Jump to content

Leaderboard

Popular Content

Showing content with the highest reputation on 05/30/2020 in all areas

  1. A couple of days ago I returned to a late 18th century homestead that has been disappointing in the past. I've always felt like there was something good to be found around the house, but the best I could do were a few wheaties and a ton of iron and aluminum. I had about an hour and decided to hit it again. Same old thing right before I left I found a 41 wheat 6 inches under a 2 inch piece of flagstone walkway (thought that was great). A day went by and while building a pergola in my back yard and nearly cutting part of my thumb in half, I had enough of construction and decided to go back one more time before leaving that place on my do not return list. I found the usual iron, aluminum and trash. Then I dug an old Larkins cold cream lid and some other cool stuff and felt like things were getting better. About 40 minutes later I decided to hunt the old front yard very close to the road, I never hit this section before. Lots and lots of aluminum so I moved to the old rotten front entry with more flagstone. It seemed amazingly quite until I got a 28-32, hit odd numbers for me but it was very strong. I started digging on another crappy target, so I thought and at about 6 inches I found a 1908 Indian head 2 1/2 dollar gold coin!!!!!!! I'm a pretty strong fellow but I almost teared up from joy. I doubt that I will ever top this find and would be happy with just that. Needless to say I might have to hit the old site just a few more times. I hope all of you enjoy seeing the coin as much as I do.
    20 points
  2. Been a while since I have found a gold ring, usually these parts I find ear rings, silver rings etc. Found this one in a park I hit all the time, down about 6" or so between some miserable cans. Guessing the cans kept it safe from other guys that detect there 🙂 Also in the mix is a 1919 wheatie and my usual clad/trash for the day.
    12 points
  3. I got up early this morning and tried to sneak out to a local beach but I was stopped. My 2.4 year old son came out and I just couldn't leave. Most mornings lately we've just headed to the park to feed the squirrels. He has gotten good at feeding them by hand either a walnut or a peanut. Today the tides were right and we were 'marine layered in' with a light mist so it was time to drive to Huntington Beach. That is about a 40 minute drive in light traffic so off we went. This was my second trip with him to this beach since the lockdown was over. The first time I found just a few coins but less than $1 in change. This time we went past the little playground and on to the beach. I let my son determine the direction. He headed north. It was a great day for him because it was a large, flat beach at low tide and he could run. That he did and I was swinging behind him. We went up into the dry sand and those were my first targets, just a couple of pieces of foil. After 45 minutes I had nothing! We went out on the wet sand and did a little bit of learning of the alphabet. I got a few letters in and we sang 'ABC' before he was off to the south. We were going to go in that direction when he saw a little kid in the distance and off he went back toward 'ABC'. I lagged behind and saw the other little guy was with his parents but about that moment I heard a little signal near the 'ABC' and I dug it. It was my first wet sand signal. Meanwhile my son had found a play buddy. It turned out this little guy was younger but his dad was an older guy like me out with his first and only son. 😀 They both had a good time for 20 minutes or so before the parents had to go. This picture looks back towards the south and the Huntington Beach Pier and back to 'ABC' where I found the target. As I got back near the location I found it I put it down on the sand and took these two pictures. It is just a little cross/crucifix that is 3g and .417/10k. I didn't find any other wet sand targets. Sometimes you have to forget all the knowledge and all the clues and just let someone else lead. It doesn't have to get any better than this. Mitchel
    12 points
  4. Great article! I wonder if they realize how much we detectorists could help them with their research (and just in case you are wondering -- I'm being 100% serious). Take this quote from the article to give an idea of what I mean: The number of different types of pull tabs that exist in the world is unknown and just one of many questions addressed in our project. But before we get too optimistic that 45 years (in the USA) since the ring-and-beavertail production was discontinued, here's another snippet from the article that should sober us up: One thing is sure: archaeologists today, tomorrow or 10.000 years in the future will keep finding 20th century pull tabs in every corner of the planet for ever.
    6 points
  5. Here is a link to a site dedicated to pull tabs. https://pulltabarchaeology.com/archaeology/
    4 points
  6. Hi folks, I am an old Belgian Engineer who is related to the Impulse Series projects being part of what is named the EUROTEAM as Senior Consultant. However, not at all on the payroll of FTP I am delighted to find a forum with such reasonable contributors (with a few exceptions😢) and such a good administrator!! I volunteer to help answering some of the many questions occurring on this topic and on all the topics of this very forum related to the Impulse Series. That does not imply that I am a detectorist in any way, I just have a good experience with archaeological work using scoop, brush and sweat but also, accessorily, metal detectors. When you put your hands on this unit, you should not attempt any opening of the enclosure nor the battery pod, they are completely sealed with hard EPOXY. This guarantees their watertightn'ess. If anyone would insist doing it, there are very good chances that some non repearable damage will occur. Nothing mysterious about those M8 connectors. Not proprietary at all. Alexandre can surely publish the internal connections if asked politely😉. You just need to replicate the connections of the power cable if you want to replace it for any good or bad reason Make sure the polarities are correct otherwise, BAAAMMM!!!! It is even possible to extend the length of the power cable in order to mount the battery packs at the hip.
    4 points
  7. The reason a higher level of water ingress is required is due to static v dynamic water pressure. Detecting in surf and waves generates a high level of dynamic water pressure. I used to surf and had many 50m rated watches leak on me.....usually the result of wiping out. As soon as I moved to 100m to 200m rated watches, I never had another problem with water killing them. A decent wave crashing over you in only 3 feet of water will subject the control box to a high level of dynamic water pressure. I’m guessing the unit would be safer in 15 feet of calm water where the static water pressure would be less likely to force its way in.
    4 points
  8. Comparing a VLF to a PI machine for depth is like comparing a hammer to a screwdriver. They're designed for different jobs. The PI will always win out on a depth scale but can't discriminate as a VLF machine can....just the nature of the beast. But...if you want detection of very small targets with a discrimination capability, keep the Equinox. Keep the Sea Hunter for a solid underwater machine where trash may be minimal. Having said that, prepare yourself to dig everything and at considerable depth...as you've seen. Bottom line: No one detector does it all. Choose the best tool for the job at hand...don't try to turn screws with a hammer or drive nails with a screwdriver. 😉 Just the view from my foxhole....
    4 points
  9. I am interested in this only from the standpoint that if it is a technical and financial success, accounting for it's niche application, it might enable a land-based gold and/or relic focused PI of a similar form factor to be spun off. I am looking for something that performs like a GPX (with similar iron rejection, ground balancing, and mineralized soil timings) but with the ergonomics of the AQ. The QED almost fits the bill but is a no go without iron rejection.
    3 points
  10. The Impulse AQ will come with an external NiMH battery good for 3.5 hours. Spare waterproof extras may be costly. I am certain one of the first thing some of us will do will be to make cheap non-submersible versions, and probably extra life hip mounted versions. This would be really great if we ever got an 8” coil. Battery on hip... super light swing! The battery cable that comes with the AQ is way too short to use for a hip mount, so the other job is sourcing the connectors and making longer cables. Lithium Ion will be an obvious home brew alternative to the NiMH, which was a late change by Fisher. The connectors are not proprietary and so will be easy to source. Making a dry land cable with a 12 hour hip mount battery should not be too hard, or a Li-Ion under elbow version with more capacity but not much more weight. Too bad it’s 15V or we could just hook up a GPX battery. Since the Impulse is derived from Eric Foster designs perhaps higher capacity batteries made for the TDI will work? Another side project would be a headphone dongle to employ alternative headphones including wireless boxes.
    3 points
  11. Great find!!! Gold coins have always eluded me. I've found a fair number of gold rings but no gold coins. I think I'd react the same way you did if I ever find one 🙄. As for the house coming down, maybe you can befriend the contractor and get in there after it is down and some top soil is scraped aside. They usually strip some top soil and then build a new house and return the top soil back. Lots of opportunities during and after the crews there. That is if you can get permission from the construction company or the owner.
    3 points
  12. The more I hold it the more magical it seems, No wonder why gold has fascinated us humans for thousands of years. It truly is a strange feeling when finding something like that, It kinda takes you back to your childhood dreams of finding pirate treasure. Your heart starts pounding and hands shaking like you kissed your first girl. It really is a fantastic whirlwind of emotion. To answer your question Rick I was using my multi kruzer in 19 khz with a 9 inch concentric. Shout out to Kac thanks for the lucky detector charm, I think it worked Ha Ha
    3 points
  13. What's Your Most Unusual Token Find? Recently Calabash had posted a unusual token find for one loaf which I thought was pretty cool token find. Going through some of my token finds from past years I believe this is my most unusual token find to date. The token is from the Delagua Mine which is located in southern Colorado and is good for one cap, 22mm in size and made of brass. The V.A.F. Co. stands for the Victor-American Fuel Company. Here is some history on the Delagua Mine: Delagua developed around the Delagua bituminous coal mine, opened in 1903 and operated by the Victor American Fuel Company. As of 1922, it was the largest mine in Colorado,and at its peak employed at least 900 men. In October 1917, the Delagua Mine was considered one of the "largest and finest 'mining camps' in the state". By 1916 the saloon and dance hall had been converted into the Delagua Social Club, complete with "three first class pool tables and one billiard table", a soda fountain, , bowling alleys, a stage that featured a motion picture show twice weekly and at least 250 members in 1917. At the Delagua Mine on November 8, 1910, an explosion (loud enough to be heard three miles away in Hastings) killed 76 miners. Safety inspectors later determined that the blast was an explosion of gas and dust, caused by the open flame of a head lamp.
    3 points
  14. I think one thing that has to be considered is the current draw from the battery pack. If you make a longer cable from battery to detector, you have to keep the voltage drop low, by using thicker cable. Your suggestion that two wires are power, two are audio, may be true, it is a simple solution. But only one wire is truly needed for audio, as the battery -ve ( or +ve ) could in principle be used as the earphone ground. This then creates a few other possibilities: Double ground wires for a more solid connection ? Using a wire for digital data transfer to a security chip in the battery, to stop aftermarket battery manufacture? Adding a temperature sensor in the battery would be one way of allowing the battery to be fast-charged ( in addition to the common voltage measurement method ) , this could be connected to a pin on the battery connector, but obviously wouldn't be wired to the main detector. The audio amplifier may be located inside the battery pack, much like the Fisher F75 / Tek T2, and some of Minelab's gold machines. There's also the possibility of future stereo audio, so perhaps two audio wires could come from the detector to the battery. ( Would some type of mixed-mode, or other stereo technique be useful in the prospecting variant ?) As a way of giving me more future options, I would have designed with a 5 pin connector from battery to main detector.
    3 points
  15. In regard to extending the cable between the pickup head and the circuitry, I was able to accomplish my goal. I wanted to use what I had on hand and not buy a pin pointer. I did extend the cable an extra 16 ft. A friend gave me one of the DIN connectors I needed, male, and I had a female. Got some CAT 5 cable from another friend and wired it all up. It is very possible CAT 5 would not have been needed and just any 4 conductor cable would have worked. I would never recommend this for any serious searching but all I needed was a "yes metal/no metal" indication and it certainly did work for that. It was on a 16 ft pole and I was able to discover the problem with an antenna that I had at 100 ft. Standing at the 100 ft position and reaching out 16 ft to the problem as with just the pickup heed, I wound say was real easy, but it was doable. I had the control head with me. Mike
    3 points
  16. I've always had trouble getting the GB and Threshold exactly right on my TDI SL. After seeing Karelian's thread on the vernier knob, I decided to see what I could come up with. The problem with the control the guy suggested to him was that it had limited movement. Ideally, you want the vernier to turn as many turns as need to move the potentiometer through it's full range of travel. After hours of searching I found what I needed. A solid brass and stainless vernier with a 1:6 ratio. One full turn moves the GB pot about 1 1/2 numbers. I can now easily get the GB to that "just quiet" point, and it stays put. No more tree branches, or coat sleeves inadvertently moving the controls. I can easily set the Threshold to the very edge of my hearing, and as the batteries discharge and the Threshold creeps up, I can make a tiny adjustment and it's back on the money. As far as immediate and stark difference, this is the best mod I've done. It took me several hours to machine the bases, but the way I made it requires no physical mods to the machine. Remove the pot nuts, put the base on and replace the nut. I had to make shims for the pot shafts, as the verniers are made to fit a 1/4" shaft, and the shafts on the pots Whites used are .234". Had to make some very thin-walled round shims to glue inside the vernier sockets. I'm planning on selling these kits fort $150 for both controls, or $75 for a single. If anybody is interested, you can PM me here. Now I'm really looking forward to our Nevada trip in June! My SL is about as good as an SL will ever be. It's going to be interesting.
    2 points
  17. A post I made 11 years ago.... https://www.findmall.com/threads/whites-official-audio-volume-fix.127081/post-802630
    2 points
  18. I was playing around with the Vanquish 440 in the parking strip yesterday afternoon, when I got a very strong consistent signal in the 4 -6 range. I haven't been digging many signals in this range, as I don't get many, and all I have dug, have been trash. This one was strong and not choppy at all, so I proceeded to dig. Glad I did! I pulled out a James M. Cox presidential campaign stud from the 1920 presidential election. His running mate was Franklin D. Roosevelt! They lost to the Harding - Coolidge ticket. This is pretty degraded, but cool to find just the same. Gonna have to go back and dig those lower signals! I've included a picture of one in good condition.
    2 points
  19. Updated comparison spreadsheets as promised. Too close to call on these 3 capable detectors...
    2 points
  20. Anyone interested in a report on the 440 can find it here: https://www.kellycodetectors.com/pages/field-test-minelab-vanquish-440-metal-detector/ My hunting buddy Gary and I collaborated on the report for Kellyco and they published it on their website. We found this a very impressive machine for $279 but you can read the report and judge for yourself. Note: Gary and I are not employees of Kellyco nor do we have any financial interest in or relationship with Kellyco.
    2 points
  21. I have been attempting to offset unrealistic ideas about what the Impulse is capable of as far as discrimination by providing a more realistic and balanced perspective based on my many years of personal use of this technology. Time to bump this to the top with release imminent. Again.
    2 points
  22. Nice! You're definitely a dig-it-all detectorists if you're down there well below USA nickels. Have you started an aluminum foil collection yet? 😁 You are going to find gold jewelry down in that zone, too. And maybe even a nickel 3-cent piece (which TIDs somewhere around 6-8 on the Equinox). Keep it up!
    2 points
  23. I hate it when that happens. Turning down the recovery speed can help with that, trading off with turning down the gain/sensitivity. But lowering the sensitivity is fine. I've found plenty of coins in parks running sens at 18. Definitely. I don't know if there is a detector that one can just take out of the box and know what it's saying from day 1, but the Equinox certainly isn't that. That's a Matchbox vehicle, which were made in England until 1985. The boxes are often worth as much or more than the actual toys themselves, but we detectorists don't have much hope of finding those. I've recovered a lot of its cheap cousins -- HotWheels, but only one or two vintage Matchbox toys. Nice find!
    2 points
  24. That is simply awesome! Congratulations! If I found that, I would need new underwear. 🤣
    2 points
  25. Looks like a worlds fair bracelet charm. You guy's had one in 1895. (An International Exhibition in Hobart). Maybe some visitors brought it over as a gift from New York. I might be wrong but it's my best guess without better detail. Cool find, I love the stuff that makes you wonder and your brain hurt.
    2 points
  26. Wow, phenomenal coin! Actual value pales in comparison! That's a keeper! The condition is stellar! Look's like it just dropped out of the mint bag! And yeah, i would keep hunting there!! It may have friends! Like a 1911 D!!💰👍👍 PS. Hope the thumb is OK! If not, i will give you one of mine!! 👍(for the coin)!🤣
    2 points
  27. Got 3 more silvers today in Payson Arizona. 1961 quarter, 1968d half, and 1943s war nickel. I also found a 1941 nickel... My oldest coin yet.
    2 points
  28. Yup, the classic PI versus VLF quandary. If you want power and love digging everything, can’t beat a PI for depth. If you want discrimination, you need a VLF. I prefer owning both. But if for some reason you can only own one, I guess you have to choose. Or maybe get a Tarsacci. They claim discrimination to PI depths. But there are Tarsacci owners who keep their Equinox so must be more to it than that.
    2 points
  29. Don’t hold your breath on iron rejection on the prospecting version. This is done on the AQ by using the ground balance control as a discrimination control. It is set not to reject ground, but iron. In order to work for prospectors the ground balance will have to go back to being a ground balance control.... iron disc gone, or no different than the tones on a GPX for instance. My main issue with QED... no U.S. dealers or service and slightly heavier. But it does use Minelab compatible coils, a big plus. But yeah, I’d like to see the prospecting version of the AQ. Something more advanced will need a leap from analog to digital where Alexandre can perform more complex PI trickery. Fisher Impulse Gold Data & Reviews
    2 points
  30. Great reply to Sid, Bash. Sid - a number of factors can result in an audio blip without numbers showing up including EMI, ground noise and anomalies (a patch of mineralized dirt), and micro targets or deep targets. Regarding the latter, if you can't readily get a repeatable audio signal then just move on. At this point, in learning your machine, just focus on digging the repeatable no brainer signals (trash and treasure) so you can train your brain on what good and trash targets sound like. Read Bash's links regarding how to combat the noise sources (in short, do a noise cancel, reduce sensitivity from the default 20 setting (these help with the "sparkiness" caused by electromagnetic noise sources - EMI), and if you find you are having to reduce sensitivity a lot (5 points or more) then consider changing modes or switch to a single frequency to see if you can make the noise go away, and properly ground balance to make ground noise that shows up as -8/-9 numbers go away). If you are still having issues, then repost with specific information such as mode you are using and sensitivity setting, whether there are power lines or a lot buildings nearby that may have wifi or other sources of electronic noise. Also, put your phone in airplane mode or place it in a pocket opposite from the detector's control panel (i.e., on the side your body opposite from where you swing the detector). Good luck.
    2 points
  31. Hello i am not yet and expert but here are a few tips to unleash the power: 1)Slow sweep 2)Good GB 3)Reactivity as low as possible 1/2/3/ and pinpoint in 4 (even ) i think you are talking an inch every time you slow down the reac 4)With the large coil think you will get an inch extra 5)All metal ON may grab another inch there Hope that help large copper coins here(UK) at a 1 foot easy i think you should be able to get around 45cm on large coin,but the machine will sound like 1 way signal no double beep,i remember reading something like that about the MINELAB QUATTRO where the software was restricting the machine. Keep us upadted RR
    2 points
  32. Hello! I am the being who made them. Feel free to ask me questions. I will drop you some better quality images (hope not be spamming). I have more stuff but mostly on my phone. I am now designing (actually it is finished, just need me to put myself on the work to print it) a foldable electronics base, made also an adapter for 28mm shaft, some rubber magnetics charging port covers and some more stuff going on. I would like to show my last prototype, a foldable base which features a gasket (not in the image but will be on that channel around the part which attaches to the grip's lower side. Mostly I print in automotive polymer ASA, or some other high resistance copolymer like CPE HG100. Cheers
    2 points
  33. A couple of weeks ago i found a medallion that no one here has been able to identify . The site is pre 1900 through to about 1940 . Unfortunately fertilizer , and probably fire see it in very poor condition . It clearly has the Statue of Liberty on one side and i can make out the word Liberty between 6 and 9 o'clock . The reverse appears to have a rippling flag with the flag pole on the left side . The diameter is about 24.5mm [ one inch ] . I hope the brains trust here can come up with an identity . Thanks in advance all .
    1 point
  34. Just a great find. Doesn't get any better than that.
    1 point
  35. Stunning find, congratulations! I have always loved the unique design of that coin. You will never forget that moment, I am sure. It’s the moment detectorists live for. Again, congratulations on a fantastic find!
    1 point
  36. Huntington Beach is like Simon's beach right now. The targets just 'happen' to be where they are. There is no real 'run out' as can be and I've seen cuts on this beach that might be 2 feet high. The last time I was out the conditions were similar and a local came out and he couldn't find a 'patch' either. The cross was just an extra. You are right about additional objects. I circled this spot and went slow but it is a pretty light little piece. I couldn't find any more on that energy line. If it was a ring or a bit more weight I would expect more.
    1 point
  37. Congrats! That's a heck of a find!
    1 point
  38. Congratulations on finding that beautiful coin . It's a wonderful feeling finding a gold coin and you'll always remember it .
    1 point
  39. I didn't think I would find coin like that in my entire life and at that site. Sadly the old place is slated for demo and will be replace with the typical modern crap houses. I was surprised at the price of the coin also, seems to be worth only gold weight. But man it sure is a pretty little coin. Maybe today I'll find its big brother Ha Ha Ha.
    1 point
  40. Just?🤔... Man You're blessed by your son, as You found a nice cross in the middle of nowhere... However go back there soon as you can...That ground won't last for too long!!! I mean no more than 24 hours...Nice particles around the cross...I like the age of the beach!
    1 point
  41. GB, I was running stock coil, sensitivity between 15-23 based on ground feedback, and powerline proximity! I also think I'm getting a fair amount of wifi interference from many nearby houses! Ground balanced numerous times! And intentionally ran in multi Park 1, for most of the time! I didn't want to switch to single frequency this go around! I want to rehunt when i have both detectors next time, to compare! And will experiment when i have more time! I just really need to put more hours on it to acclimate! This park is large, and i was concentrating on just a relatively small area in the shaded areas, under some large shade trees! It has had a few regrading's over the years, so I'm wading through the last 20-30 years of trash, and clad! Hopefully i will be able to get to some good stuff (40's- 60's) here! Got a few pics now! One junk find was actually the oldest item found that day! A little army guy in a turret, in a sort of armored vehicle! At one time, he could rotate around! But interestingly, made in England! Not China, Japan, or Taiwan! Which is rare here!
    1 point
  42. Welcome to the $ 2.5 Indian gold coin club.It's the only one I am in.
    1 point
  43. Congrats on the beautiful $2 1/2 gold piece! That's awesome and a great reward for being determined. Rich
    1 point
  44. Thank you for reporting back. Not everyone does that, and this is some rare and fascinating information. Glad it worked for you, and thanks again!
    1 point
  45. I wish I had a 1$ for every pull tab I dug.
    1 point
  46. This thing has moved pretty rapidly from proven design to ready to market hardware Pretty rapidly if you are comparing it to the rate of Greenland glaciers melting (even at today’s rates) It has taken FOREVER - three years ago I expected it in a year - hell, the boss at FTP - Tom Walsh, probably expected it two years ago. It ain’t HERE yet. It’s close, but even now if you listen closely you can hear the grinding of millions of tons of ice moving over granite bedrock. Kidding? Sure, but - it’s a whole new world for Fisher and there are being VERY careful. Problem is - one of their marketing guys tipped off some blabbermouth PI enthusiast on the forums three years ago and now we re all sick of hearing about it. P.S. Guilty as charged. COVID19 has added to Fisher’s burdens in getting these ready to sell. They were shut down by mayor’s orders and are now only allowed 25% manning. Since the majority of their workforce is comprised of El Paso residents of Latin American extraction, and since COVID19 seem to be hitting Latin American families pretty hard, it is not unlikely that it could touch Fisher as well. This whole thing is putting me - once again - in the position of being (rightfully) expected to know what is going on. As of this Friday morning, I can truthfully say that I do not entirely know the status of the ongoing production of the AQ or what Fishers plans are for marketing it - wish I did - it would spare me a good deal of potential and actual embarrassment.
    1 point
  47. Glass Butte out of Burns for great obsidian. Jerry
    1 point
  48. They been saying SOON since the release of the simplex on the extra coils ha ha ha
    1 point
  49. So true! My wife and I walked the beach last night for a 1/2 hour. She then left me there so I could detect as the tide was going out. I had new batteries in my headlamp, but I believe they were good until 2017. Who knew that old batteries do not last very long? 😉 Anyway, after using my phone to light the way inside my transparent dry bag, I hit the sand with strong determination, but only found about 70¢ in about two miles of swinging. I tried the water, but after scaring a stingray away, I realized that I should not continue down that road without a better light. I tried the towel line, up closer to the dunes, down on the riffles and along the minimal cuts that were there, but nothing but a sore shoulder to show for the hours. I guess that's the difference between a good beach and a Gulf beach!
    1 point
  50. As a beach hunter, when I get jumpy numbers it seems it’s always a pulltab. The one tone one way maybe a coin on edge at a slight angle. Good luck!
    1 point
×
×
  • Create New...