What works for you?????

[Digger]

I'd like to start a string of posts that tell others what "basic settings" we're having success with, in the places we are hunting. Our posts might help others by telling what types of targets we're hunting for, the type of "soil" we hunt in, the audio profile, separation mode, various other settings, and whether we use the GPS functionality.

I'll get it started.......
I hunt for old coins at old sites. Primarily homesteads. In this rural area, the ground is moderately mineralized. So I don't use Ground Balance. I built a Search mode using Combined audio, with bins representing how I want to hear certain targets. (nickels, , small silver, small copper, most silver, iron). Pattern one implements quite a bit of discrimination.... basically open everything from FE 07 down to FE 18, plus BIG silver in FE 01/02 - CO 36 and up. Pattern two is open except for FE line 35. I use Ferrous - Coin in grassy areas and Low Trash where there is field stubble. It just seems to operate with less falsing. I run Auto Sens +2 or +3, depending on the amount of trash at the site. I have Fast OFF and Deep OFF. I don't use the GPS very much because I've been hunting most of these places for 40 years, and don't wander so far away I can't see the truck! But I do perform a Noise Cancel every hour or so, just to smooth things out. I probably forgot something, but that is basically it.

How about you? And why?


HH Randy

 

[Larry (IL)]

I hunt for old coins primarily as well plus I get a little bit of Relic hunting in too. I use the same pattern for both and that is illustrated below as well as the setup I use for Combined Audio.

What little water hunting I do, I use the stock Beach program which works fine for me.

[attachment 246591 NoIron.jpg][attachment 246592 001.jpg]

 

[TheGeorgiaCanuck]

I was using Combine/Ferrous-Coin, but now I hunt using this profile with my Combine/Ferrous-Coin on the 2nd profile to double check things.

It's pretty easy to tell iron with this program. You get high tones but big blue targets in the tadpole area when it's iron. If there is a non-ferrous target you'll get both on the screen and it'll be noticeable. Nails usually show a tiny non-ferrous and ferrous target, but if you circle the high tone moves.

This profile uses pitch hold, not long tones. Sorry for the mistake, I like the tone locking, it's easier to hear and know you've hit a good one. Scratchy tones are usually junk, solid tones are coins, etc. I've used this program and found more silver I missed with the combine/ferrous-coin profile. I do not get the whupwhup tones on edge coins or deep targets, it's always a solid tone. Sometimes I run with deep off if the coins are all shallow which is under 6".

 

[ronfin]

I'm a coin shooter myself, and primarily look for the oldest coins I can find. I had originally built a Ferrous-Coin mode that was working great, but have recently moved to using a Ground-Coin mode in Combined with most of the same settings. Seems to work better at ID'ing targets. I work parks mostly, so I hit a full range of soils. From soft and deep targets, to very difficult soil and shallow ones. I also use Auto sensitivity +3 over manual because it seems to false a lot less where I'm at, and I still get 10-11".

 

[sube]

Well i guess i don't have as much experience as some here because i started in ferrous coin combine open screen and have not tried any other modes because this setup works so good for me i don't want to change. I hunt a fairground 142 years it has been there and it has a ton of garbage lots of nails and bottle caps most are about half rotted away anyway there is a lot of iron in the ground oh yea there are pulltabs screw cap and the regular junk also.Tried pattern 1 here and some signals are not as good using some disc so i just hunt open screen my settings are ferrous coin, combine,gain 30,bins set at 1 to 09 at 300 hz bin 2 is my nickle killer 10 to 15 1000hz don't miss any because i don't have to remember any different tones if it's high i stop and check it out.bin 3 i call my anything bin 16 to 29 600hz bin 4 30 to 50 1000hz if it's high i check it out very simple way to run this MACHINE.If you use this MACHINE for a while you well know a false when you find one the target moves from where you pinpoint end of story.As far as coins and repeating both ways it's a coin one way hit's if it pinpoints where you hit it you better be digging it.

 

[EtracTom-AdirondacksNY]

I may be the odd ball here but I seem to be finding most everything this way.

I came from an Etrac over to the CTX so I like to run in the factory coins mode pattern with conductive 50 tones mode, Volume gain at 30 with deep on sometimes, trash high and Auto +3 sensitivity first when I go to a spot to hunt because the clad and silver ring in with nice high tones that stop me in my tracks to investigate no mistaking those higher sounds. I also came to recognize the nickle sound a bit above the iron deep sound so I seem to catch them well because I have my hearing set for these sound tones from hunting this way for a few years now.

After doing that I then tried the two tone ferrous mode with my Etrac and only found some nickles I had missed only really becaused of the wide open screen pattern I was then running allowed them to come in better.
The new Combined Mode on the CTX is pretty much doing the same thing for me but with more tones because of the bins 4 different tones plus the iron low tone. Went over an area from Etrac previously with the CTX in the combined mode and only found a buffalo nickle very rusty so may have passed on it due to the numbers but I'm pretty much a dig it all type of guy and I don't mind going over an area several times with different modes and settings and angles with different machines too to clean it out.

My push one button to switch to a different mode I have set up on the face of the CTX machine I have set to the Combined program with a wide open screen with Volume gain at 30, deep on, and ferrous coin, Auto +3 sensitivity to do a go back over an area after the first method above to see if I missed anything in the iron.

I may also give ground coin a try in the combined mode after all that but I haven't had a chance to try it as of yet yet but it will be next to give a try.

 

[C&RHunter]

I hunt old homestead sites when possible. When crops are in, I hunt old yards and lots where OLD homes are or have been, I also hit old parks as well. I use the GPS feature, and have files for locations to place the GeoHunts, as well as the FP locations. By doing this, I can determine if there is a pattern , or "hot spot" for the items that I have been recovering. The GeoHunts once plotted on GoogleMap, let me see how much of an area I have hunted and if I need to cover a larger area.
I've been using these Patterns for about 6 weeks. The tone settings I tweaked on the 3rd of this month, and have found more than 19 nickels since. It took a while to get the tones to my liking. I use FAST ON & DEEP OFF in real trashy areas, and FAST OFF & DEEP ON in non trashy areas. Gain is set at 24. Also, and running HIGH TRASH most of the time, and toggle to FERROUS-COIN is I want to check a target. I have been running SENSITIVITY in manual, and try to run mid and upper 20s. Today I was running manual at 28, but switched to AUTO +3 and it ran from 24 to 29, so I left it in AUTO. I was hunting a farm field where there had been a race track at the turn of the 1900s, there is very little trash. Some deep iron where the stands used to be, but they are deep.

 

[Digger]

Thanks to the six guys (so far) who took the time to share their "settings". I'm bumping this to the top because I've seen your finds and read your other posts. As such, I know there are more than 6 people who have figured out a combination that works well. So come-on..... step right up here and share your ideas. That's why we're here! HH Randy

 

[steve herschbach]

I so far have basically just gone to the stock Silver Program and bumped the sensitivity to auto plus 3. Worked fine so far. I really have not had time to delve into the details, I just wanted to go detecting.

I mention this as I think anyone can pick up a CTX and instantly do quite well with the stock programs and some patience. My advice to any newbies is do just that. Get used to the detector before you go messing with too many adjustments. I think a real strength of the Minelabs is they do very well right out if the box.

Steve Herschbach

 

[Digging Vest Agder]

High mineral ground :
Tone Id- Combined
Target separation- Ground/coin (high trash if my sweeps are quick)
Enable GB- ON
Sensitivity-Auto+3(+2)
Recovery fast-if multiple targets-ON
Recovery deep = Slow sweep if targets are deep: ON
Enable target trace- ON
Totally open screen since I am working for archelogists in Norway.

Deepest good target so far, 2

 

[silverchef]

Mostly hunting for coins in somewhat mineralized ground. Although it can really vary alot here.

Combined-1-9,10-15,16-40,41-50. 41-50 cranked to 1200. Very rarely do I switch to my other pattern which is a basic disc. I add the CO 15 to the second bin for war nickels-just my preference I guess. I like nickels!
I rarely noise cancel and ground balance.
Ferrous/coin with target trace. Really like this feature
Auto +3. I never have a problem with depth. Actually in my area the CTX beats the Etrac for depth.
Long response tone
Fast/deep- I usually just leave them off.
GPS- Haven't really messed with that yet, but interested because I have trouble gridding. I like to wander.

 

[Digger]

Sounds like you're doing well with the adjustments you make. However, I'd encourage you to NC each time you start up the detector. Although your depth "beats the E-TRAC" now, I think you'll find that allowing the CTX 3030 to set its own noise cancel channel will even improve on what you're seeing now. JMHO HH Randy

 

[unearth]

I know the best policy is to use what work's best for you in your area, patterns, sounds, discrimination, etc. but I think it would be helpful if the area in which you hunt is mentioned also. Helpful to know, if your traveling, what works in different parts of the country. What do you think?

 

[jojames2]

WHAT WORKS FOR ME

I enjoy hunting

 

[jtalley007]

So far I believe what I am doing for relic hunting is relic mode, 35 FE, hunt open screen, noise cancel, so far I have tested manual sensitivity in the woods and it beats out Auto +3 on the super deep targets. I get some tone action in open screen Sunday manual sensitivity 28. Scalp the dirt and check with mode 2 if still good I start digging and Sunday I set a record in this patch of woods at 16 bullets, plus melted lead, and modern 22's and some percussion caps.

In about 10 trips with the White's V3i I was averaging 11-13 bullets but never 16. I have two videos on my phone of me digging two separate bullets at measured 14" in the ground not counting what the leaves and sticks would have added an inch or two.

Both were in the bottom of the hole still stuck in the dirt as I was using a pinpointer and a stick to get down to them.

I have been relic hunting since 1972 with all top of the line machines and with an 11" coil you just can't get any deeper. I have probably dug over 3,000 bullets so can speak with authority this machine has some depth in good ground.