Thoughts?

[coinnut]

They erected a monument in 1881 dedicated to those who lost their lives in the civil war. I'm still pulling only clad but I'm dreaming of what may be down deep.

Some times the good stuff is away from the plaque (monument) lol I would check the surrounding area too. I bet no one tried that.

[bob_e99]

Yes, I was thinking the same thing. Start a search pattern working my way away from the monument. I think I'll wait until I receive the E-trac as I seem to do a bit better with that detector.

Thank you.

[bob_e99]

I have been practicing my deep detecting by going to well hunted sites so I'm not getting distracted by shallow targets (except for some junk). I'm still not doing well and have a couple of questions but at least now I can ask them in terms of the E-trac.

How often will a deep target be repeatable? I am ignoring the Fe number and looking at the Co number and will sometimes think I may have a deep target but when I dig, there's nothing there and no more signal.

Also, if you get a faint choppy signal at say around 10 or 12 inches, will the signal get stronger when you remove about 8 inches of dirt or is it still dependent on the distance between the target and the coil along with the remaining few inches of dirt?

Lastly, when digging deep holes, is there a trick to keeping the hole to a reasonalble size and being able to dig into the firmer bottom and remove the soil? I probably should have paid more attention when I was taking sandbox in my early days.

Thanks for your patience with the questioning but I know that until I get a good feel for deep signals, I will be stuck digging up clad for a very long time.

[angellionel]

I have been practicing my deep detecting by going to well hunted sites so I'm not getting distracted by shallow targets (except for some junk). I'm still not doing well and have a couple of questions but at least now I can ask them in terms of the E-trac.

How often will a deep target be repeatable? I am ignoring the Fe number and looking at the Co number and will sometimes think I may have a deep target but when I dig, there's nothing there and no more signal.

There are other factors to take into consideration as well, such as the level of ground mineralization and iron, but at sites where trash is moderate, the deep target's signal will likely be repeatable from every angle. The Fe numbers are also likely to have a substantial bounce. Remember though, if the signal is consistent and repeatable, even if faint, then there is metal under the coil. Don't assume that there is nothing there if the signal is lost after cutting the plug and removing some soil. It just may be that the target is not yet within the probe's or hand-pinpointer's range of detection.

Also, if you get a faint choppy signal at say around 10 or 12 inches, will the signal get stronger when you remove about 8 inches of dirt or is it still dependent on the distance between the target and the coil along with the remaining few inches of dirt?

Actually, on such deep targets you may often lose the signal once a plug is cut and soil is removed, though the target should still be clearly discernible in all-metal mode. That is why a pinpointer is essential. I have had very deep targets sound off on my probe with a discernible signal only after about 9 or 10 inches of soil had been removed. Had I stopped digging at 8 inches just because my probe did not sound off I would have walked away from a desirable find.

Lastly, when digging deep holes, is there a trick to keeping the hole to a reasonalble size and being able to dig into the firmer bottom and remove the soil? I probably should have paid more attention when I was taking sandbox in my early days.

Thanks for your patience with the questioning but I know that until I get a good feel for deep signals, I will be stuck digging up clad for a very long time.

Digging wide holes when out in the woods is not a major concern, but at parks that is another matter. I try ( emphasis on try, for I don't always succeed ) to cut plugs no wider than 5 or 6 inches. I then just scrape the sides of the hole to widen the inside in order to have room to maneuver the trowel as I dig deeper, lessening the chances of making contact with the target.

[bob_e99]

Angel, I can't thank you enough for that information. It helped me find my third (don't laugh too hard) silver and more importantly, I'm starting to be able to detect deep. This wasn't my deepest hole but there was a crusty old dime at the bottom of it.

If we ever meet, I'd like to buy you dinner.

[angellionel]

Very good score Bob! Given the sites you have been hitting, I have a feeling that you will end up with a relatively good silver count by year end.

I'm glad the info was of help. thumbsup01 That's what the forum is for, to share tips, ideas, finds, and overall help each other improve. Hopefully we can together for a hunt sometime. A drive to NH for a hunt would be fun.