Yet ANOTHER Newbie here......

[frankj3]

My son gave me a $75 gift card from Academy for my birthday. In today's Sunday newspaper adds was an add from Academy. They were selling the Tracker IV for $74.99 so I ponied upped for the batteries and bought one. Looks like my total "return on investment" will only be about $9.75!

Played around with it in the man cave tonight; learning the settings.......like I'm gonna remember them tomorrow!

My hometown is the county seat so we also host the county fair every October. I may have me an untapped honey hole.....a nearly 100 acre packing lot! Time will tell.

Not sure how many of you do this, but it occurred to me that one may have luck searching "Geo Cache Sites" too. I've done a fair amount of caching and I know I've lost a thing or two around the sights.

Anyway....adios from the Texas coast!

 

[Ed Steinhoff]

congratulations! The tracker was my first machine and still my favorite for tot lots. It is a very capable unit and will teach you much more about hunting by tones rather than depending on a id meter.
HH Ed in co.

 

[slingshot]

I've had 4-5 of them-can't get them outta my mind! Using the tone feature, if you wave a nickel in front of the coil,without any jewelry on your arm or body, and rotate the discriminate dial from the off position clockwise, you will reach a point where the nickel goes from high tone to mixed and finally to a PURE low tone. You're set! Now, nickels and some of the newer square tabs will give a low tone, regular tabs and some aluminum will give a mixed tone, and coins and highly conductive objects a high tone. I love this feature=beep and dig w/tone feature!

 

[frankj3]

Slingshot, thanks for the info.
What setting would I use for the sensitivity?
Hoping to try my luck later this week.
Frank

 

[mudpuppy]

You should be able to pay that off in a few weekends...nice score!
That fairground has HAD to have been pounded, but then again maybe not...you are thinking right!
Mud

 

[frankj3]

Mudpuppy, there is ALWAYS something going on at the fairgrounds. Just had a 2 day craft show.....VERY well attended......but the rain has come in now. When it stops I will work it. Gonna work a nephew's old barn on Thanksgiving day. Has a dirt floor and is about 75-80 years old. Gonna enjoy that hunt.....inside, out of the wind, rain and cold.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES!!!


U. S. Air Force, 1973-1977

 

[frankj3]

Slingshot,
I played around with the settings and I have it set like you advised.
It turns out both the Sensitivity and Discrimination are set just shy of 1:00 O'clock.
Just waiting on Wednesday or Thursday so I can try it out.
Thanks for the advice!!
Frank

 

[slingshot]

It could be that our detectors are different. The nickel gives the earliest low tone on the nickel on mine at about 11:00 and I set the sensitivity at 2:00-which is about medium sensitivity. If you get in a nice area with the possibility of old coins, go for about 3/4 or almost max sensitivity. You didn't have any jewlery(rings, etc) on your hand when your were waving the nickel in front of the coil, did you?

 

[frankj3]

No sir, no jewelry anywhere on my body. I'll try your settings tomorrow afternoon in my nephew's barn.
Shame on him; he told me I could keep whatever I find!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, Y'ALL!!!

 

[frankj3]

These are the FIRST ITEMS I HAVE EVER FOUND using a metal detector.
Nothing to get excited about.....except THEY ARE MY FIRST EVER FINDS!!!
Looked around in my nephew's old barn.

 

[BH505Man]

WTG Frank,
You're actually getting out and getting some actual hands on experience using your detector. Don't be afraid to experiment a little with the settings such as sensitivity, discrimination, ground balance, etc. Even if you're not finding valuable coins, jewelry and other treasures, every new discovery is a surprise. That next find could very well be a valuable coin or relic. That's what makes this hobby so much fun and addictive. HH

Walt from Washington State
USAF TSgt Retired
served 1972-1994

PS thanks for your service Frank