Chasing ghosts??

[Metal.detective]

Ok guys I need some help. I've been detecting for a few years now...I don't know everything but I'm pretty good with my AT Pro...on land that is...old home sites...fields...parks...you get the picture. I've been beach hunting on the Outer Banks maybe twice before this year...I've already been 4 times in 2013. I'm new to the beach deal I guess you could say. So my question is...when I'm hearing a tone and it sounds good and I dig and check the hole to see if my target's out...why do some of the targets I hear just vanish? I mean poof...gone...I'll check 3 feet around the hole in each direction with no luck...conditions: wet sand...GB of 15-18...sensitivity at half to one above half mark. And feel free to throw in some good tips. It's me and my mom when we go and she loves this hobby as much as I do. I'd like to be able to put her on her first ring or Spanish silver...I know y'all can help!

 

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[Fletch88]

I had the exact same experience with my AT Pro at the beach in the wet sand. I dug several holes deeper and deeper only to have target vanish. I have since sold it and run a PI machine on the beach. I believe these "ghost" signals are falses caused by the wet sand. Even when your a few feet up in dry sand away from water your are still reaching down into wet line causing false hits. Good luck and HH.

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[ron lord]

The target is still in the hole!! What happens is that the target is in the hole in the soft sand slowly sinking ,that why your detector can't lock in on it. To stop this just take one or two more scoops out of the hole ,if it's not in the hole now you can check the sand around the ,if it's not there now it's more than likely in the sides of the hole on edge.

 

[Sandman]

Fletch about had the answer. All detectors that broadcast on only one frequency at a time can have this problem. Salt is a mineral and add to this the black sand and the detector reports a good target when there isn't one. Once you dig down a bit you disturb the area causing the reading and it breaks up the signal. A detector that sends out two or more signals at the same time won't have this problem. Also you can't use to much disc or sensitivity as this adds to the problem.

 

[Fletch88]

Fletch about had the answer. All detectors that broadcast on only one frequency at a time can have this problem. Salt is a mineral and add to this the black sand and the detector reports a good target when there isn't one. Once you dig down a bit you disturb the area causing the reading and it breaks up the signal. A detector that sends out two or more signals at the same time won't have this problem. Also you can't use to much disc or sensitivity as this adds to the problem.

Thanks sandman! I knew I was close just not sure how to fully explain it. What detectors are dual freq water hunters other than the most popular Excalibur?

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[seeker41]

sandman, fletch and ron could all be correct with their replys !!!!! at times you can loose a target after scooping one scoop. you may have driven it deeper or knocked it sideways in the hole. after dumping the sand it might be at an angle or very tiny and at the bottom of the dumped sand. in these cases you need to take a couple more scoops or kick the sand pile around until you find the target.

single freq at pro at the beach........ive never used one but its single freq and very much handicapped if theres any mineralization or high salt content in the damp or wet sand. it may work but it will be at a very much reduced sensitivity setting and it will be prone to falses or ghost signals. some claim it can be used at a saltwater beach but ...... ? your best chance is probably using all-metal mode.

if you can have someone with a excel or cz20 or pi check your target after you think you have found one you could tell if your just getting false signals.
chuck.

 

[SusanMN]

If I am hunting in certain lakes that have a lot of buried old cans, I will frequently get ghost hits. What happens is that when you hit the can of flakey rust, it just starts to break up into tiny pieces and wash away. Along with the tiny pieces goes the signal. They sure do sound good till they break up,though.

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

Ok guys I need some help. I've been detecting for a few years now...I don't know everything but I'm pretty good with my AT Pro...on land that is...old home sites...fields...parks...you get the picture. I've been beach hunting on the Outer Banks maybe twice before this year...I've already been 4 times in 2013. I'm new to the beach deal I guess you could say. So my question is...when I'm hearing a tone and it sounds good and I dig and check the hole to see if my target's out...why do some of the targets I hear just vanish? I mean poof...gone...I'll check 3 feet around the hole in each direction with no luck...conditions: wet sand...GB of 15-18...sensitivity at half to one above half mark. And feel free to throw in some good tips. It's me and my mom when we go and she loves this hobby as much as I do. I'd like to be able to put her on her first ring or Spanish silver...I know y'all can help!

Might as well add pulltabs to your Ghost Buster list when detecting in the surf or where there are strong currents.
As they are light they will move back and forth with the surge or down stream with the current.

What is especially annoying are bracelet shaped canslaw from aluminum cans in calm chest to chin deep water. Each time you think you have got it, you find that it has moved enough to avoid your scoop. Just as you are about to give up, the ghost signal is back. It's a recursive process which goes on and on until you either give up from exhaustion or finally retrieve the object after having dug a hole wide enough to park a volkswagon in (sigh).

 

[BVI Hunter]

I had the exact same experience with my AT Pro at the beach in the wet sand. I dug several holes deeper and deeper only to have target vanish. I have since sold it and run a PI machine on the beach. I believe these "ghost" signals are falses caused by the wet sand. Even when your a few feet up in dry sand away from water your are still reaching down into wet line causing false hits. Good luck and HH.

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I have a FAR BETTER experience with my Sea Hunter PI machine in the ocean than I do with my AT Pro - even on the shore line, the underlying water can play havoc with my tones.

 

[Metal.detective]

Thanks to all of y'all for your input. I haven't had time to say thank you until now. I guess I'm just gonna have to keep the AT Pro on the dry sand until my patience grows a little bigger lol! Like I said before...didn't want y'all to think I was being ungrateful for the advice. I thank you again!