Tell me if this is right

[FortuneFinder73]

I have had the 705 for about two weeks now and Im still learning the machine, but I want to know if im doing this right or wrong. Im running in pattern 2 but accepting all the positives like 2, 4, 6, 8 , 10, etc. like digger mentioned in his article, and doing auto GB with tracking on and hunting with 99 tones and threshhold set to a slight buzz and sensitivity set as high as can before chatter. I will get a positive reading like 30 or 40 and then pinpoint and the machine will go to a negative so I dont dig, then on to the next possible find I get a reading of 38 or 40 and then I pinpoint and its still a high positive number so I dig and sometimes its good but sometimes its a screw or nail or jar lid...etc. So my question is does this sound right or wrong?

 

[Nock]

Get yourself some targets such as a quarter a dime a nickel a penny a gold ring if you have one and lay them on the ground and pass your coil over each one and memorize their i.d. number.
Then go out to the local park and search for those signals after a short time digging targets, you will be on your way to success.

 

[Digger]

Other than you don't need to perform an Auto GB if you are running with Tracking On, and 99 tones is actually 28 tones (one for each notch segment) your approach sounds solid. Well, one other exception is that if you X back and forth over a target while in tracking mode, Tracking can mistake the target for mineralization and eventually ignore it. My advice is to take tracking off while X-ing over a target. Look and listen for consistency with your sweeps across a target. Consistency in location, tone and TID. If the target isn't located in exactly the same place as you sweep left to right, as it is when you sweep right to left, it will likely be trash. If your TID bounces more than a couple notch segments when you pass the coil back and forth over a target, it will likely be trash. If the tone warbles or produces "harmonic" sounds, it will likely be trash. Coins will usually lock on within a notch or two, unless there is an adjacent target or the coin is on edge. Running with less discrimination would let you know if there was an adjacent piece of ferrous trash. Having those notch segments rejected will "null" out over them, misleading you into thinking there is only one target. By accepting those notches, at least you'll hear a low tone on them. If a coin is on edge, when you sweep one direction the TID will be larger than when you sweep 90 degrees across it. Simply a matter of eddy currents being generated from the surface of the target that is nearest the coil.

Some things just happen to have the same conductive value as coins. Amongst those most common are screw caps, old mason type jar lids, and rusty nails. Particularly bent rusty nails. One suggestion I would offer would be to set up your 705 with Sizing Pinpoint. Sizing Pinpoint allows you to "trace" the size and shape of a target. You will be able to determine most of those jar lids by their size. You will be able to determine larger nails by their shape. But I'm afraid you're going to have to keep digging those pesky screw caps. Just one of those things we have to do to get the coins that other have missed. JMHO HH Randy

 

[FortuneFinder73]

Thanks for the info Digger, so that is normal for the tid to bounce from a couple of positive tid's and then I go to pinpoint in and its a negative tid and more than likely it will be a no dig, but when I get a solid tid 36 and then pinpoint in and still get a lock in a 36 then its a for sure dig? just wanted to confirm to see if I understand correctly. Do you think it is better to just run with auto gb or just run with tracking on?

 

[Digger]

Many targets will lock in the TID. But I will say it is not uncommon for them to bounce around a notch or two either direction. Think about it this way........ notch segments encompass ferrous and non-ferrous values of specific ranges. For example, if you happen to hit upon a target that has property values that place it exactly in the middle of notch segment 36, it should always read a 36 and not vary. But what if the target has the property values that would make it a 35? Since there is no number 35 notch segment, it could bounce between 34 and 36. Another reason numbers might bounce is because we change the sweep speed when X-ing over a target. I suppose we are tryint to "dial in" on the exact location. But faster sweep speeds can provide different initial results than slower sweep speeds. Also, when we are X-ing over a target, we sometimes have a tendency to lift the coil at the end of each pass. This can also cause a variance in TID.

I don't rely on the Pinpoint TID numbers. I hunt by ear. When I hear a target that provides a consistent tone from different directions, I X over it to determine the exact location. Depending on the site, I might use Pinpoint Sizing to help determine size, shape and whether or not there are adjacent targets. Pinpoint allows me to move the coil much more slowly than regular hunt mode. With that said, you can use Pinpoint Mode to confirm the TID as the numbers are maintained in both hunt mode and Pinpoint mode.

If I am in an area for the first time, I'll run with Tracking and check the ground phase levels every few minutes. If they don't change a lot, I'll likely lock in the ground balance with a positive offset. The beauty of the 705 is that you can do both with tracking ground balance offset. The point I was making earlier is that the purpose of tracking is to monitor the conditions of the soil and adjust the ground phase setting of the X-TERRA to compensate for mineralization. If you X back and forth over a target again and again and again, the X-TERRA may start thinking that the target is part of the ground matrix and make an attempt to neutralize its signal. HH Randy

 

[FortuneFinder73]

Thanks again Digger, now I understand and I feel I know more about what Im doing and I also have a better understanding of what the machine is telling me. HH Ed

 

[SeniorSeeker]

The Numbers for the X-terra 705 / 505 / 305 will be approximately the same as those shown below for the X-terra 70 / 50 /30.

 

[7centsworth]

I never pay any attention to what number the pinpoint says . It is right sometimes but more often it will change alot on my 70.