the myth of the 90 degree turn to dig or not to dig??????

Calabash Digger

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Apr 18, 2016
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I find that a lot of iron will sound ok(not great) in one direction but unmistakably sound like iron when turning 90 degrees. Its also true that most trash signals will usually give slightly different VDI numbers when scanned turning 90 degrees. This is all using full tones and I have obviously on ocassion dug keepers that did not hold true to these things. So if your on a good site that is not super trashy, dig it all.
 

I have the remote in my pocket 99 % of the time now on relic sites and dig by tones alone so cant comment on the numbers but will test it on some tagets in the garden and see what happens thanks for the info.
 

I have the remote in my pocket 99 % of the time now on relic sites and dig by tones alone so cant comment on the numbers but will test it on some tagets in the garden and see what happens thanks for the info.

I generally dig everything and shy away from sites littered with modern trash. My tips are only for those that must cherrypick
 

I get that I'm not as picky as coin shooter and I tend to shy from the modern trash sites myself unless of course something good has come from there. Video was mainly to show the FALLACY that some say if you turn on it and it breaks up or it turns to iron its trash. Some people believe that. I understand cherry picking but they need to be aware of whats going on imo.
 

Honestly; I'm kinda torn between agreeing and disagreeing with you. Just like when changing settings to the site, it's only useful in the right conditions.
Being new to the machine and hunting in quite trash-free land, I dig every questionable target. Also tested the 90 degree turn. Done so the whole summer.

On my current permission I've literally picked out 2-3 Kgs of trash. I would have avoided approx 1/3rd of that by using the 90 degree method.

That choppy tone on the stand-alone coin I'd still consider a digger.
The high tone some iron gives is what buggers me, since it sounds similar to a very deep and very thin old coin. So it's an iron tone I'd avoid on this site.
 

The video is mainly for those who use that method as do all end it all technique. I will say this in iron infested sites its pretty much useless imo. I am also not saying info is not gained by turning on a target its just SOME pass on targets from the 90 degree turn alone. I have saw 2 people doing so on post ,one on the garrett forum and another on another forum was doing it and if it changed lefted it.
 

Just today, as a matter of fact, I dug a couple of coins that failed the right angle test. I assumed that I would be digging a nail, but it was a coin on edge in both cases.

One thing that may be pertinent is the type of coil: DD vs concentric.
 

I think you got a point there but I dont have a machine with a concentric to test.
 

Awesome video! I'll be chewing on this one for a while and kickin' myself, because I believed in the 90 degree test. From now on no doubt about digging these targets anymore!
 

You make a good point Calabash, there aren't many axioms in metal detecting that you can really bank on. There are just too many variables to cope with. I think most experienced MDers would dig any of those signals in your video if they sounded that good even if the signal went away or degraded after making a 90 degree turn. I know I would! I rarely rotate around a good signal. I rotate around the debatable signals. If the signal is suspect to begin with and it doesn't get any better from any other angle, then I am likely to leave it in the ground. But if I get the whiff of a good tone from any angle, it's coming out of the ground. Thanks for another informative vid.
 

The video is mainly for those who use that method as do all end it all technique. I will say this in iron infested sites its pretty much useless imo. I am also not saying info is not gained by turning on a target its just SOME pass on targets from the 90 degree turn alone. I have saw 2 people doing so on post ,one on the garrett forum and another on another forum was doing it and if it changed lefted it.

Now, on that I do agree 100%. On iron infested sites it's useless.
 

What program are you using to demonstrate this 90 degree turn?
Being new to the Deus (April) I'm now running #3 Fast, 0 discrimination, 8-12 freq.
Detecting mostly clay soils, iron infested homestead sites that in pasture, no till fields, and hay fields.
 

Hey guys i also use a deus and i make the 90 degree turn on anny target to get better pinpoint where the target is with this method i scratch way way way les targets than before .
About the Sound differents on Some targets wel i juist dig .
Also on iron invested grounds Some times iT is iron ik but some times its somting Nice
 

I always check good targets at 90 degrees and frequently circle them, snip at them with the front of my coil. I also inspect a coil size area around my target to see if there are any nearby nails or trash casting signals into my target area. The hard part was finding a target of interest, taking a minute to be sure you have it centered will avoid gouging the thing with your digger. Not circling coins on edge casting a signal out sideways, another bad idea. They didn't call me the mutilator for nothing my first year of detecting for failing to circle targets and get centered on them. (face palm)
 

I am in the boat you were in, hard to find pinpoint its location. I am getting better at times. So I am really playing with the location before I dig.
 

I once put my relic shovel dead center of a silver quarter, then stomped it punching a dent out the other side of the coin, then pulled back on the shovel handle and gouged the crap out of it, dented, gouged, it was utterly destroyed. lol
 

It is not a myth, imho.

Good signal -> try from another angel, say 180 degree-> still good-> level surface with shoe / remove leaves -> still good, pinpoint-> final swish over pinpointed area-> still good, dig.

AHHH, f..k another screwtap.

No honestly, the drawback can be that you walk over finds that may be masked in one direction by iron but not in the other.

Greets namxat
 

I think folks may be missing the point Calabash is trying to make. He's not saying don't do a 90 degree turn, he's saying don't make a "don't dig" decision on a target when it only sounds good in one direction and not the other which is what a lot of folks recommend. l, like most of you, subscribe to the get a good feel for the target by hitting it from a few directions and make a decision, plus X marks the spot which assists in pinpointing.
 

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