Depth trouble.

[Toadie]

I have been having trouble with two of my detectors in regards to depth. My Ace 250 and Ace 300 both seem to be going nuts when hunting in areas that I hunt. Not all the time either, but about 1/4 of the time. I am just wondering if it is me (and Crystal and Zack) or if it is the detectors.. Normally I hunt in factory settings at all times.

Then when hunting, BLEEP!!! I get a solid hit.. Super hard registering a dollar on the item indicator. But, upon digging and digging and even more digging, nothing.. Switch to all metal, still nothing. Slowly fill in hole, checking each shovel full of dirt, nothing. Once hole is filled in and packed, BLEEEEPPP!!! Okay, now I am wondering if I may have missed anything. Both detectors still give the same ID. At different times..

We never let both detectors get close together at the same time, so it can't be one interfering with the other.....So... I start emptying out the hole again one scoop at a time. Checking each scoop. get to the bottom... Nothing.. Recheck my hole, nothing. Then repeat the process all over again. Filled up... BLEEEP. I have several locations do this to me but never could find anything. I have been digging down to about 16" then proceeded even down to 20" on one hole.. Way too deep for most of my type of hunting.

Meanwhile, there are a couple of other issues that get me.. A solid hit , move the dirt, object is gone, check the dirt, nothing.. Put the dirt back nothing.. Then, three days later gets hit on the same spot again... By now, as you can imagine, I am to my wits end. These "Ghost Readings" are making me start to question my sanity and my detecting capabilities.

Even now, I have four of the "now you see 'em now you don't" holes marked.. Used my older Garrett GTA 400 on one of the holes.. What did I hear?? Bluurrrp!! Solid Dollar hit........ But I ain't gonna dig no more!!! I know the soil is not "mineralized" as well.

What ever is there can stay there.

James

[julieburger]

Been there done that and I wish I could help you but I am clueless too.

[paddywhack]

hI Toadie invest in a uniprobe its a PI and any thing thats still in the hole no matter how small it will find it,I have used this UNIPROBE for the last 2 years and they are well worth the money and the best on the market,I hope this helps Goodluck from Paddywhack.

[DougsGraphics]

I've had a few situations not terribly unlike what you describe, but maybe a bit different. I have a Minelab Explorer II, and once in a while I may have a traget that is a solid hit, I dig, but can't find it after digging quite deep. I'll then pass the coil over the hole and still get the strong hit. Once in a while, it's a ring or a coin that's on edge outside the hole, even sometimes quite a ways away. In pinpoint mode, it may show to be right in the center of the hole. Something about the darn geometry and ground-coupling that puts it off-center. Other times, if I keep digging, I'll find a very large item that's very deep. Other times, it's nothing but a very small item like a piece of copper-plated lead shot, or the back of an earring. Often, there are lots of possibilities, but generally there is an explanation. You just have to keep looking. There's something there, no doubt. Best of luck... and if you find out what's giving you the fits, come let us all know! (Don't rule out multiple targets spaced apart just far enough to fool your coil!)

[Boobird]

Hi Toadie...

This has happened to me before also...Last Saturday I was at my buddies farm, which I doubt was ever detected...Anyway I had all day long to detect and I took along my PrismV and Ace250...The very first hit I got with the Ace250 read a dollar...Turned out to be a mason jar lid...Same thing happened with the PrismV, about 4 times during the course of the day...I'm not sure exactly why this is but one of these times i'm sure that dollar or half coin will be there...Also I've picked up items as small as half a pull tab, but when I got a good signal, the target WAS there...Never dug down 20 inches though...lol, anyhow...dont feel alone...HH...


Boobird...

[dougdann]

This has happened alot to me too on the beach.
But after alot sifting through the sand it usually turned out to be the smallest slivers of metal.

sometimes I think it might be, maybe possible?, that when an item rusts in the ground the detector is picking that up.

Or maybe just picking up the natural metals in the ground.

Where I'm detecting now there are some small flat pieces of cement that register close to what you are talking about.


I have found turning down the sensitivity down has helped on some of this.

Just some thoughts.
Doug

[journeyoftheanimals]

I bought a pinpointer and now that I have it I feel like I could not survive out there without it. Thanks to the pinpointer I know i have found items and coins that I would not have found without the pinpointer.

[Toadie]

Of you who have encountered this situation, may I ask what type of Battery your unit takes??? I am starting to notice a pattern here with these Garretts that take 9v batteries.

On all the holes in question, I used a gemstone sifter to rule out BB's, metal shards ect. The Screen in this canister sifter I have starts out at 3/4", then steps down to 1/2". Then the canister under the 1/2" steps down to 1/4", then the next one is 1/8". The very last one is a really fine screen like 1/32". I only dug down to 20" because I was determined to locate the item setting off the "Ghost Reading".

I have noticed something I never thought about until Free2Dtect mentioned it.....The weather... 3/4 of the time I encounter this situation it has been humid. Not raining but humid. Also each time I did, especially around here, in Azle area just a little Northwest of Ft Worth, after I dig down three to four inches the soil gets very dry.. Like the top soil hold all the moisture.. I do know I always get better reading when the ground is damp..

I think I will experiment on these holes some more before I come to a final conclusion. But I am thinking the moisture in the ground helps to amplify the depth of the detectors.. That and something about the 9 volt circuitry are either causing false readings or extra deep readings.. But I would not expect false ones out of two different detectors whose settings are set different. I think I will go dig deeper and see what I find.. In the area in question, I have found no less than 156 lead balls (at last count) that look deformed, like they tore through something. All in an area a little over 2 1/2 acres.

This area is close to the old Stage Route between Ft. Worth and Veal Station... Almost out in the middle of nowhere it seems.