Tried F2/2 Setting Today

[GB_Amateur]

2 hours ago, F350Platinum said:

Pictured below is my typical find when I get tones in the 12 - 16 (sometimes as high as 20) with iron on the cross sweep.

I don't know anyone who doesn't get fooled by square nails sometimes, and if they claim not then either they are leaving some good stuff in the ground or I'm not believing them.  Modern round cross-sectioned nails can be a problem, too, depending upon orientation.  (And if you know all this, which your probably do, I'm saying it for other readers who may not.)

Are those upholstery tacks?  I've only found a few of those and it's been a while so I don't remember what they sounded like or where on the TID scale they hit.  Modern thumbtacks are the best (worst?) foolers I've ever heard -- sound like a deep coin and TID between a quarter and a half dollar.  I would have given heavy odds a couple times when I heard that signal that I was going to pull up a silver coin or ring.  Doubt I've ever been more disappointed with a recovered target.

In my limited experience, nails are the worst because not only can they mask good targets (including silent masking -- see Tom Dankowski's reports), but in every old site I've ever detected they are present, and sometimes so thick that I'm sure I'm leaving good (non-ferrous) targets in the ground but I can't hear or distinguish them and if I were to try and dig the nails I might as well get one of those screen sifters like the archaelogists use and sift instead of detect.

IMO a person can't get better training for old sites (coins and/or relics) than by searching among nails.  At least that's what I tell myself when I'm confronted with them.  I have one in particular that I return to when I get a new detector, a new coil, or think I've learned something new and want to see if I can squeeze out one more goody.

[F350Platinum]

2 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

Are those upholstery tacks?  

Yes, they range in size from 1/2 inch to maybe 1/4, some smaller. There are thousands of them in the field, the one pictured came in at 13/14, many are 7/8. I can usually tell I've found one when there is an iron tone, they have iron pins, and often they give a 3 tone sound like 13/14/15. I did them anyway because buttons also fall in this range, tombacs in the 5-8. I found a concave tombac today that was a 4.

The worst trait of the nails is when they are curved, I think the Equinox is set up to enhance 'round' things. A circular piece of junk threw a solid 26 at me today. I agree it's great training, so was the old house spot where there was a lot of tin and steel.

Here's today's stuff for those interested, another concave Tombac, one of those crazy ferrous buttons making #3 so far, my first pewter buckle piece, and another brass plate. It's always a good day to find silver, the little medallion is copper with heavy silverplate. It appears to say NC in the center!

It's going to snow tonight, it was 55 today. Thankfully it doesn't stay around too long but I have a list of home projects to get done anyway. 🙂