HELP - 2hrs since my first Metal detector

[Dave_e]

Well, the Quest is not a real detector.

You're rude and that was obnoxious.

 

[Dave_e]

Zerch17, try doing a factory reset to make sure any adjustments you made are wiped out.
Find a clean area of ground and make sure you ground balance your machine before you start detecting.

 

[Zerch17]

Hello guys, I am sorry I didn't reply earlier, that evening I went to bed at 2am after finally digging my treasure out!. It was a couple of big aluminum Window/door frames, they were at a dept of 2ft 3".

I will do a factory reset as @Dave_e suggested to make sure my newbie brain didn't change the config in a bad way.

To everyone else, thank you for your input. I am just starting on this hobby and I can assure you I will be fairly active in this community, asking questions at the beginning but eventually I will help others as my knowledge grows. Never expect from me any condescending answers or rudeness like someone in this thread.

Thank you, we will see again in a different post!

 

[Zerch17]

Why don't you start over with just some coins with sensitivity set low (around 50) and check to see if you get some repeatable target ID numbers and tones on those coins. Just wave them about 2" from the top or bottom of the coil and see what happens. If your ground isn't frozen, you could then bury some of the coins 2 or 3" deep or get some dirt and a container a little wider than your coil and test some coins and small trash targets buried in 4" or so of dirt. It can be potting soil, top soil or just sand from a store that sells bags of dirt/sand.

The X5 with 9X5 DD coil should have an effective depth of around 7" on coin sized targets depending on your ground conditions. If you are getting a 98 (usually an iron overload or false response or a weird ground response) on a target and you have already dug 2 feet deep, I would expect that target to be really big iron, really big aluminum, really big chrome (like a bumper) or ground noise unless you suspect or know that someone buried a car or pickup in your backyard.

This is exactly what I will do today, I will write down every reading and try to get familiar with the noise to get some awareness of what my detector is detecting.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my post and to write such a nice answer.

 

[ucnegold?]

It was a couple of big aluminum Window/door frames

Thanks for following up Zerch. I also dug some very deep holes when starting out. At least you found your target and can cross those aluminum window frames off your bucket list. It only gets better now as you are less likely to ever dig that deep again. In my experience most of the goodies I have found have only averaged between 3 to 7 inches deep.

Coin is 11

Just curious, what was the coin you tested resulting in the 11 on your machine?

 

[jmaclen]

Zerch17, try doing a factory reset to make sure any adjustments you made are wiped out.
Find a clean area of ground and make sure you ground balance your machine before you start detecting.

The X5 has auto ground balancing so he doesn't need to do anything.

I agree, the X5 is a capable, "real" metal detector. I wish I had something that good when I started out!

 

[stetam]

You're rude and that was obnoxious.

Agreed

 

[IDXMonster]

Remember that hobby metal detectors are calibrated to coin sized objects.…if you dig down 8-9” and still can’t acquire a response with a pinpointer set to the highest sensitivity….99% chance it’s not a coin. COULD it be a cache deeper? Sure. But metal detecting is all about chance, and chances are you won’t dig up any coins deeper than 8-9”, the machine simply won’t see it, or wont give you a good enough indication to make you decide to dig it up. Just realize the limitations.

 

[Diga]

Remember that hobby metal detectors are calibrated to coin sized objects.…if you dig down 8-9” and still can’t acquire a response with a pinpointer set to the highest sensitivity….99% chance it’s not a coin.

To add to IDX's good advice:

If the pinpointer sounds off, and you dig out a few more inches and the pinpointer is still sounding off, then the object is much larger than a coin. It would typically be large junk like a can.

 

[TheFrood]

This is exactly what I will do today, I will write down every reading and try to get familiar with the noise to get some awareness of what my detector is detecting.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my post and to write such a nice answer.

Run your detector over the area you are going to do this first! Make sure you don't have any possible targets in your test-zone!

 

[Zerch17]

Thanks for following up Zerch. I also dug some very deep holes when starting out. At least you found your target and can cross those aluminum window frames off your bucket list. It only gets better now as you are less likely to ever dig that deep again. In my experience most of the goodies I have found have only averaged between 3 to 7 inches deep.



Just curious, what was the coin you tested resulting in the 11 on your machine?

Mexican coins, I am currently living in México. Based on the first reading of 11 I found a 1985 1 peso coin (the silver looking one, but it isn't silver). Right now for the picture the reading comes at 8 or 9.

 

[Zerch17]

Remember that hobby metal detectors are calibrated to coin sized objects.…if you dig down 8-9” and still can’t acquire a response with a pinpointer set to the highest sensitivity….99% chance it’s not a coin. COULD it be a cache deeper? Sure. But metal detecting is all about chance, and chances are you won’t dig up any coins deeper than 8-9”, the machine simply won’t see it, or wont give you a good enough indication to make you decide to dig it up. Just realize the limitations.

Thank you for your advice, yes, I am not digging that big of a hole anymore. 7" at the most

 

[Zerch17]

Todays findings
A 1993 50 cent mexican coin which is worthless but was exciting anyways

 

[ucnegold?]

Based on the first reading of 11 I found a 1985 1 peso coin (the silver looking one, but it isn't silver)

Ok, thanks for the reply. Research indicates the 1985 Peso is a stainless steel coin. Happy hunting!

 

[TheFrood]

I'm going to have to get out in my own yard and run my detector over it. Maybe I'll prove
myself wrong believing that there's never been anything other than this house here and
no other historical use of the property.

Where is your general location Zerch17?

 

[tnsharpshooter]

Well, the Quest is not a real detector.

Have you used a quest detector? Hmm
I have.
And I have a bud with one.
We hunted together some time ago. He used the quest. I used Eqx 800. In a park situation btw.
Find of the day was found with what? The quest being used by my bud.
I used the quest for a period that day as well.
It’s for real alright.

 

[Zerch17]

I'm going to have to get out in my own yard and run my detector over it. Maybe I'll prove
myself wrong believing that there's never been anything other than this house here and
no other historical use of the property.

Where is your general location Zerch17?

Hello my friend, sorry for the late response, between work and my wife's birthday I just didn't remember to check this forum.

My location is Monterrey, Mexico. It is around 2 hours south of the border by Laredo.

Best of luck with your hunt!.

 

[Zerch17]

Have you used a quest detector? Hmm
I have.
And I have a bud with one.
We hunted together some time ago. He used the quest. I used Eqx 800. In a park situation btw.
Find of the day was found with what? The quest being used by my bud.
I used the quest for a period that day as well.
It’s for real alright.

Have you used a quest detector? Hmm
I have.
And I have a bud with one.
We hunted together some time ago. He used the quest. I used Eqx 800. In a park situation btw.
Find of the day was found with what? The quest being used by my bud.
I used the quest for a period that day as well.
It’s for real alright.

It is obviously my first detector but I decided for it because there's plenty of good reviews. It is the best one out there in that price range. I feel sad there's still people that instead of being positive and help others they decide to judge and put down others.

 

[graybeard]

I have a Quest Q30 and it works good.