AirmetTango
Forum Supporter
I'm still a rookie with exactly one year of detecting under my belt, so I'm definitely still learning some of the finer points of the hobby. Lately I've been thinking more and more about detection depth, and learning when to go after a potentially deep target.
The vast majority of coins (and targets in general) I've dug are at 6" or less, and the overwhelming percentage of those are less than 4". I've dug exactly 2 coins at 8" (both with my second, recently upgraded machine), and don't think I've ever dug a coin deeper than 8". For me as a noob, those 8 inchers were "deep" - the signals were scratchy and difficult to repeat, but each did still produce high tones among some jumpiness. But since the signals weren't great, I was pleased that I persevered to grab the finds while expanding my knowledge/boundaries as a detectorist at the same time.
Those two 8" targets were in an area that I know I've hunted with my previous detector - it's entirely possible my coil was over them before, but I walked past them because I only got a trashy grunt, or no signal at all. The upgraded machine perhaps gave me a little more depth to turn those trashy old signals into diggable, but scratchy high tones.
So all this long winded intro finally leads to my questions. I understand that for any detector operating in given soil conditions, a depth is reached that causes the detector to skew target readings more and more toward the iron side. Presumably, a silver quarter at say 10" might only read as a pull tab or worse, correct? At the same time, I've heard and read from several sources some variation of "deep targets should be dug by sound, not TID". By sound, are we just talking a somewhat solid and/or reasonably repeatable signal? Are more experienced guys really digging deep, scratchy mid-tones because they know it's a good target that drifted into the pull tab or other low conductor range? Or are they only digging if it shows at least some high tone?
Sorry for the very noob question, but I've been watching several YouTube vids showing folks testing various machines on deep targets in test gardens and after hearing the tones, they're saying "Yep, I'm definitely digging that"...and I'm thinking to myself "I guess I've got a lot to learn, 'cuz that sounds like junk all day long to me..."
I'd do a test garden of my own, but for the last 6-8 months, my whole yard is suddenly pounded with EMI. One of the neighbors installed an invisible dog fence, and both my detectors are now completely worthless anywhere on my property
The vast majority of coins (and targets in general) I've dug are at 6" or less, and the overwhelming percentage of those are less than 4". I've dug exactly 2 coins at 8" (both with my second, recently upgraded machine), and don't think I've ever dug a coin deeper than 8". For me as a noob, those 8 inchers were "deep" - the signals were scratchy and difficult to repeat, but each did still produce high tones among some jumpiness. But since the signals weren't great, I was pleased that I persevered to grab the finds while expanding my knowledge/boundaries as a detectorist at the same time.
Those two 8" targets were in an area that I know I've hunted with my previous detector - it's entirely possible my coil was over them before, but I walked past them because I only got a trashy grunt, or no signal at all. The upgraded machine perhaps gave me a little more depth to turn those trashy old signals into diggable, but scratchy high tones.
So all this long winded intro finally leads to my questions. I understand that for any detector operating in given soil conditions, a depth is reached that causes the detector to skew target readings more and more toward the iron side. Presumably, a silver quarter at say 10" might only read as a pull tab or worse, correct? At the same time, I've heard and read from several sources some variation of "deep targets should be dug by sound, not TID". By sound, are we just talking a somewhat solid and/or reasonably repeatable signal? Are more experienced guys really digging deep, scratchy mid-tones because they know it's a good target that drifted into the pull tab or other low conductor range? Or are they only digging if it shows at least some high tone?
Sorry for the very noob question, but I've been watching several YouTube vids showing folks testing various machines on deep targets in test gardens and after hearing the tones, they're saying "Yep, I'm definitely digging that"...and I'm thinking to myself "I guess I've got a lot to learn, 'cuz that sounds like junk all day long to me..."
I'd do a test garden of my own, but for the last 6-8 months, my whole yard is suddenly pounded with EMI. One of the neighbors installed an invisible dog fence, and both my detectors are now completely worthless anywhere on my property