Dig every signal?

[MCH02]

I have noticed in many different posts that people say to "dig every signal". I understand the principal behind this, however how is this possible? Maybe the parks I hunt are more "trashy" than most or something, but most of them it seems you can hardly walk two steps without finding a signal, and most of them come up as pull tabs/ nickels. If I were to dig every signal, I would need a front end loaders for all the trash, not to mention I would be in the same park for a year. Do some people actually dig every signal in a park like this, or am I missing something? Just curious how others handle places like this?

 

[SteveMN]

I know I try to dig most signals that come up as a strong consistant signal unless they are very deep in which I dig them all. In a really trashy park you can try doing it in stages by cherry picking the coins out first and then go back and try and dig some of the stronger signals that may possibly be rings and other gold items. You need to have a smaller coil to help separate out the signals and increase your chances of making good finds. After cleaning out some of the junk I would then try and listen for the deep signals if possible and dig all of them especially if you know there is a potential for deep silver.

 

[MCH02]

The two parks I was really speaking of deffinately have some potential for hiding silver in them. Both of them are old parks, which have housed town celebrations in the past. I hit both of them this past weekend with my new xlt and to be honest quickly got frustrated with all of the pull tabs, and bottle caps I dug up.

 

[RelicHound]

sometimes its just not practical to dig every signal...but dig all deep signals regardless of what you screen tells ya...seems anything over 5-6" the XLT has a hard time iding correctly so anything deeper than that dig it. dig everything in the 40s and 50s as well as those are almost always gold or some sort of jewelry {can also be fencing wire in the 40s and other thick alum. stuff} constant 17-20 VDI is almost always a nickel most tabs read in the lower 30s with the exception of a few of the larger ones or ones with rolled tails read in the mid-upper 30s. i would go through and cherry pick all the coins and the strong VDIs such as the 40s and 50s..a reading of 50 is pretty rare so always dig that as that is what a large gold coin will come up as.

 

[leslie(nova scotia)]

Dig and they will come

From the land ofthe Bluenose..why not...only a hole as long as you leave no mess. Any half solid signal is worth a look see. Good luck!

 

[RickO]

Digging everything is the only way to be sure you get the good stuff... Now, using a 'system' such as described above, is usually the best method... cleans out the trash and surface (2-3 inches) material - i.e. coins, small jewelry, etc... then go for the deep signals.. HH RickO

 

[z118]

In my opinion, you must dig pretty much everything in order to find the most good stuff. This isn't always possible, and it certainly isn't always fun. That's why I avoid certain hunting spots. You can cherry pick if you want and hope you get lucky, or grid off a small sections and dig just everything in that area. Do whatever it is that is enjoyable. But ultimately, unless you are willing to dig up most of the junk, you are likely leaving good stuff behind (if it's there to begin with).

My way of dealing with sites like the one you have described is to avoid them and opt for somewhere with less trash. But that probably explains why I find so few silver coins.

 

[Lowjiber]

In very trashy areas, nobody can dig everything. If I'm around picnic tables for example, I really listen to the sounds to try to find good stuff between the tabs, etc.

However, in other more open areas...I dig every signal. Ninety percent of my jewelry has been found "in the open"...probably because I don't dig everything in trashy areas. The flip side is that I have more time to hunt when I'm not averaging 7 minutes per hole in Pull Tab Land.

Dry sand beaches and tot lots...I "dig" everything because it's so easy.

 

[Ed in KC]

Some places you shouldn't dig every signal in my opinion: I know a park that is so littered with trash, that if you dug every signal, you would literally have to dig up every square inch of the ground, and I don't think that would go over too good with the public or the Parks Service. Over time it could be done, but it makes it too muck like work for me.

 

[MCH02]

Some places you shouldn't dig every signal in my opinion: I know a park that is so littered with trash, that if you dug every signal, you would literally have to dig up every square inch of the ground, and I don't think that would go over too good with the public or the Parks Service. Over time it could be done, but it makes it too muck like work for me.

Thats my point. The one park in particular is in a very small town with and every year they have a town celebration that consists of nothing more than a softball tourney and a huge beer tent. Aparently they sell beer in the can because litterally every step it seems I can pick up a signal, and after two seperate trips this park I left frustrated both times. Last night I went there for one hour and left with an entire pouch full of junk, and only two dimes, 1 penny and two quarters. I am confident that this place has great potential, its a very old area, along a old railroad line, and im sure it has never been hunted.

I actually wish there was someone else in my area with more experience to come to the park and show me ropes and how to work a trashy area like this.

 

[Cherry Picker]

I can think of only one place where I "dig everything" and that is the local swimming hole. After years of detecting the same location I will dig more of those "iffy" signals, but I'd still never dig every signal.

As has already been posted, If I were to dig every signal in our local park it would look like the moon.

 

[billiard rich]

I'd find a cleaner place to swing. There are lots of trashy places like that near me. Once in a great while I'll go to one and frustrate myself. Recently I've tried turning my discrimination all the way up in places like that. Last time I did that I swung for 90 minutes and finally found 1 penny. I gave-up and went home on a high-note.

 

[PhilB]

I think you have to use common sense...

If you are hunting in sand, woodchips, a farm field or woods by all means dig every target if you want. If you are hunting in someone's yard, a public park or any area with a nicely manicured lawn there won't be any grass left if you dig every target. While it is true the only way not to pass up treasure is to dig every target it is not practical for many of us. If you like to hunt the yards of older home like I do, most are littered with more than a century of trash and it is not uncommon to get as many as 20 targets in 6 or 7ft sweep. I'm fortunate in that my good sites are on private property and I can take my time hunting a site thououghly without worrying about someone else hunting it. I have yards that I have hunted over a period of several year as I dig iffier and iffier targets but I'm still not close to digging it all.

 

[z118]

That's one reason I like schools in my area so much - I can dig most every signal and the amount of junk is not overwhelming. But I'll tell you, the more junk I dig, the more good finds I make too.

 

[MCH02]

My XLT and the VDI numbers are very new to me, im still trying to figure them out. Just when I think I understand what a certain VDI should mean, I did the target and its not what I thought it would be. I think I need to stay away from the trashy parks until I get a little more time under my belt with the xlt. There are virtually no other people m.d.ing in my area, so im not worried about anyone else getting to the goodies before me.

 

[mepot]

I've started turning my discrimination way up in the super trashy sites,and figure I'm basically coin shooting,and find the occasional silver jewelry.Maybe after I cherrypick the easy stuff,I'll spend more time weeding through the junk. I'm learning my machine better each trip this way also.Good luck,don't get too frustrated,its supposed to be fun.

 

[EncrustedYen]

If I dug every signal all I would have is a pile of garbage and a tired digging arm. Not to mention I would have quit this hobby long ago.

If the digging is easy then sure dig everything but if the digging is tough be picky. An exception to this would be an area that yields relic quality trash

I have had very very few targets that ided as garbage turn out to be anything other than garbage. In others words the discrimination worked as desired.
I can't even remember the last time a garbage signal was a keeper item.

After I have cherry picked every park in a 10 mile radius I may go after those iffy signals

 

[mlitty]

I feel your pain. This is a question I've been longing to ask.

I've some very promising sights with more trash than I thought possible. Unfortunately for me, I don't have a rig with your sophistication. I have only a vague notion of how deep a target might be by raising my coil, and only a 50/50 id system, basically two tones at best.

I'm learning to make the best of what I have, but longing for the day when I can comb back over these sites with a clearer veiw of what lies beneath.

For now I'm working on high discrimination in the worst areas and pulling it back when I have the patience for it.

Best of luck to you. Whatever you do, keep it fun. If it's not fun, it's work and it doesn't pay well enough for that.

 

[fishenfool]

I have only been mding about 3 months with my xlt and dig pretty much everything. I have found 11 rings in 3 months digging those 15vdi to 60vdi signals. I will keep digging every positive signal.


HH Fishenfool

 

[steve in so la]

When I started digging 28 years ago the old guys said "dig it all". I thought great - and then proceeded to disc some things out. But as I got older and experimented more I saw that digging more signals produced more goodies. So this last 10 years I have been digging more and finding more. If I bring home 100 items to keep I have probably dug another 100 items or probably more of junk. Also, I have never gone on readouts - just sounds.

It's basically your call, Steve in so az