Big Boys Hobbies

etrac-Can you tell a nickel from a pull tab

Mountain Mike

Mountain Mike

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Jan 4, 2015
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Location
Sylva NC
OK fact or fiction. I had someone recently tell me that they could tell a pull tab from a nickel with the etrac. I feel that I am very competent with the machine but I have done lots of tests and can't definitively tell them apart. I'm not an etrac whisperer yet so am I missing something?
 
Not definitively, but you can get pretty good odds from the VDI. A good 12-12 12-13 that doesn't vary much stands a very high probability of being a nickel for me.

Now, that is only good to around 5-6".
 
12-12 is always a pull tab for me. Nickels are 12-13 12-14 depends on how deep it is. And whether trash is by it. If the coin is deep it will jump around 12-11 12-13.
 
There are no absolutes, but key on the conductive #, not the ferrous #.
The #13 will usually show up the most for a nickle.
And don't forget about the ole war nickle---they read somewhat higher...

12-12 when I use to dig them---mostly junk.

Cherry picking has risks---always, no matter the detector used.....

Good finds will get left behind...
 
The best nickel finding detectors I've ever come across were the CZ series by Fisher, if it said nickel, it was almost always a nickel. Now with the other detectors I've used and still use, such as the E-trac, it varies, sometimes it is a nickel, sometimes a tab. I dug more nickels with the CZ than all my other detectors combined. At old sites I generally dig the nickel/tab tones, but at newer sites I usually skip them, I know I could be missing gold, etc. but it would just be too much to dig them all.
 
The fella I was talking to said he could tell the difference by FE bounce and the tone. If an object is more than a couple inches deep I get a little FE bounce on both targets depending on sweep angle.
 
Dirtfishin said:
What does you ATP read?
Click to expand...

Many times if its a pulltab it will jump around with the vdi # and I know its a pulltab when it goes up to 55,56 for sure.
Also they have a double blip at times but if I am close to one then sometimes it can coax me to dig it.
I have noticed on the atp and my ace 250 that a ring of gold will hit nice and crisp with a steady vdi, I will say this 99% of the time.
Happy Hunting.:grin:
 
55

Dirtfishin said:
What does you ATP read?
Click to expand...

Seems to me mine read double nickles (55) and 80% of the time is was a nickle. Just took my Etrac running TTF over trashy ground I had hit many times with my AT and was amazed at the nickles I pulled out of there.......
 
People make all sorts of claims they can tell this and they can tell that, But in reality it is mostly BS, you can have one reading here and 3' away you can be a little different for the same target. ETRAC, ATPRO and so on. The ground it is in makes a difference, the orientation in the ground, the depth, what is laying next to it in the hole and whether you ate chili for lunch can all change the readings.. Ok well maybe not the chili:D.. But the fact is you better dig it if you are looking to dig Gold rings or nickels. On the flip side of that the accuracy of the minelabs is second to none and it can be a lot of fun being accurate to what you are digging such a high percentage of the time :)
 
REDOC said:
Seems to me mine read double nickles (55) and 80% of the time is was a nickle. Just took my Etrac running TTF over trashy ground I had hit many times with my AT and was amazed at the nickles I pulled out of there.......
Click to expand...

Thanks redoc
 
metaladdict said:
Many times if its a pulltab it will jump around with the vdi # and I know its a pulltab when it goes up to 55,56 for sure.
Also they have a double blip at times but if I am close to one then sometimes it can coax me to dig it.
I have noticed on the atp and my ace 250 that a ring of gold will hit nice and crisp with a steady vdi, I will say this 99% of the time.
Happy Hunting.:grin:
Click to expand...

Thanks Metal...
 
Detector said:
Not definitively, but you can get pretty good odds from the VDI. A good 12-12 12-13 that doesn't vary much stands a very high probability of being a nickel for me.

Now, that is only good to around 5-6".
Click to expand...

Same here. On my Etrac when the numbers are pretty solid its most likely a nickel. When
hunting with a friend of mine I will sometimes call it out and I dont think I am exaggerating
if I were to say I can get it right about 80% of the time. The tone is really solid also.

And of course, like you said, that is only good to around 5"
 
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