New at modern detecting - using SPP

Hi' All'
I just bought a SPP detector, I bought a small property on the VIC gold fields, no signs of diggings or mining activity on my place, however there is a few hundred meters away along a creek where runoff from my place eventually drains in to (on private land that the owner won't allow any one to detect on) in fact none of my neighbours will let any one on, some have had bad experiences

A mate found a few almost microscopic specks in a single pan full in my vegi garden, nothing to get excited about hear.

Any way I fired the SPP up in the house yard and it went crazy, so I started digging, this 12" coil it comes with is fantastic I dug a hole 300mm deep and about 600mm wide before I finally dug up the target, a piece of rusted gal about the size of a 5c piece, the wife was not impressed with me digging up the only green patch of grass.
I also bought a 12x7 mono and gave that a go, it nearly drove me crazy it located a target very quickly, so out with the pick again a rather large hole was dug
this time in the paddock, then the target vanished, I ran the detector over the pile of dirt from the hole nothing, spread it around and ran over it again got a faint signal moved the coil through the dirt from the hole and a strong signal came back ok got a hand full of dirt and ran that over the coil great, good strong signal I have got it in my hand, put it in a dish and had a look at it couldn't see any thing, got a magnet under the dish and there it was a piece of wire about 15mm long and about .5mm thick no joke, not much thicker than a pubic hair and it was at least 150mm deep.

I can see why some people give up detecting it's rather a lot of hard work the ground is like concrete around hear, and it wouldn't take too many of this type of experiences to turn some one off detecting.

I think the 12" coil might be a little too big as it makes pin pointing the target as you go deeper too hard, the 12x7 is a little better on the pointy ends.

Is there a smaller coil say around 6" to suit the SPP ?, or how good are the whites bullseye TRX for pin pointing and are they worth the expense.
if any one has any advice that makes pin pointing easier without cratering for targets would be most welcomed.

I am retired and have plenty of time to get to learn how to use this detector, I have to say the SPP is much better than I expected, only have to set it once, A mate has a Mine lab that cost over 5k and needs to constantly twiddle with the thing down hear I suppose its a machine that's a bit harder to master in different ground conditions, too many knobs and settings for a novice like me.
Regard's
428 :/

Welcome to PA

Welcome 428 824, plenty of info here, maybe you need a disriminateing detector (borrow one from somewhere) and that way you wont dig wire and you may find shallow targets if they are there, sounds like your soils been turned upside down over the years, at least then you could skip the wire at the start to save that initial heart ache.
dont ask me which detector though, im only a humble treasure hunter.

Welcome 428, PI detectors do have a tendancy to pick out very small targets like your piece of wire, especially when using mono coils. Probably your best bet is to fit your SPP with a 3-way conductivity selector switch so you will have some form of discrimination. This will allow you to set the SPP to distinguish between high conductivity targets (silver, copper coins), and low conductivity targets (ie. Iron, small gold, wire etc), or be able to detect all of the above targets.

Here's the link on what parts to use, and how to fit it.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=13934

As for smaller coils, I have the 5x9 and it is a lot easier to use for pinpointing targets, or if on a budget, there is the Superpulse 150 for under $100.

A pinpointer would be extremely handy to own, and save you a lot of frustration. The TRX is quite a sensitive pinpointer, though can be unstable at higher sensitivity levels, and only detects at the tip. After using the TRX and latest orange waterproof Garrett AT Pinpointer, I now prefer the Garrett unit. It sells for around the same price as the TRX, or the cheaper black water resistant Propointer 2 is closer to $230 (only has one sensitivity setting, the more expensive AT is adjustable).

http://www.goldsearchaustralia.com/...hn/5-x-9-elliptical-tdi-folded-mono-coil.html

http://www.goldsearchaustralia.com/...es-search-coils-1/whites-super-pulse-150.html

http://www.garrettaustralia.com.au/pro-pointer-at/

http://www.garrettaustralia.com.au/pro-pointer-ii/

Thank's For all that.
I will look in to that, I ordered a set of wireless headphones as my hearing isn't what it used to be.

I knew the SPP would not discriminate, What I did not know was how sensitive it is, detectors have come a long way since the mid seventies, I will be trying it out away from any fences or buildings on un disturbed ground, by that I mean I have several huge old stumps that I have dug out, there was lots of quarts and rocks around the stumps that have been pushed up as the trees were in the growing stages, I have a big back hoe front end loader and dug some huge deep craters to remove these stumps.

I doubt there would be much scrap iron in these craters, I will spread the piles of dug out material to break up any clumps then run the detector over the lot before pushing it all back in the holes it should make it a lot easier locating targets with the coils I have.

As I said there is no evidence of any mining on my place, and I haven't dug up any water worn rocks, but there are layers of different colored clay, red, yellow, white pipe clay and hard bands of pipe clay with tiny sharp bits of quarts evenly scattered through out, the deepest hole so far is about 2 m deep x 5m in diameter.

I have a lot to doo around hear over the next few months so I won't get a chance to go on to known goldfields, I am looking forward to giving it a real go.

Regard's
428

The discriminating abilities are actually active on the SPP, just as on the SL model, the only difference being that the toggle switch was deleted from the cheaper SPP.

Hi'ALL
One of the many jobs I have to do around the place is relocate the TV areal and cables, Whilst in the crawl space under the roof in a dark corner I noticed the insulation was lifted higher than the rest so I investigated and found IN IT'S ORIGINAL BOX a like new Bounty Hunter Automatic 840, discriminator VLF/TR.

The only 9v batteries I had were the alarm clock back up batteries so I turned the unit on and it sort of worked, when it got close to metal it stopped making sounds
I can't seem to adjust it I think one of the pots (Ground adjustment) might be stuffed as it has no stop on it in either direction, I couldn't find any instructions with the unit
so I guess it's not working and the reason it was left behind.

I am wondering if the coil is worth saving or getting it repaired, this detector looks as if it has had very little use no scratches on the control box or shaft, the coil has a few scratches on the bottom.

When I bought the SPP I was not put off other models over price I could have paid a lot more but I wanted something simple was shown the SPP and told it's better around hear given the ground conditions also being a novice at this I got what I asked for, I am Really happy with it for two reasons, Firstly I gave it to my Wife to go try it out in the back paddock she came back with a bucket of junk bits of wire, horse shoes, some brass what looks like electrical contacts, some bits were quite tiny but it got her interested, and that's a big win for me.
Secondly it's for me at least it's simple to use with it's marked settings you don't need to go too far from any of them, it's pin pointing being the only issue but that can be partly overcome with coils ,experience and possibly a pin pointer.

I would like to thank Goldpick for the suggested mods, I will order the parts asap, to have them on hand for when I get a bit more experienced with the unit as it is, it looks simple enough virtually plug and play.