The feathered edge.

[slingshot]

This has been a project of mine-and the fact that Tabdog uses it to some extent has further encouraged me. First off, let me state that pulltabs, screwcaps, and SOME pencil erasers defy the rules to some extent and this is only intended for those who like the foil discrimination settings to have a chance at rings. All targets have at least 3 common denominators: size, uniformity, and conductivity. Tesoro detectors, with their famous characteristics of tonal variations can recognize these and translate the differences to the users. A target close to the searchcoil and with low discrimination has SOME form of variation, although not always easily recognizable. It's when the coil is RAISED gradually on each sweep until it gets to it's faint repeatable signal that the differences become recognizable-or, as I state, to it's feathered edge of detection. Some large pieces of foil will "Splat!" when close to the coil, but when the coil is raised, the signal almost disappears! Other trash targets will "clip"-change from a standard signal to a blip. But COINS will stay smooth all the way out to the feathered edge-and remember we're in foil setting. At high foil discrimination, some nickels, while they may not "clip" will have a shorter duration signal-but still be strong. That's why I recommend low foil settings-and of course at low trash sites, I use lowest setting on discrimination-with the Silver umax, some clipping can still occur even at the lowest setting. After many comparisons,one becomes adept at dig-no dig decisions. As one example, at the feathered edge, a square tab that registers as a nickel will have a longer signal in one direction-thus it's UNIFORMITY can be guesstimated, even though the clipping isn't there. My next project is signal comparisons in disc./all metal in conjunction with the feathered edge. Hope this saves someone a lot of bending over.

 

[tab-nabit]

Raising the coil while shortening the sweep has become habit. Besides getting an indication of where the target falls off (depth), in a trash area you can minimize somewhat, junk besides a desirable target. If you can get the junk more or less out of the detection field matrix, better chance of a good repeatable signal. Of course the field on a concentric differs from DD.
One of the good attributes of Tesoro is how they work among iron - compared to some other machines I have & used.

 

[tvr]

Yup ... Cibola acts the same way. I've grown to really dislike the pencil eraser ferrules. A little over a year ago I almost walked away from one target that clicked each way on the Cibola set below foil. And then I walked around it (that Fisher CZ hunting habit). Turned 90 degrees it clicked one way and smooth edge the other.... was pretty sure it was a folded or broken tab and it was getting dark but that little nagging doubt had me digging ... 14K band nearly on edge.

Never know for sure until you dig.
tvr

 

[slingshot]

Great follow-up. Made my post worthless The only thing it DID do was give the size and uniformity of the target. Even a coin on edge would defeat the attempt to identify the object.

 

[tvr]

slingshot,
Your post is great! Took me several months of reading posts like yours and working with the Cibola before I started to hear and observe the things it was trying to tell me that I now hear and take for granted.
tvr

 

[slingshot]

Thanks. It's a great aid in just plain ole' coin hunting. I'm starting to experiment with switching from disc (lowest) to a/m mode (on the Silver, both are motion modes) and comparing the signals-I've noticed some subtler changes there. It's just plain fun to experiment. Years ago, a fellow named Ken Whitener from Oklahoma found out that doing this he could tell the difference between tabs and coins-but back then the two modes weren't the same as far as depth. Now, technology has "improved" and the newer machines make this unlikely, but you still can get some info. I dig all in tot lots, but school yards get the raised coil treatment because the recovery is harder and there is usually like a football field or two length to search.

 

[nad]

Slingshot, what worthless post are you talking about.???? I hope not the one I just printed out and tucked in the SAVE, damn good information folder? Come to think about it, there are several more with you name on it in there as well...Keep them coming, I need all the help I can get.Cordially, NAD .

 

[sqwaby]

Great post, the vaquero acts the same as you describe the silver doing. Its amazing how much info you can get from a single tone machine, just by listening for the clarity, choppiness, duration, size of the signal area, or the strength of the signal. My best teacher has been rescanning everything I dug, for the last several months. Just to listen and see how it responds to the disc mode.

 

[slingshot]

Thanks, guys. Glad to hear the other Tesoro's are the same as I'm thinking about a Cibola. The Silver's doing so good it's hard to spend the money now. Another guy, Joe Bolton, who was my dealer whipped the coil when he demonstrated his Tesoro to me. He said the better signals would stay in and sometimes get stronger while the foil and stuff would give the bad tones. It worked, but I was afraid I would miss some good targets at that speed.

 

[tvr]

slingshot,
I've read a couple of times about whipping the coil. Haven't tried it. Did he use real short distance swing? Sort of like making a string oscillate by moving the end an inch or two back and forth, or where the swings longer?
tvr

 

[slingshot]

Yeah, he did. Sure enough, the coins signalled stronger and the trash did the "trash talk". I just liked the slower method of raising the coil, but every once in a while when I'm in my "competition mode" (haulin' A--) I use the whip mode.