Newbie questions

[gentleone444]

Hey guys so Im pretty new to MDing...I got a Tesoro Mojave a month or so ago and have been hitting it hard. Ive been finding some clad at parks and lots of junk here and there. Couple questions if you dont mind:
-Im finding that the Mojave reads big deep metal the same essentially as small shallow. Granted a coin is a lot tighter signal but Im doing a lot of deep digging and then finding that I cant get to it. And what would be big and deep aside from junk anyways. I have yet to invest in a Lesche so I can really only dig 5 or so inches down and my plugs tend to be 4 to 5 in dia. Should I assume I need to go to deeper to get older stuff?
-What am I looking for when I do historical research? Old schools? Fairgrounds? I have found these but how do you narrow it down even further? What do you look for on the ground? Oldest trees?
-Should I decide what I want to find and focus on that first? Like coins vs jewelry? Old coins vs clad?
Thanks guys for any input. I know thats kind of broad but I really enjoy the hobby just wondering if Im missing something or if it just takes digging alot of trash to get to the good stuff.
Gentle


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[Tpmetal]

your on the right track, the old stuff is deeper and the only way to tell if its a decent signal not something big is to raise your coil off the ground 8 inches to a foot or so. if you still get a signal its either iron or one hell of a stash of something good. so i dig most of those signals anyways unless i'm tired. Also swing from multiple direction in an x to get more of an idea of whats under your coil(does the signal change from swinging another direction? and how does it change). Basically just keep digging everything until you learn what your specific machine is telling you. in terms of research you are on the right track. look for high traffic places or research where families with money lived. where people drank booze is great, celebration spots are great like old wedding spots, swimming holes the list goes on. consider talking to some old timers as not everything made it to paper or internet. Places where people sit under trees, look along the base of hillsides where a sunset is watched from the top of hill(search the top as well.) Hopefully some of that gets you thinking in the right direction. oh yes and old swimming holes

 

[Tpmetal]

In terms of narrowing it down, look for where things like the outhouse or well would have been, or clothes lines. Which direction is town? where did people get in and out of cars or carriages? is there an out building then search in between house and building. so on and so fourth

 

[Indian Steve]

I was talking to a local today that told me, his uncle, who was Grand Dragon in the KKK buried 55 gallon barrels full of machine guns, rifles and ammo, packed in grease. on his property back in the 1960s. The uncle died 15 years ago and never told anybody where the barrels were. If that don't make you dig big targets, I don't know what will. Of coarse, don't dig holes that big in parks.

 

[chub]

I was talking to a local today that told me, his uncle, who was Grand Dragon in the KKK buried 55 gallon barrels full of machine guns, rifles and ammo, packed in grease. on his property back in the 1960s. The uncle died 15 years ago and never told anybody where the barrels were. If that don't make you dig big targets, I don't know what will. Of coarse, don't dig holes that big in parks.

Sounds like a two box situation...

chub

 

[digger27]

Hey guys so Im pretty new to MDing...I got a Tesoro Mojave a month or so ago and have been hitting it hard. Ive been finding some clad at parks and lots of junk here and there. Couple questions if you dont mind:
-Im finding that the Mojave reads big deep metal the same essentially as small shallow. Granted a coin is a lot tighter signal but Im doing a lot of deep digging and then finding that I cant get to it. And what would be big and deep aside from junk anyways. I have yet to invest in a Lesche so I can really only dig 5 or so inches down and my plugs tend to be 4 to 5 in dia. Should I assume I need to go to deeper to get older stuff?
-What am I looking for when I do historical research? Old schools? Fairgrounds? I have found these but how do you narrow it down even further? What do you look for on the ground? Oldest trees?
-Should I decide what I want to find and focus on that first? Like coins vs jewelry? Old coins vs clad?
Thanks guys for any input. I know thats kind of broad but I really enjoy the hobby just wondering if Im missing something or if it just takes digging alot of trash to get to the good stuff.
Gentle


Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

A month is not quite enough to get a real handle on this one, keep hunting and you will get there.
The raise the coil trick will work on the big stuff, something you learn as you advance.
As far as deeper coins they actually do sound further away at say 5-6" or more than a shallow coin but again something you need to learn to tell the difference.
Not every old coin is deep, I have found Indian heads and V nickels and silver mercs and older quarters at only about 1-2" out there but also several deeper than that at 4" and up to 6-7" or so....they can go even deeper.
Picking the right sites where older coins can be found is very important if that is what you are aiming for and so is learning your tools but that takes time.

Here is a hunt I had yesterday with my Mojave.
It was at a park that has been around since the 1800's, from what I found I think it was farmland before that.
None of these targets were more than 4" deep, the buffalo nickel was only about 2" in some very compacted dirt and that cattle tag was not deep either even if there is a definite possibility that thing is way over 120 years old.
That one screamed at me and acted like a big ol' can or one of those large deep targets you are talking about but I dug it anyway.
Just keep hunting and learning and keep asking questions and getting experience...it will all come together for you soon enough.

 

[sprailroad]

gentleone444, It sounds like digger27 has it pretty much dialed in, and he also uses a Mojave, he's given good advice. I tell ya, with 30 years detecting, I'm still learning, and I still love it.

 

[Terry Soloman]

The hardest thing to do is also the easiest - Trust your machine. Read the owners manual again now that you have double-digit hours on the machine. Begin to experiment with your discrimination and sensitivity. BUY A REAL DIGGING TOOL.

There is no need to focus on coins, or relics, or jewelry. Focus on learning the sound characteristics of a pull-tab, versus a screw-cap. When the signal strength is Booming, and you raise the coil 6" and it's still booming, it's a beer/soda can - or maybe it's a Two-ounce gold chain and medallion. You don't know till you dig it up. Just set your discrimination at foil, your sensitivity 7-8, and dig it all until you know the machine's language!

 

[gentleone444]

A month is not quite enough to get a real handle on this one, keep hunting and you will get there.
The raise the coil trick will work on the big stuff, something you learn as you advance.
As far as deeper coins they actually do sound further away at say 5-6" or more than a shallow coin but again something you need to learn to tell the difference.
Not every old coins is deep, I have found Indian heads and V nickels and silver mercs and older quarters at only about 1-2" out there but also several deeper than that at 4" and up to 6-7" or so....they can go even deeper.
Picking the right sites where older coins can be found is very important if that is what you are aiming for and so is learning your tools but that takes time.

Here is a hunt I had yesterday with my Mojave.
It was at a park that has been around since the 1800's, from what I found I think it was farmland before that.
None of these targets were more than 4" deep, the buffalo nickel was only about 2" in some very compacted dirt and that cattle tag was not deep either even if there is a definite possibility that thing is way over 120 years old.
That one screamed at me and acted like a big ol' can or one of those large deep targets you are talking about but I dug it anyway.
Just keep hunting and learning and keep asking questions and getting experience...it will all come together for you soon enough.

Very inspiring Digger27! So at this point O should just focus on learning my machine?

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[Charlie P. (NY)]

I was talking to a local today that told me, his uncle, who was Grand Dragon in the KKK buried 55 gallon barrels full of machine guns, rifles and ammo, packed in grease. on his property back in the 1960s. The uncle died 15 years ago and never told anybody where the barrels were. If that don't make you dig big targets, I don't know what will. Of coarse, don't dig holes that big in parks.

They'd have to be pretty short rifles to fit in a 34" high drum. A "bitty" little AR-15 is 6" longer than that.

 

[digger27]

Very inspiring Digger27! So at this point O should just focus on learning my machine?

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Yep, it might be a little frustrating for a while longer but it is still fun and something we all go through when learning a new detector and especially if you are brand new and have to learn the basics along with that tool.
Nobody goes golfing and breaks par when they first start out, if ever, no one picks up a bowling ball and is real good at knocking down the pins at first either.
Practice makes perfect and you will laugh about what you know and how you think about things now as time goes on.
Things change for the better with patience and experience...they always do if you stick with it.

 

[NuffaloBickel]

Hey man, I'm right there with ya! I just got into MD'ing about 3 weeks ago and it's all I can think about! I'm getting my 3 and (almost) 5 year old into it as well. Thanks for asking some of the questions I was just about to ask. Good luck buddy. Just keep digging.

 

[Vern2]

I'm in my 8th month of enjoying this sport/hobby/lifestyle, or whatever else you want to call it. It's fun, satisfying, and addictive.

I never dreamed I would have dug 1,092 coins, 7 rings, 2 earrings, and 2 bracelets, out of the dirt. And I feel like I have just really begun to know my machine, a Tesoro DeLeon. And it's one of the simplest machines to operate.

Yep, echoing Terry and digger, it ta k es awhile to figure it out. After 8 months, a little success, I still feel like I've only just begun. I used to keep National Geographic's by my bed to read. Now I keep my Deleon and Red Racer manuals to read. Go figure.

So, good luck to you, gentle. Luck is huge in this addiction.