How would you do it?

[DAN03USMC]

I have been bored lately and just thinking about stuff. If you showed up to a new site, never detected before (as far as you know). Would you automatically throw your biggest go-to coil on and start at it, or put a small coil on and clean out the surface to mid level targets first. From what I have read in the past, most start off with the bigger of the two and follow up with the smaller as a clean up.
This wouldn't be a field situation, more like a cellar hole, or smaller parcel. (yard of an old house) Couple of scenarios..... 1) you have all the time in the world and have total access to the spot. 2) limited time with maybe only one or two attempts at it. :thinkingabout:

[RWJR13]

......Good question Dan.....I'd go with the smaller coil first to pick it out then go deeper with the bigger coil......Time being short for sure the smaller coil, hit n run........ :grin:

[Carver]

Hi Dan,,
When I hit a new spot I like to bounce around just to get a feel for the place. Especially a spot where the house is gone. That way I can usually figure out where a clothesline may have been or a path to the outhouse. So, I like to start off with a bigger coil. Although, normally I have the 6x10 on my M6 most of the time unless the spot is really trashy. By cherry picking the spot at first I can figure out where I need to concentrate my efforts more.
If time is limited,,I stay with the 6x10,,,if I've got time eventually the little coil comes out.
BUT,,,,,I have found that some really nice coins can be found at the outer most spots of a site, Then a larger coil helps out. This is just my opinion and it works for me.
Good luck!!!

[exsquid]

I'm, with RWJR13...

I like using the small coil and running it hot to get in and around the junk and cherry pick...If I have the time I will also get the junk out of the way and followup with a larger coil...

[M-Taliesin]

Howdy Pard!
Personally, I'd start out with a 6x10 dd coil (for White's machines but every other manufacturer has something similar) because gives the best blend of depth together with real good target separation to help find good targets where trash might exist also. I'd start off with that coil in both scenarios.

If trash is abundant, and decent targets tough to find, I'd drop down to the 4x6 shooter coil for my machines. That's especially true if time is limited and opportunity to return questionable. It would give the best chance to find good targets in a trashy environment quickly and that's important where time is an issue. Take as much as you can, as quick as you can, and be willing to sacrifice depth for accuracy on good targets.

If trash isn't too bad, and time abundant, I'd still likely start with the 6x10 coil because you don't know how abundant trash is until you start running a coil anyhow, so might as well be one that does a reasonable job in trash to begin with. Assuming you have plenty of time and ability to return, I'd take good targets with the 6x10dd to keep motivated while removing trash. Once I've cleared the site of most of the trash, and still managed to find some good targets, then I'd move up to a big honking coil and go for the deeper targets.

That's the approach I'd use. When time is an issue, I'll go after the low hanging fruit to make the best use of my limited time and access. But with time on my side, I'd go deep as early as prudent, and once trash isn't a real big issue.

Hope that helps some.

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

[Nitro 54]

I'd probably start with my 6x10 to get a feel and go up or down in size depending on how trashy the place might be ..

[giant056]

If I go to a site I've never hunted before I'll bring my 10&quot:grin:cheesysmile: and 4x6&quot:grin:cheesysmile: both almost all of the time.

[coinnut]

I would go with that Pro coil first Dan. That way, just in case permission is taken away, you have covered maximum ground. Besides, that pro coil will amaze you on how close it gets to another target and still separates them. Then I would follow with a 5 coil maxed out as much as it can, while being stable. In both searches, I would go a nice, normal, slow speed. That's just how I do cellar holes and yards. :dontknow:

[DAN03USMC]

Coinnut, I am no stranger to the awesome abbilities of the pro coil. It is my 1st choice in coils and if I could only own one, the pro would be it....for all the reasons you said. I know it is hard to qualify, because every site is different. I was just wondering if anybody had a system. Up to this point I would through with the pro, then if I thought some stuff was hiding, put my 6X8 SEF on and try that. I am looking forward to getting my X-5 It is on back order :(

[angellionel]

I do the same as George. I would start with the Pro coil. In fact it has been my go-to coil for every site I have worked, using it just about exclusively, and that includes the trashiest grounds found at parks.

[coinnut]

Coinnut, I am no stranger to the awesome abbilities of the pro coil. It is my 1st choice in coils and if I could only own one, the pro would be it....for all the reasons you said. I know it is hard to qualify, because every site is different. I was just wondering if anybody had a system. Up to this point I would through with the pro, then if I thought some stuff was hiding, put my 6X8 SEF on and try that. I am looking forward to getting my X-5 It is on back order :(


It's such a good coil :happydance01: Here's something I was thinking. Some of the other responses we opposite in technique. Small coil first, big coil last. That gave me an idea that I never thought of. Although I like the big coil first and the small one last to clean up in between, I never thought of going back over the area with the big coil another time. Big, small, big ?? I would like to know if there is anything deep that was missed that could be found with the big coil again, after the first two attempts cleaned out a lot of the targets? :thinkingabout:

[DAN03USMC]

I have done the big-small-big technique. I do this when there is an area that seems to produce the most targets, and there is a noticeable amount of iron trash also in that area. (nulling etc.) I have also found it helps to flip coils and go back again different times of the year. This is do to soil conditions moisture, and frost heaves.
for example- At one of my sites which I have pulled many keeps out of. The spot started to dry up (lack of coins) until the soil dried out (soil so dry it was like dust) Then I had a spurt of many more coins out of the same ground I thought had been detected out. My conclusion was that the iron in the ground was dry too, and was thus tamed. I think this allowed a better lock on the target with out blending the targets. have you ever noticed and iron target with a big ol blister on it that was full of water? I see this alot in the spring. I have gotten good #'s on bad targets with iron like this.
I have also seen the opposite of this. When a little moisture gets a place going again.

[del]

yes Dan moisture is a double edge sword because it does aid in depth but makes the iron sound alot better than it really is . that why its very important to hit the same sites at different times of the year . in the dry summer it is a little easier to locate good targets near iron because of the dry conditions the smaller iron targets will sound more like junk but may also still mask good targets .

[greg]

I have done the big-small-big technique. I do this when there is an area that seems to produce the most targets, and there is a noticeable amount of iron trash also in that area. (nulling etc.) I have also found it helps to flip coils and go back again different times of the year. This is do to soil conditions moisture, and frost heaves.
for example- At one of my sites which I have pulled many keeps out of. The spot started to dry up (lack of coins) until the soil dried out (soil so dry it was like dust) Then I had a spurt of many more coins out of the same ground I thought had been detected out. My conclusion was that the iron in the ground was dry too, and was thus tamed. I think this allowed a better lock on the target with out blending the targets. have you ever noticed and iron target with a big ol blister on it that was full of water? I see this alot in the spring. I have gotten good #'s on bad targets with iron like this.
I have also seen the opposite of this. When a little moisture gets a place going again.



All good observations there Dan. I make a point to hunt the same spots dry and wet.

[coinnut]

We have definitely seen the dry and wet scenarios. Wet helps the deep items (iron too :mad:) but dry has it's advantages in target separation. Sounds like you hunt the same way Del and I do. lol It's hard to imagine we leave anything after we are done, but when you go back over areas you swear are done well, and you find some good targets, it makes you shake your head. :confused: Relic hunting in iron is a funny animal :yes:

[DAN03USMC]

there is another weird thing that happens...sometimes you are out and you feel like a metal detecting super hero. Finds come easy. you go out again to the same place and get skunked, only to return another time and the finds start poping again. :confused: I have seen this on the group level as well. A friend of mine once told me that he knows a guy who used to do electronic stuff for the goverment and the military. He said that they (US Navy) comunicate with the subs with ultra low frequencies that they transmit through the earth. He had a theory that that would disrupt the MD's I don't know if any of this is true, but there has to be some reason for it. :dontknow:

[del]

ok , Dan your gonna open up a whole can of worms here lol lol George and i talk about this all the time . we both will be at a site and none of us are popping anything out for an hour of so . then all of a sudden we both will start to get targets and finds for a while , and then it will go dead for us both an hour or two after . :dontknow: crazy huh. :confused: :confused: we have our theories on this phenominon :eyebrow:

[coinnut]

there is another weird thing that happens...sometimes you are out and you feel like a metal detecting super hero. Finds come easy. you go out again to the same place and get skunked, only to return another time and the finds start poping again. :confused: I have seen this on the group level as well.

Yep happened to us towards the end of last year. We usually do real well after the summer heat dies down, but for some reason the summer was good and the fall was almost a bust for us :dontknow:



A friend of mine once told me that he knows a guy who used to do electronic stuff for the goverment and the military. He said that they (US Navy) comunicate with the subs with ultra low frequencies that they transmit through the earth. He had a theory that that would disrupt the MD's I don't know if any of this is true, but there has to be some reason for it. :dontknow:


There are probably dozens of reasons why, and that one is as good as any lol RF signals stink for detecting purposes :mad: but it is all we have these days :rolleyes: I have heard of low frequency being used in a couple of different places by the military. There was an uproar over the whales being affected by it. I guess that didn't matter. If they can disrupt or even hurt whales, what's a couple of detectorists being scrambled by it gonna hurt rofl

[psychposse]

I only have 1 coil, but I still like to start out getting a general feel for the area - which means I am going to skip around looking for hot-spots before I start intensifying the search.

I like to have a rough mental map laid out, then I can fine tune it from there. The next time I am back there, I will still have a general layout in my mind.


I imagine the earths magnetic field plays a role in signal interference. Wonder what will happen when the polarity switches?

[coinnut]

Wonder what will happen when the polarity switches?


I believe all the silver and gold migrates to the surface. At least that's what I hope happens lol

[russellt]

i use the 10 DD unless there is just metallic trash everywhere , then i work my way smaller