Streamlining

[MCH2]

Streamlining

At the moment I am a quantity clad hunter. Just looking for more efficient ways of operating. Currently I am using the Equinox 600 with wireless low latency headphones.  I use park mode 1 with 50 tones and leave open VDI numbers 13, and 24 to 38.   My method: I mostly bend at the waist with a little knee flex to dig (no kneeling); most coins are less than 5" deep. I use a Lesche 10" hand trowel and a smaller wider trowel for popping near surface coins. I only bend over once per target. I use a pinpointer after initial coil pinpointing leaving the pinpointer on facing away from the target while digging, dig target, pinpoint again as needed, recover target, turn pinpointer off, fill in hole, pick up tools, then straighten back up, pocket finds, holster tools and give the hole a final step on and start sweeping again. I have gone from using the pinpointer holster to using my back pants pocket as this is faster to draw and replace without having to stop and look to holster. Also started using a quicker holster for my larger trowel and keep my small wider trowel in my other back pocket. I use a small tie on hardware apron with a pocket for finds and a pocket for trash.  My 600 is tethered to my belt with an elastic bungee cord so it hangs and moves with me when I bend and straighten up; it never gets laid on the ground.

Anyone like to share their method of streamlining to increase efficiency and cut down on redundancy.

　Malcolm

[Tom Slick]

I don't know what pin pointer you have but I use a Garrett Pro pointer and I've installed a mercury switch. My pro pointer is turned on once with the switch when I put it in my pouch. I keep it pointed up so the fat, heavy end is in the bottom of my pouch. This keeps it from falling out of the pouch and also allows the use of the mercury switch. When I retrieve the pin pointer from my pouch and turn it so its pointing down, the mercury switch is activated turning the pin pointer on. turn it up to put it away, it turns itself off.  This save a lot of wear and tear on the switch and also makes the battery last just about forever. The switches are available from Radio Shack or any other electronics supply. They only cost about a dollar or less and you only need some black electrical tape and some needle nose pliers  to bend the switch wires. Years ago there were diagrams on the forums on how to do the switch install. A little searching should show diagrams or pictures on how to do it.  Otherwise, I hunt just about like you when I'm clad stabbin' with a DFX and BigFoot coil.  

[flakmagnet]

I like your look at efficiency. This is a hobby that can produce a lot of wasted motion and effort.

The only things I have done to help streamline the way I hunt is that I attached the holder for my Garrett Pinpointer to the wrist strap of the detector. It's easy to find and easy to get at. The other thing I have done is to put small clear furniture bumper pads on the cover I bought for the Eq. control pad that match where the buttons are. They are raised and so are easy to find without looking and easy to use with gloves on.

Both these ideas are not mine but they work for me.

The only other thing I have learned from painful experience is to carry a spare 9-volt battery for the pinpointer. Having the pointer go dead in the middle of a hunt is a large time waster.

[Chase Goldman]

Did you try posting this in the general coins and relics forum?  This seems to have less  (nothing?) to do with a specific detector (in this case the Equinox) than coin recovery efficiency, so you might want to get ideas from more than just the Equinox detectorists that reside here.  In other words, don't limit yourself to one group of detetor users.

Unfortunately, other than the suggestion above, I am of no real help on this topic because this is about 180 degrees opposite from how I approach this hobby.  This sounds like a work efficiency study (e.g., maximizing production while minimizing time) which is exactly what I am trying to get away from when I go detecting.  To me it is all about relaxing and not turning it into a lean event, six sigma exercise which just introduces stress AFAIC.  More power to you and hope you get some more great tips on how to do what you want to do since quantity of finds is what motivates you.  And there is something to be said for that.  That is one of the things that is so great about this hobby is that there are so many ways you can approach it, so many different environmnets in which you can practice it, so many different objectives you can achieve, and so many different discoveries you can make.  HH.

[MCH2]

17 hours ago, Tom Slick said:

I don't know what pin pointer you have but I use a Garrett Pro pointer and I've installed a mercury switch. My pro pointer is turned on once with the switch when I put it in my pouch. I keep it pointed up so the fat, heavy end is in the bottom of my pouch. This keeps it from falling out of the pouch and also allows the use of the mercury switch. When I retrieve the pin pointer from my pouch and turn it so its pointing down, the mercury switch is activated turning the pin pointer on. turn it up to put it away, it turns itself off.  This save a lot of wear and tear on the switch and also makes the battery last just about forever. The switches are available from Radio Shack or any other electronics supply. They only cost about a dollar or less and you only need some black electrical tape and some needle nose pliers  to bend the switch wires. Years ago there were diagrams on the forums on how to do the switch install. A little searching should show diagrams or pictures on how to do it.  Otherwise, I hunt just about like you when I'm clad stabbin' with a DFX and BigFoot coil.  

Thanks for the input on the mercury switch Tom.  I'll have to look into that. I have the Fisher F-Pulse and it does have a delay when turning on - which was discussed in another thread here.

[MCH2]

12 hours ago, flakmagnet said:

I like your look at efficiency. This is a hobby that can produce a lot of wasted motion and effort.

The only things I have done to help streamline the way I hunt is that I attached the holder for my Garrett Pinpointer to the wrist strap of the detector. It's easy to find and easy to get at. The other thing I have done is to put small clear furniture bumper pads on the cover I bought for the Eq. control pad that match where the buttons are. They are raised and so are easy to find without looking and easy to use with gloves on.

Both these ideas are not mine but they work for me.

The only other thing I have learned from painful experience is to carry a spare 9-volt battery for the pinpointer. Having the pointer go dead in the middle of a hunt is a large time waster.

I'm pretty good at carrying spare batteries or changing them out early.  I do need to put something on my buttons so I do not need to look at them constantly.  Somewhere I read a drop of hot glue on them gives you a feel for them.  Especially needed on the pinpoint button.

Thanks

[MCH2]

17 hours ago, Chase Goldman said:

Did you try posting this in the general coins and relics forum?  This seems to have less  (nothing?) to do with a specific detector (in this case the Equinox) than coin recovery efficiency, so you might want to get ideas from more than just the Equinox detectorists that reside here.  In other words, don't limit yourself to one group of detetor users.

Unfortunately, other than the suggestion above, I am of no real help on this topic because this is about 180 degrees opposite from how I approach this hobby.  This sounds like a work efficiency study (e.g., maximizing production while minimizing time) which is exactly what I am trying to get away from when I go detecting.  To me it is all about relaxing and not turning it into a lean event, six sigma exercise which just introduces stress AFAIC.  More power to you and hope you get some more great tips on how to do what you want to do since quantity of finds is what motivates you.  And there is something to be said for that.  That is one of the things that is so great about this hobby is that there are so many ways you can approach it, so many different environmnets in which you can practice it, so many different objectives you can achieve, and so many different discoveries you can make.  HH.

HH  Right now I am into picking all the low hanging fruit as fast as I can and I get satisfaction from an efficient high coin count. The city has taken out all the parking meters and gone to kiosks for parking.  So now is the time to strike.  I figure it will take me a month to clean up this city. :)  I have plans to switch it up with old home yards where I will go slow,  methodical,  and hopefully find old silver which I also find pleasing in a more immediate way.  I am fortunate here in Upstate NY to have plenty of houses from the early to mid 1800s.   Your advice on changing forums to the "General Coin and Relic is noted.  I'll ask Steve to switch it over.  Thanks to all for replys and ideas and hopefully I'll get some more input from a broader forum. 

[Goldpick]

For me detecting efficiency comes with using the old "KISS" principle, and not being overladen with gear when out on a hunt.  All I ever carry is my tethered MI-6 pinpointer which has its holster sitting horizontially for quick retrieval, a large ammo dump bag for all finds other than the the more desirable coins, small container for the good stuff, and the predator digger which also sits in the dump bag vs using its sheath.

The Deus also helps out by being so lightweight and with no headphone cables to worry about, and the coil drawback method of pinpointing has proved to be very accurate and quick to locate targets and to minimise unnecessary digging.

The speed at which I detect is usually dictated by the type of site I am detecting, some relic sites you can encounter a target ever foot or so, hence it can be a little more intensive on the recovery side of things and worth slowing down to investigate less obvious targets, whilst in a park setting I tend to take my time more and just enjoy going for a wander.  I also spend a decent amount of time to ensure that the ground surface is left with little or no evidence of being there, no point in shooting yourself in the foot if intending to revisit the site ( or even if you don't intend to revisit).