is asphalt a "hot rock"

[funkman]

is asphalt a "hot rock"

I've heard some of you mention so called 'hot rocks' before when detecting and I was wondering if asphalt (road material) would make the detector beep? I was out yesterday and my detector would signal to me that theer was something in the ground. I started digging and kept bringing up chunks of asphalt. It was making it difficult to even dig this stuff up there was so much of it.
According to some people that lived in my area, the spot I was detecting use to have racquetball courts or something there. I guess I was digging up some of that stuff. Just wanted to know if I should have kept digging (cause I gave up) or was it truly the asphalt giving me a false signal. It was a little frustrating cause it was my first time out with my new detector (Ace 250). This was a field that I found a 1941 mercury dime
in just in a different area.

Thanks,

Funkman

 

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[Nitro 54]

Re: is asphalt a "hot rock"

Hot rocks can be found most every where. So the rocks in the blacktop could have a lot of hot rocks crushed with the other rocks. When you dug the blacktop, did you run your detector over just the blacktop to see if that was what was setting your detector off. If not you should have kept digging.

 

[funkman]

Re: is asphalt a "hot rock"

Nitro,

Thanks for the reply. The area I was detecting in is ahuge grassy field. I don't know where the asphalt was coming from unless it was form the raquetball courts that were supposedly there, or it came from fill. Of course now that you mentioned it I should have taken one of the chunks and swiped it over the detector to see if that was causing the problem. Just was frustrated because it was hard trying to dig with all that asphalt coming up.
Will have to revisit it (which is about yards from my house, just have to get permission from the Mrs. and see what I can determine.

Funkman

 

[JW]

Re: is asphalt a "hot rock"

Asphault makes mine go off, so I would say yes.

 

[funkman]

Re: is asphalt a "hot rock"

Thanks JW

It was really ticking me off....beep....dig....nothing....walk a couple of feet....beep....dig....find nothing......walk a couple of feet.....you get the picture


Funkman

 

[JW]

Re: is asphalt a "hot rock"

Went to a spot in the Sierra mountians last weekend and every rock in the ground was hot, 15-20 per swing.

I was hell on the ol Explorer...

Most of the time the hot rock signal tends to drift around and will not pinpoint too well, makes it tough to detect when the machine is freaking out with every inch it is moved...

 

[Southcacalaky]

Re: is asphalt a "hot rock"

I have had signals, just not ready to plunge through asphalt yet, may be something underneath. who knows ? Art...

 

[Sandman]

Re: is asphalt a "hot rock"

Yes, asphalt can set a detector off depending on what is inside of it. Cinders from a coal furness and some ores will too. You just have to take the good with the bad sometimes. Try turning down the sensitivity on the next hot rock and test it on a nickel afterward.

Good Luck,
Sandman