Big Boys Hobbies

Very frustrating

R

Rjraye82

Junior Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2013
Messages
30
Location
Beaver County, PA
Well today is the day. I went and got batteries for my MD and got out in my back yard. At first I thought I had tons of stuff back there but after digging a few holes and finding nothing even with my pin pointer I came back in and started looking at my manual and online. I can't seem to find a happy place on the machine to stop the false readings. I'm looking for a video or something that explains things in plain English for the complete novice. I am in no way ready to throw in the towel but its very discouraging when you get readings like .50 or .25 and end up digging to china to find it and come up empty. Can anyone help or give some pointers?

Bounty hunter sharp shooter II. Thanks guys.
 
RJ --

First off, Hello! I grew up in Beaver County, and spend a couple weeks there each summer visiting family. I do quite a bit of detecting while I'm there, and there's definitely some good finds to be had in the area.

That being said...you haven't given enough information to go on. You talk about "false readings." Is your machine going "crazy," making all kinds of noise even when you hold it still, in the air? OR, is it quiet, until you start swinging over the ground, and THEN you start hearing all the signals?

If it is the former -- i.e. lots of noise, different sounds and tones coming from the detector whether holding it still in the air OR sweeping the coil over the ground, then it sounds like either bad EMI in the spot you are using it, a loose connection (possibly where the coil cable attaches to the control box), or possibly a bad coil.

IF it is the latter -- i.e. quiet, until you run the coil over the ground, then they lots of signals, then it sounds like you are dealing with lots of iron/nails in the ground, and there are lots of things that I can suggest to help you out in that case.

SO -- can you give some more detail as to what you are experiencing?

Steve
 
On my BH QuickDraw II, the lower shaft is plastic, a flexible type plastic. When you swing it, sudden starts and stops, can cause the shaft to flex, the coil can see the cable move, false signals. Bumping the coil into small stuff on the ground, even the ground itself can cause false signals. My cable connector is the slip-on kind, doesn't lock into position. Wasn't pushed all the way in a few times, got some strange behavior. Could also be the sensitivity is set too high for the ground you are hunting. It's not really controlling the depth, just the gain on the receiver.
 
Welcome metal detecting isn't as easy as it looks on TV. But hang in there and once you figure out your machine you to will have fun. you can try you tube. just type in what you got and you might find what your looking for just keep swinging and you will get it.
 
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! image.jpg

My first finds! Lol
 
I swing a BH Quick Draw II - only two things that I have had that cause that random behavior for me are the coil not being plugged in all the way or EMI from something (powerlines, wireless transmission, etc). Try a different location and see if you get the same thing. I mean totally different. If you are in your yard then go to a park somewhere and give it a try, or out in the country in an open field. I suppose it could also be a bad coil. Was your machine new or used? Might end up having to contact First Texas about it.

Otherwise I would also say that it is a trashy area with lots of nails. I assume you tried discrimination or notching out certain metals.
 
It was brand new. I think it is operator error. I have no idea what I'm doing lol. But I'm going to keep using it and ill figure it out.

Yes I tried notching out stuff. But that confuses me too. If I notch out stuff like nails, iron and so on I eliminate stuff that I want to find. I don't like the order that stuff is eliminated in. Or maybe again I'm just not doing it right.

Like I said I'm going to keep at it and I'll figure it out.
 
Lots of good advice has been given here. It is also possible that something as simple as your cell phone or wifi may not be agreeing with your detector I have also had issues with my detectors falsing by getting them to close to my steel toed boots. Alot of times i also have to lower my sensitivity in trashy or high EMI areas. As SWKDigger said you may also need to try another area.
Give it another try and followup with us if you would please.
 
Tons of good advice! Thank you all very much. It's getting too dark to see what I'm digging. I'll go back out tomorrow after work and post results. But I think that with the info here I have it almost figured out. If I could just figure out that notching I'd be happy. I can't wait to find a coin or something of value.
 
A loose floppy cable down toward the coil will do it too. Does the detector false if you swing it raised in the air away from the ground or just near the ground?
 
Rjraye82 said:
If I notch out stuff like nails, iron and so on I eliminate stuff that I want to find. I don't like the order that stuff is eliminated in. Or maybe again I'm just not doing it right.
Click to expand...

I very seldom use the notch mode but I think you are misunderstanding how notch works. The way I understand it, the notch is an area that is eliminated. In other words, if you are in notch mode, and move the notch knob to notch out Zinc 1c, then you will still find metals that register on both sides of the zinc.

I usually hunt in all metal mode but use discrimination in trashy areas. If I find a small nail, I will lay it on the ground and turn the disc knob until that nail doesn't register anymore. That way, I eliminate the iron that size and smaller but larger iron I will still detect. I'm not sure this is right, but that is how I am doing it.

What pinpointer are you using? keep in mind that you have to be very close to the metal with the pinpointer for it to detect the metal.
At any rate, keep at it and you will get it all figured out.
 
my thought too is what pinpointer do you have ... some of the cheap ones you have touch the object for it to go off ... a garrett Propointer makes a lot of the finds when you can't find it with a cheap one and think you are getting false signals but you merely just missed it in the hole ...
 
Some of those deep quarters you never find can be an aluminum can. Yards can be tough. I've hammered mine a couple years and have one tootsie toy and less than a dollar to show for it. Your yard is where you learn to dig plugs. But usually isn't the place for spectacular finds.
 
Uptown603 said:
Yup, I got one of those cheap ones. It's a Bounty hunter....Junk!! What a waste.
Click to expand...


Have to disagree that they are a waste. I have to say that if I hadn't gotten mine with the package that I probably wouldn't have thought to buy one and I would have been really frustrated, maybe quit the hobby early. I was lucky and found the modification to increase the sensitivity on the pinpointer pretty early on and that helped significantly. Also, fresh batteries help a lot. I go through more batteries in my pinpointer than I do my detector.

With that being said, I will buy a propointer and have the BH/Fisher as a backup. It is a better pinpointer but the fBH/FIsher is better than none.
 
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.
 
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.
Click to expand...

Yup That's what it is a sensitivity knob. Sounds like a Bounty Hunter. It certainly isn't a Garrett ProPointer but it beats nothing. If your handy try doing the mods to it.
 
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