shedigz
Elite Member
I love my new ATP but want some tips for ATP users on how to use my ATP to its fullest potential and learn to use it well.
ATP hunting tips
- Thread starter shedigz
- Start date
Factory reset then:
Pro zero wide open no discrim nothing notched sens 2 from the top.
Auto GB then backed off a few, I actually leave it at 86 everywhere I hunt.
I wasted 2 months trying to iron audio this and discriminate that and came to the conclusion I hate the abbreviated and cut off tones you get when running anything notched out.
As soon as I started listening to everything my good finds went way up. Most of the folks on here and even in the Garrett Searcher newsletter who are killing it with AT Pro's listen to everything.
I go right into heavily hunted beaches that are full of old nails with my 5x8 coil and clean up on old coins and jewelry in areas other machines and operators cannot function.
Everybody's hunting styles are going to be different, but the best advice I can give is don't be distracted by the bells and whistles and just run the sucker wide open!
Good hunting and we love pictures!
Pro zero wide open no discrim nothing notched sens 2 from the top.
Auto GB then backed off a few, I actually leave it at 86 everywhere I hunt.
I wasted 2 months trying to iron audio this and discriminate that and came to the conclusion I hate the abbreviated and cut off tones you get when running anything notched out.
As soon as I started listening to everything my good finds went way up. Most of the folks on here and even in the Garrett Searcher newsletter who are killing it with AT Pro's listen to everything.
I go right into heavily hunted beaches that are full of old nails with my 5x8 coil and clean up on old coins and jewelry in areas other machines and operators cannot function.
Everybody's hunting styles are going to be different, but the best advice I can give is don't be distracted by the bells and whistles and just run the sucker wide open!
Good hunting and we love pictures!
Another tip is don't be afraid to back the sensitivity off a few notches. I run mine the recommended 2 from the top most all the time, but if I'm getting falsing chirps from skipping over a bumpy sand bottom I'll back it off one.
Also when I hunt rocky creek and river beds where the targets are going to be at the most 4 inches down I'll back it off 3 or 4. You don't need to try to blow 12 inch holes in the bottom when the bottom is only 5 inches away.
Whatever it takes to get a smooth signal coming back to the unit. I'm in the camp that believes you get better performance and depth when you run the unit
so the signals return smoothly instead of hammering everything with hyper sensitivity.
Also when I hunt rocky creek and river beds where the targets are going to be at the most 4 inches down I'll back it off 3 or 4. You don't need to try to blow 12 inch holes in the bottom when the bottom is only 5 inches away.
Whatever it takes to get a smooth signal coming back to the unit. I'm in the camp that believes you get better performance and depth when you run the unit
so the signals return smoothly instead of hammering everything with hyper sensitivity.
Ice Scratcher
Elite Member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2012
- Messages
- 18,347
Read, remember, and try to understand everything Irons says.. ^
Forget everything you know and become a pirate!!!
That's what I did....
<*)))>{
Forget everything you know and become a pirate!!!
That's what I did....
<*)))>{
Dirtfishn350
Forum Supporter
You guys almost make me want to get the ATP, for my upgrade... Looks like your all doing WELL with them!
Longhair
Elite Member
Ask them how much of that came out of the water.You guys almost make me want to get the ATP, for my upgrade... Looks like your all doing WELL with them!
matthias
Elite Member
+1 to everything stated so far. Adding my two cents- I would get the Garrett 5X8 DD coil if you don't already have one and vary your swing speed from extremely slow to quite brisk. Also consider making yourself a "test garden" with known targets and their depths. Experimenting with swing speeds will help you find your best speed. GL and HH. Matt
Ask them how much of that came out of the water.
Oh look, there's a famous minelab owning AT Pro basher right on schedule.
Longhair
Elite Member
FYI, I have a brand new ATP in the box not 10ft from me.Oh look, there's a famous minelab owning AT Pro basher right on schedule.
papaharley03
Forum Supporter
I run mine like Irons said. Pro zero nothing discriminated and 2 notches below full sensitivity.
Irons mentioned running his ground balance at 86 all the time, but just know that the soil where you are hunting will auto ground balance at a different number. But, once you get that number, then manually set it -2 or so.
My tip comes from being fooled yesterday. Remember the depth scale is for a coin sized target. I got a solid hit in the high 60 to low 70 yesterday in my yard and it was consistent from sweeping all directions around it. Very concise target area showing 6 inches depth on PP. I'm thinking coin. So I dug a plug, checked with propointer and nothing. Dug some more, still nothing. Finally picked up the ATP and swept the hole...NOTHING. Checked the plug and got a hit. Pinpointer then led me to the tiny target which was much shallower than 6 inches to be sure. It was a small, decorative brass nut of the type that holds the cover over your porch light.
I guess my point is to double check the plug for a target if you feel like the pinpointer should be detecting something in the hole, but isn't, based on the depth info on the ATP screen.
GL and HH,
Papa
Irons mentioned running his ground balance at 86 all the time, but just know that the soil where you are hunting will auto ground balance at a different number. But, once you get that number, then manually set it -2 or so.
My tip comes from being fooled yesterday. Remember the depth scale is for a coin sized target. I got a solid hit in the high 60 to low 70 yesterday in my yard and it was consistent from sweeping all directions around it. Very concise target area showing 6 inches depth on PP. I'm thinking coin. So I dug a plug, checked with propointer and nothing. Dug some more, still nothing. Finally picked up the ATP and swept the hole...NOTHING. Checked the plug and got a hit. Pinpointer then led me to the tiny target which was much shallower than 6 inches to be sure. It was a small, decorative brass nut of the type that holds the cover over your porch light.
I guess my point is to double check the plug for a target if you feel like the pinpointer should be detecting something in the hole, but isn't, based on the depth info on the ATP screen.
GL and HH,
Papa
Dirtfishn350
Forum Supporter
Oh look, there's a famous minelab owning AT Pro basher right on schedule.
That's o.k everyone "Bashes" the ace350!
So I guess it's whatever works for ya...
We need some ATPro TIPS!A silver quarter is always a nice find. Here is one in the water that was such a good signal, 89, I knew what it was before I scooped it and got pictures.
Bottom is a close up of my settings. The target ID is right on too.
Bottom is a close up of my settings. The target ID is right on too.
hunter081
Elite Member
uestion??? How do I do a factory reset??
Whats the good to doing it.
I usually turn my on and keep it in pro zero, notch only first bar under 40 out being close to iron. I run it one or 2 bars under full on sensitivity and I do very well in parks here in Fla. However when im in Va relic hunting in some spots where its clean soft black dirt I run that sensitivity full blast and have yet to have it get chirpy or stutter on sounds if that makes sense.
So anyways how do I Factory reset??
and how often do you guys and gals do it to your at-pro
Whats the good to doing it.
I usually turn my on and keep it in pro zero, notch only first bar under 40 out being close to iron. I run it one or 2 bars under full on sensitivity and I do very well in parks here in Fla. However when im in Va relic hunting in some spots where its clean soft black dirt I run that sensitivity full blast and have yet to have it get chirpy or stutter on sounds if that makes sense.
So anyways how do I Factory reset??
and how often do you guys and gals do it to your at-pro
Turn the machine on, then hold the on button down for around 5 seconds and the machine will do a double chirp. That resets it to factory default setting.
I do it once daily before I hunt, also whenever I change batteries or coils.
hunter081
Elite Member
Isaac43
Banned
I should do that too. I have NEVER done it other when I first got it.
Chipk
Elite Member
I hunt mostly ball fields and parks. I keep mine in Standard Coins and the coin signals roll in. I don't touch the sensitivity because I don't like to dig too deep (not everybody appreciates seeing me digging deeper holes so I try to be diplomatic). I have had my ATP for about 5 months and spent the first couple of months learning the machine. I dig primarily quarters and dimes and ignore the majority of the literally hundreds of penny signals I get. I've found well over $150 in clad in the last 3 months along with 1 1/2 gold rings ( a nice class ring met a mower ) 2 silver rings and a gold grill (teeth).
I have the 5x8 coil but usually use the stock coil.
Love the machine.
I have the 5x8 coil but usually use the stock coil.
Love the machine.
MadTownScoop
Elite Member
50-52 Nickel
75-76 Zinc Penny
80-82 Dime/Copper Penny
82-83 Copper penny/Dime (YES I typed this one twice as pennies and dimes cross over each other regularly)
84-87 Quarter
86-88 Either quarter right on the surface or Bottle cap.
For Bottle caps. Back off the bottle cap. PINPOINT it using "pinpoint" in a + pattern then with the coil directly OVER THE TOP of the item. Pull back till the leading edge of your coil is over the item. Swing, Should get numbers from 13 up to 90 and anywhere in between. Tell yourself what it is BEFORE you dig it. Guessing the item will force you to pay more attention to the numbers and get you better at guessing your item.
NOW, Keep this in mind. If you swing over a real quarter AND a zinc penny, Your detector MAY tell you both 75 and 85 OR it may tell you someplace in the 77-79 range of which I never dig as its usually aluminum. If you hit a real quarter and a nickel YOu have TWO numbers your machine is seeing. 85/86 and 50/52. So , if they are really close or together you may see all sorts of numbers inbetween these two OR you may see something like 67 or so. Take the HIGHER number object and the lower number object and take the difference, (86 for qtr and 50 for nickel) and you get 36. Half that is 18 which when added to the nickel OR subtracted from the quarter will put you in the upper 60's for ID. SLOW YOUR swing WAYYYY Down and go over this spot from many angles to see if you can pick up two different items or only one.
MY 14k ring came up as 64/65 (Typically pulltab rings or aluminum can pieces) Gold rings will come up anywhere from 48 up to mid 80's. You are gonna dig lots of trash just like the rest of us. Keep this in mind as well. Every time you remove a piece of trash from a park, Means that the next time you dont have to guess what is in that spot. Enough trips to a park and you can "clean it up" so that you have a very easy time in the future. Hope this info helps.
75-76 Zinc Penny
80-82 Dime/Copper Penny
82-83 Copper penny/Dime (YES I typed this one twice as pennies and dimes cross over each other regularly)
84-87 Quarter
86-88 Either quarter right on the surface or Bottle cap.
For Bottle caps. Back off the bottle cap. PINPOINT it using "pinpoint" in a + pattern then with the coil directly OVER THE TOP of the item. Pull back till the leading edge of your coil is over the item. Swing, Should get numbers from 13 up to 90 and anywhere in between. Tell yourself what it is BEFORE you dig it. Guessing the item will force you to pay more attention to the numbers and get you better at guessing your item.
NOW, Keep this in mind. If you swing over a real quarter AND a zinc penny, Your detector MAY tell you both 75 and 85 OR it may tell you someplace in the 77-79 range of which I never dig as its usually aluminum. If you hit a real quarter and a nickel YOu have TWO numbers your machine is seeing. 85/86 and 50/52. So , if they are really close or together you may see all sorts of numbers inbetween these two OR you may see something like 67 or so. Take the HIGHER number object and the lower number object and take the difference, (86 for qtr and 50 for nickel) and you get 36. Half that is 18 which when added to the nickel OR subtracted from the quarter will put you in the upper 60's for ID. SLOW YOUR swing WAYYYY Down and go over this spot from many angles to see if you can pick up two different items or only one.
MY 14k ring came up as 64/65 (Typically pulltab rings or aluminum can pieces) Gold rings will come up anywhere from 48 up to mid 80's. You are gonna dig lots of trash just like the rest of us. Keep this in mind as well. Every time you remove a piece of trash from a park, Means that the next time you dont have to guess what is in that spot. Enough trips to a park and you can "clean it up" so that you have a very easy time in the future. Hope this info helps.
