Rehashing the “frozen ground” controversy...

IDXMonster

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The temps have been in the mid teens over night here,upper 20’s lower 30’s for a daytime high(at best). The ground is starting to lock up,around my specific hunting area it’s frozen about 3-4 down. Because I’m a fatass,I can still punch my shovel through and dig a respectable hole. Here’s the thing....
Last weekend,I did very well,4 silver dimes one day. The ground was JUST starting to get hard on top. Yesterday the ground was frozen about 2-3” down,corralled another 4 silver dimes(3 Seated in 2 hunts....WOOT!) Today I figured I’d keep a good thing going and it was BIZARRE! I never touched the settings,and this is a property that has no EMI or problems other than its extremely polluted with square nails and trash from fair goers. Yep,it’s a fairground,if you didn’t catch that....and it turned into the Twilight Zone.
I could NOT get a good repeatable signal on ANYTHING it seemed. My one and only Indian today was a solid repeater,but the 2 wheats that I dug at 5-6” we’re struggling to make a response. It’s as though the machine was running on 1/2 power,like I had the Sensitivity at Auto MINUS 3. I’ve done this long enough that I know when I am going to have a day like this,and I knew it 5 minutes into the hunt. I’ve been reading about radio waves and magnetic waves and how they propagate through different mediums....and that ice crystals can,in certain conditions,have a negative refractory impact on them(they don’t all go where they are supposed to because they’re getting partially scattered,much like a prism would do). I did NOT try manually setting a different noise cancel channel to see if a slight freq shift would perk it up any but I did raise the Sensitivity to what I’d deem to be “unreasonable levels” and it quickly became,well...unreasonable. I was using the stock coil BTW...yesterday and last week I was using the 17” coil. The only other thing I can think is that by using the 17” coil,it’s field is more “diluted” and is not picking up the tiny bits of iron,rust,broken nails and micro-shredded metallic junk because it is unable to,thus giving it an ADVANTAGE in the trash. Counterintuitive I know,but I can’t offer a different explanation than one of the two above.
I know for a FACT that each and every one of us had experienced this in different ways,but Im more focused on the “frozen ground” aspect,and if my “scattered waves” theory holds any water...or ice.
 

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I haven't had any problems with my CTX at least the last time I went out about a week ago but for the first time I had a terrible time with my pinpointer in the icy ground. A lot of falsing and it not wanting to pick up the target unless very close to it or after multiple attempts at locating it.


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i can say wihout a doubt that my 800 does not seem to work or penetrate the ground as well as un frozen ground.pin pointer also falses alot
 
I haven't had any problems with my CTX at least the last time I went out about a week ago but for the first time I had a terrible time with my pinpointer in the icy ground. A lot of falsing and it not wanting to pick up the target unless very close to it or after multiple attempts at locating it.


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Same here Dennis,a week ago I couldn’t miss. Yesterday I couldn’t miss. Today I couldn’t find my ass with both hands. My carrot has a mind of its own anyway so hard to say if that’s different or not...probably from 2 years of straight abuse.:grin:
 
Sweet finds IDX! My Ctx is the same way... Some days it’s in total beast mode and other days it seems off. This was during the summer so IDK....
 
I noticed this yesterday and thought maybe it was just me overthinking . The ground was frozen 2 or 3 inches and the deus with the 13 inch coil was not hitting targets as hard as usual.
 
Had similar experiences yesterday as well with the frozen layers. Pinpointer did not like the frost.
 
Went out in the woods for a couple hours yesterday up here as all else is Locke up frozen . I think it is geo astronomical of some sort .
Sun spots ...? Solar flair?
Signals were all over the map. Even the well known trash items were inconsistent.

Never mind that .. IDX your on fire!!!!👀
Holy smokes man! Just look at your spread.


,Dew
 
Dayuuum! Your about as stubborn as me when it comes to hunting in the winter :laughing: I absolutely believe that frost and even the amount of water in the ground can throw ANY machine off. My opinion, FWIW, I would try another site or relocate at your current one. That is, if you go back today or tomorrow and find your still haveing the same issues. This is turf we are referring to correct? Not the woods? Would love to find a good old fairgrounds that would produce for me, especially like that! Fantastic work man! :cool:
 
Temperature effects the conductibility of just about everything that conducts. Ice is not as conductive as water. I'm sure it has to have an effect on detectors. I'm wondering too if there could be an effect caused by moisture as it transitions from liquid to solid.
 
Well I guess your theory holds water! Nice finds! When a guy has a lot of hours behind the coil in all seasons, running the same rig and settings over familiar dirt, he notices things like this...

Yes, frost skews signals for me too...even just clad stabbing, its hard to get an idea of exactly where the target is makes it a bit tougher than normal hitting the coin on the first attempt with the screwdriver...Great Hunt and post and comments!
 

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I am sure glad I don't have to deal with frozen ground. I always run manual sensitivity and adjust it as needed. I get way better depth in manual than auto. Congrats on the finds, love those seated dimes.
 
I was chipping through frozen ground yesterday for clad!
Not much fun.
Totally amazing that you are killing those silver dimes like that, nice saves:shock:
 
i can say wihout a doubt that my 800 does not seem to work or penetrate the ground as well as un frozen ground.pin pointer also falses alot

Same thing happened to me today signals were far and few between.

Oh well happy hunting! :grin:

I’m glad in a way that you guys can confirm what’s going on,and I know it’s been discussed before...but as I recall the solutions were slow to materialize. I don’t know if solutions exist.
 
Sweet finds IDX! My Ctx is the same way... Some days it’s in total beast mode and other days it seems off. This was during the summer so IDK....

We know it can happen no matter the season Tom,that’s part of the frustration. WHAT exactly is it?? To have performance differ SO much from day to day is completely perplexing.
 
I noticed this yesterday and thought maybe it was just me overthinking . The ground was frozen 2 or 3 inches and the deus with the 13 inch coil was not hitting targets as hard as usual.

Had similar experiences yesterday as well with the frozen layers. Pinpointer did not like the frost.

I wonder if the fact that the ground is only PARTIALLY frozen may be a clue....but WHY? What are the physics?:?:
 
By the way, some really nice finds you have there. Hope I can find a sweet spot like that up this way!


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Went out in the woods for a couple hours yesterday up here as all else is Locke up frozen . I think it is geo astronomical of some sort .
Sun spots ...? Solar flair?
Signals were all over the map. Even the well known trash items were inconsistent.

Never mind that .. IDX your on fire!!!!👀
Holy smokes man! Just look at your spread.


,Dew

:lol: Yeah,when your TRASH items are inconsistent, that doesn’t bode well.:lol:
I’ve been fortunate late in the season Brad,only the super slick 75 in the middle was a bit on the low side of numbers,but something most would dig,especially where I was! The weather is looking up,you guys might have to assemble a carload and drive this weekend! The Milwaukee contingent is always welcome,you guys know that. If it’s stays in the 30s like it says it will and then close to 40 this weekend it will be perfectly huntable. The possibilities in this place are incredible,as is the trash and nails in places. You guys decide if you want to take your chances....:grin:
 
Dayuuum! Your about as stubborn as me when it comes to hunting in the winter :laughing: I absolutely believe that frost and even the amount of water in the ground can throw ANY machine off. My opinion, FWIW, I would try another site or relocate at your current one. That is, if you go back today or tomorrow and find your still haveing the same issues. This is turf we are referring to correct? Not the woods? Would love to find a good old fairgrounds that would produce for me, especially like that! Fantastic work man! :cool:

You know we are peas in a pod when it comes to saying “Hell NO I’m not done! I’ll never be done! Where are we going??”:lol: Yes,this is turf,no woods...yet.
Moisture content has been a mystery for a long time,it’s high time someone figured out exactly WHY,even if we as hunters can’t do anything about it. Maybe we can develop a “moisture probe” if that’s the issue,and then make any adjustments we can to optimize the site that day. I may be reaching for something that ain’t there. That’s happened before...:lol:
Thanks buddy,I hope you can continue for awhile before you have to hop into the woods!
 
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