Big Boys Hobbies

Need some ring recovery advice

txhunter

txhunter

Full Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2011
Messages
205
Location
SE,TX
So my neighbors have asked me to help them find a gold wedding band they lost a few years ago. I have never found a gold ring so I am looking to tap into the mega brain that is FMDF. I am using an Etrac

I hunted the flower beds and the yard today in TTF mode. My thought was I need to be digging it all except iron since gold rings tend to be a bit wonky number wise. Dug some pull tabs, bits of pipe, some foil and one copper penny today. I think it is working but just wanted to double check about hunting gold in TTF mode.

Issue #2 - After looking in all the beds they tell me that they think they lost it in the backyard while digging a "big hole". In the immediate area is an aluminum fence. I have the stock Etrac coil and a Sunray X-5 coil. I assume I should be able to get closer to the fence with the X-5 but I might sacrifice some depth. Any tips on hunting around metal fences are welcome!
 
Not familiar with my E-Trac yet, but I know my AT Pro coil would go pretty deep. Changing out to the smaller 5x8 coil will pinpoint good targets better and get me closer to the fence depending on my sensitivity. The Etrac I noticed gets a crazy edge response. I can barely get close to a metal object with the edge of the coil (say an AC unit or vehicle wheel) without it overloading from a handful of inches away.

Ask them if they know where the big hole was. If it's in a bed or something of the sort and they're confident that's where they may have lost it, skim off the first inches of dirt if it is allowed and start from there.
 
Go ahead and change coils if it will get you closer to the fence. If only lost a couple of years ago, it shouldn't be too deep, so depth loss isn't relevant.
 
The E-Trac won't let you get close to an aluminum fence! You will learn just how sensitive it is.

Your discrimination pattern is correct, you should be digging everything that isn't iron. Your biggest obstacle is that the owners don't know exactly where it was lost so you have to search the entire yard. You might try using a pinpoint closer to the fence than the E-Trac allows. The ring should be very shallow as long as they didn't accidentally backfill it in a hole.

Good luck!
 
If you do not find the ring dont let it shake your confidence. There is a pretty good chance the ring was not even lost there. People can give you a general idea of where they think they lost it or where it would make sense to be, but ultimately the reason it is lost is because its not where you think it is.
 
Turbomunkey said:
If you do not find the ring dont let it shake your confidence. There is a pretty good chance the ring was not even lost there. People can give you a general idea of where they think they lost it or where it would make sense to be, but ultimately the reason it is lost is because its not where you think it is.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. I have searched all the front beds and she said I could search the entire yard and keep whatever I find so I will search it all just for fun.
 
12-2 to 12-36, depending on size of gold rin in my exp. The fence is gonna give som probs. Smailler coil and lower sens to get closer... not much else that can be done. Good luck w the hunt!! Let us know what happens.
 
Silversmith45 said:
My thoughts exactly. What were they digging a big hole for? You might need to re-dig it if it's in the hole.
Click to expand...

It was for a plant so I don't think what they are calling a big hole is what I would call a big hole ;)

I am going to try it again over the weekend to see if I can turn anything new up, the fence is a killer though.
 
txhunter said:
Issue #2 - After looking in all the beds they tell me that they think they lost it in the backyard while digging a "big hole". In the immediate area is an aluminum fence. I have the stock Etrac coil and a Sunray X-5 coil. I assume I should be able to get closer to the fence with the X-5 but I might sacrifice some depth. Any tips on hunting around metal fences are welcome!
Click to expand...

If the "Big Hole"[/B they dug was 2 feet deep then I wonder, what, if any, detector would pick up a ring at that depth.

Good luck and I hopeyou are successfull in your search?
 
Searched and searched but have not found anything yet. Going to give it a few more times but after hearing the full story of how the ring was lost from the person that lost it, I really think it could be anywhere. He worked in the yard all day and noticed it was gone while digging the last hole of the day.
 
Make a custom pattern for gold rings. Most your rings will hit on the 12 line. From 1 to 20 on the co. So disc out the whole screen. Now use the middle disc block (3 segment) and put it on the 12 line and open a strait line from 1 to 20. Woman's small band should hit 1 to 10 co and higher for a man's band. Also it's probably not deep so don't run with too much power. I would guess no more than 8 manual. This will get you 4 or 5 inches and help not picking up some other stuff deeper and/or off the sides.
I'm going on a ring search tomorrow myself and will be running my etrac like this.
 
Update!! I found it!!!

I don't believe it I found it!!!

So I gave up searching for the ring a while back and due to my crazy schedule I have not been out much at all the past month or so. Then we started redo'ing the driveway and yesterday they came and ripped out the first section. I could not pass up a chance to get some virgin territory.

Took out the E-Trac and started swinging. I am not sure what is going on but it seemed to be running "hot". Lot's of chirps and tweets. Not sure if there was lot's of pieces of rebar under there or not :?:. Found a few nails and a penny, before cranking down the sensitivity. Still could not get threshold.

I started working my way towards my neighbors house next to a tiny strip of grass that runs between our driveways. I got a weird hit and started digging and out pops a shiny gold ring! I kind knew right away it was my neighbors ring. So I went over and knocked on the door. Sure enough it was! Score!!!! My neighbor was very excited and appreciative, especially since they are moving in a couple of weeks.

Now the bad news with all the excitement I forgot to take pictures!!! :mad: :(
 
Well having done a sound test on mine for gold, some gold when running your Variability at 30 the tone is similar foil at one end but very smooth sounding, and a higher low tone on the other. I run mine with Variability maxed at 30 with long tone response and the stock 15 for Threshold Pitch and the Limits at 30 which is the stock as well. When you use the X5 I would since the target should not be deep on Auto -3 and deep off, this will allow you to get closer to the fence, if you have to go lower than the -3 to get even closer in manual. Also if they know what Karat it is then if you have a similar ring use it and a piece of foil and any tabs you have to hear the difference. Trust me you will hear it.
 
Joves said:
Well having done a sound test on mine for gold, some gold when running your Variability at 30 the tone is similar foil at one end but very smooth sounding, and a higher low tone on the other.
Click to expand...

Hey Joves, can you help me out? At one end and on the other end of what? The coil? Or the CO numbers? Or something else? I have a ring to recover too (ladies' engagement ring), so I'll take all the tips I can get! Thx
 
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