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marchas45
11-06-2009, 10:49 AM
Just seen this on YouTube and I thought it was pretty good. I am going to give it a shot and see what happens.

Minelab E-Trac Learn / Pattern Function (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRvebD2PhS4#)

MNDigger
11-06-2009, 12:05 PM
The only problem I see with that method is the fact that some deeper coins are not going to have a good FE reading all the time. I have seen deeper on edge coins come in with an FE in the low 20's which would be discriminated out using that pattern. The flaw in setting up the pattern in the video is that coins are not an inch from the coil when you are out detecting. Sometimes too much discrimination is not a good thing either.

angellionel
11-06-2009, 01:14 PM
I agree with Steve. A tight discrimination pattern, as illustrated in the video, may be fine for the shallower targets, if that is what the person is focusing on, for example, when working a soccer field where the desired target is jewelry/gold. When seeking deeper targets, though, it will require a more open discrimination pattern, one that barely rejects most iron, but allows for the deeper desired targets to sound off.

There are those who opt for a more open pattern where nothing is discriminated, whereas others elect to use a pattern where only the nail range is discriminated out. It's all about user preferences, and what works for them.

I myself have been using a slightly modified pattern based on Andy Sabisch's own pattern, and it has worked quite well at the sites I frequent, even in trashy areas.

coinnut
11-06-2009, 04:39 PM
It's a great pattern if you don't want to find half dollars, silver dollars, or multiple silver coin spills :grin: But if you are in an area that is completely littered and you want to find some coins a bit faster than investigating every little hit, then do it as a quick sweep. But I agree with almost everybody on discrimination. I use very little, to a moderate amount of discrimination, sometimes none at all to re-check the signal. It has worked for me. When I first got the E Trac, I was hunting with another guy and went down this slope, right by the cellar hole. He followed me about 2 minutes later and said I got a great half dollar reading here. I came over and got nothing on my machine. I had the stock coin program. As soon as I swiched to a different program, it screamed in the half dollar range. I was sweating bullets watching him dig my target :grin:. It wasn't the feared Draped Bust Half Dollar I envisioned, but a beautiful, silvered large colonial shoe buckle. Live and learn. So not too much disc aye:huh:

marchas45
11-06-2009, 04:53 PM
I agree with all of you, less discrimination more deeper your going to go. I spent about an hour this afternoon putting all sorts of coins and jewelry in my e-trac pattern and was surprised by my outcome. The fellow on the videos pattern was entirerly different from mine. I had a few coins and jewelry recorded in the lower scales and about two bars up from the bottom was whitened out and I am going to see on Sunday what happens when I visit a couple of parks. I will let you folks know the outcome, Cheers, Charlie :rolleyes:

OkieDigger
11-06-2009, 06:53 PM
I dug a wheat today that was a solid 21-44....hope that pattern would find it. :huh:

Jason in Enid
11-07-2009, 10:12 AM
I dug a wheat today that was a solid 21-44....hope that pattern would find it. :huh:


Really? Depth? Iron mixed with or next to it?

I'm still in the learning phase for my E-Trac, and I wonder if I am passing up coins.

OkieDigger
11-07-2009, 06:42 PM
Yep really. I couldn't find any obvious iron next to it though I was getting some nulling. The tone was still good in every direction and that's why I dug it.

Jason in Enid
11-07-2009, 08:22 PM
Ok, that's what I've been looking for is repeatable signals. All my deep signals today, I passed by. I would get the occasional coin hit, then null, then pull-tab, and back and forth. Nothing repeatable.

I did get one repeatable that I dug and then walked away from. It was iffy anyway. Basically repeatable, depth ID showed 10-12 inches, I dug and dug, then tried the Probe but got no signal. There was an Iron null on either side, and I think that's why I was getting the repeat. It was falsing off the edge of both irons together.

OkieDigger
11-07-2009, 08:25 PM
Yeah, two pieces of iron like that will do it.

Epi-hunter
11-07-2009, 09:50 PM
Why would a deep wheat signal hit at that? I understand why it might hit on that occasionally if a deep signal.... it just jump to CO 38-42 and Fe 10-14.... But a solid ferrous in the 20's?

I need to know the answer to that!

OkieDigger
11-07-2009, 10:31 PM
Your guess is as good as mine. I still think there was some iron near it even if I couldn't find it. :-\

Jack Flynn
11-07-2009, 11:25 PM
Why would a deep wheat signal hit at that? I understand why it might hit on that occasionally if a deep signal.... it just jump to CO 38-42 and Fe 10-14.... But a solid ferrous in the 20's?

I need to know the answer to that!

I'm beginning to firmly believe to just not pay any attention to the Fe, anytime, except when checking out an iffy in all metal. If the Fe is real high I just won't dig it after switching from a disc pattern to an all metal quickmask. I've had all my wheats read in the 40 to 44 range and the FE would be just about random seems like. I wonder if the reason why is possibly something close high ferrous? I know at least 50% of the targets I dig have other metals in the hole also and if that could be the reason:huh:thinkingabout: If it sounds reasonably good dig it!

OkieDigger
11-08-2009, 10:55 AM
I pay attention to it all the time. Coins, unlike most junk that mimics them, tend to have a special jumpiness on the FE. There will always be exceptions to the rule and that's where I let tone be my guide.

But here's something that's VERY IMPORTANT! Every now and then it's good to dig a junk signal. Not the obvious 35-50's, but the 20-40's and such. It's going to be junk most of the time, but every now and then it's not.

Epi-hunter
11-08-2009, 11:01 AM
Ok, that's what I've been looking for is repeatable signals. All my deep signals today, I passed by. I would get the occasional coin hit, then null, then pull-tab, and back and forth. Nothing repeatable.

I did get one repeatable that I dug and then walked away from. It was iffy anyway. Basically repeatable, depth ID showed 10-12 inches, I dug and dug, then tried the Probe but got no signal. There was an Iron null on either side, and I think that's why I was getting the repeat. It was falsing off the edge of both irons together.


What I like about the X-1 probe is that on those false iron hits, when you dig a few inches down you still might be getting the false hit when you sweep the coil over it, but when you put the probe in the hole then you will get the null.

marchas45
11-08-2009, 03:10 PM
Well I spent an hour this morning trying out the pattern I put into my e-trac and gave up and went to the Coins Mode and did a resweep then started to get hits.
Like everybody says no depth. I worked a soccer field which had been redone over the summer much to my shagrin.
I posted my finds on the finds forum.

deltacornbread
11-18-2009, 10:09 AM
[quote=OkieDigger;1736]
This has been my experience so far. I do get aggravated at times, but, I find coins also. AND finding coins is what I am out there for. When I am tired I do have to fight the urge to not dig.

SovereignGT
03-09-2013, 12:09 PM
I know the 3 Indian Heads I've dug so far with the Etrac were CO 38: all of them. I guess that is a fairly obvious number though.

I pay attention to it all the time. Coins, unlike most junk that mimics them, tend to have a special jumpiness on the FE. There will always be exceptions to the rule and that's where I let tone be my guide.

But here's something that's VERY IMPORTANT! Every now and then it's good to dig a junk signal. Not the obvious 35-50's, but the 20-40's and such. It's going to be junk most of the time, but every now and then it's not.

SovereignGT
03-17-2013, 03:47 AM
Same here. Have gotten 38 on the 3 I've found.

I know the 3 Indian Heads I've dug so far with the Etrac were CO 38: all of them. I guess that is a fairly obvious number though.