Noob issues with Minelab

[Relic Wench]

I have been out about 5 times with my Minelab X Terra 505 and am having a heck of a time decifering targets. I have been using the 1, 2 and 3 default settings and seem to be hitting trash all over - tabs, slaw, nails, etc. There seems to be no discrimination at all going on. I did find a very old cellar hole in the middle of about 2 thousand acres of forest and ended up leaving empty handed because the entire site was littered with what looked like buried tin roofing shards; once again the machine was going nuts all over.

Old victorian yards and parks, same thing. Tons of signals every few feet with random numbers and a random bars on the discrimination scale - still lots of trash. My gold ring brings out a very low tone while can slaw makes a high scream - both read similar number on the screen.

The more I go out trying to learn to read my machine, it seems the less progress I make and spend hours digging trash. Does anyone have any advice for a total beginner as far as discrimination goes?

I see guys in my area pulling out old coin after old coin on youtube, but so far I am getting mainly recent clad out of mid 1800s yards. I did come home today with a 1910 liberty nickel in the mix, after a solid 5 hours of detecting.

 

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[Keppy]

Can't help you i had a X-Terra got rid of it and went back to my Minelab Sovereign & also got a Excalibur. Don't seem to have the problems with them that they have with the so called HI -Teck detectors . To me i call them Low- Teck detectors seems like the more Hi teck the more problems.... And any more it seems that Hi Teck means going backward............

 

[Relic Wench]

Maybe it's time to go back to basics, lol... http://www.markstechnologynews.com/...dals-identify-treasure-beneath-your-feet.html

It says these things penetrate 2 feet....or are they talking about the two feet in the photo? The best part is, no one will bother you because they will think you are wearing a convict ankle tracking bracelette.

 

[Iron Patch]

It's simple... you need better sites! If I could put you on one of my better sites you'd dig lots of goodies and feel as good about your detector as you feel bad right now. Whether you believe that or not you'll find out when it happens!

 

[Relic Wench]

I wish I could Iron patch! A friend and I are just starting out, and I believe he is in your neck of the woods. We always chat about what we read here and drool over your great finds. You new England guys have it made with all the colonial stuff littered about.

 

[Iron Patch]

I wish I could Iron patch! A friend and I are just starting out, and I believe he is in your neck of the woods. We always chat about what we read here and drool over your great finds.

It's 95% getting on a decent spot, and 5% swinging the detector and digging the targets. You'd be much better off spending your energy figuring out good places to go, because you will know the detector well enough to be successful once you get there. Anyone can do well at a good site, even a newbie on their first day! It all has to do with the quality of targets that is in the ground available to be found.

 

[Keppy]

Maybe it's time to go back to basics, lol... http://www.markstechnologynews.com/...dals-identify-treasure-beneath-your-feet.html

It says these things penetrate 2 feet....or are they talking about the two feet in the photo? The best part is, no one will bother you because they will think you are wearing a convict ankle tracking bracelette.

I don't think you got the point.

 

[Gonehunting]

First of all have you ground balanced, noise cancelled? What sensitivity are you running? If you need help with this let me know. If all that is good. Ironpatch is right a good site makes a detector look good. Now I know not everyone has a good site to go to. For those who don't, don't worry, you have a good machine and it will find the goods. Learning it is the key. I have been detecting for over 20 yrs and have used several machines. I am now on my 3rd year with my x70.
Looking at your pic I know where you are coming from. Can slaw effects everyone and will read good. That can't be avoided other than xing or coming in on the target at 90 degrees and checking for the same number on your id. 98% of the time a coin will repeat its signal. If it is the same, pinpoint and check the target, does it sound small? A wheat penny (38) is not going to be loud if it is showing to be over 8 in. It will be a quiet short tone. Ex. Say your getting a 42 at 4 in.(possible sil. qtr) now raise your coil to say 7 or 8 in. Did the target almost or totally disapear like a coin should or does it still sound loud? If it disapears then u could possibly have a coin. Big pieces of junk metal like the one in the bottom right of your pic will read good too. Doing the above will help.
I have dug a many of the masonjar lid like you found. I know its to big to be a coin but it sounds too good and could be holding a cache or be a good relic. The pull tabs can be descriminated out. Take them scan them and notch out that signal, like 28 but that is the same signal as a IH penny. Xing will usually help you to decide if it is a coin or pulltab. Now alot of good relics can get descriminated out by notching these pulltabs. Old homeplace usually wont have aluminum but will have chunks of sheetmetal. A quick switch into prospect mode can id sheetmetal by the sound. It will be a high pitch. Learn you machine. Make a metal garden with trash and coins and practice, learn the sounds.

 

[Gonehunting]

by the way welcome to tnet. The good thing about digging up the junk. You have cleaned the ground of the junk and now can go back and check for better signals. We have all done that.

 

[jeff of pa]

I have been out about 5 times with my Minelab X Terra 505 and am having a heck of a time decifering targets. I have been using the 1, 2 and 3 default settings and seem to be hitting trash all over - tabs, slaw, nails, etc. There seems to be no discrimination at all going on. I did find a very old cellar hole in the middle of about 2 thousand acres of forest and ended up leaving empty handed because the entire site was littered with what looked like buried tin roofing shards; once again the machine was going nuts all over.

cellar holes can be super trashy.
not a place for a new hunter in my opinion

Old victorian yards and parks, same thing. Tons of signals every few feet with random numbers and a random bars on the discrimination scale - still lots of trash.

shouldn't be quite as trashy as cellar holes,
but maybe your sensitivity is too high.
I Don't know the X Terra unfortunately,
but they are supposed to be good machines.
Perhaps ask somone in the Minelab forum about settings
in fact I Am moving this there to see
if it Helps you get answers.

My gold ring brings out a very low tone while can slaw makes a high scream - both read similar number on the screen.

this is correct gold, nickels, can tab tongues,
and certain other trash gives low tones on all
tone disc machines as far as I'm aware.

Can slaw by size and Content (Aluminum)
can overload. I Too hate Slaw when there is alot
in an area. you just need patience & Dig.

The more I go out trying to learn to read my machine, it seems the less progress I make and spend hours digging trash. Does anyone have any advice for a total beginner as far as discrimination goes?

As a Beginner , I Say turn your Sense down to a Quarter of it's
range.

And your Disc. all the way up so you don't pick up
can tabs. You can't disc out slaw.
But it should help you get used to your machine

Back off on the Discrimination slowley only
after you are more confident, or the sites
arn't producing enough signals
to make you happy.

I see guys in my area pulling out old coin after old coin on youtube, but so far I am getting mainly recent clad out of mid 1800s yards. I did come home today with a 1910 liberty nickel in the mix, after a solid 5 hours of detecting.

on second thought after reding this part.
"1910 liberty nickel" ?

Cool ! maybe you just need patience
and are expecting too much ?

you have to clean the newer stuff and thin the trash to
find more older stuff. the shallow targets can mask the
old targets.

Welcome & Good Luck !

 

[aaaaaaa]

Try laying some known targets, both good and trash, on the ground and practice with those, modifying your settings until you get the best discrimination.
Doing it this way means you can learn the detector and adjust the settings "at your leisure" and won't have to waste "good detecting time" for it..

 

[Relic Wench]

Thanks for the good advice and info. My sensitivity was set at 12 out of I believe 19 (have to recheck). Probably way too high to start out. I will definitely check the ground balancing and notch a few items out on the discrimination, next time out. I suppose sitting down and going through the manual pages in detail while adjust digital settings is as much fun as digging trash

PS. Someone sent me a private message on here and the page bombs out everytime I try to view it - I'm not ignoring you.

 

[jeff of pa]

till your mail comes up

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php?action=pm