Idle Pull Tab Curiosity; V1.0 And V1.1

[ColonelDan]

I never notched out pull tabs...or tried to.... because as we all know they ring up in a similar range as some nice targets.

But I thought I'd experiment with 32 random pull tabs from a variety of manufacturers using Deus V1.0 and V1.1 just out of idle curiosity more than anything.  Had the new update versions changed how pull tabs were identified?  What I confirmed was more or less the obvious...pull tabs, like bottle caps, are not all created equal.  In other words, pull tabs in pristine condition rang up in a range from 61-65 in my tests.  Now keep in mind these pull tabs I used were relatively new.  None were broken or had been in the sand for an extended period of time and the tests I ran were air tests...yes I know...air tests...ugh!

In real salty beach life, pull tabs are found in a wide ranging state of deterioration, age and design, as well as an endless array of parts and pieces.  As a result, I've found their VDI to ring up anywhere from the 50s to the 70s!  Notch out that range at your own risk...regardless of the update version or detector used. 

Now if you want to focus on recently dropped pull tabs, i.e. new ones, you can try notching out 61-65 which will indeed get rid of SOME new ones.  However, a women's 22K ring I brought back from Saudi Arabia after DESERT STORM rang up as a solid 62!!!!  So again, enter that door at your own risk.  Granted, you'll find tens of thousands of pulls tabs for every 22K ring but what other nice gold items of various metallurgical composition will ring up in that same 61-65 range?

In any case, it was an interesting exercise and I enjoy interesting exercises where metal detection and detectors are concerned.

Bottom line for you; the results of this personal lark is worth exactly what you just paid for it...🤣

 

[CPT_GhostLight]

Great report, Colonel, thanks for taking the time to do that. Pull tabs are the detectorist's curse for sure.... well that and zinc pennies! 😄

I've been trying to learn some new tricks to get around pull tabs, but as you say, they come in all conditions and metal compositions. Broken and bent pull tabs, and specially the beaver tails off of ring pulls can sound so good and even ring up like nickels.

I was using primarily PWM audio in V0.71 and could sometimes hear the differences in the sound of irregular metals such as can slaw, pull tabs, and ring pulls. Since updating, first to V1.0 and then to V1.1, I've been using High Sqr audio almost exclusively and really like the sounds and the nuances that can be heard in it as well. I've found by rotating 90 degrees (and sometimes 360°) on a suspect target, if it is a whole pull tab or ring pull, the target will change TID and sounds (specially in Full Tones) most of the time. Also most tabs and pulls sound a little less solid than a coin or ring, but a ring pull with a missing or folder over beaver tail will sound exactly like a ring most of the time. Also folded or rounded can slaw will sound good too.

I also use Deus Mono with the XY screen to interrogate iffy targets if I can't decide with the usual methods and it is usually very helpful in ferreting out good targets from bad.

But as the good Colonel and so many others have said, when in doubt, dig it out! That's the only way you'll know for sure. 😎

[midalake]

On 5/30/2023 at 7:11 AM, ColonelDan said:

As a result, I've found their VDI to ring up anywhere from the 50s to the 70s!  Notch out that range at your own risk...regardless of the update version or detector used. 

UGH...........🙄