Big Boys Hobbies

Ghost Signals

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Missouri Mule

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2019
Messages
74
I continue to run into a problem that is driving me crazy. I went out tonight largely looking for anything but iron. I set my AT PRO in std mode, zero, iron discrimination set at 38, sensitivity on high. I keep getting real high pitched signals around 99. I get them randomly but never consistently (back and forth in both directions). I tried digging the few that were somewhat consistent, only to have the signal disappear altogether. I have come to call them ghost signals, but they are so frequent that they distract me. I am sure it has something to do with how I have set up my AT PRO. Any recommendations or comments? Thanks.
 
Last edited:
Missouri Mule said:
I continue to run into a problem that is driving me crazy. I went out tonight largely looking for anything but iron. I set my AT PRO in std mode, zero, iron discrimination set at 38, sensitivity on high. I keep getting real high pitched signals around 99. I get them randomly but never consistently (back and forth in both directions). I tried digging the few that were somewhat consistent, only to have the signal disappear altogether. I have come to call them ghost signals, but they are so frequent that they distract me. I am sure it has something to do with how I have set up my AT PRO. Any recommendations or comments? Thanks.
Click to expand...

What’s the sensitivity set to?
Any other chatter than the 99 zinger?
Disconnected and reconnected coil?
Cable tight up the shaft?
 
The sensitivity was set to full bars. Besides the 99 zingers there are various signals mixed in, some good signals wherein I dug up some scrap aluminum and a penny, others were chirping signals in the 40's. I will disconnect and reconnect the coil. I will check the cable as well. These zinger 99 noises show up most anywhere, sometimes while detecting close to the ground, sometime up in the air when just moving the detector.
 
As I checked for a loose connection, inspected the coil for a crack, took it out of range of any WiFi or cellular interference --- none of which panned out --- my hope is that it is a bad coil. Expensive as they are, a repair to the main unit will likely prove more expensive, since it is no longer under warranty. I have come to like the AT PRO, so for now I will continue up the learning curve using one until I am competent with it. Since I was ready to try one, I went ahead and purchased a 5x8 coil today. When it comes in I will use it to test the bad coil theory. If it solves the problem, then I am in the hunt for a used WORKING 8.5x11 coil to replace the bad one that I got 4 months use out of. Otherwise, I will go to Garrett to see what they can do with repairing it.
 
Missouri Mule said:
As I checked for a loose connection, inspected the coil for a crack, took it out of range of any WiFi or cellular interference --- none of which panned out --- my hope is that it is a bad coil. Expensive as they are, a repair to the main unit will likely prove more expensive, since it is no longer under warranty. I have come to like the AT PRO, so for now I will continue up the learning curve using one until I am competent with it. Since I was ready to try one, I went ahead and purchased a 5x8 coil today. When it comes in I will use it to test the bad coil theory. If it solves the problem, then I am in the hunt for a used WORKING 8.5x11 coil to replace the bad one that I got 4 months use out of. Otherwise, I will go to Garrett to see what they can do with repairing it.
Click to expand...
Following along and at Pro is a great machine. Was what I swung until the recent nox buy. Mine only have a few hours use total though. Was a slave to my job before.
Sucks but hope it is just a coil issue..
keep us posted
 
One of the issues I had with the AT Gold was aluminum. It would ring up high and deep. I’d dig a plug and nothing. I finally figured out it was literally right on the surface. That’s when I started pinpointing the ground before I started digging.
 
MM,
When I use the ATP while recovering a target I press the iron audio button. Sometimes when the target is disturbed it will revert to sounding like iron because that is what it actually is. If you have much iron disc set it will blank out the iron target. This may not be your problem but I have experienced this many times.
 
I'd try dropping one or 2 bars sens and see if that helps.
Also is your coil cable wound properly? Wouldn't hurt to check coil cover for dirt
 
rusted iron can have a halo effect and cause a higher than normal VDI reading. But when you dig, you bust up the halo effect and the high VDI reading and it will disappear and drop back to normal iron reading which you have discriminated out. Thus the ghost effect you are talking about.

Switching to all metal will allow you to hear the iron after you dig.
 
Thank you one and all for your replies. After installing the new 5x8 coil it still went crazy . . . while inside my house, that is. For months I have been able to turn it on in my house and it acted totally normal. I recently noticed, however, that my cell phone signal in my house (I live close to a Verizon tower) has doubled in strength, going from two bars to four bars, which makes me wonder if they are amping up the signal for the new 5G push? In any event I went outside and got about 75 yards from house and it now it acts normal again. I like the 5x8 coil in my immediate area because I can single out better signals among the tons of targets. So then I put the old larger coil back on and went outside to the same spot and it acts normally, as well. So I guess there is some kind of new interference in my house.

Question for you electronic geeks: Wouldn't a cell phone tower signal outside cause more interference than inside where it is not quite as strong? Or is there something else going on?

I am relieved, in any event. Back to detecting.
 
Quick test run with the AT PRO

As some of you know, I had some issues with my AT Pro that sidelined me for awhile. I put on my new 5x8 coil and went out for a short while tonight. The first four targets were four coins, two quarters and two pennies, all clad and zinc. I went onto finding a dime and two more pennies, making a total of seven coins, my largest coin find yet. I found the usual and customary pull tabs and sundry washers, etc. I am slowly learning. I look forward to my first silver coin.
 
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