Now you hear it, now you don't!

[jerkyg]

Howdy Folks,

I am brand new to the detecting world. Just bought a Titan 3000 XD and already have a couple of questions.

I will be doing my sweeps of an area when I receive a strong, high pitch signal and it registers 110 or higher. When I sweep back...nothing. Will do it 4 0r 5 times...nothing. Then, I get the same signal again...then, it disappears...again!

Second question - I will get a signal...consistent tone and number. I will dig down to the indicated depth. Sweep it to see if I got there yet...and nothing. So, because I kept the dirt in one spot, will sweep the dirt. Nothing...poof, gone!

So, what gives? Is my new rechargeable 9 volt so powerful that it is vaporizing metal?

Thanks to all in advance for any help to this rookie.

Jon

P.s. I live in the Sierra Mountains and the ground has a high iron content and we have a type of shale rock that I have been told is high in mineral content.

[MetalMadman]

While I don't use a Titan, I have had this same thing happen to me. Sometimes the signal shows good underground, then when I dig it, I get no signal. After I finally find what it is (usually trash) it occurs to me that my detector could get a better read once the dirt was removed and was discriminating against the item.

Pete (Free2detect) is also right about the halo issue. Copper is especially bad around here for creating a halo that is quite a distance from the original target area.

[sue,uk]

hi, i find i get this too! but i have come to learn that it is usually iron or steel, you get a nice strong tone and then it vanishes! and the other prob you get also happens but sometimes you might of dug up a very small fragment and if your not careful with the soil as you dig, it can get flicked away from where you are digging!

[MetalMadman]

Very true Sue. Many times I have flung my target out of the hole. It happens to me a lot when my shovel gets stuck in hard ground then lets go. My other occurence is in wet ground and the target (usually a coin) gets stuck to the shovel.

[jerkyg]

Thanks to all who wrote. It was very frustration and your suggestions were very helpful.

So, should I increase my iron discrimination level to alleviate some of these "hits"?

Thanks,

Jon

[sue,uk]

you could turn it up just a minute fraction if you wanted but you might miss deeper good hits! i personally have not turned up my discrimination just sweep iron many many times to make sure that signal disapears! if i am unsure i dig!! 99 percent of the time i am right! you will soon get used to what your machine is singing about!

[hoser]

Yup, have this happen to me from time to time. I usually I find it to be junk that was producing a big halo. I just sweep from a different angle to try and pick up the signal again, or flick the switch over to all metal mode and really go after the target. I know it is probably junk, but one of these days......... Just may turn out to be the gold.

[MetalMadman]

I sometimes, Like Ausablebill, switch to all metal when I am not sure about a target. Unfortunatly, my detector gives the same tone for gold as it does iron so I do end up digging a lot of junk. Going at the target from different angles is very good advice!

[robzombie852]

i also have these problems, it is very frustrating when you get a good signal, then it dissapears.

[robzombie852]

i also have these problems, it is very frustrating when you get a good signal, then it disapears.