test bed

[topknocker]

i made a test bed for my ace 250 and my gti 1500. i dug down 5 inches and took a 2x4 and pounded the dirt in the hole to compact it hard and then i laid a dime in it. i measured it at 5 inches from the dime to the top of the ground. i laid the dime perfectly flat, which is what i wanted. i did the same thing again and i measureed 7 inches in another hole. covered it up very carefully and compacted it. so now if i swing about 1 inch above the ground i should have a test bed of almost a perfect 6 and 8 inch on a dime. i did the same thing with a quarter, and nickel and a penny. the ace and the 1500 could not detect the dime at all. they barely could detect the quarter. the ace could not detect it at all in the 8 inch hole. they could not detect the nickel at all. they could detect the penny perfectly and not only could they detect the penny, it came in with a loud signal, so they could probably detect it even deeper. i was not happy at all. mainly with the gti.

 

[John 'n' W.Va]

There must be some other factor involved. I know the halo affect helps, but you should still get all the coins at 6". I haven't made a test bed. I have dug every coin at 6"+ here in Florida. My last two outings I have dug many dimes at 6" on the meter of my Ace. I posted a site on dept of MDer's a few months ago and they did better then your findings.
Here is the site. www.staffsmetaldetectors.co.uk/

 

[AndyNM]

1. Detector:

Model, sensitivity setting, threshold setting, mode used, headphones, volume, swing speed.

2. Coil: size, shape (DD or concentric)

3. Soil conditions: Mineralisation level, wet/dry, compressed yes/no, salt level.

4. Other targets near the coin that mask the target.(iron)

5. Target: Size, what is it made of ? (silver gold, copper, iron),how long in the ground ?

I'm sure i didn't cover it all, but you get the idea.

8" on a fresh buried coin sized target is a challange for most detectors. Fact is 8" on a dime in the ground is the Ace 250's limit in perfect conditions. Don't worry, more coins are hidden by masking than by depth....get a small coil.

Andy,NM

 

[AndyNM]

Set the Ace 250 to All Metal Mode and swing it fast over the targets.

More tips like that can be found in my Ace 250 booklet. Available for 3 $ including shipping in the US.

detectorandy@yahoo.de

Andy,NM

 

[Terry 2500]

Coins that are just put in the ground do not respond well. It will take a good six months to a year for the coin to start reacting with the ground " Halo effect ". All detectors will do this not just yours. Some of the best test beds are the ones that have been there for years.

 

[Neil in West Jersey]

n/t

 

[awhitster]

what type of soil do you have? I wonder if that makes a difference.

 

[topknocker]

thanks for your respones, me and my son are still fairly new a this. we are from se missouri and the dirt in my yard is good topsoil. terry said they need to be buried for a while to get a good respone.(i did't realize that) me and my son have dug many, many coins and i know some of them have been a good 5 to 6 inches deep, so i'll let my test bed sit for a while. makes me feel a little better.

thanks again for your respones.
topknocker

 

[John-Edmonton]

Ahhhhhhhh...if only air tests were a good indicator of depth on a machine. But they aren't. Add some matrix (soil) and the variables change dramatically. The mineralization in the soil is also competing with the coins to be read by the coil. What will happen over time is that the coins will develop a halo around them, and they will again be able to be picked up by the coil, in fact sometimes deeper then the air tests. My test garden is going onto 6 years old this spring, and there has been a noticeable difference in depth and ability of the various coils and machines to get a reading of the various coins. All my detectors were effected in pretty well the same way, so I can't say any one model worked better then the other, except the GTI 2500 in true all metal mode and my Garrett Mark II, which is a PI. As soon as you start adding discrimination to many machines, you start losing depth.

So, don't be disappointed with your results, as they were pretty much predictable. To hasten the halo effect, occaissionally pour a saline solution of about 10% over the coins and soak the ground with tap water.

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[stick]

i did an experiment with my 250. after i dug a coin out of the ground i would put a new coin back in the same hole. it would not sound off. so don't be worried about it. i have had my detector less than 3 months but have dug almost 2,000 coins. it works.

 

[BILLinOK]

I have found that newly buried coins, especially burying them depth is a challenge for my detector, in coins mode (GTI 2500). Keep in mind, most newly lost coins will not be very deep. Coins that have been lost for a long time develop the halo, along with a host of other factors. Your detector will find them....providing they are not half way to China! I always try to return to a hunting ground several months after I have searched it. I always find more coins, maybe just a few, but more. Switching to all metal is a different story....much deeper detection.

 

[Skillet]

http://www.pioneermining.com/md_target.htm

Regards,
Skillet

 

[John-Edmonton]

Thanks Skillet for an interesting test. It'a amazing how one test from one group differs considerably to the next.

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