Read this post I made last year - E-Trac advice needed

[DirtFisher]

I really think we did all we could at this site with our V3i's. I haven't gone back there with my E-Trac but plan to soon. Any ideas? Maybe run ferrous only and dig the high tones?

http://forums.whiteselectronics.com/showthread.php?52673-Ground-cursed-by-a-false-prophet&highlight=prophet

[randy]

Noise cancel 12 inches off the ground, then noise cancel with the coil on the ground. This will tell you the channel it likes for the EMI, then for the ground. Hopefully they agree, if not, use the one it liked with the coil on the ground. Just note both of them. Then try each channel, and note which one gives you the best auto rec/hits the deepest targets. Use the one that works the best. I've found that in difficult conditions, playing with the channel alot, even as you move around to different parts of the site, can be helpful. No guarantees, of course, but something to try.

And yes, it does sound like TTF makes sense at that site, tho the E-Trac will still see silver in iron if trash density is set to High (this is not the default, so check it).

I don't think burying coins and testing them is valid, especially with Minelab machines. I think it works differently on coins that have been long buried (or so I've heard, anyway). This is a test to do sometime, tho, that could all be myth. Sometimes if I find a deep, iffy target that I'm pretty sure is a silver, I leave it in the ground for a while and use that as my test garden for that site (works for testing the best channel for the dirt at that site, and much better than a recent test garden or a test garden at a different site), but it sounds like you haven't gotten that far.

But, definitely play with TTF and channels. At a difficult site, you just have to play with the machine much more. And, I have one site I just can't hunt, its right under powerlines, and the deepest coin I've ever gotten is a silver quarter at 4 inches. I've tried everything, and I know there are deeper coins there. I've even tried hunting in pinpoint mode -- that actually works, until it doesn't -- you can't just keep hunting in PP mode, you have to switch out and back, and its a pain (I could do it at this site, as there were not many targets at all -- if your site is iron-infested, this obviously won't work).

Well, a bit wordy, but HTH.

[RaZR]

I find that when hunting under power lines that a tinfoil hat helps. :grin:
Not really! I try different channels under power lines and use the one that's least affected by the EMI. And i would hit that site using the settings that angellionel has posted in the minelab thread. If there are deep silvers there those settings will make them scream at you. |:cheering: Good Luck!

[DirtFisher]

Thanks much, guys!

[Big Boys Hobbies]

Be sure and let us know how the E-Trac does out there!

[DirtFisher]

Okay here's the update: I went to the site with my E-Trac. Did a ground cancel from 12 inches and started out in the stock merged coin and jewelery patterns. Got nothing but nulls everywhere I went. Almost never heard the threshold tone. So I tried a noise cancel with the coil on the ground and this didn't help. Then I went to ferrous audio and was getting some high tones. I tried to dig a 3 or 4 of them but there was so much iron in the ground my pin pinpointer (Grarret Pro Pointer) was useless. I was only able to dig two big pieces of iron, lots of nails and what looks like a button (I haven't checked it out yet), So I stopped at a beach area for some gratifying gold and got a diamond ring. |:cheering:

[earthmansurfer]

Hey Reese, First, congrats on the Ring! Does that pay for a detector?

If the iron is really thick, don't even think of using the stock, with the V3i or E-Trac. I'd use the 6X8 SEF or something even smaller. Also, as Andy Sabisch has mentioned, I do my noise cancel on the ground in as clean a spot as I can find - it often matches the air noise cancel though. Probably not a deal breaker though.

When you get a constant null it generally means that the sensitivity is too high. But, I still run it that way and have pulled many coins from a constant null - other have said the same. But what I do do when I get that constant null is to slow down and it often goes away (this depends on the iron of course).

I actually have had success running CO Multi Tone but perhaps the iron where I hunt isn't as bad as yours. I play with TTF also but don't like it that much (yet).

How were you running the machine - auto or manual? If in auto, you might want to try going negative. If in manual try dropping it till that constant null is broken and then slowly see if you can up it. What were your expert settings? Which coil? Inquiring minds want to know (and see if something can be done).

Good luck,
EMS

[DirtFisher]

Nope, the ring won't pay for the E-Trac but I've gotten five gold finds so far with the beast. I think I'm at about 13 grams of 14K. It's gonna take another month or so to pay for the E-Track. I've attached a picture of my gold finds this week, which includes the ring from last night.

I was running Auto +3.RD On, Recovery Fast On, Trash Density High, Ground Difficult with the only coil I have - the stock one.

I'm telling you that there are so many nails there even if you were able to pinpoint a non-ferrous object, you'd need a pin pointer that discriminates to find it. It's really that bad.

As noted in the post on the White's forum (link in my original post), my friend tried his V3i there with a 5.3 coil. I texted him my results last night and we agreed to write that place totally but I'm still listening if you have some ideas.

Thanks much for the reply, buddy! Oh by the way, I made the mistake of posting the ring on the Facebook E-Trac group and my daughter saw it. She sent me a text saying she really wanted it so this ring isn't going into the E-Trac cost recovery fund. :dontknow:

[earthmansurfer]

Wow! - I have only found 1 gold ring in 8 years and that was years ago. What is your secret? You must be digging pulltab signals, which I usually pass on. I have found 18 silver rings in 5 weeks at this great spot I have been hunting. So, I know I'm walking over gold - just the odds.

Good luck with that spot! Sounds like a challenge for sure. I would still try a small coil with the sensitivity way down. Start with auto -3 and then bring it down into a low manual setting. Not that I know what I am talking about, but it does seem to make some sense if it is really really bad. You can only hope to detect in the first 5, so set the machine up for that.

Let us know!
Albert

[DirtFisher]

Thanks again, Albert. I'll go back to the place if/when I get a smaller coil.

If you found 18 silver rings in that area I would guess you passed over 3 or 4 gold ones so far. Yes, I dig anything that sounds decent and is below CO 26. I've found 4 gold rings and one gold pendant at this spot. There are coins all over but It ignore them because the park is too new to have anything old. After the hunt, I end up with lots of foil, pull tabs and nickels in my pouch - and one or two pennies that faked me out.

The inverse is: If I have found 4 gold rings and one gold pendant in that area I would guess I passed over 15-20 silver rings. I think that's probably true. I did accidentally dig a 50g silver bracelet and a bid silver cross necklace because they made my E-Trac sing so much. I plan to go back and dig the higher CO's some day but want to finish with the gold before someone else gets it.

The ability to hear a lessor conductive target sitting next to a higher conductive target with the E-Track in High Trash has really helped at this spot.

Reese

[earthmansurfer]

Thanks for that reply Reese. I now have a new spot to hunt. I knew I had to be walking over gold rings. And just one nice ring will pay for my detector. I have picked the easy silver finds for the most part. There are probably quite a bit more there but I might as well try to find some gold rings now. There are definitely a fair amount of pull tabs there but my plan is to find those really deep ones as they might not be pull tabs. :thinkingabout:

Anyway, Monday might be my last day to hunt as it's predicted to get waaay below freezing and the ground will be rock solid. Hopefully it doesn't last long cause when winter is finished they fence the place off and I don't have access there except to swim! I want to hunt this spot as I really don't think I'll find as good a spot anytime soon. Enjoy the videos while they last! :cheering:

Good hunting bro and let us know how things go with the iron,
Albert

[DirtFisher]

Good luck with the gold! It takes patience and perseverance for sure but it will pay off eventually!

Reese