E Trac is the best!!!

[masterjedi]

The shovel cuts better plugs than any hand digger...

Thanks for the etrac web tip... cant wait to go through it

 

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[madforclad]

The shovel cuts better plugs than any hand digger...

Thanks for the etrac web tip... cant wait to go through it

I think what Cudamark was eluding to was that although it may cut a better plug, the shovel itself (because of size) tends to draw more attention from people. I only use shovels in farm feilds and the woods so not to draw any unwanted attention.

 

[cudamark]

The shovel cuts better plugs than any hand digger...

Thanks for the etrac web tip... cant wait to go through it

Agreed, but the ignorant lookie loo/complainer doesn't know that and will call the police to tell them somebody is digging up the park! On public property, you need to be as unobtrusive as reasonably possible. Hunting at off hours when nobody is around helps too. What it boils down to is this: it's the perception of what you're doing that is more important than the actual act. You could make the cleanest recoveries in the world, but, if someone complains for any reason, you still have to explain yourself to whoever responds to the call. With a hand digger, it's easier for them to believe you're just popping coins than if you have a shovel. Most parks have rules against any kind of digging or altering the landscape but they were not made for regulating metal detecting. They were made to keep people from taking stuff home to landscape their house! The rules are vague enough to where they can use them against us if they want to. They're less likely to invoke those laws if they THINK you're doing no harm. A shovel LOOKS more like harm than a small hand trowel does.

 

[masterjedi]

Very good point...
Thanks

 

[Greatday05]

I just returned from the local park with my 33rd silver coin (1941 Mercury dime) and what might be part of a silver handle from a fork or spoon. There were lots of people in the area, so I have to agree with not having too large of a digging tool. The hand held diggers from the above web sites seem to be not too much of an attention grabber. One of the wheat pennies I dug tonight was around 8 to 9 inches deep under a few rocks that needed to be pried out. My Garrett digger is 8 inches in length. It digs good, but could be a little longer.
Back to the E-Trac, the mercury dime rang up from (15-17) ferrous to (43-45) conductivity. There must have been some iron near it. The tone was very scratchy. It was about six inches deep. I wish I had a different metal detector to compare the signals, because it was very scratchy and almost iffy as whether to dig or not. I'm glad I dug.
What's amazing is that I have dug Barber quarters and Washington quarters but no Standing Liberty quarters.

 

[cudamark]

Not all that amazing. They only made Standing Liberty quarters for 13 years. Barbers were made for 25 years, and Washington quarters are 84 years strong now.....33 of them were silver and in much larger quantities than the previous two series. When I get those iffy signals, I will flick it into all metal and see what the I.D. says then (if I'm using a discrimination pattern) and also take depth into consideration on whether to dig or not. I usually will dig the iffy ones if the numbers are decent, even if they're scratchy or only come up swinging one direction.

 

[madforclad]

I just returned from the local park with my 33rd silver coin (1941 Mercury dime) and what might be part of a silver handle from a fork or spoon. There were lots of people in the area, so I have to agree with not having too large of a digging tool. The hand held diggers from the above web sites seem to be not too much of an attention grabber. One of the wheat pennies I dug tonight was around 8 to 9 inches deep under a few rocks that needed to be pried out. My Garrett digger is 8 inches in length. It digs good, but could be a little longer.
Back to the E-Trac, the mercury dime rang up from (15-17) ferrous to (43-45) conductivity. There must have been some iron near it. The tone was very scratchy. It was about six inches deep. I wish I had a different metal detector to compare the signals, because it was very scratchy and almost iffy as whether to dig or not. I'm glad I dug.
What's amazing is that I have dug Barber quarters and Washington quarters but no Standing Liberty quarters.

At least the signals on American coins are for the most part stable. Our Canadian coinage contains so many different metals/alloys the signals are all over the place on the eTrac. Depending on the year of the coin detected, the number ranges are wide. I had to make a custom discrim pattern just to identify our coins.
No worries though as I did not purchase the eTrac to find our coins. I purchased it to find deep silver and it has been rewarding me well.

 

[Greatday05]

I pulled a 1917 Canadian large cent out of the ground near Chautauqua Lake in Western New York a month ago. I almost didn't dig it because it rang up 12-30 which made me think it was a zinc penny. It was 6 inches deep so I decided to dig, and I'm glad I did. I also pulled an 1864 Indian Head penny, nickel - copper, that rang up 12-20. I thought it was a pull tab so I didn't dig it up the first five times I passed over it. It was in an area that was producing large cents so I was looking only for them, or silver type readings. I only dug it up after I came to the conclusion that different targets might be masking other targets.
This has me wondering what the two and three cent pieces will ring up on the E-Trac. I believe the Flying Eagle cents have the same metal content as the 1864 copper nickel Indian Head penny, which means it will have a similar reading of 12-20 (I'm assuming). Overall, we do have it easier than the Canadians.

 

[metalheadhorror]

Found over 20 silvers from a park I previously pounded many, many times with an ATP and I knew that machine well. The E is my fav detector by far.

 

[masterjedi]

Great feedback thank you!