1st time out of the backyard - Vaquero Sand Detecting

Parkham

Full Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2011
Messages
106
Location
North of Indianapolis
Down in Isle of Palms today. Only had about 30 minutes to detect (with family). 1st time out newb. Ground balancing was easy to go.

Detecting in bone dry and damp sand is working out really well. Finding bottle caps at one foot down. I'm digging everything but testing discrimination before I dig and it seems to be discriminating out fine.

I found something and dug well over a foot down and it was still beeping at me but I had to leave. I'm going back tomorrow and will try to dig it all the way out.

I'm going to read up some other Vaquero threads about how it behaves. Got some strange results in one are (only happened once out of the 7 or 8 digs I did) I got a strong signal, dug, checked, dug some more, checked again and nothing! Detected all around where I was digging and it moved. Though, OK I dug it up but my Propointer didn't find it? Odd. Beeped, dug, dug and dug some more and then the signal disappeared and I couldn't find it again.

Is that interference or ghosting some people talk about?

I'll update results tomorrow.

I'm just digging everything because I've read a lot of places here that say you have to dig everything because gold is all over the spectrum.

I suppose this is a nothing special post, but it's my first time out (yes, I'm excited!) of the backyard and I hope to provide some good input on how the Vaquero operates in dry and damp sand. I'll even try packed sand but I heard that it doesn't do well.

See ya back tomorrow with hopefully something other than bottle caps and pull tabs haha.
 
I have gotten the same thing what has happened is the coin turns on edge and no signal. Dig the sand out of the bottom of the hole. Throw it on the ground and BAM! there it is. Try that see if that helps.
 
Could be foil

I'm brand new as well, and I had this issue last weekend. Got a good signal. Scooped the hole a few times, then got no reading from my pile or the hole. I pulled out my propointer and just swept everything. I finally got a very intermittent reading and found a tiny piece of wadded up foil. The Propointer only hit on it when it was touching the very tip of it.
 
The V is a powerful machine. Most likely you had very small target that, when moved, didn't present enough surface area to get picked up. it happens. The other possiblities are soil conditions giving a false, or, you just plain missed the target and it's still in the hole. I've had that happen with the V and Compadre when dirt hunting. Happens all the time when beach hunting with the Minelabs.
 
It's been my experience that those strange signals are very small targets like a sliver of foil or an ear ring stud.

The Vaq. picks up some extremely small targets that the pro pointer will have to contact before it will vibrate.

Hope this helps.:D
 
I am no pro but I know I have experienced this myself with the AT pro. I am so far figuring that either I did a poor job of pinpointing or it is just the way the detector reacts. Everytime this has happened to me it has been a piece of coke can that was in the side of my original plug... but it is just as you describe it is like the target moved once the plug is out.

I only know because it drives me insane to not figure out what it was I was digging for and refuse to give up... even if it is can-slaw.
 
The V is a powerful machine. Most likely you had very small target that, when moved, didn't present enough surface area to get picked up. it happens. ...Happens all the time when beach hunting with the Minelabs.

I believe that's exactly what is happening (as others mentioned as well).

Hot, hot day. went out for about two hours. Tons of junk. I gave up on digging everything after a while (hoping for a gold something) and just upped the discrimination to just below 5¢ marker. Things went A LOT quieter.

Found:

Initally, tons of beer bottle tops
3 or four tent pegs ..gave them away to people putting up tents..
A butter knife ha!
4 clad dimes..that's all I was finding was dimes weird..

Detecting on water packed sand was impossible for me. I gave up quickly. (edit: would like to clarify to anyone browsing for info that I am new and I didn't re-balance my vaquero when I switched to water packed sand.)

I now completely understand what many here say about interacting with people. Tons of people asking the same question over and over. "Found anything good?" "What did you find?"

One guy came up to me and asked me a dozen questions about metal detecting and some very specific ones.

He told that he's seen many people out with metal detectors who find something they don't want and just cover it back up. I went through the whole ethics code with him and he seemed a bit surprised. My basic response was that if I have to bend over and dig it then I will pocket it, keep it, give it away or throw it in the trash.


Anyway, fun to go somewhere else other than the backyard.. even if I only found 40¢, a butter knife and some tent pegs! Can't wait to get home and hit the old houses around the area (after permission of course), parks, lots etc.. Still excited about it all so I guess I'm hooked!

And he's off!
 
If there is any chance that the disappearing target could have been ferrous, then there is the possibility that it corroded... no, it disinigrated, but was laying still about the original shape, and all "particles" were still together, and that presented a detectable target.

When you disturbed the ground, and removed dirt and tiny particles of the ferrous material, it no longer was a detectable target, (visually or detector). Of course we will not know, but I think this is a plausable explanation.
 
Happened to me a few times in wet sand, deep whisper, dig a few scoops and it's gone. Then I dig another scoop full and it's in the scoop.. I think some soil gets charged or something and helps you get better depth, and when the soil matrix is broken, the detector can't reach with just air in between.
 
I've read stories where a person found a piece of silver ware. Took it home and cleaned up only to find it was sterling silver.

Check your butter knife just in case.

Can't offer anything on the Vaq as I have no experience with it. Just thought I'd throw that idea on the butter knife at you.


Coolwhips :cool:
 
I've read stories where a person found a piece of silver ware. Took it home and cleaned up only to find it was sterling silver.

Check your butter knife just in case.

Can't offer anything on the Vaq as I have no experience with it. Just thought I'd throw that idea on the butter knife at you.


Coolwhips :cool:

Thanks whippy and everyone. Checked the butterknife and it loves magnets... I"m guessing I'm out of lucky but thanks for the tip.
 
Back
Top Bottom