Does Rain Really Help??

[urbss]

Let me tell my story, then maybe you all can debate the question: Does Rain Really Help?

I got wind of an old park that was just a vacant lot up until a month or so ago (a month ago the park turned vacant lot was going to go through a complete overhall). So, before work crews started tearing up the place, I went to the (ex-park)/vacant lot and did some detecting with my new ACE 250. Found a bunch of clad coins of all denominations. The ground was dry and the digging was hard in some places but it was a successful day in my opinion.

Two weeks later my brother-in-law and I went back to the lot. I was excited because we got there immediately following some rain showers. The ground was good and damp, too wet in some places but I was excited never the less because of some of the posts I've read on this forum talking about the moisture helping detectors to locate coins (because of conductivity or something?). So we went to work and the only thing I could find (besides garbage) was clad pennies. No nickels, dimes or quarters.

Another week goes by and we venture back down to the lot on a hot and dry day (haven't had any rain in several days) and we are going to have one last go at the ex-park before the work crews get there. Like the first time the ground conditions were very very dry. I start finding all sorts of coin from an inch to 6 inches down and all denominations. I went back over the area that I searched on the previous visit and found dimes, pennies and quarters that were completely missed on the previous trip.

So, my question to all of you is Does the Rain really help? and, have any of you seen similar results or is it just me?

Thanks,
Urbs

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A History of Mining on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska - Grab it through Amazon!

[LadyDigger]

In my opinion....I believe it does...just in my own yard I have had results. I have detected all over the front yard and sides (still have some more to do in the back). One area, by an old tree, which I had detected several times before and only got a few pennies (clad). Well, we had a heavy rain and after it stopped, I thought I would go out and test this theory and I found two silver dimes (1962 and 1959) by the old tree. One dime was really within the root system and was a pain in the buns to get through all those roots, but my determination paid off

Infact, we are getting ready to go do a neighbors empty house...we had all that rain from our first tropical storm yesterday and it rained all day and it was like someone turned on a faucet!!!

So, in my opinion, yes, I believe the rain helps alot. Does it have to do with conductivity, the coins shifting in the loose soil ....not sure, but I like the results

Sounds like you had some lucky hits too...HH

 

[urbss]

I'm just confused since I had better finds when it was dry.

 

[Aguila]

When the moisture content is elevated, I usually adjust my sensitivity.
This, coupled with a good ground balance will normally give me optimum searching conditions.

 

[LadyDigger]

I don't understand it either....either it was just plain luck or there is some truth from this detecting after the rain falls. We only have a few inches of soil and then it's clay (that hard stuff you can give your kids to model something ). The clay starts up anywhere from about 3" to 6" under the soil (dirt)...depends on the area you are at.

We have some good luck in the hard rock soil as well...but areas I already went over several times, with both detectors, it wasn't until after the rain when I found the two dimes...so, I really don't know....Maybe someone out here in this forum can really give us an answer...as I would really love to know as well.

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Maybe it has something to do with lightening and thunder which occur before the rain... a typical lightning flash
carries to the earth about 1 ampere of current. With an average flash rate
of about 3 flashes per minute in a typical thunderstorm, the average
electrical power dissipated is about 50 million watts.........that should shake thinks up a bit in the ground!

 

[Farmercal]

Years ago, I was searching in the oldest park in Lubbock, Texas (Pioneer Park) and it was raining. Well, on this particular day I detected a deep target and six inches down I found a 1902 Barber dime. I had detected this park many times on previous occasions but never detected so deep. Mind you this was back in 1986 and detectors didn't detect as deep then as they do now. So my answer is yes it does make a difference, at least for me it did.

 

[Digginman]

I think it helps, but it depends on what you believe or are told, I guess.

 

[urbss]

When the moisture content is elevated, I usually adjust my sensitivity.
This, coupled with a good ground balance will normally give me optimum searching conditions.

Do you increase or decrease the sensitivity?

 

[Michigan Badger]

I've read discussions on this and some claim some machines do better on dry ground than on wet.

Personally, I do better when I hunt very slowly...wet or dry.

I can't say I've really noticed any big difference on wet soil. If the coins are there, my detector will beep on them.

My guess is that on your more successful hunts you were hunting much slower and/or with more concentration. And also, fresh batteries make all the difference in the world.

 

[GreenMeanie]

I have read before that lightning charges the things in the ground and hunting is better. I hunted after a lightning storm but I couldn't notice the difference

 

[neilo]

Rain and electrical storms do help for sure.Last year out chasing gold it was dry and not much was being found. Then one night we had a big thunder storm and heavy rain. I went out next day and signals were every where, it was as though signals were enhanced making the targets stand out .I did find a couple of nuggets in an area that I previously couldnt get a signal. So now I look forward to those storms they do help. seeya Neilo

 

[Aguila]

Do you increase or decrease the sensitivity?

I decrease sensitivity to compensate for the added moisture induced conductivity.