 

[Monte]

[quote Heilan Laddy]I picked up a used Silver uMax recently and I really like it. Its just plain fun to use. I was planning to get a Tejon in the spring but now I have changed my mind. I plan to use the Silver as my only detector for this next year and learn all I can with it and see what happens.[/quote][size=medium]You've got the right idea of spending ample time with the Silver

 

[Heilan Laddy]

Monte,

I've read that about the larger coils and the preset ground balance. How do you tweak it? Do you have to send it in to do this? My main reason for wanting a bigger coil is to cover a larger area and to get a little more depth after I have cleaned an area with the smaller coils. I really like the 5.75 and to tell you the truth when it gets back from Tesoro, I'll probably use it 75% of the time as most of the places I hunt are trashy.

 

[Monte]

[size=medium]I seldom use a standard coil, and even less often a larger-than-stock coil. Yes, sometimes, but not very often.

When I do, it is usually for coverage of a wide-open site, such as a grassy park. In plowed fields, unless they are very smooth surfaced, I get better all-around performance with smaller coils.

Also, if I am looking for specific things, such as a cache or railroad locks, I might opt for a larger coil.

Monte[/size]

 

[Gunnar of bradford MN]

i found the same thing, but you stand a better chance of finding gold than someone whith a tone I,D machine because gold is in thear whith aluminium so for us silver umax peope less means moor thats why i like the all metal mode it cuts thru the crapp and by removing a iron nail you may uncover a good target yes you will dig moor trash but your park will be cleaner for the next time you hunt and i would bet to say you will find moor gold than the more expencive detectors i also like my silver umax i used to have an m-6 well let us know your obsevations on the coils

 

[Heilan Laddy]

Gunnar, My philosophy is if I am digging all the trash then I'm also digging all the goodies. Some hunts it gets depressing when you dig nothing but pulltabs time after time. Then one of those pull tabs turns out to be a nice fat gold ring and it makes all of the trash you have dug worth wile. There is a lot to be said about cleaning out the iron from a site. Then some of those masked coins can be heard. There is one lot in an old ghost town that I have been hunting off and on. It is incredibly trashy, but some of my oldest coins have come out of there. I am amazed at my tesoros ability to weed good targets out of all the noise. So far I have only hunted this site with 8" coils. I can't wait to get back there with the 5.75 coil. I know there are still a lot of coins to be found there.

As far as coils the 5.75 is the only other one I have tried besides the stock coil. When it came in the mail I put it on and took it to an area of my property where an old house once stood. Now I have been over this area countless times with 4 other detectors, all with 8" coils. Until recently the area was a dump site for old fence posts and metal. The ground is littered with nails, tractor parts, old light bulbs and other trash. I haven't been able to pull a coin or anything good out of there in a long time. I had just started hunting when I got a nice signal. I was surprised because I had been over this one small spot many times and there were no good signals. I turned out to be a 1967 Nickel. I was very, very impressed. Then I took it to the town square and surprisingly I found that I did not feel like I was loosing coverage with the smaller coil. Unfortunately about two hours into the hunt it stopped working and I have sent it to Tesoro. I can't wait to try the 4" coil at the ghost town lot. I bet I'll be able to pull some nice coins with it.

 

[tabdog]

Wow, It started out so good and then, Coil descent

I just got my 5,75 concentric and took it out once. I just love it.

Nothing hits on a nickel like a Silver

It's a out standing metal detector.

HH