Pulled The Trigger

[Geologyhound]

Tracking says mine is out for delivery and should arrive by 7 PM tonight!  I downloaded a copy of the Excel Deus 2 program log spreadsheet in anticipation (big thank you to Brad Plohman).  I converted that to the current version of Excel and formatted it to print double sided on 11 x 17 paper. Now I have all the factory programs on one side and all the save slots on the back side of the paper. This should make a good field reference to help me figure out how different settings affect target response in the field.

[CPT_GhostLight]

Excellent! Remember, start with stock programs and get familiar with how they act before jumping into custom programs. They really are quite good straight out of the box. Try each one on some known targets to get a feel for how they react in your ground. The more you know about each program and each setting, the easier it will be to create custom programs that work the best in your ground.

[Geologyhound]

Well it arrived!  Both the remote and puck were on version 0.6.  I managed to get the remote updated but the puck was more difficult.  It kept jumping to the volume screen.  Then both buttons on the left would act as minus and both buttons on the right would act as plus.  Is this normal?

I don’t know how many times I turned the puck off and back on before I was finally able to get to the update screen.  It took a while, but I finally have everything paired and updated, charged and assembled with one exception.  It looks like the cap on the MI six was overtightened at the factory, as I noticed the cap was cracked right after I removed it from the box.  I tried to remove the cap to see the charge port, but it won’t budge.  The dealer hasn’t emailed my receipt yet, and I understand I cannot register it without proof of purchase.  And I can’t get it replaced until I can register it and file a warranty claim.  So I guess I will need to use my old White’s Bullseye for a while longer. ☹️
 

At least I can take the detector out tomorrow...

[unox]

Those caps definitely crack if there tightened too much, that a shame that it come like that out of the box though.

[F350Platinum]

Sorry about your MI-6, that happened to me too, and despite greasing them it still happens.

You can get replacement caps here, I would order 2. Price is acceptable and shipping is reasonable and fast:

https://www.colonialmetaldetectors.com/xp-pinpointer-end-cap.html

As the Cap'n wrote, get used to the stock programs first, I would totally recommend General for relic hunting and beach for beach 😀 don't jump right into the fancy stuff like sensitive or deep. I made that mistake and now just use a modified General program with success. I have a Beach sensitive program that works well in the beach, but really have to prove it out this year.

The menu system is a bit complicated but get out there and use the machine. They will become second nature quickly.

Looking forward to your exploits! 🙂

[Geologyhound]

First hunt with the D2 at some old residential properties.  I experimented with some of the stock programs, but spent most of the time in Rattlehead’s Silver Slayer.  The pitch tones are more like what I am used to with my Spectrum XLT.

I have some more learning to do on the nuances. I dug to 14 inches for an electrical outlet cover plate, and over 12 inches for a crushed pop can a couple times.  I abandoned another hole at 17 inches (signal around 92-95 and still dead centered) when my Pinpointer still couldn’t pick up a target and the gravel was a big pain.  I figured it was not a coin at that point.  I dug a number of pieces of aluminum flashing.  I wish I could figure out how to ignore those.

I am certain I missed several of these targets with my old detector.  One had a bulldog clamp over the top of it, and couple others were under a bunch of wire.  One of the nickels was actually on edge between two bricks on a step.

No silver, but not a bad afternoon. Three wheats - 1914, 1942 and 1944. Unfortunately the 1914 is a P, and the 1944 is not steel.  The ring is a corroded kid’s ring. The interesting finds were the paramount star Gary Cooper popsicle medal, and the Health-O Representative good luck piece.  Both of these finds are from the 1930s.  Don’t know if you can see it on the picture, but before WW2 the swastika was considered a good luck symbol...

[F350Platinum]

A good showing first time out. 👍 Silver Slayer is a great program but only if you just want coins and well... Everything else you said you dug. The D2 is really good at hitting hard on deep iron and aluminum/steel cans, lifting the coil on a strong signal helps, if it's still there a foot or more up, it's junk, or 95% probability. I have had a loud signal that I lifted on be this:

So it isn't all wine and roses. 😀 It's the tones that matter and you'll get used to them. I dug that because it sounded good. I use Silver Slayer in 3 scenarios: First, if there's machine gun iron and other junk, and second, if I'm under power lines and can't get stable. Third, I use it for pillage when my time is limited. 🏴‍☠️

Biggest problem there is you're missing brass and gold for the most part. My highest gold signal was a 79, and I dug a 14k 100+ year old gold ring.

My Relic Reaper program is discrimination-free, but you are going to hear everything. If your soil is not mineralized turning 45-90 degrees on iron will make the tone dive low, another technique you'll have to master if you use it. That and lifting will keep trash to a minimum. If it's red dirt or granite soil like Culpeper or New England, well God bless you and good luck, the tones will be first false and then silence, but it worked in Culpeper so I'm good.

I'll PM it to you if you want.

Like you I'm not a fan of the "Chicken Scratch™" tones, but I walked before I ran. 😀 I love and almost completely trust the D2.

[CPT_GhostLight]

Congrats on your first hunt, Geologyhound, great finds, well done!

The Silver Slayer program is great for coins, but as F350 noted, it will miss a lot of gold and even silver rings, depending on size and shape. You can change the notches on that, or any program to allow more of the gold range in.

F350 also mentioned ways to determine some trash signal from good one. Big objects will usually ring in high and iron will false high on the Pitch audio. Raise the coil up to 6 inches on a loud high ringing suspect target. If it is something like a large can, it will sound the same as you raise the coil. If it is a high conducting coin or jewelry, the sound will fade fast as you lift. Also turn 90° on suspect targets as you sweep. Bad targets will usually change sound and ID drastically, but good targets usually sound good and ID the same as you turn. You should dig everything at first to learn how the D2 responds to each type of target. I still dig suspected trash targets from time to time just to verify them.

A lot of what you know from your XLT will carry over into the Deus 2, it just has different ways of responding. As you get use to the sounds of the D2, you'll learn to hear slight differences in different types of targets which will help tremendously. There is so much to learn, but you are well on your way. 😎

[Geologyhound]

I am used to a threshold hum, and everything that gets discriminated out causes the hum to disappear.  With the D2 threshold I am getting more of a Morse code rapidfire beep than a steady hum.  The threshold still drops out from time to time which I assume is what is discriminated out.  I am also getting a lot of lower pitch bweeps and bwoops.  I am thinking those are targets which were notched out?

Yes, I hate the notion of missing a gold ring. Granted they are few and far between, but they are what I remember most about detecting with my XLT.  But for learning (especially if I’m going to be digging larger deeper holes than I have historically done), I figure digging a few less targets/hour temporarily (until I can get more comfortable with the D2) is acceptable.  I’ll then branch out to other programs/settings after a bit more field time.

F350Platinum, I have heard a lot of good things about your Relic Reaper program, and I have some sites where I would eventually love to test it.  But, in the vein of walking before running, I think I will get a bit more time on the D2 before actually trying it.  From some of the other posts I have seen, I understand you don’t want the settings published, and that is fine by me.  If anyone asks, I will refer them to you.  So yes, I would be very grateful if you would PM it to me. 

Out of curiosity, is that starburst a military badge of some sort?

Thank you all for your advice and input!

[F350Platinum]

5 hours ago, Geologyhound said:

I am also getting a lot of lower pitch bweeps and bwoops.  I am thinking those are targets which were notched out?

Using Silver Slayer will do that because of the discrimination and notch settings, it allows targets that fall below 00 to come through. There is a negative side to discrimination. I'm probably not giving you the best answer tho.

One thing I will write for sure is that you could open up the nickel notch a bit but it may do more harm than good, I've found "V", Buffalo and Shield nickels that fell in at 58 with my program that SS would miss altogether. Just one point lower is all you need.

5 hours ago, Geologyhound said:

Out of curiosity, is that starburst a military badge of some sort?

I believe the badge is horse tack that broke off, it has broken prongs on the back and is heavy solid brass, about 3" in diameter. I remember it being a high tone, but set off the detector at more than a foot because it was shallow.

I don't publish the settings simply because I wasn't sure of myself initially, the program is kind of wild because it neither notches nor discriminates. It's more "all metal" than any other. Notch is off, and Disc is 00. You will hear absolutely everything except that which definitely is iron, including the false tones iron often generates. The beauty of the program is that the iron that falses above 00 will show itself on a 45-90 degree turn, it will be pushed to a low tone like Silver Slayer. Silver Slayer eliminates the higher tone falsing altogether, or most of it.

Again I don't know the science but it works. Only very few iron targets fool it. I tested it in the worst possible scenario recently (Culpeper VA red clay soil) and it acted a bit different there but with the same assimilation result. I was very pleased.

For relic hunting you really want to hear everything, and use your hearing and site assimilation to discriminate. I've plucked a 14k gold ring and a hammered 1607 Silver sixpence half because I'm not using any discrimination. Simply put, you know it's good when you hear it. 😀