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GB_Amateur

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  1. Seems like this has come up before, and Carl and Steve H. (if I remember correctly) have said the way the modern multifrequency (MF) detectors operate is not the way the White's Vision family worked. Now could the manufacturers, in addition to their modern methods, provide a mode that mimicked the V3? Maybe.... Hopefully those who know more about the history of MF workings will chime in.
  2. I've seen three posts here by different members that mention reading the manual. I was going to say that, too, but now I'll just say "read it twice, and when you're done with that, read it again." OK, that's a bit over the top. My typical practice is to: 1) follow the "getting started" instructions and test some targets; 2) read the manual front to back; 3) go for a real detect, maybe 2 or 3; 4) read the manual again; 5) go for half dozen or so hunts (or about a month's worth) and read it a 3rd time. I always try to refer back to the manual a couple or more times per year. As you learn in the field, what's said in the manual will become increasingly clear. And if you're like me you'll find a thing or two where you ask yourself "why didn't I notice that before? I'll give it a try."
  3. I like(d) my Fisher Gold Bug Pro (still have it but never use it...). It's simple but still rather powerful, a good (not top-of-the-line) gold nugget detector and a capable (not top-of-the-line) coin, jewelry, relic detector. It has many brethren (E.g. Fisher F19, Teknetics G2, Bounty Hunter Time Ranger Pro) which are identical in performance but with slightly different features and stock coils. The three competing modern multi-freq'ers (Minlelab Equinox, XP Deus 2, Nokta-Makro Legend) are not close to the GB-Pro in their simplicity/complications, but that doesn't mean they won't hit the ground running. They all have multiple canned programs -- think of each as several detectors with few adjustments, all rolled into one. As of now I only have an Eqx 800 and have never even seen either of the two new kids. However, at the risk of overstepping, IMO none of them is simple if you get into their full capabilities by adjusting their many features/options. Yes, anyone can turn a knob, but understanding how that change affects things is a whole 'nother ballgame, and depending upon a person's previous experience it's going to take some time to really take advantage. But in the meantime you have a tool (when using the pre-programmed settings) which is already one of the best performing detectors.
  4. Great find, Simon! That tiny coil has really done well for you. Have you or JW tried hunting the wall of that cut (shown in the picture)? I've heard/read people sometimes find gold (with detectors) in similar structured face exposed material. I suppose the fact that the old-timers didn't pursue it could mean its barren, but they didn't have the tools you have and probably needed high yielding ground to make their efforts profitable.
  5. That's surprising given that, in many soils (maybe not Culpeper, though), lead will turn white (oxidizes?) with time. It may be easy to distinguish that patina from paint. Still, with all the colors in the pallete, why not choose an unambiguous one? I'm not much for seeded hunts, in case you can't tell. ? But I realize a lot of people are, and from the promoter's viewpoint it might make the difference between profit and loss. You and other attendees had a good time. That's what matters.
  6. Sounds like you had a good time. Camaraderie can add to the enjoyment of finding good stuff. When you find a relic, how could you distinguish if it was planted or authentically positioned?
  7. Is it because of salt that you say this? Just sand (with no salt) I would think would be pretty benign. I found a (35% silver) Warnick that was the prettiest I'd ever seen (and, BTW, I grew up collecting coins in the 60's when they were still in circulation, so I've seen hundreds of them). But I found that in the soil, not the sand. Also, Warnicks with their different composition can be 'cleaned' by some chemicals in my soil. But my 90% silver coin recoveries often look like the day they were dropped. (I'll be posting photos of a couple exceptions soon, though.) Good to read your reports as always, and you never seem to get precious-metal skunked even on these heavily hunted beaches. But then you pay your dues -- hours swinging that boat anchor.... ?
  8. Jeff, I see a green pulltab on both Legend and Equinox pages. Is it the same one? Same question for the crown cap. If so that emphasizes the better spread out trash (and maybe treasure) TID's of the mid-conductor scale of the Legend vs. that of the Equinox. Separating USA nickels from aluminum trash would be a big plus for those of us who actually care about finding those coins.
  9. Isn't that what happens now? If they were to include such a feature I assume you'd have the option of turning it on or off, so if tiny shallow targets overwhelm you, you'll have options. Options are always good.... I posted a question a couple years ago about detectors having this signal strength audio amplitude inversion feature and the responses mentioned a couple detectors that did (I don't remember which ones, but they were oldies). Apparently never caught on.
  10. Excellent! Like you indicated, finding a mate or missing piece is as rare as hens' teeth. I'll remember the "don't be in a hurry to start" advice. I see you found a thimble. I can't believe I've never found one. Where do they ID? If Zinc penny and above I should have one by now, but if they are in the aluminum trash zones, that might explain my failure. I know the best ones are sterling but I figured many are brass, which I would expect to give a zinc penny (or higher) ID. Are they just so small that they fall below that? What is that turquoise knob in the 2nd picture? Is it actually metal or a piece of glass that happened to be in one of your dig holes?
  11. Honest thoughts you shared. Thanks for those. I suspect a lot of us are like you (including I) -- some things come easy and others are like pulling teeth. And it's one thing to know how to turn on or even change settings. It's another to really know how to interpret what the detector is 'saying' to get results. That's where the bread gets buttered. Being 'comfortable' with a detector (specifically confident in what its saying, not just ergonomically) is when I know I've made it. Took me 2 years to get there with the Equinox.... I've learned more in the second two years (I never stop learning) but the incremental improvement has been much less. For me right now, I'll get better results (from a detector, that is) from improved separation. The ML Equinox is good, IMO, but I think I've about pushed it to its limits in my sites. Jeff McClendon yesterday posted a tantalizing report on the separation he's getting with the Legend and its 11" coil. Everyday it feels increasingly as though the two newbies are more than just equal to the Eqx in terms of separation abilities with their 11" coils. (Well, Deus 1 long was touted as shining bright when it comes to separation....) You've added to the ongoing body of evidence. Good times ahead!
  12. I forget if you had a Deus 1. When I see reports "easy to understand/use" for any modern detector other than just beep-and-dig models I'm skeptical. "Easier than the Equinox..." Uh, for whom? Do you have any thoughts on why the Deus 2 found all these good targets in a place you had hunted with the Equinox? I know the feeling of getting access to an unhunted (non-publicly frequented) spot and finding no coins. It seems to be the case more often than not -- people either didn't spend much time in the yard or were very careful with their valuables. Then you get one that it seems like people were tossing coins like they were sowing grass seed. Interesting relics from both sites, and you've found your share of old valuable coins, anyway.
  13. That sounds optimistic from what I heard. First she emphasized she would not be giving a date for the release. She also said they (engineers) would work until the end of the week, then take a holiday week off. So That means back to work on 8 May. She mentioned them needing possibly a couple weeks to finalize the changes (don't know if 'couple' included the remainder of the current week or not...). Finally she said the changes would be sent to select testers (presumably to shake loose any obvious bugs) before being released to the mass of current owners. If you add all that up I think it's into June.
  14. I agree with others that seeing/hearing directly from the manufacturer regarding changes, workarounds, fixes, improvements, etc. is better than being left wondering and speculating. I didn't watch the last 8-9 minutes when typically Dilek responds to live user questions so maybe what I'm asking about was answered there. Keep in mind I'm not a Legend owner (yet...) and figure those already familiar with the detector or other N/M models might well have understood, but... What is "tone pitch mode"?
  15. Welcome, Davide! You're off to a fly start -- posting your finds. No need to downplay your efforts. One great thing about this hobby is that the bar is set by the individual, not the group. You fit right in.
  16. Looking at some (more than one brand) on Amazon, I noticed low 30 dB's (31-34?). That was for pure soundproofing plug applications, e.g. for use on a gun range. For this application the leakage through the electronics+housing likely would deteriorate that level. They're so inexpensive I may try them with my Bose Soundsport wired set. (Unfortunately those are no longer made, AFAIK, but fortunately for me Steve H. tipped us off here that this was going to happen and I bought a second pair, still MIB.) The custom formed mount has got to help some with blocking ambient noise, but I doubt they'll work all that great in the 40+ mph sustained winds you can get out West.
  17. Fantastic find! The condition is museum quality. I doubt there are many of those still in existence. Well presented next to the Merc; appears to be silver alloy, sterling? (I'm not familiar with the Simplex dTID scale. Is 57 out of a max 60?) What does the backside look like? I wish I had a yard like yours. Mine's so new it only produces Stinkin' Zincolns.
  18. I think this is the product in the first video -- Amazon link. I see why you like this guy. He puts his Exacto knife in his mouth, like a pirate! Note: some reviews say they aren't soundproof (obviously not quantified...). Popeye (or anyone), have you tried these and how well do they block extraneous noise?
  19. Pretty sure 316 stainless is non-ferromagnetic, but not saying that's what you have. Typical (most common?) SS is 304 which I assume is what you've found will give a slight pull with a strong magnet. I'm pretty sure there are other SS's which are even more ferromagnetic than 304. BTW, 316 is sometimes used in marine environments as it is less susceptible to saltwater degradation than 304. There might be even better alloys for that purpose, though. Back to the '24 CB' tag, it seems too small to be a check-in/out tag used for example at a swimming changing room. I assume the (small) attach ring isn't ferromagnetic, either. Not sure how much that infers, maybe just that it's high quality. I look forward to you or someone else solving this mystery.... Oh, nice collection of loot! Tarsacci MDT (in the right hands) continues to deliver, in relative obscurity these days, it seems.
  20. Yes. Sometimes its compacted while other times its loose. But black/dark soil is a good sign, at least here in the Midwest. Sounds like it's similar there in N. Cal.
  21. I forgot about this particular difference between 600 and 800 models. Compared to my EMI noisy sites I'm surprised 15 kHz didn't work for you. When I get EMI (happened this week as I reported in a recent post) while dry land coin hunting I start with 10 kHz and work up until I find a quiet SF. (5kHz has horrendously bad EMI for me and 4 kHz has such poor VDI inflation -- variable with depth -- that it's about useless when discriminating -- at least for me in my moderately ferrous mineralized soil). I would think 20 kHz would be a good all-around gold jewelry frequency on low-mineralization (dry?) beaches when EMI is present but obviously the table above shows its limited availability, as already pointed out in this thread. Are you referring to silent EMI? That's one thing that people mentioning the good EMI mitigating properties of the Deus 2 haven't brought up as a possibilty, that I've seen. Possibly silent EMI is the goblin in the closet -- i.e. not always present but persistent on the mind since your senses don't pick it up. Maybe I should watch those Travel Channel ghost shows to learn some tips. ?
  22. Did you search Google Images? There are tons of them out there ('piano ring' or 'gold piano ring') although yours is of top quality (i.e. 14k gold). Most of those there have the 'ivory' keys white. So the concept isn't unique but the quality and value of yours might be.... Great find. The different edge finish is intentional to better imitate a piano keyboard housing.
  23. This particular park is good practice for site reading. Interestingly the aerial photos seem to help as they show different shades of color for the grass. Here are a few things I think I've figured out: 1) Anything around modern structures (including streetside sidewalks) is bad news unless it's pre-60's. They always use forms and rework the grassy area within several feet of the finished concrete afterward. 2) Soil type is a give-away. Organic matter accumulates with time so deep organic matter is good. Backfilling around here is usually done with thick, sticky clay. That's inexpensive whereas topsoil brings top dollar. I think they even sometimes strip off the topsoil (to sell on the side...) and replace with clay. I've dug a few deep targets under clay layers but it's time consuming and messy getting through the clay and since deep good targets are more difficult to distinguish from deep (conductive) iron trash, it's a bad tradeoff for me. 3) The kind of grass also tells a tale. Old grass around here is stouter but also not as thick/plush. When they reseed after backfilling the grass is soft and tends to be thicker. And the color of the grass is different, too. 4) Contours (which relic hunters take advantage of) are always good indicators. Modern reworking tries to make everything smooth and uniform. Old areas can be raised (or low). But, kac, I don't see any stripped off layers in piles. 5) A gravel layer can be bad or good, depending upon how deep and how thick. Here (and other sites) I've found coins right on the top of gravel (when that surface was the finished surface in the past) but also under the gravel layer (particularly when it was put down as a base layer to aid in water runoff). I've also found items in the gravel which were brought in with the gravel (e.g. bullets that ended up in streams/creeks where the gravel was extracted). It is true (and I know you've mentioned this, kac) that occasionally the backfilling was done with dirt from an old, inhabited site. As an example, in the early 60's my uncle was filling a low area of land he had just acquired to build a workshop. The town he lived in was putting in new sewer lines and he asked them to bring their unwanted dirt to his site. A few years later he found a sunbaker Morgan Dollar (in bad shape...) staring up at him. Interesting thing about this park is that all of the above apply in one place or another. I've just about finished all the promising (un-backfilled) part but as I showed this week there are a few places that remain.
  24. It's been a slow year, partly due to the weather, partly due to checking out detector+coil combos in trashy (multiply hunted) test sites, and partly due to lack of available promising old sites. So far in 2022 I've researched three possible new sites. From the first of these I've shown some results (silver Roosie dime, Buffalo nickel, Wartime nickel) but it's getting tougher there. That muni park site suffers from my most annoying nemesis -- reworking/backfilling 'improvements' which bury most of the goodies previous detectorists failed to get. I'm sure there are a few Wheaties and other coins from the first 65 years of the 20th Century (e.g. silver) but with good weather here I expect it to get a lot more visitors, particularly around the sports fields which are most of my remaining, promising ground. Last weekend I discovered what looked to be a very good and possibly unsearched homestead (now public property) for which early 20th Century USGS topos showed a couple buildings that disappeared in the 1950's. I headed out there Tuesday, grabbed my detecting gear, and on the (walking) way noticed a sign at the pedestrian entrance so checked it out. There in plain letters were the dreaded "no metal detectors." In their defense the site is exclusively wooded trails with one meadow so I understand they don't want digging to disturb the flora. I was close to another site I've hunted quite a bit (with only moderate results, mostly Wheaties and one silver Warnick) so off I go. In 3 hours of detecting, not surprisingly I found no old coins but instead about a dozen copper strips (sounding good in the quarter - half dollar VDI region) that had been used as flashing from a slate roof of a large residential building torn down in the mid-60's. A few modern coin crumbs but no oldies. Wednesday I had a two part plan -- go to my 2021 best site (what I called the "Wheatfield" due to the number of Wheat cents I've found there), figuring if the grass had been mown I could mop up on one rather lightly frequented (nowadays), quite shaded, sloped area that previous partial coverage had produced a couple Wheaties. If unmown I had another park (plan 2) not terribly far away I wanted to re-search with a small coil to get between the pulltabs around picnic tables. Interestingly the plan 1 section A was the only part of this plan 1 park which hadn't been mowed. Hmmm. I've seen this before -- areas that are lightly used are returned "to nature" never to be mowed again. I figured this might be my last chance so even with some scattered thick grass I went to work. Right off the bat the EMI was bad and after fiddling with different multifrequency modes and settings I settled into (ML Equinox 800 settings of) recovery speed = 4, 10 kHz in Park 2, which was the quietest I could find, allowing me to run gain in the 20-22 range. I had 3 hours to hunt and spent the first 1:45 here, with a couple small successes -- 1944 Wheat cent plus a thin brass trade token that had a large '1 centsign' in the middle and a merchant's name around the rim. (Below I post photos of these and other relevent finds.) The token hit in the aluminum screwcap zone (21-23 on the Equinox). Both of these finds were in the 5" depth range and less than 2 meters (6 1/2 feet) apart. I eventually moved on to section B which was an open, flatter area but also unmown. EMI was quiet now so back to my standard park 1, MultiFrequency, gain = 22-23, Iron Bias F2 = 0, keeping recovery speed at 4. In the first 10 minutes in the 4"-5" depth range I found two fired lead bullets, both white (oxidation with age?) and both measuring 0.30-0.31 inch diameter (caliber), only about a meter apart. My typical assumption when I find bullets and/or casings in parks is that these were dropped or fired by hunters prior to the land becoming a park. I think that is likely here - so first half of 20th Century or earlier. After 45 minutes I wasn't finding any more goodies so with 30 minutes remaining I headed towards section C which was on my way back to the vehicle. This section fortunately was mown but unfortunately it's close to a picnic shelter meaning I had to get ready for trash, especially pulltabs which can masquerade as USA 5 cent 'nickels'. I have developed a standard technique when hunting parks and schools in my area. If the Equinox's signal strength meter (misnamed 'depth meter') shows 4 or more bars (more bars is deeper) and the VDI is anywhere close to a nickel (12-13 being the sweetspot) then I'm digging it. If signal strength is less than 3 bars I have an investigation method using Field 2, recovery speed = 6 that identifies most beavertail only (ring missing) pulltabs. The modern racetrack tabs, when shallow, typically flash some 14 in Park 1. However, 4 bar or weaker signal strength nickels will flash some 11 and 14 in Park 1, and my investigation method using Field 2 fails with deeper targets. (BTW, if 3 bar signal strength I use my judgement on the dig/ no dig decision, deepending upon what's been showing up and/or how fatigued I am.) Approximately 15 minutes into my last 30 minutes I get a mostly 12-13 signal with some 11 and 14 thrown in, and it's varying between 3 and 4 bars. Diggable. At about 5 inches out comes a Jeffie (won't read the date until I get home), which is promising. Finally, with 5 minutes before I turn into a pumpkin I get what appears to be a deep Zincoln: 19, 20, 21 VDI but a 4 bar signal strength. Maybe it's a deep Zincoln -- those do occur especially if the ground has been reworked, but since these annoying junk coins have been around for 40 years now, if they haven't self-destructed from galvanic action they can be naturally deep. I figured about 80% I had a Zincoln and 2% an Indian Head (I had found one last year about 20 meters away) with the remaining 18% 'other' and likely trash. After digging a ~6" diameter plug I got a Garrett Carrot signal in the hole sidewall and at about 4-5 inch depth out came a plug of dirt with a silver ring apparent. Based on the VDI I hoped for a delicate sterling ring -- it was about the size of a woman's pinkie. When I tried to push the dirt out of the ring's center it didn't give but rather showed the reverse side pole of Mercury dime! WTF? (I guess this fits the 18% 'other'. ) The VDI should have read 26-27. Putting the handheld back in the hole, very close to where I had just pulled the dime I got another strong signal and recovered a very rustly 16d nail. I estimate the tip of the nail was 1 to 1.5 inches away from the dime when undisturbed. Apparently being that close pulled the dime's VDI down to the Zincoln range, and fortunately not lower or I wouldn't have dug it. OK, here's what you've been waiting for, the finds described above (copper items now with a coating of olive oil) along with the Merc's next door neighbor rusted nail. Merc is a 1941 plain; Wheatie is 1944 plain; nickel is 1954-D -- all three quite common date+mm. Although the edge of the token is partly missing I don't think that happened while in the ground since most of the remainder of the rim shows no sign of similar deterioration, but that's just my speculation. The nickel doesn't look like it's spent a lot of its lifetime in circulation but that doesn't necessarily tell when it was dropped since it could have just as easily sat in a drawer for 2 or 3 decades before being lost. Oh, Thursday was rainy so I did some more research and found an accessible (and not too distant) public site that dates back to 1915! That site is the search plan for early next week. ?
  25. Nice report. I like the cup-and-saucer charm. Is it silver plated copper? Also, do you know what that badly deteriorated item at upper right is? Appears like it might be hand forged, given what looks like many layers of iron. Even the hex nut (?) below it seems to be coming apart in a similar manner. I take it those were from the old railroad bed.
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