The reason I DO NOT rely on numbers........

[goes4ever]

I have been thinking about this after reading many forums and people are too obsessed with the numbers on their etrac screen. Well here is the thing that goes thru my mind when detecting, the numbers everyone focuses on is based on “coins” so you got numbers for indians, wheats, silver dimes, old nickels….etc.

BUT…………how many things are made of various metals, and lost in the dirt that you would love to find are NOT just coins? So why then would you limit yourself to ONLY dig coin type numbers? Just to name a few: tokens, jewelry, buttons, relics. These items vary so much and can come in ALL over on the number scale. So, I say if it is a solid smooth tone, hits from 2 ways, has a little depth, I am digging, the numbers are just a suggestion.
…….Any thoughts?

[DIGGER27]

First thought....
Totally

Second thought...
I'm hungry...going to go toast a bagel.

[mgo]

Thus the reason a lot of folks give the advice to DIG EVERYTHING!

Good points!

[gtoast99]

Yup, absolutely! I still like numbers as a helpful tool to have an idea what you're digging, but you gotta dig it anyways. I will point out that you used depth as an indicator to dig or not, too, but I'd say that's another irrelevant factor. Good targets should be recovered at any depth, as you just never know what it is until you dig it.

Also, now I wish I had a bagel.

[cfuller3]

That thinking isn't out of line. I "sort of" analyze everything and make a decision based on what I'm hearing as a tone, seeing as a number, repeatability, steadyness, edge of the tone sounds...sharp, soft, lazy......wide, narrow, depth, what I've been finding at that particular site and what I expect might be there ...........and dig or not. And I'm sure I've walked away from some stuff on occasion and will..... but I don't dwell on that. I convince myself I made the right decision and move on.

[goes4ever]

Originally Posted by gtoast99

Yup, absolutely! I still like numbers as a helpful tool to have an idea what you're digging, but you gotta dig it anyways. I will point out that you used depth as an indicator to dig or not, too, but I'd say that's another irrelevant factor. Good targets should be recovered at any depth, as you just never know what it is until you dig it.

Also, now I wish I had a bagel.

As far as the depth issue, I agree totally, if I am at an old house, everything gets dug, if I am at a trashy park digging everything at all depths is not possible, this is where I go more on depth on whether I am gonna dig

[CreepyCrawler]

I love reading about the Etrac for the very reason that it seems the entire
focus of that machine is doing one thing...

locating silver coins.

[goes4ever]

Originally Posted by CreepyCrawler

I love reading about the Etrac for the very reason that it seems the entire
focus of that machine is doing one thing...

locating silver coins.

I did not buy my etrac to only find silver. I bought my etrac because it's proven ability to find treasure hidden in iron or masked by trash. Finding silver is awesome, don't get me wrong. But everytime I hunt with my etrac I get impressed at the stuff I find that many others walked right past because the item had nails on it, beside it, etc.....

[ewemule]

This talk of bagels has me in the mood for a turkey sub !
Better get to it.
Marty

[Dirty Money]

Smooth tone from two direction (not back & forth either) & a little depth - absolutely dig away.

In my case, I rely on the Signagraph as much as the tone, but that's unique to the machine.

HH

[RickO]

The issue at hand is that so many MD'rs want to believe that a machine CAN tell you what is in the ground. That is simply not true - NO MACHINE CAN DO THAT WITH CERTAINTY. They simply compare feedback to preprogrammed values and present a likely target. Soil conditions, position of target, material composition, proximity to other targets, depths - all can influence this feedback and may or may not result in accurate identification. If you want to know what you have detected - DIG IT UP!!!! That is the one, 100% reliable method of identification. If you want to rely on your machine, other, more experienced MD'rs will thank you for leaving some good stuff behind. HH RickO

[Rob479]

Originally Posted by goes4ever

I have been thinking about this after reading many forums and people are too obsessed with the numbers on their etrac screen. Well here is the thing that goes thru my mind when detecting, the numbers everyone focuses on is based on “coins” so you got numbers for indians, wheats, silver dimes, old nickels….etc.

BUT…………how many things are made of various metals, and lost in the dirt that you would love to find are NOT just coins? So why then would you limit yourself to ONLY dig coin type numbers? Just to name a few: tokens, jewelry, buttons, relics. These items vary so much and can come in ALL over on the number scale. So, I say if it is a solid smooth tone, hits from 2 ways, has a little depth, I am digging, the numbers are just a suggestion.
…….Any thoughts?

Get an AT Pro, it'll tell you what numbers you should and shouldn't dig!

[Rob479]

Originally Posted by RickO

. If you want to know what you have detected - DIG IT UP!!!! That is the one, 100% reliable method of identification. If you want to rely on your machine, other, more experienced MD'rs will thank you for leaving some good stuff behind. HH RickO

yep

[Dustyloins]

When nuggent hunting, I dig everything, even when the detector is screaming "iron"!!! There is very little man-made trash where I usually hit, so I'm not spending a lot of time on pulltabs and foil. In town is a different story.

Dusty

[Plug Martian]

Originally Posted by goes4ever

So why then would you limit yourself to ONLY dig coin type numbers?

Because coins are what I want to find. I'm not saying that if I find a relic of some kind that I'm not happy. It's just not what I'm focused on or interested in. I don't own an E-trac and probably never will unless I win the lottery. If I do get to hunt with one I will set it up to focus mostly on coins. I know I will pass up some good targets due to the variables but I will spend more time digging targets that have a higher probability of being what I am looking for.

Then again, I am a new guy. Maby in a year or 2 I will completely change my mind.

Hunt Happy!
Plug Martian

[Jack Flynn]

In my old house lots I dig virtually everything that is like you said, a nice smooth warble on mine if it is say a medium pitch on up to the highest pitch. The nickel tone is a special only to it tone also so it gets dug. I check the TID as I'm laying the machine down to dig just for an idea but it gets dug anyway.

[Diggler]

Copper, nickel, silver in the same hole = some junky numbers but some nice tones...

[grinsebring]

[In my case, I rely on the Signagraph as much as the tone, but that's unique to the machine.

HH[/QUOTE]

Signagraph no lie. The deciding factor on dig or no dig.

[Coyote65]

I use the E-Trac for depth, the unmasking capability's for deep silver coins that others have missed but mainly because of the tones/sounds they are incredible to listen to and I focus mainly on the tones first then look to the id numbers for what possibly has my E-Trac singing such a lovely tone. I dig everything on most hunts but do tend to cherry pick the best signals if I'm pressed for time, I let the site and time decide what I dig, if I have all day I take my time and go slow however if I have only a hour or two say before work or whatever time constraint may have me short on time I cherry pick and only dig the best tones/signals and make a mental note on any iffy targets. I jot down my mental notes when I get back to my Jeep and try and return another day for those iffy signals. Now some this will bother for fear they left something valuable behind and someone else will come in behind them and find it. I on the other hand say good for them my loss and their gain, I never worry my self so bad I lose sleep over it. This type of worry and behavior only leads to ones health concerns and not good on the body. I enjoy detecting and getting out, the exercise and finds are rewarding but the real reward is simply doing something you love to do and not taking it so seriously it causes you health concerns. Happy Hunting everyone and try and enjoy it and don't take it so seriously.

[fred sanford]

I recently bought an Etrac. I am still some what green with it. When I am new to a site I will work it hard with my MXT. I am very in tune with this machine and have found lots of goodies. Once I feel I have worked that area well, and understand whats in the soil, I then bring the Etrac out and go over that same area. I use the tones, the graph, and the #'s to decide to dig. Usually , the deeper targets with good #'s are silver or something good. This works for me. As I learn more tricks with the Etrac I will use it even more. I would say I have the to very great tools to help decide to dig.