Deft Tones

I have always been a people watcher. I enjoy it. Reading what they are thinking by body language, and on occasion predicting events just before they do happen as I foresee. From my observations and experiences while detecting in the not to distant area at peak times and while with my own kids anytime, I'll share. Around the tot lot from 3-9 feet from the edges proper, that's a magic area for me. If you observe adults here at peak times you'll see them mostly in this zone, probably because it's close enough for safety and reacting quickly for most parents comfort. 0-3 feet is mostly reserved for kids running around it, playing chase, goofing, or resting. Adults may also sit or rest here but I consider it a transition zone within the play area. So when I get there I hunt them in order of priority by zones. Zone 1 is 3-9 feet. Zone 2 0-3 feet. Zone 3 is in the playground. Zone 4 is 9 feet and beyond. I find great things in every zone, but I'm after expensive things adults lose so where they spend the most time is where my focus is. If I only hit a park and have one shot at it, you can bet I'm hitting zone 1 at the tot lot before moving to other zone 1's elsewhere in the park. Just how I do it... YMMV

Better performance now? (Not that it was bad before) I'm jealous Steve has a new D2. I might have to get a whole new V3i sooner than I plan. Enablers - all of you. Thank you.

The D2 looks like it lost some weight (or bulk) compared to mine. Did the D2 change or am I just looking at a photo fith a flattering angle?

I took V4 abd the standard 11" coil to my testing grounds to play with negative disc. My thinking is it may be useful for fine jewelry that overlaps the iron range. The ground was very moist from rain the day before. Anyway, I only had time for a few digs but I ran a 10' x 20' area that I've just beaten the piss out of and it no longer produces. It didn't give up anything to V4.0 either, but I attempted to dig 5 different non-ferrous sounding signals and each time the target was extremely small iron bits about the size of a half grain of short rice and smaller. 3 of the signals, the last three, I never recovered from the soil in my hand. Whatever was causing the TRX to beep couldn't be seen. Working back to the truck I hit on several .22 short casings that were banging at VDI 92 up to 95 and 3-4 inches deep. That was a first time seeing that. I used both 18 and 12 frequency and I had GB set one point positive and I stayed on top of it. Mineralization bar was fully lit pumping. Swinging the coil the bar was two segments from fully lit the entire time. I'm not sure what to think. There was a discussion on Tnet about the filters Gary mentions are resident in V4 a week or so ago. I think it just added more confusion about the Deus for awhile.

I would agree that V4.0 11" coil battery life is +25% higher than it was in V3.2. Perhaps as bad as +35% depending on frequency chosen and settings used. It is what I'm most unhappy about with 4.0. I may eventually roll-back to 3.2 if XP doesn't address it with an update.

Get your product integrated into the game called Minecraft. Develop a virtual reality detecting simulation game Boom! Next generation hook, line and sinker. The hobby end just isn't glamorous. Without getting pornographic there is little appeal to rooting around in the dirt. Only a certain type of person is anything more than curious. It's very much a niche hobby that, as noted already, for the hobbiest has diminishing returns as time passes. There are very few replenishing resources for detectorists at any level. Eating our own tails. I imagine any expansion on the hobby end without breakthrough technology down the road involves the classic selling of half-truth. Nobody would purchase on a light truth in advertising, "You too can find treasures...if you can find them, and depending how you define treasure." [insert picture of crusty half-button, bits of iron, one crusty Indian Head cent] If were a manufacturer of metal detectors, the future is security and industrial tech... the hobby just isn't sport. There is an art to it, but it isn't art. IMHO.

When I play XboxOne with my kids, or I sometimes play Call of Duty I actually turn the haptic feedback off for better control, better precision, and it makes a big difference in gameplay. All professional gamers (yes they exist) do the exact same thing. This is my experience and preference only. Trying to imagine translating that to useful detecting performance... I struggle accepting it could help me. But for others - whatever they like is good for them. We do agree that helping the handicapped is always a good cause.

That's about what I had in mind. 3 lights red, yellow, green. Red rejected, yellow bouncy or on edge of disc, green accepted. Putting the light on the coil is a brilliant idea. XP could have done this easier than most with the Deus. The last issue with vibrate is that it consumes too much power in comparison to LED lighting. Imagine also hunting trashy areas, vibration takes more time to indicate information than light does. How crazy would a trashy park drive someone in vibrate? You'd end up watching the screen anyway, so why vibrate? I'd get annoyed, lol. IMO spend the resources elsewhere on truly useful features.

Both but audio as the primary. Instead of vibrate why not a few colored led lights to convey more information. I hate vibration on my phone. Sometimes calls are missed when set to vibration. I don't see it having any advantage over a lighting system except for stealth. Would every signal vibrate the same? If yes, then what's the point? IMO vibration is better suited for the blind, not deaf. Having several deaf family members whom use TTY machines for phone calls, their phone is integrated into the houselights so they flash when the phone rings. They don't have vibrating anything except when stomping the floors to gain your attention. Flashing visual indicators for the deaf, vibrating indicators for the blind deaf.

I admit it's somewhat tempting to buy a bigfoot coil (after Steve's excellent post I'd jump all over a V-rated bigfoot at a grand if someone would make it. Take my fools gold! ) but my better judgement says just get a Tesoro unit with the widescan 3x18. That's where I'd put the money these days. Seems to me a smarter move for the money. If I already owned a DFX I'd own a bigfoot too. Question: Like other coils, do bigfoot coil properties change or "age" with the passing of time?

Nice hunting you did. Yeah, I'm liking the ring, but your old square coin...that's really cool! Thanks for posting another image what it is. I'd have had no idea it was a coin otherwise. Get some more.

LOL! I'm going to try that one sung as a chantey in a pirates accent. That ought to keep the wierdos away! "Look at the crazy man, Mommy"!

I'm with Steve, but If I found it there would be nothing I could find but tank parts. I swear, who finds gold bars in a tank of a tank and then reports them to the police? Couldn't trust one another? I do hope they get a slice of the pie for being honest, at least. Found this: at the link below. Seems no images of the actual find yet. https://bearingarms.com/bob-o/2017/04/09/guy-buys-tank-ebay-finds-2-5-million-gold-hidden-inside/

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3291710/tank-collector-two-million-gold-bullion-military-vehicle/ Gold is truly where you find it...lol.

I like to think of my trash cleaning efforts perhaps a bit unusually. I tend to treat the park as a living, breathing organism that I'll talk to as I clean. As I do this there is hope the karma kicks in and the park coughs up some gold jewelry. Even at the end of a session, having been skunked, I'll take one last look back and think, "I've left you better than I found you with no reward. Remember me next time." I don't know if it helps, but I feel better about the time spent.

Sometimes I wonder how heavy the hunting pressure is around my area. This hunt was unusual with 4 rings and a silver coin, so not typical for me. If I were fishing I'd have ran into a school of rings! Normally I expect to catch at least one gold item per month. This year I've been hitting too many gold plated crap - the tide will change! Hows it normally goes is several months drought without gold, then a few back to back gold finds followed by another drought filled with silver jewelry and lots of cheap kids stuff. I'm due for some real gold. Only two gold this year and it's the 4th month. If I don't get something soon I'll start discriminating everything above zinc - come on already! On a side note, my kids are huge into Minecraft and they think I'm mining for gold to smelt into gold ingots. LOL. They're kinda right though.

Took my two boys (they make the perfect cover) to an elementary school playground today, Sunday. I had found a silver ring here a few weeks back. Decided to run Deus 4.0 around the place. More or less walked random wavey patterns in the courtyard between the building and the playground when not tending to the needs of the youngest. Just sitting ducks for any detectorist. Almost every target was an isolated signal surface to 8". Took the 62' quarter at 8" - which was an unexpected coin. Only one good ring. The gold plate ring is a Lord Of The Rings copy. I've barely made a dent in the courtyard. Still a practice field, BB courts, another original playground, and the loading zones. Hopefully there is some teacher/parent gold lurking around there. Keep on swingin!

Well, when I am forcing my way through dense scrub using a machine with a screen, I generally want to protect the screen, like relic hunting with my V3i, the back of the screen housing is all scrached up from sticks, twigs and grasses. So in that situation my choice is do I protect the screen, or the battery and cable? I don't like the choice. Just an observation and my reasoning for not liking it. It does look like it could protect the hand similar to a sword.

That's right. Targeting and finding any jewelry ; I may not catch a trophy today but at least I'm catching fish.

Piercing Pagoda low quality "fine" jewelry. Will have the stones tested later in the year with all other questionable jewelry. Very similar style currently for sale on their site here: http://www.pagoda.com/diamond-four-row-anniversary-band-sterling-silver/product.jsp?productId=41819086

No, I don't know at this time. They pass the famous breath test, lol! I always suspect fake until tested at a shop. They way they are set gives me hope, but honestly I don't expect much until I can ID a quality mark. Lots of crap silver bling out there. (not the silver itself )

And I've seen relic hunters in the US and overseas showing the finds that blow the mind and claiming to have covered several acres in a day. You'd have thought I was attacking them for suggesting I would love to hunt behind them to dig what they missed. Maybe it's the size of the acre, lol.

Found it!

Went to a park for one hour. First signal after turning on the machine while walking to the sidewalk. Didn't even have a chance to do a GB. It was less than stellar hunting after that. So typical - but motivation to keep swinging for the jewels! Keep Swingin!

Debbie Downer here...lol... Looking at the photo, I don't like the design of forward mounted electronics. It just seems... exposed. Looks light for a Minelab though!