Estimating Depth

[z118]

I'm making excuses in my head now for why I'm not finding coins with the E-trac any deeper than I did with the Sov.

When you all exstimate depth do you add in the height of the grass? When you say 8 deep is that from the surface of the dirt to the target or from the top of the grass (where you were able to swing) to the target?

The deepest I seem to get is maybe 1 deeper than the lenght of the blade on the Lesche - so I would say 7 from the target to the top of the dirt. But that's not counting the 2 usually that I lose due to the grass.

Like I said, just looking for excuses I guess.

[coinnut]

I usually push the coil into the grass lol I don't know if you are supposed to do it that way, but hey Height is height. If you dig 7 and your coil is 2 above the ground, then the true detecting depth is 9 Not scientific, but you are essentially raising your coil 2 inches above the 7 deep coin. It's like you are reading it at 9. But the target is stilll 7 down. Now if a coin was 9 down and you still have the 2 of grass, then you may not hit it at 11 I think the real problem is the high grass.

[Jason in Enid]

Why you aren't finding deeper coins? They probably aren't any deeper. If they were, I'm sure the E-Trac would be finding them.

The fact is, not every place has coins that deep.

As far as found depth, I measure from the top of the soil, not the grass.

[sjv]

What I do while hunting in the woods is if I get a weak signal or a strong one, is to kick away the leaves til i get to dirt level. Sometime it pays off and the signal gets stronger and give me a more accurate tone and ID number on my White's XL while at the same time increasing depth. Does this help?

[coinnut]

Hey Z, What settings are you using. Manual or auto sensitivity.It makes a big difference

[z118]

Hey Z, What settings are you using. Manual or auto sensitivity.It makes a big difference

Glad you asked because it brings up another question I've been meaning to post. I have been hunting in Auto+3 lately, and paying attention to where the sensitivity has been on the display. Last night, it was reading 27. Remembering Angel's post with all the coppers where he talked about running in manual higher than sounded good, I figured I'd give it a go. So I switched to manual and the second I pushed the button I immediately started falsing - without even moving the coil. The sensitivity was at 27. I swung around in this mode a bit but the chatter and falsing was just unworkable for me. I don't understand why the maching would show a sensitivity in auto of 27 and run smooth as silk but at 27 in manual it was just a mess. Any thoughts?

[randy]

For some reason, the forum ate my post, so I hope this isn't a double post.

Anyway, I always measure from the coil. One silver laden site this summer had 4 inch grass, and that is the way I measured it (hopefully they mow next year). I think mercs at 10 inches and LCs at 12 should be no problem for the E-Trac (those are my carefully measured records from the coil for silver and copper). I've also hit wheaties at 12 (not so carefully measured).

As for auto/manual, I use man 26, and I think it makes a big difference. Someone on another forum said man 26 and auto + 3 that says 26 are not the same thing. Something about manual forcing all frequencies to be at the set level, where auto is doing something else, like maybe only one frequency being at the reported level. I have done tests where auto and manual reading are the same, but auto has not seen a target that manual has seen at the same level. I thought there was something weird with my machine, but I was told that was normal. Yes, you put up with tons of iron falsing on manual, but I like using it FWIW. HTH.

[coinnut]

Glad you asked because it brings up another question I've been meaning to post. I have been hunting in Auto+3 lately, and paying attention to where the sensitivity has been on the display. Last night, it was reading 27. Remembering Angel's post with all the coppers where he talked about running in manual higher than sounded good, I figured I'd give it a go. So I switched to manual and the second I pushed the button I immediately started falsing - without even moving the coil. The sensitivity was at 27. I swung around in this mode a bit but the chatter and falsing was just unworkable for me. I don't understand why the maching would show a sensitivity in auto of 27 and run smooth as silk but at 27 in manual it was just a mess. Any thoughts?

It always runs smoother in auto. I'm guessing it goes through additional circuitry. If your machine was showing a sensitivity of 27 in auto, then you have great ground. You may even try a neutral setting for ground instead of difficult. I haven't played with that setting much since I never get that high of a sensitivity in auto. I would probably get that on a beach though. EMI usually causes the machine to false like that, but in your case, I'm not sure, since it shows such a high sensitivity in auto I would try two tone ferrous and noise cancel after putting it in manual, just to see if that helps. If not, stick to auto+3 in that location and go back to whatever settings you had previously. In another location, try manual like Angel said. See if it's just a location issue. Let's see what others have to say on it. It would be nice if someone close to you could compare machines at that particular location

[z118]

I'm starting to wonder if I just don't know what I'm doing! lol At this particular spot, the ground is very soft and very moist. It's like digging in a big chocolate cake with grass frosting. I've dug Lincoln's as a good 6-7 below the surface, so I would expect older stuff to be DEEP. But, of the two silver coins I found at this spot - the '37 Merc was maybe 4 or 5 inches down and the 1919 Canadian dime was maybe 6 or 7 inches down. The 1919 Canadian cent was 5 or 6 down. Most of the wheats were between 4 and 7 inches. On Tuesday I got just a hint of a signal - just a tiny chirp and the numbers hit 13-42 or something coin looking. The signal would only barely repeat and was very faint and brief. I was sure it junk but I pretty much dig everything. It was a clad quarter at 6. I know this would have given a nice clear tone on the Sov so I have no idea why it was so iffy on the E-trac? I recanned the hole and the plug and there was nothing - no iron or other junk to affect the signal.

I think I would be well served to meet up with another E-trac user to compare signals live and get a little first hand perspective... Angel, when are you making that trip to upsate NY / Ohio? lol lol

[Jason in Enid]

Your 6 chirp was probably becuase that coin was on edge. the E-Trac hits too hard for it to not see that quarter loud and clear. At 6 inches and on edge, I don't think there are very many other machines that could have found it.

I know what you are talking about with the manual / auto settings. I used to run manual 28 in most places and it was pretty smooth. Yesterday I tried hunting and it was jumpy as hell. Auto at 27 made it as calm as could be. Could be the location, could be EMI, could be sun spots for all I know. I do know that it's not iron falsing making the chatter, it's just the ground.

So relax, I think you are doing fine. Just need to use your machine more to get comfortable with it.

[RobW]

Z, I too am experiencing what you are, and it IS normal. It's a completly different method of hunting. It's slower and yes a lot more noisey. Your brain is actually having to think instead of wandering off and being stopped by the right beep. It is much more difficult, but that is what seperates novice (me) from expert (Angel). Just because you bought a sports car that can go 200 miles an hr doesn't mean you have to go that fast until you are ready. Take tiME TO LEARN YOUR MACHINE. Its like dating, you just can't jump into the sack, you have to get to know one another first.

I find myself hunting in auto, then I'll switch to manual for a bit, till I have too much, then switch back. Or if I am in really bad ground I'll put it in auto which I find cancells out a lot of noise, but also targets to. But I'm learning.

[kenfen]

I've been out 4 times. Too much work at the grist mill these days. Doesn't my boss know I have important detecting to do? LOL With that vast experience on the E-Trac, I find that I'm hitting deeper targets than I did with the DFX. Even clad down deep from the 60's and 70's. Maybe there's just no deep coins where you are swinging at. Coins aren't everywhere. I have full confidence that if I swing the E-Trac over a great target, it will tell me about it. I try not to second guess myself, the skills will come. I spent a few years getting good with a whites machine, so I am fully prepared to spend a good amount of time with the new machine.

Just my 2 Large Cents...

Regards, Ken

[jkress]

Just my 2 Large Cents...

rofl rofl rofl

... nice!

[Dick Stout]

Just my take.... Search and don't spend a lot of time making adjustments. If the older coins are there you will find them. If you have to make any adjustments just deal with sensitivity and stability.

While we are all pushing pads and turning dials, the guy with the turn on and go detector is beating our brains out. Well, at least some of the time.

www.Stoutstandards.com

[Jason in Enid]

Just my take.... Search and don't spend a lot of time making adjustments. If the older coins are there you will find them. If you have to make any adjustments just deal with sensitivity and stability.

While we are all pushing pads and turning dials, the guy with the turn on and go detector is beating our brains out. Well, at least some of the time.

www.Stoutstandards.com

I seriously doubt that. That guy with the turn on and go machine won't find squat if he doesn't understand what it's telling him.

There is a reason the E-Trac is pulling silver so many others have left behind. Information. The E-trac gives it to you by the bucket.

[Dick Stout]

Jason, you may indeed be right, but I am curious why you always question my posts (here and on other forums)?

[coinnut]

I think it's a bit of both lol I have seen a couple of guys spend an awful lot of time adjusting their machines. It usually comes with inexperience. But when I am up against them, I clobber them lol Then there were other times I was up against some real serious detectorists and they adjusted their machines for the conditions we were in, and I got clobbered rofl So I guess, it's who you are up against that really counts

[Jason in Enid]

Jason, you may indeed be right, but I am curious why you always question my posts (here and on other forums)?

I hadn't noticed I was. We may just have differing views on subjects. I promise I'm not trying to pick on you or single you out.