Want to be sure I'm on the right track

[rifleman]

I took my Xterra 70 out for the first time today. I went to a site I hunted before with my Ace 250. The 70 is obviously a much more sensitive machine. There is a lot of iron trash at the site. I would see the readings go in the high 40's, then use the pinpoint button and see that most of the time it read low over the target that showed in the high 40's in coin mode. From what I read, iron targets will either give a very low reading or a high reading, they said the scale was kind of circular. The coins I found gave a much sharper signal than the iron targets and gave the higher reading when in pinpoint mode. My conclusion is that I should listen for the sharp tones and if the pinpoint mode shows a much lower reading, not bother to dig. I just wanted to get your opinions on the above and find out if what I am thinking is correct. I really need to make a coin garden and of course spend a lot more time with the new machine. I also need to focus on the tones more also. I think I going to fall in love with this machine. I also have a Minelab SD2100 V-2, and running an air test on just a small amount of gold flakes in a vile, the 70 seems more sensitive than the 2100 V-2. Even with the standard coil. My 18.75 coil is on back order. Minelab has a winner with this machine.

Thanks, John K

 

[BarnacleBill]

It's commonly called iron wrap and occurs with many VLFs. What it will do is signal a (-)8 & in the (+) high 40's. Factors can be coil, ground, size & shape of iron. In ID disc mode a quick change to All Metal will show this toggling Low>High. And yes good targets tend to sound sweeter or fuller, more "roundish" as some call it.

In Pinpoint mode the coil has to be moving to get a correct ID.

HH
BarnacleBill

 

[rifleman]

Hey thanks, I didn't know that the coil had to be moving in pinpoint mode to get the correct reading. I'm not very experienced at detecting yet, so people like yourself and the others on the forum are a great help.

Thank you, John K

 

[dgsdowell]

I'll give my two cents, I have only had my detector for two months and felt lost for the first month, I finally figured out that this is an awesome group of guys as devoted to our chosen hobby, with a ton of advice and tips and tricks, but no amount of reading over these posts can educate you as fast as digging every signal you get, as "Digger" says "You'll never know unless you dig it" I first started out in a programmed coin mode 2 or 3 and quickly worked through a spot and finding some clad coins and wheaties, would call that spot worked out. If it didnt sound just perfect or I couldnt recognize it from the numbers, I didnt dig it. My Mistake!!! I reworked those places again and again, playing with all the buttons and even different coils, I'd swear it was like Nobody had even been there before. After a few pull tabs and a few waded up pieces of foil and some broken turn signal light bulb bases, the nickels and the rings and the necklaces begin to pop out of the dirt for me. I slowed down and started digging more and started FINDING MORE !!! I was lazy and only wanted to dig the good stuff , and I havent quite figured it out yet but I think these detectors can and will tell you what you have in the ground before you dig it, I am just not picking up on the laguage it speaks very fast.