Hi I'm just getting back into MDing and I'm currently using a Bounty Hunter Pioneer 202(Quickdraw II). The sites I'm currently hunting are rich in chunks of cast iron, nails, and larger iron pieces. I've tried adjusting the disc to a point where it eliminates smaller iron but I still get pieces of oxidized iron registering as silver. Anyone know a sure way of telling between true silver and rusted iron with this machine?
Iron tones are real low, silver tones are real high, this is what I think is happening.
I used an EX, a couple steps down from yours.
From what I can tell, as you move up the BH line, each unit gets a little better than the one before.
I know someone that also has an EX and then he picked up a 101, one step up and a little better.
You have a unit one step up from that, but still lower end.
I have read that some detectors, no matter how much disc, just cannot get rid of big iron no matter what.
The halo effect can compound that problem.
The clue here is this,
"I still get pieces of oxidized iron registering as silver".
From here on down I am going to assume you are referring to a "ghost" signal.
Have you actually dug a piece of iron that came up as a silver signal with that high tone?
Or did you not find anything and at the exact pinpointed area of these silver signals, which is what I assume is the case.
All my detectors have picked up high tone ghost signals from large pieces of iron and other trash like whole cans.
Big iron in tot lots will produce the same effect no matter what the settings, and
that ghost signal from something that big is mostly always super solid.
These signals can be up to a foot away from where the real object lays.
Not counting the tot lot size iron, these signals are sometimes kind of solid, but they are usually not repeatable every time from every angle, or are "weaker" and different sounding than say a solid coin would sound.
Hard to explain that, but my Vaquero sometimes will pick up a false ghost signal in wet ground, but the disc is great and I can usually knock these out with all but the biggest iron, and I can tell by the sound it is not going to be legitimate.
Move down a few steps to my F2, and a little bit more of this problem because of the price point and a little less sophisticated disc.
My EX had huge amount of this ghosting problem because it was even a few more steps down the discrimination evolutionary ladder and it couldn't deal with my mineralization or it was faulty.
I have dug enough huge crater holes with all these machines to find the iron target that should be a low tone will fake you out with a silver high tone on the outside of the signal.
Sometimes way outside.
I learned the language of each machine, eventually, and stopped digging empty holes.
I think if you can get another detector to this site with a better disc capabilities, you will have to deal with less of this problem.
No matter what you use, walk around these silver signals and if they don't repeat from all angles, or cut out or break up, or sound weak unlike a real solid object would be, learn to ignore them like I did.
If the ground is moist, the problem will be worse, dry conditions are better.
Go for all the definite good solid repeatable signals first, and then go after these iffy ones later if you have to ease your mind.
Even on your detector, you should be able to learn to hear the difference between a solid real target and the bad ones by Xing the target if you listen closely.
Do that, and then eventually save up and go buy a Tesoro.
HH
