Home Metal Detecting

irritated

Took out the MD today since it was nice. I live in a very small town called Marengo, Ohio. Its a very old town and I live right in the middle of it. House is on a triple lot so there is a little bit of yard to search. I got a hit not a few moments after I was out. The detector display showed 50 cent piece 2-4 inches down. I dug a hole about a square foot, L/W/D and never found anything but a bunch of rocks. I kept running the detector over the hole and it was still showing but now it showed it at 0" deep. I gave up, went back in the house and put the detector in the closet. I must not know how to work this thing or something. I did find 1 Cent and a piece of alum can my last 10 minute search in the yard, Must have been a fluke.

Another thing I noticed was the detector would beep and display the same thing for about a foot radius, that is why I dug such a large hole. Any ideas what my problem is? I plan on hitting the local beach here in a few days before it opens up. Must I get permission before searching it?
Its all relative

Comments

  • I had the same problem before with my Garrett ACE 250. I believe you should lower the sensitivity level on the detector. More than likely it is picking up minerals. When I had the sensitivity high it would go off all the time, and I'd dig, but end up with nothing. Now I've actually found stuff when it went off (Although I've only been out 3 times, one of which I had an idea what I was doing). Although I've only found pop can tops and old cans, at least its something. I just have to distinguish the different signals so I don't end up digging up these things frequently. If anyone has any other input on this or can correct me please feel free, I'm not a novice detector.

    As for hitting the beach I wouldn't have an idea on this. There are those who just specifically hit beaches in this forum, I'd say wait for their expertise.
  • metalmeistermetalmeister Posts: 4,586 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I know the feeling. Dug and dug but zip. Probably missed a diamond ringimage
    email: ccacollectibles@yahoo.com

    100% Positive BST transactions
  • demodiggerdemodigger Posts: 1,012
    its most likely a large piece of iron.


  • << <i>its most likely a large piece of iron. >>



    Yes, like-septic tank cover.

    Beach? GO HIT IT GO HIT IT GO HIT IT GO HIT IT GO HIT IT GO HIT IT GO HIT IT GO HIT IT GO HIT IT GO HIT IT GO HIT IT GO HIT IT GO HIT IT GO HIT IT GO HIT IT GO HIT IT GO HIT IT

    Jerry
    CROCK of COINS
    imageimage
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Do not get discouraged. Get a pinpointer, listen to advice given here.. continue to practice. It does take time ... Good luck, Cheers, RickO
  • pocketpiececommemspocketpiececommems Posts: 5,865 ✭✭✭✭✭
    If you haven't been out very much practicing on the beach would be a good place to start and then you wouldn't have to worry about big holes in your yard to fill in.
  • Purple73Purple73 Posts: 2,016
    Yep, ground minerals is what my guess would be. Even on my CZ3D I'll get a clear hit and dig and dig and nadda. I was over at the Fairgrounds getting reaquainted with my detector and on my way back to the car I had a super clear hit @ 4". So I dug down and found nothing , so I dug a bit deeper and started finding a bunch of really blackish coal looking chunks. I fill the hole back in and left.

    When I ran the whites detector I set the sensitivity at 4. sometimes 3. If I went higher it usually rang false. I never ran in an area that wasn't trashy so I never set it really high.

    Keep working with it. It takes a bit to get used to. When I went from the Whites to my Fisher I had a huge learning curve. So I know the frustration your feeling LOL.

    Purple
  • lathmachlathmach Posts: 4,720
    I was searching around an old house years ago with my Whites 6000.
    It got a reading for a Quarter just a few inches deep.
    I thought for sure I was going to find a Standing Liberty or Barber in the hole.
    I dug, and dug and dug.
    I kept getting that same quarter reading.
    About 2 feet down I found a big old single bladed ax head. probably lost at the turn of the century when this area was logged off.

    Ray
  • Ahh yes...Good old Marengo.
    Been through there many times.
    I'm less than 20 miles away in Delaware.

    My guess would be "hot rocks" or high sensitivity.
    Maybe both.

    John
    Analog Rules! Knobs and Switches are cool!
    imageimage
  • Purple73Purple73 Posts: 2,016
    Ok,

    Cars , Goldrush and I need to get together and do an outing. Im about 50 miles from Cars. We could have a splash of a day!

    Purple
  • carscars Posts: 1,904
    Wow, thanks for all the suggestions/replies. I know I'm new at it and need to learn it. I was having a bad day when this happened and that just topped it off lol. I'm certainly not going to give it up. I did dig up a few good sized rocks and when the detector was on PP and I ran it over those rocks it gave a signal but it was kinda faint.

    I'm originally from Delaware and my parents still live there. They own 15 acres across from the Delaware dam and I was thinking of doing a little searching there. All 15 acres were wooded when they purhased the property and they are the first to live there. I dont' know if that would make for a good hunting ground or not. I'm up for a group outting image
    Its all relative
  • carscars Posts: 1,904


    << <i>Ahh yes...Good old Marengo.
    Been through there many times.
    I'm less than 20 miles away in Delaware.

    My guess would be "hot rocks" or high sensitivity.
    Maybe both.

    John >>



    Well then, I guess you probably already cleaned out the beaches I was thinking of lol
    Its all relative


  • << <i>I'm originally from Delaware and my parents still live there. They own 15 acres across from the Delaware dam and I was thinking of doing a little searching there. All 15 acres were wooded when they purhased the property and they are the first to live there. I dont' know if that would make for a good hunting ground or not. I'm up for a group outting image >>



    Has the possibilties of being a great hunt. Who knows?
    Do they live on the 23 side of the dam, or the other side of
    the lake? 23 follows the old Scioto trail, which later became
    the Harrison Military Road during the 1812 campaign.
    A few block houses and forts were scattered along the way
    to protect the trail.

    As far as me hunting the beaches....I don't.
    I'm more of a relic hunter. Love the history!
    Analog Rules! Knobs and Switches are cool!
    imageimage
  • Purple73Purple73 Posts: 2,016
    Name the time and place and I'll be there. I'm unemployed at the moment so work won't interfere with the time. I'll bring extra batteries and I have a digi cam(and it works now! WOOT!) 15 acres is quite a bit of space. For as slow as I go , it would take me a while LOL.

    Purple
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,530 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I would buy into the "ground minerals" theory except I don't know what your specific soil conditions are like up there. Chances are, if it was a distinct, clear, repeating signal, then something was there. This happens when a larger-but-deeper target is present, like the rusty iron or septic tank scenarios mentioned. It happens to me a lot.

    As to it finally showing 0" on your depth meter, there could be a few reasons for this:

    -One, you brought it out of the hole but overlooked it in the loose dirt on the surface, or ...

    -Two, it is still buried near the surface, along the edge of your hole, and you were slightly off-target, or...

    -Three, your depth meter is just acting up on this particular signal, which is nothing to be that worried about- I get inaccurate depth meter readings all the time. When the machine gives you a depth meter reading, it is really just making an "educated guess", and if a larger, deeper target like big iron or an aluminum can or a buried tank or something is present, you simply aren't going to get any kind of accurate reading.

    It's annoying, yeah, but it happens. Pretty often in my case, when it comes to the bigger, deeper iron targets. One clue that you might have big iron is if the cursor on the target ID hops back and forth between the lower and higher ranges, and the machine seems incapable of deciding what the target is. Though a machine might be good enough to reject smaller trash, bigger ferrous targets like an ax head or buried iron pipe are just too hot for it to resist.

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
  • yellowkidyellowkid Posts: 5,486
    Worked for the phone company and for awhile did cable locating. It took me some time to become proficent with the locater, a coin locater can't be much different, hang in there!
  • Have you tried seeding your yard with a few coins? Use different types/metals, and see where you get a tone in relation to the detectors position. IMO the beach can be a challenge due to minerals. The digging sure is easier though. Be careful if it's a beach where they replace the sand that has eroded in the winter months as it may have been screened during the dredging process. You have to look where people have been, and are most likely to have dropped stuff.

    Think about where the best spots might be. An old sidewalk might be good, but if it has an old bus stop is on a particular section, think how many folks might have dropped some coins while fumbling for the correct change and didn't want to stop to look for anything they might have dropped and miss their ride. You can find stuff anywhere, but why not improve your odds, at least till your skills increase.
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