VDI

[dufferhead]

I took my MXT to a park took along some spare change. A quarter, dime, penny.I have had my MXT a couple years. I put all the change down and ran the detector over it. I got a reading of 45 nothing higher than 60. I put a big piece of iron over it. It only picked up the Iron.No + numbers at all. Turned the discrimination down to discriminate the iron out. It only picked up the quarter. about 1" above, I removed the iron and everything but the penny (zink) and the quarter. and the highest reading I could get is 75. That tells me you dig the zink penny. Really anything over 40. Another thing I found is the higher I picked the detector the more the VDI changed. The more unsure it was just by looking at the squares I used the relic mode and got better depth I guess because I did not discriminate . I guess what I'm saying is I had a bounty hunter I paid 250.00 for and the difference I see is the depth,pin pointing,variety of coils,variety of searches. At the end of it all I look at the VDI and compare the depth with the squares. And you dig everything.
I found more coins at parks with my MXT. Found some fantastic relics. My most unusual is a pair of bifocals six inches down perfectly intact. My best is an old railroad switch lock. Lots of bullets Actually found more gold rings with my Bounty Hunter. Still I'm glad I got my MXT. It gives me more options. I'm still learning. That's half the fun that and the exercise. I recently got a DD. I would appreciate any tips

 

[Aarong81]

I have dug silver dimes next to iron that sounded like iron with a VERY tiny hint of a mixed signal. It would show full bars for iron with the iron grunt but it would occasionally chirp as if there was something with the iron. Of course, a rusty nail can produce the same mixed signal with a high chirp especially when using a DD coil(rust can chirp or even VDI high with DD coils). A lot of the good old targets that remain are tough targets that previous detectorists left behind. If you find virgin ground you can cherry pick but most often that is not the case. Even then, you should go over it several different directions because swinging your coil over it north and south may not produce a diggable signal whereas swinging the coil east and west will produce a diggable signal. This is true with every style of coil. Imagine a row of trash targets running north and south and a good target mixed in or below. If you swing your coil north and south it will disc out the trash targets and may very likely null out the good target in the process. If, on the other hand, you swing the coil east and west it will not be detecting the line of trash at the same time it detects the good target. With a DD coil, you can detect right up against an iron or trash target while not actually detecting the iron or trash and you can find targets left behind for obvious reasons(early detectorists didn't have the coils we have today).
In harsh ground or just lots of trash everything will tend to VDI lower than it should. The same goes for targets further from the coil. If you want to dig indian head cents you MUST dig +40 to +50 signals. I believe most of my IH cents were around +45 and some were lower. I may have dug a shallower IH cent at about +50 but if you are serious about finding the good stuff you have to dig junk signals.

 

[dixiedigger57]

Totally agree Aaron. dig it all. i have cherry picked a pounded park that is no bigger than a say-- suburb size fancy house and lot. 3/4 acre maybe on a hillside with very high banks to streets above, and into a hole sorta. its wino haven at night. But positive side they have actual Sunday afternoon freebie concerts from local groups that will draw 1,000 people believe it or not. downside coolers brought hence --beer cap city. the Hurricane malt caps ring 74 in the silver range. i have finally decided to dig every positive signal this winter to get them out. EVERYTHING! AND ALREADY I HAVE FOUND SEVERAL TARGETS ALMOST DIRECTLY UNDER THE ALUMINUM/ZINC CAPS. nothing outstanding but a few coins, old brass lipstick tub and a piece of copper whatever. but- the potential is there. the last two silver charms i posted came from this park. i do have to watch leaving marks. i use a zenport or leshe style. clean plugs, and a pinpointer. it is soft black and rocky dirt in some places, old iron from fountain system with poured concrete reflection pool and waterfall. pretty little place they book for weddings too. its there still. and now no hardly one hunts it but me!!!