Very frustrating

RJ -- sounds like you are getting there, making progress! Focus on the signals that are repeatable on each back and forth sweep, and that "repeat" in the same location on the ground (as opposed to "moving around in location" on different sweeps). Also, VERY important -- once you have a signal that is repeatable, turn your body 90 degrees and rotate around the target a bit, continuing to sweep. The more "repeatable" it is from different angles as you rotate your body around the target, the more likely it is to be a real target, and not a "false." It takes time, but you will learn...

Treat each target as an education; think about what is going on before you dig -- what the tone sounded like, how repeatable it was, etc., and THEN dig it, and over time you will learn to match up how targets behave, and then what they turn out to be...and that will help you in time to make better "dig" or "no dig" decisions...

Steve

Rjraye82 said:

The pin pointer is the one that came with it. It has no name on it. I'm sure it's a bottom line one. Maybe someone can tell me more on that. For starters when I turn it on it emits a steady beep until I turn the knob further. I'm wondering why it does this. It's almost like its a sensitivity knob. I'll get a pic of it and post it.

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The "bottom line" one that I have has helped me find a lot more than it has kept me from finding. ie, much better than nothing.

turn the sensitivity knob until it stops buzzing and then fine tune it until it is right on the edge of the buzzing/not buzzing but is not buzzing, that is where it is most sensitive.

The pot adjustment mod is worth it IMHO

I'm working on another mod, if it works out I will post.

Steve sorry I haven't replied to you. It was making the noises when I was swinging it over the ground. It was like I had a yard full of nickels. I would narrow it down to a spot by sweeping in an x pattern like the manual says and then dig a plug, use the pin pointer and got no signal. So I swept again with the detector and that also gave no signal. So I filled the hole and moved on.

After reading about loose connections I checked those and everything was nice and tight. My lower shaft is metal and not very loose in the top shaft so I don't think that it's a flex or shaking issue as Harvey suggested. (But thank you for your suggestion Harvey). I didn't have my cell phone on me, I had on my shoes so no steel toes.

It could be the cable coming from the coil. It's wrapped around the shaft but is it ok to use electrical tape and secure it so it doesn't move around down there?

Going to do that mod that mod that popatop posted for my pin pointer and see if that helps.

yes, you can tape the cable to the shaft. A lot of people, including me, have the cable running straight up the shaft (instead of coiling) past the place where you join the two parts of the shaft, then coiled after that. This seems to stop a lot of falsing. I use velcro strips to hold the coil wire to the shaft but electrical tape, duct tape, etc would work fine.

Rjraye82 said:

I think I may be hitting stuff on the ground. I went back out after posting this and actually found two pieces. It was only junk but I gotta tell ya I'm excited! View attachment 251948

My first finds! Lol

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there is not a thing wrong with finding junk.I am experienced regarding such.

RJ -- since the sounds are occurring as you sweep over the ground, and not while holding the machine still in the air, then it's definitely objects in the ground that your machine is seeing.

I would suggest that you go somewhere away from houses, away from as much electrical interference, and practice there. The HARDEST place to learn, is in a yard full of trash, old roofing nails, etc. -- within a neighborhood where you are surrounded by electrical interference.

You will find that what is going on makes much more sense, if you get out away from the nails and away from the EMI...the signals you hear, and then dig, will begin to make more sense to you that way. The "falsing" only confuses the issue, for a beginner.

You will get there, just hang in there. If you need any more help, feel free to PM me...

Steve