Who is getting deep (coins at 8 inches) and how are you doing it?

[OregonMike]

Hi, everyone,

By now, I'm sure someone has discovered how to get reliable depth out of their v3. If you're one of those people, could you please post what you're doing to get that deep? I'm mostly a coin hunter, so I'm talking about finding a dime or quarter 8 inches down in dirt, not sand. Any answers will be greatly appreciated! Almost everything I'm finding now is 4 inches or less.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[RacerX]

I can't imagine why you'd only get 4" with this machine. I'm having no trouble getting 6" even in the coin or coin jewelry programs and Hi-pro will run deeper. Custom hot programs are running 9"+.

Tell me, how deep could you run with previous machines?

 

[MillerTime]

This should be interesting, I can't get a silver dime at 6" in my backyard and I have found nothing beyond 4" in the field. I would like to piggy on your request OregonMike.

 

[cloudbuster]

I have found soil condition plays a very big part in the depth game with all deepest targets always being hit after there has been a good couple of days of rain on the fields. I have one field where i have hit nothing past 4" and another where i found a george 3rd penny at12" . my XLT seemed to be much more consistant on target depth and more acurate at predicting depth. The V3 has many new features and is for sure a very capable machine indeed. I am already convinced its the best alround machine currently available but as it is with all new technology i think it will take time for all of us to get the best from it. i am racking up about 20 hours a week with the V3 and feel ever more confident every time i go out. The best programs i have found that hit well are the Hi pro and relic progs both of which i have modded to my own personal preferences. For coin shooting i am using Hi pro on 2.5mhz only with discrim set at 70-80 all met at 50 i have also set the modulation at 1 or 2 which has really cleaned up the audio making the deeper targets much more obvious as they are much quieter. also stating the obvious coil selection makes a huge difference. I use the 5'3 for general use on stubble and trashy areas and the super 12 in fields where targets are few and far between. I sent my D2 back to whites after week one after having all sorts of problems with falsing etc.

all the best rob

 

[jer4004]

In my soil the V has no problem getting a 8" to 9" dime with the deep silver program and I even turned down Rx and disc sensitivity and had all three frequency turned on mixed mode off boost off and was running a 5.3 coil. I think the main issue is target masking anyways most of the old silver is 8" or shallower. For me getting that perfect deep signal is rare there is almost always some kind of masking . If it comes in with positive vdi numbers sounds decent and its deeper than a couple inches dig.

 

[RacerX]

For me getting that perfect deep signal is rare there is almost always some kind of masking.

And sometimes that "masking" is simply soil conditions. The deeper stuff here rarely gives a nice clean tone and analyze is nearly useless. Use the audio. Get a good chirp showing good depth - dig it. You should also be walking very......no......make that extremely slow. Imagine your coil is only an inch around. Work signals up - this muct be done with any detector - not just the V3.

OM, I've been spending my free time reading every relevant thread on this forum trying to soak in as much info as possible. I noticed you had asked this question before and got some very good answers. You didn't reply on that thread - wondering if you read it?

Another tip - I find tone ID very helpful for deeper stuff. Infact I never hunt without it. Do you use it. If not, give it a try. It takes a little getting used to but is an invaluable tool.

 

[njgreg]

Another thing to remember is that guys who use other machines and the V are not telling you the way it is. This is the Internet and there are a lot of fish stories out there. Why just the other day I dug a merc dime at 13 inches. Wow what a machine LMAO

 

[Tadpole1]

I'm in the same boat. Only getting a positive id on things around 4 inches. I've tried the single frequency trick but keep getting alot of crazy sounds that if I dug them all then I might as well get me a tiller and plow the whole yard up. I'm digging in a yard right now thats turning up coins in the early 1900's but only one silver so far. I know that there has to be some deep coins because the ground is so soft. I'm digging anything that might even bounce into the silver range with no luck so i guess it's just a matter of chance wether or not it will be a good coin. I must keep my eye on this topic as I'm really interested in what people have to say. I might add that when I had my first V, which broke down, I did dig a buffalo and a shield nickel around eight inches and they were bouncing on the VDI a 14 to a 22. Deepest coins yet with the V.

 

[Larry (IL)]

Digging deep targets is a learned skill with any detector. The V3 is no exception. The VDI and Analyze Screen are unreliable at best on the deepest of targets and your audio and a gut feeling are your best friends. As others have stated, ground conditions, wet-dry, mineralization and trash are factors, as well as the deep targets have to be there to be found as well. Although I have found deep targets, most of my best, and oldest, finds are not all that deep, anywhere from 1-6 inches in my ground and in the grounds that I hunt, private property. Many of the deep finds you hear about, that are true, are found by very experienced hunters and they are hunting in parks or other areas that have been hunted hundreds or even thousands of times over the last 50 years where about the only targets left ARE the very deep ones.

Hone your skills by listening for those deep pips that repeat and pinpoint right where you hear them. After you have dug several hundred, or thousands, of them you should start to develop a "knack" to better your chances of knowing if something is more than likely to be treasure than trash.

 

[RacerX]

Digging deep targets is a learned skill with any detector. The V3 is no exception.

Well said. I consider myself above average in skill with a detector but my best friend is what I would call expert. Just last night he schooled me using his explorer. I could hear every coin he called me over to but he dug many more deep signals including a couple of indians in the 8+ inch range. He has that skill that comes with time and many many hours, never stoping honing his skills and never letting his detector collect dust. Next week he said he'll school me again, this time with HIS V3. Our saying last night was "There is no equipment failure".

The V3 is not an easy button. IMO it's not a detector made for a novice or a person who detects occasionally (not that a beginer/novice shouldn't buy one and put the time in to learn it - just expect a learning curve). I don't think that was whites intention with this machine. That said, it's much easier to go deep than past whites machines.

 

[MillerTime]

And sometimes that "masking" is simply soil conditions. The deeper stuff here rarely gives a nice clean tone and analyze is nearly useless. Use the audio. Get a good chirp showing good depth - dig it. You should also be walking very......no......make that extremely slow. Imagine your coil is only an inch around. Work signals up - this muct be done with any detector - not just the V3.

OM, I've been spending my free time reading every relevant thread on this forum trying to soak in as much info as possible. I noticed you had asked this question before and got some very good answers. You didn't reply on that thread - wondering if you read it?

Another tip - I find tone ID very helpful for deeper stuff. Infact I never hunt without it. Do you use it. If not, give it a try. It takes a little getting used to but is an invaluable tool.

RacerX, I think you hit the nail on the head [size=large]SOIL CONDITIONS[/size], could it be that the V3 reacts to mineralized soil more adversely than other White detectors? Yesterday I was hunting (Hi Pro) an old church ball field (1902) with my V3 using a 6X10 V coil and was finding a few current coins and pull tabs, nothing over 4" deep, when for the fifth and final time my display locks up. I take the V3 back to the truck and get my DFX with 6X10 coil (Custom Deep Silver) within 30 min. I found a 1892 I/H and 1942 wheatie at 5 to 6 inches. I know this is not comparing apples to apples, but for $1700 dollars I'm looking for results. Bottom Line, Yes, I do have bad soil, and I want to make global adjustments to minimize for my area. What elements of the programs should I be targeting for adjustments and why. Thanks

 

[robertk]

I've got to chime in on this one. I am a relative beginner at this hobby, having just started seriously this year, with the V3 being my first heavy duty metal detector. I agree with all that has been said about learning the machine. I have been getting up early to hunt parks before work, and trying to spend at least an hour a day hunting with it. I'm not "one" with it yet, but I'm getting pretty confident in predicting what's under the coil before I dig it up.

All that having been said, I routinely find coins at 8" or better. I know this to be the case, because the blade on my digger is 6" long, and the handle another 7", so a total of 13". So if I have to dig much past the initial plug, I'm over 6", and if I have to go for a bigger shovel, I'm over a foot. I have pulled several wheat pennies from 8" or better -- at least one of which was standing on edge in the side of the hole at that depth. I pulled an indian head penny at about 14" (had to get a bigger shovel for that one), another indian at 10", and just yesterday a little earring at 7". I've only found two silver dimes so far, and both of them were about 6".

In all but a couple of those, the VDI and target ID were dead on -- even that 14" indian head was a solid "penny" signal. The only times I have failed to get a good signal were an indian head penny that was in the same hole with a big nail (the VDI was bouncy in the mid to upper 40's), and a hole that had two nickels in it (a 1940's Jefferson and a 1912 V nickel -- VDI was bouncing all over from 10 to 30 on that one). Other than those two, all the single coins I've dug have been rock solid signals, regardless of depth.

I tend to run a tweaked "coin and jewelry" program most of the time. I have the discrimination sensitivity cranked up to 90, the all metal sensitivity at 70. The ground filter is on 10 high (which I think is the default). I run the gain as high as I can without it falsing too much. That deep indian was with the gain at 13. If I'm at a location which gives me a lot of falsing, I'll turn the gain down first, and if I have to drop it below 6 or 7, I'll starting bringing sensitivity down too.

BTW, All of these were with the stock 10" DD coil. (I have the 5.3 and the super 12, but haven't used either that much yet.)

 

[Larry (IL)]

You are doing exceptional well Robert, most of us in mineralized ground only dream of getting that kind of depth or readings..............

Where are you from?

 

[robertk]

I'm in southwest Missouri.

 

[RacerX]

could it be that the V3 reacts to mineralized soil more adversely than other White detectors?

Short answer: Out of the box yes. Somewhere on this forum theres a quote from Jimmy Sierra talking about the V3 and how it's defaults are not "wimpy" settings as with previous machines. Usually whites ships with tamer settings so that the detector is stable everywhere. I do know it can be adjusted for mineralized soil and still run deeper than your DFX. Think of it like headlights in a car in foggy conditions. Turning on your highbeams has adverse effect. Your V3 was delivered with the highbeams on.

 

[njgreg]

I've got to chime in on this one. I am a relative beginner at this hobby, having just started seriously this year, with the V3 being my first heavy duty metal detector. I agree with all that has been said about learning the machine. I have been getting up early to hunt parks before work, and trying to spend at least an hour a day hunting with it. I'm not "one" with it yet, but I'm getting pretty confident in predicting what's under the coil before I dig it up.

All that having been said, I routinely find coins at 8" or better. I know this to be the case, because the blade on my digger is 6" long, and the handle another 7", so a total of 13". So if I have to dig much past the initial plug, I'm over 6", and if I have to go for a bigger shovel, I'm over a foot. I have pulled several wheat pennies from 8" or better -- at least one of which was standing on edge in the side of the hole at that depth. I pulled an indian head penny at about 14" (had to get a bigger shovel for that one), another indian at 10", and just yesterday a little earring at 7". I've only found two silver dimes so far, and both of them were about 6".

In all but a couple of those, the VDI and target ID were dead on -- even that 14" indian head was a solid "penny" signal. The only times I have failed to get a good signal were an indian head penny that was in the same hole with a big nail (the VDI was bouncy in the mid to upper 40's), and a hole that had two nickels in it (a 1940's Jefferson and a 1912 V nickel -- VDI was bouncing all over from 10 to 30 on that one). Other than those two, all the single coins I've dug have been rock solid signals, regardless of depth.

I tend to run a tweaked "coin and jewelry" program most of the time. I have the discrimination sensitivity cranked up to 90, the all metal sensitivity at 70. The ground filter is on 10 high (which I think is the default). I run the gain as high as I can without it falsing too much. That deep indian was with the gain at 13. If I'm at a location which gives me a lot of falsing, I'll turn the gain down first, and if I have to drop it below 6 or 7, I'll starting bringing sensitivity down too.

BTW, All of these were with the stock 10" DD coil. (I have the 5.3 and the super 12, but haven't used either that much yet.)

I am going fishing

 

[nw1886]

That is the perfect way to explain it Racer. When this new machine was first intro'd, most of us had to get used to running the lower settings and then work up from there. Depth came sooner to those who did. Learning to mess with filtering is next and so on. This box is not an MXT. You guy's mantra of "There is no equipment failure" is key to any true learning.

I live in a small town where "back in the day" iron was thrown around like confetti. (It all sits in shallow topsoil/dirt with coal immediately below so... water run off keeps the iron wet and the halos can be huge.) With the V reading the iron so well, I initially was taken back by all the "falsing" until I recognized this was not falsing at all but only rebound being shown like I'd never seen it before. Coins started showing up in this rebound ring and I have found some nice old coins here because my settings are set a little back and I keep my filtering adjustments at the ready. Never had this knowledge to work with before and now can appreciate why guys, in the UK, need to see the iron! Once I found a dime @ 9" (just outside the halo/ Tone ID'd) and felt like a deer stepping out of the "high beams" you talked about. I have yet to "intelligently" search ground that has uniformly tough mineralization but...one aspect of this box at a time!

 

[yazoo]

I have to agree with Larry and a few others posting here.I have found a few coins at 10-12 inch mark with the V3,then again a lot has been 8inches and less. I feel confident if it is there with certain programs the V3 will find it.I am not as good with this V3 as I was with my DFX a lot of new things to learn with the V3.I have found mercury dimes at the 13-14 inch mark with the DFX on several occasions. Several were no more than a small chirp that was dug to see being so deep.I don't expect everyone to believe it ,but don't care either I know the capabilities in the right situations both machines will get deep.Still waiting on some books to further me and my detecting abilities,with the V3. H.H. Yazoo Here In Indiana

 

[Schultzie]

I only heard one person getting over 8".... for being such a "hot" machine, there isn't many talking deep! I too have problems getting over 5". I built a test garden to figure out how to make it go deeper. I WILL figure it out, if not... FOR SALE. In all fairness, my soil is tough for detection for some reason. If this is intended for the experienced hunter then Whites needs to get with it and provide a bit more detailed booklet to explain how everything works. I will have one of Jeff Foster's books when they are available!

 

[jer4004]

I only heard one person getting over 8".... for being such a "hot" machine, there isn't many talking deep! I too have problems getting over 5". I built a test garden to figure out how to make it go deeper. I WILL figure it out, if not... FOR SALE. In all fairness, my soil is tough for detection for some reason. If this is intended for the experienced hunter then Whites needs to get with it and provide a bit more detailed booklet to explain how everything works. I will have one of Jeff Foster's books when they are available!

There are 7 just in this thread at 8+" ??