Coin Hunting Set-up

[LaRoper]

Hello All,
Ok, I’m going to give you some of my little things I do to help find those older deeper coins. I have and still use the Whites Spectrum, 94 model. It is basically the XLT’s earlier version.
First set up you detector. Select the coin program, go to pro options, discrimination, and open it up, from 00-99. A lot of people just use the relic program, I have found you will have to go and adjust the freq to make it work like the coin program. (Lower frequencies seem to miss smaller items)
Depending on how much iron and trash adjust you sensitivity, (keep it stable)
When you start a new area, dig the first 10 items at various depths no matter what is ID. There is always a layer of modern trash at most sights. This will give you a baseline of how deep the modern trash is. If you find several pennies (1965 and above) at 4 inches, this will tell you most items above 4 inches are what I would call modern. I do dig higher VDI signals (VDI of 75 and above)
Once this is known, dig all signals below 4 inches, I do mean all. Do not trust the ID to identify targets past 5 to 6 inches. I’ve had silver quarters register a VDI of 33 at 7 inches. Once I remove the first 4 inches of dirt, it rang out at a VDI of 88.
Will you miss some good find above 4 inches? Yes, but if you want older coins this is a good start.
Be careful with the sensitivity adjustments. If the area contains lots of trash, don’t push it up too high, this will tend to mask good targets close to bad. (Especially the deeper targets.) A setting of 60 is normal. I have found quarters down to a depth of 8 inches at this setting. An area with lots of trash, don’t be afraid to set the sensitivity down to the 40-45 range, and increase your recovery speed.
Later I will give you some set-ups for hunting woods and fields that you would normally dig almost everything.
Just give me a rating on the thread to let me know if the information I’m passing along is useful.
Hope this helps to pull out a few older coins. Good hunting.
LR

[LaRoper]

OK, guess no one is interested.

[JoAnne]

Hey LaRoper -I do not think that it is that no one is interested I think it is that not everyone gets on the forum every day. I have a Whites Prizm V so even though your information is valuable it is only valuable to someone with your particular model. You did say something that I had not considered being a newbie- that check to see where the modern trash line was and then dig everything below that. Makes sense. I will give that a try. Hang in there and continue to post. Just becaue no one responded does not mean they are not reading it.

[dri-wash]

Great write up.... keep them coming.... more will see them and the education is for all.... the tips you gave will help. I have mxt and will try them with my unit. Thank you for the tips..

Tom

[gordiesgirl]

I started metal detecting about a year ago with a whites prizm II and got hooked. Last month a friend sold me his Spectrum XLT and boy to my surprise was I confused. I consider myself pretty smart and read all there was to read in the owners manual and I was more confused. So I took it out and started using it on Relic and found a good bit of junk and some coins. I try and detect on all my days off and have been trying all the programs. today i found a buffalo head nichel on the coin program it was Six inches down no date must be worn off,but I am very happy.I joined this forum about 2 weeks ago and love it. I am so thankful with your Information keep it coming thanks

[LaRoper]

Ok then, I'm glad to know the information is helpful. I've been using the Specturm for 12 years now. There are lots of little things you can do to improve your chances of finds. Maybe I posted this in the wrong place.
But I will continue. I'll try and get one up tomorrow sometime. Thanks Again.
LR
Nice WebSight Boobie.

[bill(de)]

Hi LR,

Your post had some great information for detecting in general with any detector and thank you for taking the time and thought to post it. Don't take anything personal when making a post and looking for a response as we all have many unanswered or low replies but as JoAnne stated they are all read.
One thing to remember is that everyone has their own specific hunting conditions that can change within a few feet let alone yards or miles and forget about regional.
We must all learn our detectors and how they react to our conditions based on coil and program facet selection and one reason i never use internet programs for the XLT but love to read the free flow of information.When it comes to heavy trash i leave the XLT home and use a 2 filter detector like an M6 or Classic IDX with a small coil.

I use a modified Relic program on an XLT and feel the 231 audio frequency is best for my hearing and the lower discrimination helps with depth.

When it comes to what depth to dig any target is more a personal knowlege of conditions but you did plant the seed of information to investigate any probablility.

Please keep up the posts as they are all read by many and very appreciated. HH Bill

[didijim]

Hey Roper, good info for my garrett 500, I went today and found the trash and treasures at 1 in level. It is a very new park. I am still trying out the depth thing so I will try what you said and see how it works on it. Did I get it correct??? The lower sensitivity the more depth??? or is it the higher sensitivity, more depth???? See how easily I get confused????

keep that info coming, lots of people just read and enjoy the input but don't like to post.

good hunting,

blessings to all

[cjoej]

I still have/use my Eagle II (predecessor to the Spectrum) and I have dug 1870's bullets and shell casings at over 16" in damp sand. I ran my sensitivity wide open and was digging 95's (iron). What was happening was the square nut in the bottom of the casings (striking plate for the primer on early center fire caretridges) had corroded and formed and 'iron halo' that was reading 95 on the Eagle II.
Well they were nice artifacts, just brass not iron.

This is another example of how the meter can tell you something different than you are expecting.

At some sites you just have to dig everything, since this was the Ft. Sedgwick site, it only made sense to dig all signals.

SWC

Joe

[LaRoper]

Originally Posted by didijim

Hey Roper, good info for my garrett 500, I went today and found the trash and treasures at 1 in level. It is a very new park. I am still trying out the depth thing so I will try what you said and see how it works on it. Did I get it correct??? The lower sensitivity the more depth??? or is it the higher sensitivity, more depth???? See how easily I get confused????

keep that info coming, lots of people just read and enjoy the input but don't like to post.

good hunting,

blessings to all

didijim,
Sorry, I didn't mean to confuse you. More sensitivity=more depth.
But as stated by bill(de), conditions will drive your setting. Ground minerals, trash content, and iron content are 3. The point I was trying to get across was, "don't be afraid to lower your sensitivity".
I myself for got this. Took me a little bit to get back strait.
LR