new feller with intro and question...

[EarnestSchmidt]

hey all, earnest schmidt here coming to you from the state of massachusetts. i am new to metal detecting, just bought a minelab explorer ll. i have a total of 5 hours of detecting under my belt and i have found 1 1918 dated walking liberty, 1 wheat penny dated 1955, 1 nickel dated 1971 and a boat load of random nails, shovel heads, fencing, brass who knows whats, lead, and much more.

question: how can i more efficiently target coins and jewelry over the junk? i have read the manual and have done some testing with coins and different metals but i am still having trouble with understanding both sound and screen activity. i hit something that sounds like my silver coin and it ends up being a chunk of lead. i also get a lot of "faint" hits that almost sound like my gold coin (but much more faint) but end up being a "deep" nail.

i own a decent size piece of property, i have 2 fields, 2 old foundations, and some woods to detect on (the 1918 walking liberty was found near one of the old foundations). i am somewhat frustrated with all of the "junk" finds, it seems like there is an old nail spaced 5 feet apart throughout my property

[norris]

hello earnest, and welcome to TQ. i don't know much about the minelab, but you came to the right place for info. TQ has a bunch of great folks here, and there is always someone that can answer just about any question you have. several dealers & minelab users here. once again, welcome and good luck mding.

[JoAnne]

I do not know anythng about the Minelab but just wanted to say welcome. I am sure someone on here will give you the information you need. Good luck and can't wait to see your finds. Make sure you take pictures to post. JoAnne

[bbqcook]

Man, it sounds like you are sitting on a good spot. I would love to go to a spot like that and hunt.
Just learn what that Minelab is telling you and go for it

[INDY]

Hi and welcome to TQ. Sounds like you have been doing good so far!! Nice Finds

[EarnestSchmidt]

thanks for the welcome, everyone!

boobieinPa, thanks for in the info! i just set my machine to only "accept" coins and jewelry and x'ed out everything else. now, one question for you, with them x'ed out, will it make noise over x'ed out objects (example: a nail), or will it make no noise at all?

i noticed earlier today (before making setting changes) that silver and gold make a different noise and general junk can sound similar to both. i also noticed that when i was doing some testing that when i put a 1 ounce gold coin in past a foot and covered with dirt, the noise wasn't as consistant as i would have thought.

bbqcook, it sure feels promising, especially after finding that 1918 walking liberty was great. i hope to find more! i just have to negotiate over all of the old farm stuff!

[mws]

already kickin my tail........great finds

[FinalLastDays]

Earnest - congrats on your finds! Welcome to TQ - This is a great place to find lots of answers and support for your questions. There are experts in the field of MDing here as well as beginners such as myself. I come here on a daily basis to read up and learn from others experiences. It is also a great motivation site, as I see it... once I see what others are digging up and posting it makes me want to spend more time with the machine. It seems like you are having an awesome start to the hobby with your finds. As for the "trash" finds, it seems like everyone has had their share in digging up the "junk". As I tell my wife when we are searching our property - the more trash we dig up now, the less we will dig up later. Good luck in your MDing - I hope to hear more success finds of yours in the days to come!

[Tony]

Please find me a place like yours in the Chicagoland area.

but really, good luck hunting on your property and keep us notified of your finds.

[Fiftytwo pennies]

Sounds very nice there Ernst for as little time you have you have done
well. I've been MDing a little over 2 months and haven't even come
close to those dates the oldest my best yet is a 1905 IH