Etrac FE/CO number help

Well I just figured out that 12-42 might be a barber dime sometimes, but it was a Dr. Pepper 2 liter cap this time Oh well on to the next hole!

I usually find that 12-38 and higher will most likely be coins.

12/25 are usually beaver tails for me.

G2M

Greek2Me said:

12/25 are usually beaver tails for me.

G2M

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I figured that these were not coins. Good to know I was not wrong in my assumptions

cntrydncr1 said:

I usually find that 12-38 and higher will most likely be coins.

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Thats what I was thinking based upon all the videos that I had watched on the E-Tracs. I guess I found a wannabe coin pop bottle cap this time. Hopefully the wind will die down a bit tomorrow afternoon and I will go out and see if I can dig a few spots where I was looking yesterday.

i've dug IH's that were in the mid 30's (12-34,12-35) depending on depth and soil conditions. (normally my IH's are in the upper 30's). i've also dug deep worn silver dimes that were only a 12-40 or 41........it keeps ya guessing sometimes

Here is a list of Etrac VDI numbers. Hope this helps. Those 12-35's to 38's will be zinc pennies. 12-13 will be a nickel, 12-44-45 will most likely be a dime or a high end wheat, 12-43 can be a low end wheat, there are many factors, temp, soil, etc. Hope you can get some help from the list. Use the stock coin program and go to Goes4Ever website and use his settings, and you will do fine.

http://goes4ever.mymdforum.com/

US Coins Etrac
Target Ferrous Conductivity
US Bust Half Cent 12 38-42
US classic head Half Cent 12 40-42
US flowing hair Large Cent 12 46
US Bust Large Cent 12 46
US Classic Head Large Cent 12 46
US Coronet head Large cent 11 46
US Braided hair large cent 11 47
US flying Eagle cent 12 20-24
US CU/NI indian head cent 12 22-23
US Bronze indian head cent 12 34-35
US wheat Cent 12 40-42
US Memorial cent bronze 12 43-44
US Memorial cent Zinc 12 37
US two cent 12 40
US three cent silver 12 28-32
US 3 cent cu/ni 12 5-Apr
US nickel shield 12 13-Dec
US Nickel V 12 13-14
US Nickel buffalo 12 13-14
US Nickel Jefferson War Nickel 12 14-15
US Jefferson Nickel 12 13-14
US silver half dime Seated 12 34-39
US Silver dime Bust 12 43
US silver Dime seated 13 45-46
US silver dime barber 13 45-46
US Silver Dime mercury 13-Dec 44-46
US silver dime Rosie 13 46
US clad dime 12 44
US seated quarter 12 46
US Barber quarter 12 47
US standing Liberty quarter 12 47
US Washington silver quarter 11 47
US clad quarter 12 47
US seated half 11 46
US Barber Half 11-Oct 46
US Walking Liberty Half 11-Sep 44-46
US Clad Half 12 47
US Silver dollar Morgan 1 40-41
US Silver Peace Dollar 1 40-41
US gold 1 dollar 12-Nov 11
US gold 2.5 dollar 12 22
US gold 5 dollar 12 31
US gold 10 dollar 12 38
US gold 20 dollar 13 44
spanish half reale cobb 11 40
spanish half reale milled 12 37-40
spanish 1 reale milled 12 44-46
spanish 2 reale milled 12 46

Junk Targets Etrac
ferrous conductivity
round tab whole med 12 23
round tab whole large 12 25
round tab tab only 12 11
round tab with no tab 12 26
square tab new type soda can 12 18
square tab large 12 27
Aluminum screw cap 12 38
crown cap steel all over 13-Dec
aluminum dog rabies tag 12 40
Aluminum rivet end 3/8 inch 12 36
22 short casing on end 12 16
22 short casing on side 12 6
22 long casing on end 12 14
22 long casing on side 12 8
22 long rifle casing on end 12 26
22 long rifle casing on side 12 19
low brass shotgun shell 12 gauge on end 13 32
low brass shotgun shell 12 gauge on side 13 14
med brass shotgun shell 12 gauge on end 13 32
med brass shotgun shell 12 gauge on side 13 14
long brass shotgun shell 12 gauge on end 12 28
long brass shotgun shell 12 gauge on side 12 10


Relics Etrac
Ferrous Conductivity
Sword Belt Plate Brass 11-Oct 46-47
US Belt Plate 13-Dec 45-46
US Box Plate 13-Dec 45-46
Millitia Wreath 12 46-47
Eagle Breast Plate 13 45-46
snake buckle snake only 12 27-28
Silver ID badge 12 41
Shako side plate button 12 35
Sharpes 54 Cal dove tail 12 33-34
Williams Cleaner type II 12 30
69 cal minnie 12 34-35
58 cal minnie 12 34
Coat flat button 12 35-36
Vest Flat button 12 31
cuff flat button 12 28
Coat Staff 12 34-35
Coat Eagle 12 30-31
School Staff coat 12 37
cuff US staff 12 17
NY staff cuff 12 15
Coat US Staff 12 29
VA Staff coat 12 37
Cuff Eagle D 12 28
SC vest 12 32
Republican Blues Coat 12 39
LA Coat 12 38
HMA Cuff 12 33
SC Coat 12 36
SC Coat #2 12 24
Cuff CS I tin back 12 14
1812 Pewter 10th rgt 12 5
1812 Pewter Script I 12 12
Colonial Shoe Buckles 13-Dec 46-47

also don't get hung up on the FE number always being an 11 or 12, i've found dimes that rang up a 9-44 to 14-42, if it sounds good and the FE isn't up in the 30's and the CO number is fairly close to a coin range number i dig it.

DogPound is right...listen to what you dig too...it is the sound also that you want to remember. I go night hunting and dig by sound and not the number...you need at least 100 hours on your machine to really get to know it. You will do fine..just dig!

I have dug silver numerous times with the FE# in the low 20's......

Fatty Indians and Flying Eagle cents ring in at the 12-24 to 12-26 range... So this type of signal is not always a pull tab

Hey Mike! I used to live in McKinney (Dunn-Memorial area) back in mid to late 70's. Went to school at Webb School.

I personally recommend digging a lot of stuff, just to see where it comes in at. This is (in my opinion) the best way to learn. Plus you'll unearth some cool things, that a seasoned E-Trac'er coinhunter might by-pass.

Take care,

NebTrac

These last few posts, by dogpound, Thatsit, and Jressman, regarding ID numbers, are right on the money. A 3 or 4" silver dime, in clean ground, should bang on 12-45 or 12-46, for instance...BUT...that same dime at 7 or 8 or 9", or next to a piece of trash, or lying on edge in mineralized ground, and it will often be a different story.

To me, there are two approaches, when learning the machine for the first time. ONE is for a very patient person, the other for a person who wants some "good finds" in their pouch quickly, to build confidence.

The first approach, for the patient person, is the approach NebTrac mentioned. Dig it all, at first, and start to get used to where things generally ID at (both the most common trash targets, AND the good ones). Doing this will also turn up some unexpected finds, as NebTrac mentioned. BUT, it will also mean digging a ton of trash. If that's OK with you, you might go this route. BUT -- if digging "a pouch full of trash" might frustrate you and cause you to lose confidence, then...

The second approach, for a less-patient person, will build confidence quicker with better finds being made more frequently. This approach is to stick to the common IDs of the good targets...dig all the 12-43 to 12-48 hits...and 12-38ish hits if you wish, which will usually be zinc pennies. After you get used to how these "good targets" ID AND how they SOUND, then you can begin branching out. After awhile, you will want to begin to dig that target that is bouncing between, say, 10-43 and 13-44...and showing 6-7" deep (good chance it's a wheatie)

Anyway, it's a great unit, and there's no "wrong" way to learn it. You will start making the good finds...and once more, to reiterate what Thatsit said, EMPLOY YOUR EARS, TOO, not just your eyes/ID numbers. There is much to be "heard" in the tones on these Minelab FBS units. Set your variability and limits to the maximum, and you'll get the maximum range of tones available...and then start hunting...and LISTENING!

Good luck!

Steve

Thanks to all

Thanks you all for the input. I know that the only way to really know this machine is to listen, watch the numbers and dig to see. I was and am still puzzled by the 12-42 number on the bottle cap lid though. I double checked the hole three times to make sure that I didn't miss a coin that was sitting near the cap. Oh well !!!! happens. I am sure that if I was really in tune with the tester, I would have heard something that might have been amiss and alerted me that this might be trash, but I would have dug it anyway as the numbers were in the good range. I hope to get out every afternoon this week, if time allows to get at least 2 or three hours of time each day learning and hopefully finding some coins to break the ice. So far my expectations are only to learn and have some fun. I never started this to get rich quick (or at all ). I have wanted to try this since I was much younger, life just got in the way. So far it is a lot of fun learning, listening and hopefully getting to know a few of the local Texas MDer's personally and going out to detect and dig a few with you all soon.

These VID#s are pretty darn close to the 3030 readings. Yes, some aluminum lids will ring in at 42 (if flat etc..) I recently noticed some wheats at 41 which I thought was strange...but remember GFH saying something about different #s on certain lincolns.

More good stuff folks.

Thanks,

This might help, too

Just a thought from one learning the Explorer right now. Knowing what the numbers mean is certainly important, but getting that number right may be a problem at first. I found that pinpointing to center the target then doing the wiggle and again at 90 degrees would both ID and locate perfectly or as close as one could hope for. The numbers change as you get off target so this little strategy is very nice when so many things are confusing and random number chasing is so frustrating!
Tom

I think we are heading to McKinney for a group hunt this weekend. Send me a PM if you are interested. One of the guys hunting is great with the Etrac and I have owned one also.

A very good point, pasttom...very true. The "Minelab wiggle" is very helpful and seems to allow the unit to sort of "lock on" and get a better read on the target...

Steve

I know this is an old post but wanted to revive it because of all the good info in it.
A lot of people are buying E Tracs now (myself included) and this is a gold mine of a thread here.