TONES!!!!

[Lori]

I think I am tone deaf because I see everyone talking about hearing different tones and man I just don't. Sure I hear a low buzz like and a medium beep and a high tone but any other tone I guess I am missing. If I detect a penny, it is a high tone. If I detect a piece of foil it is a medium tone but sometimes the foil is a high tone. I haven't been digging the low buzz tones.

This goes for every detector out there! I can't tell tones and what they mean!!!!!!!!!!!

I know do a test garden to learn the tones but I can't get all the trash out of the area for me to do a test garden. SOOOOO frustrating!

 

[grumpyolman]

Lori what I did was buy a $7.00 splitter from Radio Shack. I had a friend who plugged both of us into his machine with that splitter and I followed him for about 3 hours and just watched and listened. He was kind enough to answer questions when I saw him start to dig and "I" didn't hear anything unusual that'd told me to dig. Try to find somebody around there with the same machine, get you a splitter, and watch and learn. Yes all you 1000 hole people, different settings will do different things...but for somebody just starting out following and watching and listening to a master really helps the learning curve. After you think you have the basic idea what you are listening for unplug from the splitter and plug into your own machine and give it a go. Andy's book on the Explorers is the best other learning tool I know of. Of course..read this forum and listen to the masters. A master I am not. I am, however, one who is experiencing the same learning curve and am trying every avenue I see, including digging ghost targets, etc. etc, to get better at the art of detecting.
I'd also suggest getting a good pin pointer (Sunray or Garrett), digging tool (Lesche or Predator), Knee pads, and some kind of pouch to carry your gear on or in. Regards...Jim

 

[Eu_citzen]

Lori,
I will try to make a video of the difference when I can. Maybe that will help?
You can search for "Eucitzen" on youtube I also have other videos, I will try to get the video on the iron/silver in the next couple of weeks.

 

[NealNoIN]

In CONDUCTIVE sounds, small foil should be the lowest tone you'll hear on the machine along with 22 shells, small gold and other small jewelry. Only coin that is that low is the nickel 3 cent piece and maybe the smallest gold coins made.
A little higher up are the nickels along with large foil, bigger gold and jewelry and lots of pull tabs and aluminum pieces.
Middle of the tone scale would be other junk and pull tabs usually.
Then you get to the nearly high tones which would be Indian Cents and Half Dimes.
Then the highest tones are the pennies, dimes and quarters and silver rings.
In FERROUS sounds, there is no way in the world a tone alone will give you any kind of ID except as to how likely or not it is iron.
HH
Neal

 

[dewcon4414]

There is a great EMULATOR out there Lori that would help you a lot. You see where everything falls, the tones are great, and its just a great tool for a rainy day. You dont need a test garden... just grab up some of those items you want to find, reduce your sensitivity to say 10 and pass them over your coil. Its a way to start.... but none of us can say our finds ever improve with a new machine. It takes some time to learn those tones for trash as well as desirable targets. You have to be willing to dig a LOT of trash to know what the detector is telling you. Once you learn the the detector ... then you are going to notice the tones change the deeper they get... thats called experience. Grumpy had a great way to learn. Try and down load that EMULATOR.

Dew

 

[Lori]

Lori,
I will try to make a video of the difference when I can. Maybe that will help?
You can search for "Eucitzen" on youtube I also have other videos, I will try to get the video on the iron/silver in the next couple of weeks.

Thank you so much I will look for your videos and the newest one U are awesome!!!

 

[Lori]

Lori what I did was buy a $7.00 splitter from Radio Shack. I had a friend who plugged both of us into his machine with that splitter and I followed him for about 3 hours and just watched and listened. He was kind enough to answer questions when I saw him start to dig and "I" didn't hear anything unusual that'd told me to dig. Try to find somebody around there with the same machine, get you a splitter, and watch and learn. Yes all you 1000 hole people, different settings will do different things...but for somebody just starting out following and watching and listening to a master really helps the learning curve. After you think you have the basic idea what you are listening for unplug from the splitter and plug into your own machine and give it a go. Andy's book on the Explorers is the best other learning tool I know of. Of course..read this forum and listen to the masters. A master I am not. I am, however, one who is experiencing the same learning curve and am trying every avenue I see, including digging ghost targets, etc. etc, to get better at the art of detecting.
I'd also suggest getting a good pin pointer (Sunray or Garrett), digging tool (Lesche or Predator), Knee pads, and some kind of pouch to carry your gear on or in. Regards...Jim

Wow, that is a great idea Jim!!! I just wish I had someone around here that detected. It is hard for me to believe there are no detectorists around here as I can't seem to find anything but clad and junk lol But, alas, there isn't anyone. I have posted on the WV board and the OH board to no avail. But if anyone comes along mysteriously, then I will see if they will help me out!

Thanks again!

 

[Lori]

In CONDUCTIVE sounds, small foil should be the lowest tone you'll hear on the machine along with 22 shells, small gold and other small jewelry. Only coin that is that low is the nickel 3 cent piece and maybe the smallest gold coins made.
A little higher up are the nickels along with large foil, bigger gold and jewelry and lots of pull tabs and aluminum pieces.
Middle of the tone scale would be other junk and pull tabs usually.
Then you get to the nearly high tones which would be Indian Cents and Half Dimes.
Then the highest tones are the pennies, dimes and quarters and silver rings.
In FERROUS sounds, there is no way in the world a tone alone will give you any kind of ID except as to how likely or not it is iron.
HH
Neal

Neal,

I never thought about putting it in Conductive but then again I didn't know there was a Ferrous and Conductive sounds. I bought Andy's book and have read a few pages and the manual I can't seem to get to print. I guess I better go find a chapter in the book that talks about the FER and CON sounds Thank you for that idea!

 

[Lori]

There is a great EMULATOR out there Lori that would help you a lot. You see where everything falls, the tones are great, and its just a great tool for a rainy day. You dont need a test garden... just grab up some of those items you want to find, reduce your sensitivity to say 10 and pass them over your coil. Its a way to start.... but none of us can say our finds ever improve with a new machine. It takes some time to learn those tones for trash as well as desirable targets. You have to be willing to dig a LOT of trash to know what the detector is telling you. Once you learn the the detector ... then you are going to notice the tones change the deeper they get... thats called experience. Grumpy had a great way to learn. Try and down load that EMULATOR.

Dew

I hate to sound so needy but do you know where I could find the EMULATOR? Do I just go to a search engine and type in Minelabe Explorer II Emulator?

Thanks for the tip!

 

[NealNoIN]

n/t

 

[chuck ky]

do you then hit detect to start hunting. i tried using andy's book to set up a couple of programs but i never was sure if i got it right. i hope to have all day tomorrow to work on it. thanks.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

You've got good advice so far. Try playing with the "variability" control, to put more difference between the tone spread. And here's a great trick too, to help the learning process: 1) Start in conductive 2) go out for several hours, to a spot prolific with targets (even if just a modern park with lots of clad), and black out EVERYTHING except the upper right hand little spot for dimes & quarters. 3) Dig only copper/clad type stuff for several hours, of which you'll only get high tones. 4) THEN drop down your disc'd out edits a bit to allow down to zinc pennies to come in. Hunt for several hours that way, 5) THEN drop down the disc. to allow in mid conductors (down to about square tabs), and hunt for several hours that way. 6) Continue to drop down little by little, on each successive day you hunt. THEN by the time you've got down to where you've only got iron knocked out (the left hand 1/3 of so of the screen), you will have the mental breakdown of the tones.

Contrast this, to a person who tries to learn with all the highs and lows accepted ("smart screen" for instance), and he can go mad, in a junky site, because all the tooty-fluty won't make any sense. But by lowering slowly in segments, hearing each type thing separately for awhile, THEN it makes sense when you hear the full orchestra later.

 

[Lori]

Thank you all so much for the sage advice! I will try it all You guys are so wonderful and helpful. This really is a good forum with kind helpful people!

 

[Eu_citzen]

Lori,
I will try to make a video of the difference when I can. Maybe that will help?
You can search for "Eucitzen" on youtube I also have other videos, I will try to get the video on the iron/silver in the next couple of weeks.

Thank you so much I will look for your videos and the newest one U are awesome!!!

Well I try to be, I had the same problem, no detectorist close by. Try and error kinda situation for me.
I did look at many videos of people using the Explorer and it helped to.

 

[bazooka]

Did you get this machine used? Sounds like the variability and/or limits is set low. You might want to reset everything back to factory settings.

 

[Buddysox]

Somtimes you have to "TRAIN" your ears to hear the difference in sounds. At first they all seem the same and not a lot of difference, but with time and practice that will change. I had a job for 35 years that I had to listen to a busy radio constantly with a lot of other people talking, The brain and ears will get used to it and enable you to pick out what is needed from all the junk. Finding a neat silver or other goodie really helps remembering the sound too!

 

[Eu_citzen]

Buddysox is also correct.

 

[chuck ky]

no comes up when i do that search.

 

[Lori]

Did you get this machine used? Sounds like the variability and/or limits is set low. You might want to reset everything back to factory settings.

Yes, I did get it used but I have Factory reset about 10 times LOL.

 

[NiagracountyNY]

I use ferrous sounds almost always.Any low tones are iron.Medium tones are foil/pull tab /gold.Any high tones are coins or other good metal u should be digging anyways.Pennies and dimes sound similar,but after awhile u can hear the diffrence,Quarters /half dollars are very high tone.With ferrous sounds its easiest for me(i hunt all metal all the time).I run threshold at 1 .Var and gain at 10.I think with some air testing you will be able to hear the differnce.Takes some practice.I use the sounds to locate the target,then the sounds and graph to decide if its good.Keep on digging,you will get it soon!Happy hunting