Three Reasons Not To Use The XP Deus 2 Silver Slayer Program

[Calmark]

I went back to the same field a week ago where I found 2 silver dimes (1943s mercury and 1912s Barber) using the Deus 2 and Silver Slayer program.  I felt guilty about using it, knowing I was missing all of those possible gold and good penny signals. 

Well, the following are 3 very good reasons to only use the SS program in moderation, maybe as a last resort, or if you are short on time and want to cherry pick an area.  

1919s, 1920d and 1899 Indian head pennies found with Program(3) Sensitive Full Tones with +1 added to audio response and up to +34 notched out to cut out tiny items and foil.  VDI# were 84 and 85.  The plan this day was to dig up all "zinc" pennies, but these 3 oldies fell into the same general VDI range.  

 

[Valens Legacy]

Great saves and glad you went back with the right program.

Good luck on your next outing.

[strick]

Yea Indian heads will read 18-19 sometimes on the Nox right where a corroded zinc penny is so no surprise there.  I’m too greedy for gold so rarely notch out anything on any of my machines except the ctx as it’s ability to notch out pop tops does not effect its ability to find gold...waiting on the Manticore now just few more days away 😜

strick

[JCR]

Even fairly serious people, like many on this forum can get somewhat enthusiastic about the latest & greatest, including named "Special Settings". They are often a good tool in the field & as a learning opportunity. They are not magic. We still have to understand & work within the Basics of metal detecting. Setting up right for ground conditions, accept/reject choices, time constraints & on and on.  I enjoy the first half dozen hunts on a new site because it is easy to dig lots of good targets. When the site slacks off you have to really think about your approach. Build on what you have learned. Different coil, frequency, settings, detector.....  I enjoy the challenge of a hard worked site too, in a different way. The finds may be fewer, but they are won instead of just taken.

[Calmark]

As long as you have a plan, then its ok to make a conscious choice to either use these specialized programs with their risks and rewards, or avoid them in favor of doing more digging.  A lot depends on the site.  Since this spot has potential for older non-silver coins, I tend to favor digging a lot more and plan to keep at this site for a long time in the future where I'll eventually uncover other hidden targets.  

I did make a "Wheat Slayer" program recently.  Same as the SS program, but with a notch down to accept #84 and get most wheat pennies too.  I dropped it to #80 last week and used it to score a crusty 1912s penny the SS program would have missed.  I'll hit that site again in the future too and try some other settings for sure.  

[CPT_GhostLight]

Congrats on the Wheats & IHP, Calmark!

I completely agree with you. I like the stock SS program for quickly cherry picking parks, but I also have modified versions for gold and relic hunting as well. I used to run wide open all the time and still do if the area requires it, but what the SS program taught me is that sometimes strategic notching, relative to conditions and the types of targets sought, can aid in unmasking and add focus to my searches. Like everthing else, it's best used in moderation and adjusted as needed.