Test garden - what coins at what depth?

DetectorOCD

Elite Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2010
Messages
1,055
Location
Dallastown, Pa. (York)
Just curious what and how deep you guys are planting your coins for your test garden. I am about to kick one off, but wanted to see about the details of your gardens on here.

Thanks!
 
various coins of your liking, and at different depths but i wouldn't go deeper than 9-10 inches, maybe a silver coin or two also. try and use already dug clad if thats what you plan on using, don't be surprised if your detector doesn't pick up the deep ones until they age in the ground for a while and also don't forget to bury a few junk items like nail/bottlecap to you become familiar with that too.
 
Depends on where you will be doing most of your hunting. My neighborhood is only 15 years old, I just toss coins out on the lawn to see how they read. If I go anywhere else, I adjust the depth with the help of my hole-digger border collie (she's good for SOMETHING!!!!):lol::lol::lol:

Dusty
 
Honestly...

Never did the 'build a test garden' thing, I figured all the public property around was my already built one, with 90-95% of every possible scenario present. That, to me, was the best proving ground/skill building 'test' I could take, and the real world will learn you quick. Go out to the areas you will primarily hunt, and test there. Dosen't matter what machine you use in the end, going out and learning how to separate goodies from trash, and bad trash from good relics, can't be accurately simulated in a home built garden. I mean, how many here, for instance, have buried a crotal bell 6" under and added some rusty iron chips into the mix, and observed/heard the response from their MD as a test? My unit rang/sized that kinda item up like a deep large quarter, but with a zincoln fuzzy sound under full disc, in the middle of the woods, odd... Made me dig, and rewarded I was that day, with a #3 bell, about as nice a find as any coin. Today's real world test was a '60's vintage spill, 3 nickels, a clad dime, and a pulltab, the no-ring kind...knew it was older aluminum, with a penny/dime, from the sounds, but the 3 nickels threw me, thinking nails...until I swept it from different angles and speeds...Hmm.. something's good in here, at least one's a nickel as well... lets dig...Now I will remember sounds like that bell and today's spill when I encounter them again. I never would have thought to plant something like that at home...recent drop coins I find just don't sound like dirty money lost for a decade or longer, not to my ears. Again, My long winded answer is, the world is your test garden, dig it! HH!
 
my test garden is only 2 coins, a dime at 8" and a quarter at 10", i only set up my garden(if ya wanna call 2 coins a garden :lol:) to test out depths with different coils and machines. i could of done the same depth test doin an air test but a buried coin is more true ta life
 
I started my MD Garden at 10 targets. 3 clad quarters at 8, 6 and 4 inches. 2 nickels at 3 and 6 inches and 1 bottle cap, 1 1967 penny, 1 pull tab, 1 7 1/2" x 1/2" Stainless Dog tag. All at 3 to 4 inches. I item per hole. The above were planted in 2009.

When the weather permits I will put in another 10 holes but this time I plan on putting 1-3 trash items and one coin in each hole. The trash will be from 1-3"" away from the coin. I hope this will show me what to expect in a trashy site and also just how different settings of the Sensitivity and Discriminator will help to single out targets.

The last(?) 10 holes will be various jewelry items I have found and will be buried from 4-10 inches. This is for 2012 so I will have various aged targets to practice on.

I think that the above should be enough for my curiosity. When ever I decide to get yet another Detector the Garden should help to test/learn about it.
 
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