VDI pros and cons..

[Dan-Pa.]

Of course VDI is a valuable tool and enjoyed Criiterhunters several last posts, however sometimes we can be too selective and leave the goodies for the other guy.
Remember worn coins, next to junk, tilted, bad ground, cracked ring etc. can certainly give us offbeat VDI's.

For example found a seated dime that read 68 at least 10 digits low, extremely thin white gold ring that read high iron( on beach where you dig all) and a very large 10 kt gold.college ring that read in the high coins area so remember those that investigate excell...

So for some meter with multiple numbers in one facet serve the purpose and for others they certainly would not be with a solid VDI unit as usually especially with coins know what they have before they dig.

 

[nw1886]

It's easy to let yourself be a slave to VDI's. Dig a lot and use that experience to recognize "patterns" that are pointing to something better. (That's the way it's been since analog days too.) You can go to places where the info is skewed for the same targets hole after hole after hole. Silver quarters below 5" came up no higher than 63 for me at one site and Wheaties no higher that 17 at another. Only thing in common was those VDI's stayed tightish and if I hadn't investigate...they'd still all be there!

What I took away was....the Wheaties were from under one line of highly acidic berry trees that had a fairly dense root system that moved a lot of moisture. (The pennies were all blood red and I bet I pulled out 20 of those things!) Those coins were anything but "original" in the ground matrix they'd settled in to become a part of.

The quarters were in ground that had been fertilized with manure for years on end. (Pockets of white phosphates still were apparent.) All the copper (from their surface content) had been leached out into the coins halo the target info always showed "penny". Funny thing was...as soon as the coins were swung under the coil, normal reads!

Like you said Dan No one swing of the coil is going to give you all the info needed to dig and if you don't dig "to investigate" you'll never learn those pesky variables! Detectors are just a tool and WE are the true "discrimination circuitry"!

 

[srf2112]

Thanks for that detailed, first-hand explanation nw1886. I usually dig most positive signals, at least initially, and have made some great finds in less than ideal areas of the VDI scale but I had no idea that coin VDI's could wander THAT much. After hering Nancy say that IH cents often ring in at zinc penny I often dig these signals when I'm in an area that may hold these coins. Haven't found an Indian Head yet but I'll keep digging those signals. Your info may help me keep from missing other "disguised" keepers. Thanks.
HH
Scott

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Early indian head pennies will actually come in square tab due to their mettalic makeup....

Only true discriminator( certainly not original) is a shovel)

Lets not forget gold coins as they come in all over the meter along with gold rings and I love the part about VDI patterns as this fellow knows what he is talking about and such knowledge comes from many days in the field and those audio variances picked up along the way to a trained ear certainly cut down the odds relative what you dig..

 

[Larry (IL)]

Good sound advise and examples Scott........... Thanks

 

[BarberBill]

IE - gold coins- I've air tested 10thoz, 1/4oz, and 1/2 oz gold coins with my MXT and my Tesoro Deleon. The smaller ones come in consistently in the foil/pulltab range and the l/2 oz hits solidly as a zinc penny. I've also dug several rings that read as a zinc penny. I don't really like digging zincs as they usually are so corroded, but I'm digging them consistently now to make sure they're not something better. Also have found that bouncy VIDs of multiple denominations with a trash indication or two mixed in are coins spills often enough that they shouldn't be ignored. In spite of all the newer bells and whistles our eyes are the only absolutely sure form of discrimination. I learned on a beep and dig machine and even with VID machines I listen to the tone first, then look at the possible ID.
BB