One direction signals??

[davpower]

Hi All - I was out for a few hours finding pull tabs today. I used both the ETrac and Excal II. I noticed something with both machines. Sometimes I would get what I thought (with a total of about 12 hrs exp) was a good tone, but only when the coil was passing in one direction. When I swept across in the other direction ... no tone. Is that an indication that an experienced person would know whats up? I also noticed, with the ETrac, that I would get what seemed like good FE/CO numbers and a good sounding tone, but often the FE # would go to 1. It would come back a few sweeps later, on the same target, to some other higher FE #.

Ideas would be helpful - Thanks, Dave on Saipan

[jkress]

Hi Dave,

One direction signals are tough. I don't use either of the machines you mentioned, but I do have a Minelab Explorer. Most of the time, a signal that only hits in once direction usually tells me it is rusty iron. Not always... but if I can't repeat that 'good' signal while walking around the target there is a high chance it's iron.

However, there were several times last year that I got such a sweet sound from only one direction that I just had to go after it. More than once I was rewarded with a silver coin either on edge or a silver coin in close proximity with some rusty iron.

As you get more time in the field, many of the sounds will start sorting themselves out for you. The most important thing is to note how the signal reacts when hitting it from different directions and then digging to see what it is. Most of the time, a good target will give you a repeatable signal from more than one sweep angle.

With 12 hours experience, you are pretty new to the hobby. The more you can see what's causing the signals... the quicker you will learn. So keep digging.

Overtime, you will figure out the high percentage targets to go after.

Hope this helps a little,
Joe

[davpower]

Hi Joe - Thanks for the reply. Yes 12 hrs is very new ... most of that time has been playing with buttons :grin:. Looks like a lot of digging for an education in tones.

Thanks - DP

[Bell-Two]

Yes one way signals can be an iffy thing. If you turn on the 90 degree and it nulls out then most likely rusty iron, you can try going on the 45's degrees and see if it gives you a signal. On the E-Trac did you use your quick mask? It is a good tool to help. Sometimes on a one way signal you dig if the tone is good and smooth. If the tone is scratchy most likely iron. What is a scratchy tone, well that is what you learn from digging junk! Another thing you can do sweep and eyeball where you think the target is then pinpoint, if the pinpoint suggests that it is off to the side of where you eyeballed the spot...then probaly iron. If in doubt dig it anyway, doesn't take long and you learn from it.

[1147SILVER]

One direction one thing I look at are fe co numbers 12 anything and shows up in smart window on the right corner I dig.
Its tough thing to get is another thing Ive noticed from my teachers george and angel I might not be explaining this right but silver for example does not have a sharp sound it is more gradual and sweet high pitch sound. In area with alot trash you need to go slow and learn the sounds let the fbs technolgy work for you. Make sure trash setting is on high ground difficult fast off and swing speed is slow this will help to know what sounds to look for. I think a test garden will help. Im no pro and have a lot to learn hope it helps.

Steve

ps no area is hunted out till it is etracd out

[coinnut]

The one sided signal is the hardest to analyze. The FE 1 range is an area that iron falsing tends to end up sometimes (called wrap around). But it also is an area that coins on edge or large coins end up too. I would slow down my swing to a crawl and only overlap the target by an inch on each side. In other words shorten that swing so no other targets around it can interfere. This may help to get a signal on both sweeps. But in general, I dig any target that repeats a majority of the times, even if it is in one direction. The only exception is if the depth meter shows it as a shallow target. Then I know it's iron for sure. Do I get fooled sometimes?? Yep, but I also get a lot of good targets too.

[staydetuned]

All very good responses re: the intricacies of these machines!

I find that most of the time the 'one way' signals tend to be iron. The most important things I've discovered: move around the target from all directions to get as much information as you can. As mentioned above, if the area where you mentally 'pinpoint' the target tends to 'shift' as you scan the target from different angles, that can indicate iron as well.

On really iffy signals I'll go wide open to get even more information. Here I look to see that the signal mentally pinpoints (not the pinpoint function) in a single tight location, while moving around it. This is the only time I'll really look at the cursor because, at most places, these deep iffies, if a good target, tend to rest along the right side (even though the tone may vary.)

Another thing I notice is that these variables change in different parks. Some places, any nulling at all always (or almost always) results in iron, while at others sometimes the 'one-ways' and partial nulls result in on-edge silver or silver next to iron.

As stated above again, the best thing to do is put in MANY hours on the machine, take your time with your signals, move around them and learn as much as you can, then dig them up. Eventually it becomes second nature and you'll find a 'balance' between iron and coins at whichever particular turf spot you're at.

Some people think it's a bad thing that we dig iron with Minelabs. With the number of good coins I've found next to or nested with iron in the same hole, I've found it to be worth it. (At least for the first couple pounds per hunt! :) )

[MartinL]

I have that happening right now, and I know it's a coin...I buried it there last year. I don't think you'll ever know what it is unless you dig sigs with one way tone only. I would have missed lots of coins had I passed on all of the 1-way tones. If it is repeatable in at least one directional swing, I dig. martin

[MercMan]

Put the TTF (two tone ferrous) program in the machine. Double check it with the TTF very slowly. If you can separate it with TTF then it could very easily be a good target right next to an iron target. Just dug one of those today. Silver quarter right next to a big iron target.

[davpower]

Thanks to all for the information. I just received the Andy book that I ordered with the E-Trac. The book was on back order at Kellyco, but have it now. Seems to have a lot of good information that might reduce the number of questions.

DP

[Viking]

Great question and responses. Thanks.

I need more experience with these types of signals. From reading posts, I probably wouldn't dig a signal that doesn't repeat well, or moves when trying to pinpoint, but then I ask myself &quot:daydream:k, well what if there is an iron object at 4 and a silver coin at 6, and maybe a bit to one side? That seems like it would cause your pinpoint to move to the shallower iron signal as well (regardless of the occasionally good Fe Co numbers), but that's only because that's what the machine is focusing in on first and foremost. I'd hate to misread that situation and walk away from something good...

[coinnut]

When in doubt ....DIG lol or you may get this :crying02: :crying02: :crying02: The single most important hint on the E Trac is to dig any target that you can get to repeat when using a very short coil movement. Short coil movements are what separate the close targets and produce a more solid hit. Go by tone first, numbers second, and cursor position last. Tone is everything on the E Trac.

[v3ikid]

I have no experience with the E-trac but these are the targets that will leave you :thinkingabout: sometimes. For me I have had times when i have got the one way siginal and slowed my swing down to a crawl to where i was moving it back and forth like an inch at a time.
Sometimes by doing that you can get the tone from the other direction and it is a coin. Other times you don't get it and it's a coin. Sometimes you are able to get it that way from both directions and it's a nail.
I figure if it's 3 or under i will dig it if it's more i usually don't. That may be a mistake but honestly those are the signals that inspired the term Dig Everything. lol

I think the only way to know is to dig though.

[Viking]

When in doubt ....DIG

Ain't that the truth. I just hate when you decide to dig a sketching target and you're forced to keep carving the hole bigger and bigger, and deeper and deeper all while your probe isn't giving you any indication of where the target is. Surrendering to a signal is always a spirit breaker. :white:usaflag:: Doesn't happen too often, but does happen to a new E-trac user like myself. I'm getting better at pinpointing, but not great yet, and the depth meter has me scratching my head sometimes. :thinkingabout: