A few general questions for you

[Minrelica]

Yesterday I went on my first hunt and made my first tnet post and I have some questions I'd like to ask.

1) I have a coil cover for my Garrett Ace 250. My question is, are the coil covers for storage use only? Do people keep them on while hunting? I kept the cover on until I went out hunting yesterday. The last spot that I hunted was very rocky and when I was packing up to go home I noticed the the bottom of the coil had a bunch of scratches on it.

Will scratches on the coil in any way hinder the performance of the machine?

2) What are the benefits of a larger coil?

3) In general, what type of trowel do you use for digging targets? I have a hard plastic trowel that I bought at Home Depot. The reason I ask is because I've seen some youtube videos of people digging targets with metal trowels which are indeed sturdier but wouldn't you risk the chance of ruining/scratching the object?

4) What does a $700 machine do that a $200-$300 machine doesnt?

Thanks a Bunch in advance. Any responses will be appreciated.

 

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[Frankn]

WIT: I have been detecting since the 70's and never damaged a coil so here goes
1-THrow the coil cover away, forget the scratches and hold your coil about 1" above the soil when you hunt.
2-WithThe Ace 250, I am assuming that you are primarly a coin shooter. Use the coil that came with it.
3-Use that black plastic trowel. You can check the dig right in the trowel with no marks on finds.
4-If you coin shoot in the park, it just cost more. You will know when it is time to step up.
Remember practice makes perfect, almost that is, there really is no perfect, perfect is only a target! Frankn

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[Treasure_Hunter]

WIT: I have been detecting since the 70's and never damaged a coil so here goes
1-THrow the coil cover away, forget the scratches and hold your coil about 1" above the soil when you hunt.
2-WithThe Ace 250, I am assuming that you are primarly a coin shooter. Use the coil that came with it.
3-Use that black plastic trowel. You can check the dig right in the trowel with no marks on finds.
4-If you coin shoot in the park, it just cost more. You will know when it is time to step up.
Remember practice makes perfect, almost that is, there really is no perfect, perfect is only a target! Frankn

​

For every inch above ground you hold your coil, is one less inch you go below ground. I know a couple hunters who have wore out the bottom of their coil by not using a coil cover, as well as some who cracked their coils, INCLUDING myself ... If your coil is not under warranty you can you spray on bed liner, as well as plasti-dip (what you dip you tools in to give them a rubber handle) it also comes in a spray on version. I used it on a coil splice on one of my Excals....

 

[jmaryt]

Yesterday I went on my first hunt and made my first tnet post and I have some questions I'd like to ask.

1) I have a coil cover for my Garrett Ace 250. My question is, are the coil covers for storage use only? Do people keep them on while hunting? I kept the cover on until I went out hunting yesterday. The last spot that I hunted was very rocky and when I was packing up to go home I noticed the the bottom of the coil had a bunch of scratches on it.

Will scratches on the coil in any way hinder the performance of the machine?

2) What are the benefits of a larger coil?

3) In general, what type of trowel do you use for digging targets? I have a hard plastic trowel that I bought at Home Depot. The reason I ask is because I've seen some youtube videos of people digging targets with metal trowels which are indeed sturdier but wouldn't you risk the chance of ruining/scratching the object?

4) What does a $700 machine do that a $200-$300 machine doesnt?

Thanks a Bunch in advance. Any responses will be appreciated.

1. If your hunting land keep the covers on, they will not interfere with depth but will protect your coil....Clean them out before each hunt...Purpose of coil cover is to protect the coil from scratches, and cracks....

2. The larger coil will cover more area and it will go deeper. Highly recommend you get a large DD coil, unless your hunting areas with a lot of trash...

3. If your careful on your recovery you will not scratch most targets, if you dig like your trying to plant a bush or tree you will. Many of us you an electronic probe (pinpointer) to tell when we are close to the target.

4. That is open to interpretation.... Someone who really knows his $300 machine can do better then someone who doesn't know his $700 machine, but someone who really knows his $700 machine will ususally do better then someone who really knows his $300 machine... You will usually get better depth, and identification with the higher end machines, but the extra bells and whistles are not necessary to find the good finds, good or bad, you will most likely dig a lot less. I currently have 6 detectors, and only one has screen, the others do not, they are tone detectors, but they are not cheap detectors. I have 2 Minelab Excals, 2 Minelab Sovereign GTs (one is custom waterproofed for use in the surf), a Whites 6000XL Pro and a Fisher 1235x used for competition hunts.

also IF you dig like you are planting a bush,or a tree,you WILL get tossed out of the site you are hunting,AND
MAYBE GET YOUR DETECTOR TAKEN AWAY!..be careful with the digging!

regards!
(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[GopherDaGold]

1-THrow the coil cover away, forget the scratches and hold your coil about 1" above the soil when you hunt.

It's not just the underside of the coil that needs protecting. The sides and top will eventually come into contact with branches from trees and bushes, and rock outcroppings.
I'd leave it on.

 

[Frankn]

Treasure_Hunter, I really don't care about that 1", 2' is usually deep enough for me, and just think in 40 years I have have never had to replace a coil!

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[WishfulThinker]

Make a marked area test bed including coins, pultab, nail, Bottle Cap and Mason-Jar-Cap/Sealing-Ring spaced about 1-Foot apart and 4 to 6 inches deep. (Clear the area FIRST) Along a fence about 1-1/2 Foot away is good and mark ends with brick or stake. Practice until you can identify everything by sound.
Go read the beach and shallow water hunting information in Metal detecting books and on websites (if you are somewhat near Ocean, Gulf). Whole new set of problems there.
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,315242.0.html

 

[BIG61AL]

Here's my two cents. I use a double D coil. I can tell if my target is large but still rings in like a good tone for a coin. In all metal mode swing right slow, note where on the ground when the signal starts and the where it stops. If that distance is more than two inches it is probably not a coin but a soda can or part of shredded one. I myself will dig it up to A] clean up whereever i am searching and B] now no one will have to dig it up again just to find a piece of trash and the soil can recover and return to a natural state.

 

[Frankn]

big61al,I agree with all you say about your double d coil. I use the standard coil that came with my XLT. Because it is a single coil, it works well with the built in pinpointer. When I pull the trigger, and move slowly over the target area, the target is under the lowest number displayed which is also the dept. With a larger target the dept reads much less than it really is. I can tell the size of the target by slowly moving the coil towards the target from the side. When the lead edge of the coil passes over the edge of the target it sounds off. This distance from the center to the side indicates 1/2 the width of the target. The double d coil in reality has 4 edges instead of 2 creating a slight problem for the pinpointer. In other words there are two sweet spots under a double d coil. The double d coil does have a wider scaning area, but it only amounts to 1 coil width on a full swing across in front of you and to me it is well worth the tradeoff. I have picked large targets like license plates at over 12" so I have all the dept I need. I think we have a tendsy to like things that work with our style of searching and being human we all have our fettishes.

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[Treasure_Hunter]

I have multiple DD coils and no problem at all pinpointing with them...I can't return to the stock coils, been using the DD too long to go back, stock coil looks like a tiny coffee saucer on the end of the shaft now to me....

I even use the SEF 15" X 18" Butterfly coil on my non-waterproofed Sovereign GT at the beach and love it, love the coverage and depth it gives. Also a piece of cake to pinpoint with for me as well...

 

[Frankn]

Did you guys catch that National Geographic show last nite, Treasure Of The Dark Ages? The guy found the largest Gold hoard ever discovered in England, App. 3million# value. I am not sure of the exchange rate, but I think it is app. $1.50 per #. I also noticed that he was using a Whites XLT with the stock single coil!!! The same setup I use. Why waste money on a DD?

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[Treasure_Hunter]

Did you guys catch that National Geographic show last nite, Treasure Of The Dark Ages? The guy found the largest Gold hoard ever discovered in England, App. 3million# value. I am not sure of the exchange rate, but I think it is app. $1.50 per #. I also noticed that he was using a Whites XLT with the stock single coil!!! The same setup I use. Why waste money on a DD?

​

Your certainly not wasting money when you purchase a DD coil, you get a lot move coverage with each sweep from a DD coil... True, on a 10 inch mono coil compared to a 10 inch DD coil the mono will be a little deeper, but at about 3/4 of your penetration you have only about 50% or less of the coverage you do on the surface. Yon need to overlap each sweep about 50% to get the coverage your getting on a DD coil...

I hunt beaches using either my WOT coil or my SEF 15X18" Butterfly coil.

 

[Born2Dtect]

Coil cover? Definitely, saves your coil and does not effect detecting. The only knock I know is remember to clean out the coil cover if you have been in water or sand. Deposits can effect the coil if not removed. I clean it any time I come come from water or see dirt/sand on the coil or cover.

As for the DD profile shown, It is a little miss leading. It is correct but not complete. I like to think of the pattern as a inch wide wiper blade the goes down into the soil evenly. So the picture is correct if you are looking from the side but not front or back as the coil connects to the detector.

Here is a link from Garrett, on there high end detector shows the view.

http://www.garrett.com/hobby/hbby_searchcoil_tech_sheet.pdf

With a DD coil pinpointing is different. You can you the wiggle method (wiggle over target while moving forward or backward until signal is gone. Depending on coil the find can be a little under to a little outside of the edge.) Or the cross method. Usually done in pinpoint mode. Move coil over target then turn coil 90 degrees and find again where they cross is target.

I don,t know anyone who buys a cheaper detector, and has detected at least twice a month for over a year who does not upgrade (buy another more expensive detector). Is one better for you? Yes. Whatever detector you like, can use, have confidence in, and you finds things with is best.

Ed D.

 

[BTS]

I have another question.

Where can I find out about MD'ng laws for the state of Minnesota?

Welcome from Wisconsin. Check the regs at the (MDNR) Minn. Dept. of Natural Resources website.