a couple questions

gargoyle62

Hey All! How's everyone doing? I just wanted to preface my questions by stating some obvious facts: I've been a member here for a while now: and though I haven't made a lot of posts, I've read basically every thread that's gone up here and feel that I know what I'm doing regarding this hobby - in theory, but not in practice.
Recent circumstances (lost my job due to "downsizing") have forced me to move back in with parents - ARRRRRRRGGGHHHH! - and job prospects in this area (CNY) are slim at best...... so needless to say, I'm bored out of my gourd and have been trying to find something to do to make the days go by faster.
While going through the piles of "junk" stored in my parents garage, I came across a metal detector. It's an older Bounty Hunter (it's a TrackerIV model) that my nephew bought at a yard sale for like 20 bucks and just stuck it up in my parents garage a couple years ago. I decided to throw a battery in it and "put the coil to the soil". I figured I'd just detect around my parents house at first; to try to get the feel for the machine and whatnot . Since it was built in the mid 1800's, used as a squaredance hall at some point and also had a custard stand on the property during the 30's and 40's, I figured I stood a pretty good chance at making some interesting finds. Unfortunatelly, it was also a working farm at some point and the ground seems to be filled with all kinds of rusted metal of one kind or another. (It would take me the rest of my life to dig every signal I get). Along with the assorted junk metal I did manage to find 3 coins. A modern cent and quarter, and one wheat penny dated 1919. So it hasn't been a total loss thus far.

Onto my questions (finally!). These are going to sound really stupid but.... First: though it would seem pretty obvious, I was just curious about the technique everyone uses. Specifically; do you look down at the ground the ENTIRE time you're swinging the coil? I did this the first time out, and my neck was killing me the entire next day. Luckily I'm out in open, semi-level ground so I don't really have to watch where I'm walking so to speak.
And if you thought THAT question was dumb.... here's an even better one: can a detector read a signal UNDER a rock? I ask because I got a very strong signal in one spot..... cut my plug, started digging, kept hitting the hole with the detector and kept getting a strong signal from the center of my hole. After about 5-6 inches of dirt, I ran into a rock who's diameter was bigger than that of my hole. I hit the hole again, and still got that strong signal. I couldn't understand why I was still getting a signal. Not wanting to chase a ghost signal, I just filled the hole back in and moved on.

I apologize for the length of this (aren't ya's glad I don't post more???). If I manage to make any real exciting finds, I let ya's know

joestalin

I am only a rookie, but I can share what I have been doing. I really depend on the sounds of the dings and then the size of the pinpoint. Of course at a tot
lot Im not looking to dig up civil war relics, so its safe to say that anything that rings up 3 inches wide is probably not going to be a quarter. Some really
good advice I got about running into big pieces of trash, was to lift the coil up 6 inches off the ground over the target in question and see if you still get
the same signal. Coins and relics will not register, but large things like pipes and trash will.

Everyone I have talked too, including the guys here have all said one thing...get out and dig, learn your detector...man they are right, I'm even getting used to
what a nickle sounds like versus what a tab sounds like. I also found and find it useful to make a coin garden. Basically bury the kinds of things you
would expect to find in the yard a foot apart...coins, trash, silver etc...and then run the coil over it and see what signal you get.

Im a bit jealous that you have an old place to detect, good luck with it!

Kevin

mrguby

your machine does not sound for nothing if it beeps you can bet theres something down there.what it is can be a mistery until you get it. and i mean knowing what your hearing that kind of getting it. then you,ll be finding neat stuff.good luck and remember patience is everything.

gargoyle62

Thanks for the suggestions. I actually did do the "coin garden" thing and unfortunatelly..... with the machine I'm using copper, silver, aluminum and some steel all sound the same. Where as a nickle, rusted metal and even gold (I have some gold jewelry I found sorting through junk coin at my old job) sound the same. So as far as around the house, I'm getting to the point of just digging the strong "pings" and none of the other sounds.
I also have a spot that has miles and miles of stonewalls that are out in the middle of nowhere (woods) that I'm thinking of hitting. After that, I'll have to start doing local research at the hysterical society to find places worth searching.
I'll have to try that trick about lifting the coil up off the ground and see what happens. Thanks again

joestalin

<< <i>Thanks for the suggestions. I actually did do the "coin garden" thing and unfortunatelly..... with the machine I'm using copper, silver, aluminum and some steel all sound the same. Where as a nickle, rusted metal and even gold (I have some gold jewelry I found sorting through junk coin at my old job) sound the same. So as far as around the house, I'm getting to the point of just digging the strong "pings" and none of the other sounds.
I also have a spot that has miles and miles of stonewalls that are out in the middle of nowhere (woods) that I'm thinking of hitting. After that, I'll have to start doing local research at the hysterical society to find places worth searching.
I'll have to try that trick about lifting the coil up off the ground and see what happens. Thanks again >>



Dude, you are killing me, those sound like some amazing place to hunt...you aren't in Florida are you?

Kevin

CROCKofCOINS

Don't worry about the rock. The oldtimers used to put a rock over the jar of gold coins so as not to hit the glass mason jar with the shoval when it was time to dig it up >:-)


Jerry

cars

BillyKingsley

Some of those stone walls date back to Indian times, apparently. (I am also in NY, although closer to CT). Good luck!

By the way, your slight typo (Hysterical instead of historical) made me literally laugh out loud. I found it quite, well....hysterical!

gargoyle62

Kevin - I live in CNY, or Upstate.... depending on who you're talking to

Jerry - I assume you're pulling my leg...

Bk - yeah..... I've read all kinds of stories (on here) as to what kinds of finds people have made at the bases of stone walls, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The general area where these walls are located has a good sized "creek" running through it in a ravine (from what I've read, 2 important prerequisites to setteling in a new area - water and high ground) but was never what you'd call affluential (I think that's the term I'm looking for), so I'm assuming that all the walls were put up by farmers (maybe indians as you said). But hey, I'll settle for finding some old large cents if I find anything at all. I'm glad you enjoyed the "hysterical society" term but I can't take credit for it. I don't recall who it was, but I believe someone from this forum coined that term a few years back and well, since it is quite funny I've used it ever since.

Again, thanks to everyone for their responses/input.

demodigger

if your in an old area, you should just dig everything. that is what i do. sometimes iron and other trash can "mask" a good target. some trashy tones can end up being good finds. small coins like half dimes can sometimes sound like junk. older coins, tokens and a variety of things may read lower on the scale or sound junky. the coin i dug today was under a pile of old nails. many, if not most people would have never found that. i once dug a seated dime, that was directly under a bottle cap.