What to do when you're wading in junk...

[NCHL]

Well.... I am totally disgusted. I sought and got permission to hunt a ghost town not too far from where I live. It was once the site of a little village of about five stores, a flour mill, and a cotton gin. The person who gave me permission to hunt said it had never been hunted. I thought, oh boy, look out good stuff, here I come! Well the good stuff is there, I'm certain of it. Only every other piece of metal known to humankind is also there! I've never see such a dump. There were iron cans, iron industrial parts, soda cans, pulltabs, rusted litttle pieces of metal (who knows what they once were), and aluminum scraps just to mention only a few. In fact, I dug up stuff I couldn't even identify. It seemed I couldn't walk six inches without a signal. Depths ranged from two inches to more than eight. The machine in every mode from "all metal" all the way down to "coins" was going crazy. (I'm using an Ace 250 that I'm still getting acquainted with. Let me admit that right up front.)

Here's my question: Is it possible to discriminate out that much junk to ever get to the good stuff even when the junk includes Vienna sausage pull-tops, pulltabs, aluminum scraps and other trash that registers as coins?

I'm sure there are plenty of good finds there if a person could ever get through the junk.

Any thoughts on the matter?

[Inspector]

I think that you will have to use the smallest coil possible, maybe reduce sensitivity, and even after all that dig a lot of junk. Rusted metal often gives a false signal. I have been in your shoes just not at a virgin site. Good luck with it. My 2 cents!

[IndianaSmith]

How many bars showing on the sensitivity setting?

Smitty

[PAPPY]

Go to the Custom mode and delete out the lower end alum, tin, iron and cut back on you sensetivity to about 3- 4 notches and see if that helps. It would also help if you were using a Sniper Coil.

[NCHL]

Hi Smitty,
I don't remember exactly how many bars but I do remember that at one point I reduced the sensitivity to less than half, hoping that would help. It didn't. The place is a rusted metal graveyard along with the newer generation's deposits of beer caps, pulltabs, and so forth.

[NCHL]

I'll give it a try Pappy. Thanks.

[Dixieldy]

NCHL- So glad you asked this question. I am having this same problem at a site which is very old. I was wondering myself if you discriminate even a tin can, will you not be able to find dimes or quarters. Sometimes when it's a tin can, my Ace250 shows a quarter and goes back and forth to a dime etc.. I want to discriminate myself but afraid to.

I wish you much success in your hunting. Just know you are not alone. I hope someone here has the answers

[jimmyjiver]

Hi, I'm Just Curious On How Old This Ghost Town Is? Since Pull Tabs Came Out In The 60's & 70's....You May Have To Dig Junk For Awhile ...Just Keep The Faith And The Good Finds Will Come....Thanks

[liquid1]

Originally Posted by NCHL

Well.... I am totally disgusted. I sought and got permission to hunt a ghost town not too far from where I live. It was once the site of a little village of about five stores, a flour mill, and a cotton gin. The person who gave me permission to hunt said it had never been hunted. I thought, oh boy, look out good stuff, here I come! Well the good stuff is there, I'm certain of it. Only every other piece of metal known to humankind is also there! I've never see such a dump. There were iron cans, iron industrial parts, soda cans, pulltabs, rusted litttle pieces of metal (who knows what they once were), and aluminum scraps just to mention only a few. In fact, I dug up stuff I couldn't even identify. It seemed I couldn't walk six inches without a signal. Depths ranged from two inches to more than eight. The machine in every mode from "all metal" all the way down to "coins" was going crazy. (I'm using an Ace 250 that I'm still getting acquainted with. Let me admit that right up front.)

Here's my question: Is it possible to discriminate out that much junk to ever get to the good stuff even when the junk includes Vienna sausage pull-tops, pulltabs, aluminum scraps and other trash that registers as coins?

I'm sure there are plenty of good finds there if a person could ever get through the junk.

Any thoughts on the matter?

Wow So you found a junkyard to hunt..I;ll give the Titan A breakin then..It seems to do Real good at disc Iron and other Junk..It has the IDT to shed the unwanted stuff, All we can do is give it a shot..Hey as long as we dont get stuck with a Needle its all in fun..Glad you got to check the place out..Sounds like a Landmind..lol..And I should have the F75 with the small coil next week..Look at it like a good training ground..And Please let me know If I need to Bring the 357 Colt for protection against the Transiets..LOL.............See ya in the morning james..

[Steve in PR]

I think you will get a lot of opinions so I will add my 2 cents worth!

If you are certain you have a site that has not been hunted then, like you said, there are going to be some good targets there. It is worth investing the time to dig up the junk to get to the good stuff. I forget which member made a post about it but lay out a sqare area, not too big, maybe 10 x 10 feet and start digging all the junk out. What will remain will be better, deeper targets.

If you have the time to do it, it will pay off because you won't miss any of the good targets if you invest the time to get rid of the junk.