Hi do most people go by tones or numbers? I have 2 cheat sheets for my X-TERRA 505, problem is i get a number out the detector down fumble in the wind with the cheat sheets! I did find last night a downloaded cheat sheet that sticks on the X-TERRA screen for the 505/705 for Australian coins and metals! Now if i get a loud 30 ($2) i dig, if it moves from 30 to 33 i dig (old screw top)! But if it moves from 30 to 44 to 27 to 30 its junk? And finally if it fluctuates from 30 to 18 to 30 to 18 etc is that normally junk or? Cheers
Numbers game
- Thread starter Tugboat
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Sounds like your learning on the fly Tug ,.... thats how we all start out, the memory retention is far better when learning by trial and error like you are doing, makes for a good operator in the long run, who can anticipate correctly before digging the target.
Play the guessing game before you dig each time untill you are guessing correctly most times ,... then you'll be doing well, as the learning curve reaches higher.
Play the guessing game before you dig each time untill you are guessing correctly most times ,... then you'll be doing well, as the learning curve reaches higher.
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numbers will often betray you, so learn how the tone sounds, its pitch, size, and fullness.
Depends on the detector, some are more accurate than others with the TID numbers. Tones are a better indicator on some machines. Use both to build up information on the target and decide if you want to dig or not. As a general guide, really jumpy numbers are more likely to be trash but small silvers can be scratchy, jumpy. ...
The 50c piece is the only coin that won't id like junk and be loud and big enough to tell what it is. Every other coin has some junk crossover (decimal) so not only will you need to memorize numbers but also how solid vs scratchy and size or target. 1c and up into predecs the id numbers tend to be higher than common junk.
The humble 5c is same id as modern day pull tabs. Trick is 5c pieces sound and scan exactly like 5c pieces but not like pulltabs, but pulltabs will occasionally sound a lot like 5c pieces. Same with $2 coins and screw tops. And the only way to figure that out is practice. I still dig screw tops because of the similarities, but in 95% of these cases I know it's a screw top already. And the reason I do that is because of what you've brought up. Newbies hunting goldies.
When I started out I put a set of numbers on the top of my screen based on air tests Then I learnt the numbers and dug heaps of junk. So then I went back to solid numbers only until being shown deep silvers/ jewelry/ gold being picked up by another shooter. So I went to dig everything mode, and learnt many valuable lessons and info. Now I pick up coins, dig deep odd signals, and any odd number repeatable.
Only one way to learn....time on machine.
The humble 5c is same id as modern day pull tabs. Trick is 5c pieces sound and scan exactly like 5c pieces but not like pulltabs, but pulltabs will occasionally sound a lot like 5c pieces. Same with $2 coins and screw tops. And the only way to figure that out is practice. I still dig screw tops because of the similarities, but in 95% of these cases I know it's a screw top already. And the reason I do that is because of what you've brought up. Newbies hunting goldies.
When I started out I put a set of numbers on the top of my screen based on air tests Then I learnt the numbers and dug heaps of junk. So then I went back to solid numbers only until being shown deep silvers/ jewelry/ gold being picked up by another shooter. So I went to dig everything mode, and learnt many valuable lessons and info. Now I pick up coins, dig deep odd signals, and any odd number repeatable.
Only one way to learn....time on machine.
