Ok; I am now learning an Excal.
First lesson was that it really hates having sensitivity set too high. I had sensitivity just a tad lower than where it clicks to auto and it would howl for about a second and a half then pretty much stop responding ... I assume some part of the circuitry was in full saturation. So with the sensitivity now set at 12 oclock, we are much happier.
Had a chance earlier in the week to check her out on the local play ground. Got a couple of 9 mm casings, two pennies and a nickle.
Today got a day trip to the beach and got about 4 hours of hunting in with the Excal. About an hour waste to shoulder deep until it got past low tide and the wave breaks changed and were starting to knock me off my feet. Then the rest in the wet sand to knee deep with a very little dry sand added in looking specifically for foil range.
Results were $3.44 in clad, my first European Union coin (a 10 cent) very little trash; but did pretty much cover the desired conductivity ranges, some thin foil, nickles, two pairs of eye glasses, a piece of melted blob of copper, some lead, and pennies, dimes and quarters.
One very neat thing about this Excal (which is modified with a push button to switch from discriminate mode to all metal) is that when it nulls on iron and then returns the threshold to a hideous low frequency flutter; just push the all metal momentarily and the pitch comes up to a more listening friendly pitch (at least to my ear). Saves me from swinging the scoop over the coil to raise the pitch.
So, depth on some of the coins was very good for a first beach hunt. Did not find things as deep as I have with my CZ's. May not have put the coil directly over the right targets; and it has taken me a few years to learn how to get the depth with the CZ.
Looking forward to learning the Excal. First impression is that I will like it.
Cheers,
tvr
PS
Here is what this one looks like:
First lesson was that it really hates having sensitivity set too high. I had sensitivity just a tad lower than where it clicks to auto and it would howl for about a second and a half then pretty much stop responding ... I assume some part of the circuitry was in full saturation. So with the sensitivity now set at 12 oclock, we are much happier.
Had a chance earlier in the week to check her out on the local play ground. Got a couple of 9 mm casings, two pennies and a nickle.
Today got a day trip to the beach and got about 4 hours of hunting in with the Excal. About an hour waste to shoulder deep until it got past low tide and the wave breaks changed and were starting to knock me off my feet. Then the rest in the wet sand to knee deep with a very little dry sand added in looking specifically for foil range.
Results were $3.44 in clad, my first European Union coin (a 10 cent) very little trash; but did pretty much cover the desired conductivity ranges, some thin foil, nickles, two pairs of eye glasses, a piece of melted blob of copper, some lead, and pennies, dimes and quarters.
One very neat thing about this Excal (which is modified with a push button to switch from discriminate mode to all metal) is that when it nulls on iron and then returns the threshold to a hideous low frequency flutter; just push the all metal momentarily and the pitch comes up to a more listening friendly pitch (at least to my ear). Saves me from swinging the scoop over the coil to raise the pitch.
So, depth on some of the coins was very good for a first beach hunt. Did not find things as deep as I have with my CZ's. May not have put the coil directly over the right targets; and it has taken me a few years to learn how to get the depth with the CZ.
Looking forward to learning the Excal. First impression is that I will like it.
Cheers,
tvr
PS
Here is what this one looks like:
