Having Trouble pinpointing the hole with my E Trac

[bigjohn]

Pokie73 (Dennis) talked me into metal detecting again after a 15-20 year absence. He had a E-Trac and found over 120 silver coins this year. So, I bought my E-Trac late in May this year. I had no problem pinpointing with it until the last two months. Most of the time after I pinpoint with it, I keep searching and checking hole and find the coin 3 to 6 inches away. I first noticed it with quarters being very hard to pinpoint and find. Recently I dug three holes side by side and never found the coin. Another time the penny was laying outside the hole and still the E Trac pinpointed the hole. I have understood that the coil also detects at the top of coil and bottom of the coil, along with pinpointing in the center of the coil. I wonder if I am having user error or if I need to have it checked out for repair. It is no longer fun to detect when I have trouble finding the coin. I do use a garrett pinpointer but still no signal in the hole.

(I remember my first detector was a Mark I with no discrimation in the late 1970s. I found lots of mercury dimes in parks )

BigJohn

[CyberSage]

Welcome back to the hobby Big John! When you start your pinpoint raise your coil as high as you can, and still maintain a response from the target. This will help with getting a good center on your plug. Trashy ground can be troublesome, but don't give up... the E-Trac very seldom tells a lie.

[Tony Two-Cent]

Which pinpoint mode are you using on the E-Trac, normal or sizing? The default is normal and that's the mode I prefer. I like it that the pinpoint tone keeps getting smaller with each sweep over the target. When pinpointing, I sweep the target from one direction, then I turn 90 degrees and sweep it again until I have the target precisely centered. Using this method my E-Trac always pinpoints on a dime. (No pun intended.)

[bigjohn]

Tony, I am using the normal method of pinpointing. Pushing the pinpointung button and the two bars come to the center of the screen and the volume gets louder. I too check the pinpointing at a 90% angle but still have trouble. I am not sure of your sizing method.

[RaZR]

BigJohn... Sizing is one of the options on the E-trac for pinpointing. I have noticed that sometimes if you change the mode or pattern you are using and then go back to the mode or pattern you started with that it changes your pinpointing preferance. Start up your E-trac in the mode or pattern you usually use and then go to preferences and make sure that it's set on normal for pinpointing. Another thing that may help is if yours has the cover on the coil and it has alot of dirt and crud inside under the cover clean it out. That's all i know of to help.

GL/HH

[bigjohn]

Okay today I studied you tube, websites, and the instruction manual because I had owned my E Trac six month and never changed anything in the menu options. I admit being overwhelmed with so many choices. I checked and the pinpoint was on normal not sizing. I went out today for an hour and found four pennies. All butone was offcenter from where I pinpointed perhaps 3 or 4 inches from center of the hole. I will keep trying. Big John

[midas]

Use SIZING setting for pinpointing. At the loudest sound and bars together, the target will be directly under where the nut & bolt is on the coil. Are you sure you're eyeballing the pinpoint correctly?