Over the years I've tried to build a better mouse trap, using a smaller coil, digging all targets,using a detector with fast recovery. Always looking for new ideas as I have found it's not always the depth your machine is producing but how well it separates. I have work small areas digging all targets and have made some nice finds but still wonder if I walked away from a target that was masked and only a few inches under the coil. Using low discrimination or none at all and trying to pick each target out but still wondering if I walked over something. Just wondered how others approached trashy area's and what works for them. There still good finds mixed with the trash just looking for new ideas. Thanks
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What's your set up for hunting trashy area's
- Thread starter rodbuster
- Start date
BigTony
Well-known member
Rod buster, have you tried to dig signals for gold? How about nickels? To hunt for nickels is a test to see what is the ratio of pull tabs to nickels.
My local park has been hammered, like you stated. Tried different machines, frequencies and settings, still coins there but either masked by soil or trash items or even multiple coins stuck together.
Tony
My local park has been hammered, like you stated. Tried different machines, frequencies and settings, still coins there but either masked by soil or trash items or even multiple coins stuck together.
Tony
fwcrawford
Well-known member
Sound like you are doing about everything I can think of now.
Some years ago it started using a Sovereign GT and took it to a very trashy park that was small, but very old.
I knew there had to be something still there due the amount of trash, so I decided to give it my best shot.
The first time there, I found plenty of clad which told me no one else had been there for a while.
It took about three more trips before I found a silver coin.
After that, I started making decent finds on a regular basis.
This park gave up so many wheaties, I stopped counting after I got to 100.
Can’t remember off hand how many silver coins I got from there, but I learned a lot from the time I spent there.
I never realized how many coins could be masked by iron until I hunted here.
And surprisingly, these coins were not all that deep!
In addition to trying from different angles, I slowed way down to a crawl and it would take a good while to I cover even a small area.
You mentioned using a fast recovery speed, but the Sovereign has a slow recovery speed making it important to go slow.
I think slowing way down made the biggest difference in my success at this park.
Tony’s suggestion above is good too… dig those nickel signals…. Many coins could be masked by them too.
I have seen that a lot lately.
Some years ago it started using a Sovereign GT and took it to a very trashy park that was small, but very old.
I knew there had to be something still there due the amount of trash, so I decided to give it my best shot.
The first time there, I found plenty of clad which told me no one else had been there for a while.
It took about three more trips before I found a silver coin.
After that, I started making decent finds on a regular basis.
This park gave up so many wheaties, I stopped counting after I got to 100.
Can’t remember off hand how many silver coins I got from there, but I learned a lot from the time I spent there.
I never realized how many coins could be masked by iron until I hunted here.
And surprisingly, these coins were not all that deep!
In addition to trying from different angles, I slowed way down to a crawl and it would take a good while to I cover even a small area.
You mentioned using a fast recovery speed, but the Sovereign has a slow recovery speed making it important to go slow.
I think slowing way down made the biggest difference in my success at this park.
Tony’s suggestion above is good too… dig those nickel signals…. Many coins could be masked by them too.
I have seen that a lot lately.
still looking 52
Well-known member
Start with high disc then lower each trip out, for example, on my F5 I start with disc of 65 then after I've covered the area I l lower it down to 55.
I only do this in high potential areas because it's time consuming. but as you pull out each bad target you have the possibility of uncovering a good Target .
I only do this in high potential areas because it's time consuming. but as you pull out each bad target you have the possibility of uncovering a good Target .
Tahts-a-dats-ago
Well-known member
I very seldom have the luxury of hunting an area that isn't trashy.
1. Slow and methodical. Even when using machines with very fast recovery speeds. Overlap my swings.
2. Hunt the same area multiple times, from multiple directions.
3. Remove some of the trash each time I hunt the location. I find digging it all to be tedious, so I break it up by cherry-picking for part of the hunt.
4. Use different frequencies when re-hunting the location. (an option on all but 1 of my machines)
5. Use a different machine when re-hunting the location.
6. Use a different coil. I typically start with a small coil and will later (usually much later) switch to a larger coil after a lot of the trash has been removed. With the areas I hunt (very trashy) I don't have much use for a large coil; in fact my largest coil is my 11 inch X35 coil (Deus,ORX) and the stock coil that came with my Anfibio.
7. Learn the machine so I know what it is telling me. Because I really enjoy trying different machines, I've made that key point far more difficult than it would be normally.
I don't worry about depth; figuring depth isn't a reasonable goal until/unless the area is relatively free of trash. With relatively few exceptions most of my good finds (coins/jewelry) have been 6-7 inches or less, and all of my machines will hit good targets at that depth and more (exception being the Compadre). I am a firm believer that an area is never completely hunted out - my belief is based on the fact that I have hunted locations for years (with many different machines) and have found good targets with every machine I've used. That experience is also why I am a big believer in repeatedly hunting areas from different directions - I think that approach gives me the best opportunity to get the coil over the target, at the right angle to unmask the target.
1. Slow and methodical. Even when using machines with very fast recovery speeds. Overlap my swings.
2. Hunt the same area multiple times, from multiple directions.
3. Remove some of the trash each time I hunt the location. I find digging it all to be tedious, so I break it up by cherry-picking for part of the hunt.
4. Use different frequencies when re-hunting the location. (an option on all but 1 of my machines)
5. Use a different machine when re-hunting the location.
6. Use a different coil. I typically start with a small coil and will later (usually much later) switch to a larger coil after a lot of the trash has been removed. With the areas I hunt (very trashy) I don't have much use for a large coil; in fact my largest coil is my 11 inch X35 coil (Deus,ORX) and the stock coil that came with my Anfibio.
7. Learn the machine so I know what it is telling me. Because I really enjoy trying different machines, I've made that key point far more difficult than it would be normally.
I don't worry about depth; figuring depth isn't a reasonable goal until/unless the area is relatively free of trash. With relatively few exceptions most of my good finds (coins/jewelry) have been 6-7 inches or less, and all of my machines will hit good targets at that depth and more (exception being the Compadre). I am a firm believer that an area is never completely hunted out - my belief is based on the fact that I have hunted locations for years (with many different machines) and have found good targets with every machine I've used. That experience is also why I am a big believer in repeatedly hunting areas from different directions - I think that approach gives me the best opportunity to get the coil over the target, at the right angle to unmask the target.
gunwolf
Well-known member
yes... as posted above...I grid search using a cherry picking high discrimination pattern, then switch direction and open it up a bit, rinse and repeat eventually digging all the trash out of the way to expose the deeper goods. earlier this year I was On a dig everything hunt and removed a few shallow pieces of can slaw to reveal a nice silver tone... turned out to be a Barber Quarter. I personally have been over that area, as a few other guys I know... you sometimes have to remove the zincs, tabs, bottle caps, and can slaw to locate the hidden treasure of yesteryear
IDXMonster
Well-known member
What your approach is will depend ALOT on your time, energy, physical condition, what you WANT to find….for me, it’s a better idea to use every technique possible EXCEPT rototilling a site to uncover other things. Time and energy simply don’t allow it. For others, it tends to sporadically uncover a few things. There’s nothing “wrong” with either approach.
My Simplex has been my #1 for the last two years. Also have a T2 AT MAX , AT PRO and Tiger Shark and F75
Ronstar
Well-known member
I agree with all of the above whole heartedly. I hate to cherry pick tho in areas where big chunks are buried. I have a written permit for the university where I live, I hate to dig holes where I reasonably know its falsing as its “a hole to nowhere”. That being said I’ve learned I might not be able to dig every cherry tone.
Equipment wise I use the SEF 12x10 for initial attack and go back with the NEL Sharpshooter for the finesse work. I have used the factory 5” on the F5 but not tried the 5” on the F75. Nickels and iron nails hide a lot of stuff. I consider it still a win if you dig 25 junkers but still get 1 nice keeper! Experiment with your settings, gotta learn the language before you can speak it.
Equipment wise I use the SEF 12x10 for initial attack and go back with the NEL Sharpshooter for the finesse work. I have used the factory 5” on the F5 but not tried the 5” on the F75. Nickels and iron nails hide a lot of stuff. I consider it still a win if you dig 25 junkers but still get 1 nice keeper! Experiment with your settings, gotta learn the language before you can speak it.
JimmyCT
Well-known member
Reason why I ask what you have for detectors is different manufacturers build them "differently." In other words should you take your F75 or T2 and scan very slow with it, (even in trash) you mine as well stay home. Even though these two machines have a quick recovery speed on them, They identify better (even in trash) with a faster coil scan speed. Then you have the Garrett AT Pro / Max which has a quick recovery speed too. However you can move at turtle speed with the coil movement( in heavy trash) OR cruise along quickly. I have found wonderful old coins in iron with the AT Max / Pro by using the turtle speed method. I am not familiar with the Simplex and how the manfacturer recommends you running the scan speed. Its definite something you want to find out. This can possibly help you squeak out a few more keepers at your pounded spots.
A good number of years ago now, I began digging all zinc cent and up readings. Two things pretty quickly began to happen. First, I started finding more larger class rings. Secondly, I began recovering coins that zinc cents were masking. Some of which, were silver. The best unmasker set up I have ever had, and still probably is, is a F 75 with the 5" DD coil. That coil is like a laser and on my F 75 gets excellent depth. For hunting in trash, I am still not convinced there is a better trash hunter then the 75 and 5" coil.... and and I own a Nox, Simplex and A T Pro....and have played with numerous other brands and models over the years. HH jim tn
Highlifter1000
Well-known member
Nox 800 with the 6" coil running Andy Sabisch coin shooter program for me.
Picketwire
Well-known member
I would suggest taking home iron bits from where you detect. Spread them out on a cement slab maybe 5x5 foot square.. Put what you are looking for amongst the iron. Shorten your detector so that you are above the items. Watch and listen as you move the good items closer and farther from the bad. Look up and try to pinpoint without looking. Go in different directions without looking and try to identify what you are finding. You will hear multiples more targets and see what they are if you want. See if you can adjust to make it better. I swear I have learned more on my garage floor in a month than I have learned in the approximately 10 years that I have detected.
I use smaller-size coils of whatever type works well when attached to a selected detector model that has proven in-the-field performance when using settings that are either just above Iron Nail rejection, or allow a setting just barely below Iron Nail acceptance but featuring a Low-Tone Iron Audio response.
In modestly-littered places I use a mid-size 5X8 DD 'Ripper' coil on my Garrett Apex or a mid-size 5X9.5 DD on my Nokta FORS Relic. When I had them I liked a mid-size 7" Concentric on a Makro Racer 2 or White's MX-7.
When I am dealing with what I consider to be a very dense Iron Nail contamination or other very close ferrous debris, I like to use a smaller-size search coil, such as the 'OOR' DD on a Nokta FORS CoRe, 5" DD on a FORS Relic, or 6" Concentric on a Tesoro Bandido II microMAX.
I have also had good results with a 5" DD on a Racer 2 and Apex.
Monte
In modestly-littered places I use a mid-size 5X8 DD 'Ripper' coil on my Garrett Apex or a mid-size 5X9.5 DD on my Nokta FORS Relic. When I had them I liked a mid-size 7" Concentric on a Makro Racer 2 or White's MX-7.
When I am dealing with what I consider to be a very dense Iron Nail contamination or other very close ferrous debris, I like to use a smaller-size search coil, such as the 'OOR' DD on a Nokta FORS CoRe, 5" DD on a FORS Relic, or 6" Concentric on a Tesoro Bandido II microMAX.
I have also had good results with a 5" DD on a Racer 2 and Apex.
Monte
Monte, thanks for you input. Like yourself I have used many different detectors over the years and I am fortunate to have places to detect that have yield some great finds but over the last 100+ years have collected a fair amount of trash. I know good targets are there but it's gets harder to navigate the trash. Any recommendations on a machine for good separation on littered sites. Thank you