newbie garbage catcher....

Junk

Hi There, Don't get frustrated just look at all the stuff everyone finds. I suggest what I did. Find a hunting buddy ( mine was my dad) and go with them or have them come to you. When they find somthing they think is a coin go over with your detector and see what it is reading. Believe it or not After the day i spent wit a hunting buddy made all the difference it was from that day forward i began finding coins etc. Before that i blamed the machine an thought I just didn;'t have the knack for it. But I have been doing so much better - go find a buddy search on your state then email some of the people near you to help. Everyone on the forum has been a great help to me.
-Kelly V

All VLF detectors are fooled to some extent by ferrous items of different shapes. One of the problems with these items is that the "instantaneous" VDI value changes as the coil sweeps over it. Some of these "instantaneous" values will be below the discrimination level and some will be above it and cause a beep. The pointed ends of nails are a particularly nasty example of this. You can identify many of these by the double beep you can get (one from each end). In pin point mode, they'll give you a broadish kind of sound, rather than the compact sound you should get from a non-ferrous coin sized object.

You can unmask some of these items. For example, crimped steel bottle caps will often ring in as quarters, yet if you sweep them with the edge of the coil, they will be readily identified as being ferrous in nature.

The VDI display should not be your primary source of information. The sounds your MXT makes in discriminate and all-metal (pin point) modes should be your primary sources. Check Understanding the sounds from your detector.

I have two scanning discs, the 9.5 that came with the detector, and I bought a 5.3 size also. Which would be better to use?
If it's raining, does this affect the signals also?

andyfreeze said:

I have two scanning discs, the 9.5 that came with the detector, and I bought a 5.3 size also. Which would be better to use?
If it's raining, does this affect the signals also?

Click to expand...

If you're detecting in very trashy area's use the 5.3 all other area's use the stock coil. BTW... a large rusty piece will sound off on our detectors usually as a dollar signal.. I'll dig 5 inches or so but after that fill the hole because I know its junk and not a silver dollar

re: garbage and metal detecting

andyfreeze said:

I just started this "hobby" a week or so ago, and I'm just about ready to quit it already. My lawn is filled with holes, and I've managed to clean all the aluminum and iron out of it, but not one single coin. Is that even possible? white's MXT isn't what I thought it would be..grrrr

Click to expand...

I know exactly how you feel! I didn't find js until I started trying out different spots...and I still haven't found that much. Md'ing is like real esate. Location, location, location. Md'ing also takes a lot of practice. Nobody just starts out finding old coins, silver dollars, rings, gold, etc. Try taking a break for a couple of days. So, you won't get even more frustrated. Maybe, try researching some maps (both old and new) and see if you can find some better spots. I am sure that your luck will change over time!

Hang in there, there is no other feeling like finding your first silver coin.