It's Almost Like Cheating!

[SteveJJ]

Ok, back on the Keweenaw Peninsula detecting on copper mine tailings. I quickly knocked off all signals below 18 and learned to not dig anything below 20 (in Park 2, sensitivity 18, speed 6) Not sure the number of tones, 5 maybe. It's like cheating! 20 and up, except some 30's (big iron, go figure) were all sizable copper metal. No hot rocks, no ores, just copper metal. Seems the larger the piece or vein, the higher the number.

I dug more copper in the first hour than I'd get in a day with my F75 or Vaquero. It ran silent until something worth digging was there. I may have missed small bits but I am not disappointed in the quantity and quality of the metal found this way. I will dig the higher numbers as there is sometimes silver mixed in with the copper, and I do not yet know what that would read, but suspect above 18.

If you get a chance to come up this way and don't care to dig nails or hot rocks, try the numbers above. I got to them by example, the hot rocks I'd dug were 16 or lower on plain ole Park 2 so saw that flakes of metal were 20 and up so knocked off all below 18. It did not take long to do. I worked a pile that was recently crushed, destined to be laid down on logging roads Bet they won't miss the copper I left with.

The Equinox 800 is such a versatile tool, it is almost cheating!

[mn90403]

Is there a picture to help us understand?

Mitchel

[NSC]

Nice work Steve

That was working Discrimination to your advantage for your specific site and targets.

Any photos of your copper found ?

[SteveJJ]

Not that I can with current bandwidth limitations. Once I return, then gladly. 

I found today that copper that was freshly crushed out of embedding rock isn't as oxidized as some released long ago. It appears either the mixture of metals differs from site to site, or the level of oxidation as well as size can give it quite differing numbers. So, it's prudent to start digging everything to learn what you want to avoid then adjust accordingly. I learned today that one's site's settings don't pan out for other sites! 

Still learning, but liking this detector all the more as I do!

Curious about the ground balance numbers being as high as mid 70's! Wasn't just my detector, my friend's was too! Going to turn on the auto tracking and see how that works tomorrow. What a great machine!

 

[staffydog33]

I got lots of gold here that rings in the 12-19 range....so i would be losing a LOT of gold with that discrimination.

 

Matt

[JustSwell]

I've got a thousand bottle caps to one gold earring in that 12-19 range on the beach.   When I found the earring, two feet away I got an identical number and thought for sure I had a pair.  Instead, a bottle cap.  ?

I've since found this trick handy:

All metal, then backup a bit and get the tip of the coil over it verses the center.  Tells me right away I'm on a cap again.  Only time it's tougher now is when numerous items right next to each other.

 

As much as I want to notch some junk out I know Im not ready and am still digging pretty much all except these easy to spot beach bottlecaps.  Well still gettin some when they are close to treasure!

[staffydog33]

I just turn on all metal and pump the coil. Tells me straight away if it's a bottlecap.

[Chase Goldman]

2 hours ago, staffydog33 said:

I just turn on all metal and pump the coil. Tells me straight away if it's a bottlecap.

So bottlecaps are easy again.  Good news, because back in June it was a dig everything machine...glad we got that sorted out.  I still get fooled by the occasional bottle cap even with the above tricks.  After getting warmed up to digging a few early in a detecting session, then the "softer" audio starts to also clue me in as well.  But it is definitely not going to be a 100% solution no matter what.

On 7/6/2018 at 11:37 AM, staffydog33 said:

I got lots of gold here that rings in the 12-19 range....so i would be losing a LOT of gold with that discrimination.

 

Matt

True but I think he was solely hunting for copper metal.

[GB_Amateur]

On 7/4/2018 at 5:00 PM, SteveJJ said:

Ok, back on the Keweenaw Peninsula detecting on copper mine tailings.

If you get a chance could you go into a bit more detail about where to hunt on the peninsula, what to expect in terms of targets, etc.?  I see pieces at gem and mineral shows but am always a bit suspicious as to what was found and what was subsuently modified.  I was told by one dealer (I think I understood what he said...) that the native copper is found in those thin, scraggly sheets and if you see a shiny 'nugget' it has been melted, etc.  But since you've been there I'd like to hear what you are finding (and even see some pictures)!