Still learning the ins and outs of my AT-Pro

[TheGeorgiaCanuck]

After reading John-Edmonton's post to another user on the Iron Audio, I decided to try hunting today in Zero Discrim with Iron audio on and switching it off to test targets. WOW! What a difference. I had to get used to the different way the detector sounded, but I'll be hunting in zero discrim from now on. I found a 1968 silver dime today that I totally MISSED last week. Not 2 feet from where I found the "J" nickle. It gave me a dubious sound with medium iron mixed in, but I kept getting a 91 ping from at least 2 directions.

I think the dime was lying vertical in the ground near a loud piece of iron and the detector missed it last week when I was running around 25-30 discrim. Zero discrim is the way to go in Pro mode. Totally a believer now!

Thank you John for giving good information on a detector I *THOUGHT* I had figured out. Just goes to show, you can still learn new tricks.

Now I just need to figure out how to keep wet mud from plugging my Pro-Pointers speaker holes. Wish they had put the speaker holes at the battery cap end of the pointer, I don't get much mud there.
Anyone know if you can hear it good with electrical tape over the holes? Any ideas appreciated.

 

[GoGoGopher]

I think you have it backwards though...hunt with iron audio OFF, and turn it ON to check your target...Having it ON all the tiime drains the batteries in a quick fashion...

HH,

 

[TheGeorgiaCanuck]

I think you have it backwards though...hunt with iron audio OFF, and turn it ON to check your target...Having it ON all the tiime drains the batteries in a quick fashion...

HH,

Have you tried running it in zero discrom? With iron audio off you hear all the LOW tones, with it on you only get medium and high tones. And it didn't drain my batteries because it doesn't grunt growl at all in zero discrim.

 

[Sailorman]

I taped over the holes on my ProPointer with bright colored tape. Makes it easier to find and it's loud enough for me. Draws fewer kids as well.

 

[Joel-Winnipeg]

Put electrical tape from day one on mine ( pro pointer ) and still loud enought.
Will invest in a second one for a spare or other hand.

 

[GoGoGopher]

No...have not tried it that way...Thanks for the tip...never crossed my mind...I will have to remember this for Springtime...

HH,

I think you have it backwards though...hunt with iron audio OFF, and turn it ON to check your target...Having it ON all the tiime drains the batteries in a quick fashion...

HH,

Have you tried running it in zero discrom? With iron audio off you hear all the LOW tones, with it on you only get medium and high tones. And it didn't drain my batteries because it doesn't grunt growl at all in zero discrim.

 

[EtracTom-AdirondacksNY]

HA I always ran Iron Audio at 40 and do not hear pretty much any low sounds only med and high tones. When I turn Iron Audio ON then I hear the low tones complete opposite of your way If I'm remembering right.

 

[TheGeorgiaCanuck]

HA I always ran Iron Audio at 40 and do not hear pretty much any low sounds only med and high tones. When I turn Iron Audio ON then I hear the low tones complete opposite of your way If I'm remembering right.

Yep thats the way it works when you run ANY discrim. Without discrim it's backwards. And I *CAN* tell you positively that if your running 40 discrim, your missing targets. At 30 discrim I found some old pennies I missed and I missed that silver dime running at 30 discrim. At zero it jumped right out at me.

 

[Chuck in KY]

I put a piece of clear shipping tape over the speaker hole. Not as loud but works for me. It still vibrates good. In Tot lots I don't get as many questions about what's that noise?

 

[TheGeorgiaCanuck]

Thanks for the hints on the pro-pointer, I've installed electrical tape over the holes.

 

[EtracTom-AdirondacksNY]

Thanks TheGeorgiaCannuck for the info and i will go to zero disc. now and run with Iron audio on like you said. So let me get this straight it's still running with zero disc. but with Iron Audio ON you just don't HEAR the iron sounds right??

I usually just put my thumb over the hole and I can still hear it faintly and feel the vibs when pin pointing if people near me.

(Thank you John for giving good information on a detector I *THOUGHT* I had figured out. Just goes to show, you can still learn new tricks.) Sorry to steal your line but oh so true too!!

 

[TheGeorgiaCanuck]

Thanks TheGeorgiaCannuck for the info and i will go to zero disc. now and run with Iron audio on like you said. So let me get this straight it's still running with zero disc. but with Iron Audio ON you just don't HEAR the iron sounds right??

I usually just put my thumb over the hole and I can still hear it faintly and feel the vibs when pin pointing if people near me.

(Thank you John for giving good information on a detector I *THOUGHT* I had figured out. Just goes to show, you can still learn new tricks.) Sorry to steal your line but oh so true too!!

Well you don't get LOW tones, just medium and high tones with it on. It completely changed the way I listened to the detector. I still check the numbers alot, because anything from 30-high 80's could be gold.

 

[EtracTom-AdirondacksNY]

HUH I think I'm still a bit confused as that is the way it worked for me too when I ran iron disc up to 40 with Iron Audio off I still got some low iron sounds now and then on targets just not way so many till I turned Iron Audio on then I heard them all??????

I hunted a ball field to death this summer almost every day after work my way settings first than late this fall I went to complete zero and listened to all the low sounds but I didn't miss anything else????? I'll have to play with this next year on some targets. Even running my way silver still gave those high tone hits coated with iron when I pulled them out from the ground all brown iron stained with some black on them too. Who knows.

 

[simple jack]

But at the same time, I really enjoy reading the instructive posts about this new machine. I am really leaning towards getting one.

 

[hus4154]

I just got my AT-Pro in November and have been playing around in my yard. To date, I've found 16 wheat, a bunch of memorial, two Washington quarters, two Mercury dimes, and a couple toys using "coins." Interestingly, I found almost everything in my backyard--previously searched by my previous metal detector--and little anywhere else. Now, occasionally I get "bells" while searching, but cannot get them to repeat over the same target area. Is this common? Also, occasionally, I'll get a "bell" but can't pinpoint the target. The target seems to run a long way in one direction, but not another. I don't dig those at all. What is happening? I still find a heck of a lot of coins down 8-10 inches. What is with the random bells?

 

[EtracTom-AdirondacksNY]

You must be running it in the standard mode and I think they may be hot rocks or heavy mineralization spots that is why you get nothing when you try to pinpoint. Now iron your hitting at the ends but running along the other way which is what the iron object is lying at in the ground. It's falsing off the ends of the iron and these will pinpoint but usually in a different spot than where you hit that belltone sound atat. It will be the major part of the iron object in the ground you'll pinpoint.

 

[TheGeorgiaCanuck]

You must be running it in the standard mode and I think they may be hot rocks or heavy mineralization spots that is why you get nothing when you try to pinpoint. Now iron your hitting at the ends but running along the other way which is what the iron object is lying at in the ground. It's falsing off the ends of the iron and these will pinpoint but usually in a different spot than where you hit that belltone sound atat. It will be the major part of the iron object in the ground you'll pinpoint.

What level of sensitivity are you running? Too high and you will get falsing in heavy mineralized ground. The park I'm hunting has a ground balance in auto of 91, so i run my sensitivity about 4-5 and I still hit targets 8"+ deep. Also EtracTom is right, rusty iron will cause the belltone to hit. Usually though, if you turn 90degrees and come at the target from another direction the belltone will disappear. If you still hear it, DIG! 50/50 chance theres a coin with iron by it in the hole. I've had that happen. I switched to PRO mode and I've learned to hear the target. PRO mode is way better than standard mode, but you have to go slow at first and learn what the detector is telling you.

You should practice running in PRO mode, with zero discrim and iron audio on. You will hear medium and high tones. On medium tones listen to the signal, a bright clear tone usually means a really good target. a tone that wavers or repeats as you move the coil over it can either be junk, pulltabs, foil, a necklace, etc. Watch the VDI numbers, if it's jumping from 20 to 45 then 60 and back....its probably junk. if its steady on 40-43(as an example) I'd dig it, it could be junk but it could be a ring. Switching iron audio off can let you hear the LOW growls of iron as well. Another way to test the target, though toonies will growl, cause of the crap metal they are made from.

Also the moving around the target and listening from all sides can firm up a iffy target sometimes. Though I always say, if in doubt....DIG!! GL & HH!!

 

[vanner]

Ive found that in standard mode.. the bell tone with no target, thats why I avoid standard mode when coin shooting...may try standard mode at the gold-fields as an experiment

 

[hus4154]

Thanks to all of you. You were all correct. I was running in standard mode and the inferences you made about what I heard were right on. I'll try the PRO mode both in coin and in zero. Thanks for the advice. I really like this machine. As I said, my previous--which will remain nameless--passed over everything I've found in my backyard--17 wheats, couple Washington quarters, Mercury dime. Thanks. I suspect I will have more questions when I try the PRO mode.

 

[2wheeldevil]

Video #6 on the At Pro says that running in pro mode zero, and 00 disc makes the iron audio inoperable. You must have some disc(say 10)to make the iron audio work.
Try this on a bottle cap, pro mode zero, 00 disc. You get a good signal, turn on iron audio and there will be no grunt because iron audio has to have some number in
disc to make it work. Is this correct?