Trailertrash Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 (edited) I've almost made the 100 hr mark on the Equinox 800, most of it in Gold 1, with a few tweaks, as I learn what they do. I run in to a lot of -8/9 signals. I give each of them 10 or so swings, at 90 degrees to each other, wait for the TID to reset, and kick all surface rocks, and a half to one inch of soil away with my boot. Recheck. If the numbers are exactly the same, I walk. If there is any change, or I see any higher Iron numbers (-4,3,1,etc), I dig it. Every solid -8/9 signal I have chased, that wasn't a surface rock, has either been a rock buried several inches down, or one of those god-awful dissapearing targets. I met up with another, more experienced detectorist today, on a local club claim. He is running the 800, and basically agreed on the -8/-9 signals. Sound reasonable, or lazy? What are the factors that go into your personal dig/walk decision? Thanks, Kyle Edited January 21, 2019 by Trailertrash My bad spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 You are overthinking the s#%t out of this. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nugget Shooter Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 I dig all targets when nugget shooting unless I am "cherry picking" a super trashy area.... 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micro Nugget Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 I use my GPZ7000 almost all the time these days. Since it does not purport to discriminate, I dig them all -- or at least partially dig them all. When I get closer to the target I stick the tip my earth magnet (which is attached to the tip of my pick's wooden handle opposite from the pick head) into the loosened dirt and churn it around. Small ironstones that stick to it I try to toss into the center of a thick scrubby bush so as not to have to dig them again in the future. Larger ironstones I isolate and leave exposed on the surface after smoothing out the disturbed spot. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailertrash Posted January 21, 2019 Author Share Posted January 21, 2019 10 hours ago, adam said: You are overthinking the s#%t out of this. I am a professional overthinker. You should see me with a box of Chinese finger puzzles. It gets technical... Kyle 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailertrash Posted January 21, 2019 Author Share Posted January 21, 2019 39 minutes ago, Nugget Shooter said: I dig all targets when nugget shooting unless I am "cherry picking" a super trashy area.... Makes total sense, Bill. I'm just puzzled by the deep, iron indicating "targets" I have chased, and found nothing, each time. Like a foot deep, and the tone isn't rising as I get closer. Switch to "locate", which I otherwise never use, and it screams at me from a foot away. I wondered if it was the soil itself? There are places here in the Johnnie area, where I get these signals every foot or so. Back at it today! Regards, Kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailertrash Posted January 21, 2019 Author Share Posted January 21, 2019 34 minutes ago, Micro Nugget said: I use my GPZ7000 almost all the time these days. Since it does not purport to discriminate, I dig them all -- or at least partially dig them all. When I get closer to the target I stick the tip my earth magnet (which is attached to the tip of my pick's wooden handle opposite from the pick head) into the loosened dirt and churn it around. Small ironstones that stick to it I try to toss into the center of a thick scrubby bush so as not to have to dig them again in the future. Larger ironstones I isolate and leave exposed on the surface after smoothing out the disturbed spot. Thanks for the info. That's one thing I need to get, is a magnet. I'll hunt one down, and add that to my pick. I may back the sensitivity down, as well. I have been running it just where the threshold gets ragged. A couple clicks lower, and it smooths out. Thanks, Kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alwaysdirty Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 In short Adam is right. My opinion is discrimination nugget hunting only complicates things. Don't use it! Cover it with tape, learn the sounds, after lots of practice and digging MANY targets you will be able to tell the difference in sounds between target types. Be very patient during this learning process. You will have many trashy/hot rock days before you get the hang of it, just accept that fact, use your first nugget as practice. Watching the disc screen will keep your hearing distracted from listening carefully. Our brains are much better at focusing on one thing at a time. 4 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Lots of good advice given. You're asking questions, are willing to experiment with settings, and are persistent. All positives. You'll find your way. Enjoy the journey. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailertrash Posted January 21, 2019 Author Share Posted January 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Alwaysdirty said: Our brains are much better at focusing on one thing at a time. Very true. I keep forgetting that until recently, gold machines had no screen at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailertrash Posted January 21, 2019 Author Share Posted January 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Rod said: Lots of good advice given. You're asking questions, are willing to experiment with settings, and are persistent. All positives. You'll find your way. Enjoy the journey. Thanks. I get a lot out of these forums. Read, read, repeat. The dim little light bulb in my head is flickering, after reading these replies. I wonder if I am not setting up the machine correctly, for the conditions I am in. I will try some experiments with the nugget I have, and see if a combination of lower sensitivity, and ground balancing more often helps. I may be creating half the problem myself. That would not surprise me a bit. A lot of these mystery signals start as a tiny waver in the threshold, but no actual tone. I have been cranking the sensitivity up to 25, and trying again. This is where I get the -8/-9 signals, most of the time. Perhaps by maxing the sensitivity like that, I am just hearing the ground itself... I'll keep playing with it, and see if I can learn something. Thanks, Kyle 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowPoint Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 8 hours ago, Trailertrash said: Very true. I keep forgetting that until recently, gold machines had no screen at all. Gold machines have screens??????? .....Since When??????....Neither one of my gold machines have screens?!?!?!!?..............How come my gold machines don't have screens??????? I know,..... because I have learned to listen to the signal tones,...........I don't need no "stink'n" screen on my machine to find gold..... Didn't have, nor need a screen on my machine to find these:.................................Duck Tape over and Get away from that screen and become familiar with the signal-tones that your detector is sending you. Gary 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailertrash Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 If you really want to make yourself gag, just read the instructions that came with the wireless headphones for the Equinox. A whole section on how to pair your phone to them, so you can answer calls, or listen to music while detecting. Somewhere out there, someone is doing that. Haha, I'm not that bad! Not me, I prefer a clutch pedal in my vehicles, a tailwheel on an aircraft, and I actually miss pay phones. Ok, two of those are true. Not smelling cigarettes and hooker breath on a payphone makes cell phones worth the hassle. Those are some nice looking nuggets! Regards, Kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nugget Shooter Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 23 hours ago, Rod said: Lots of good advice given. You're asking questions, are willing to experiment with settings, and are persistent. All positives. You'll find your way. Enjoy the journey. Indeed..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nugget Shooter Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 22 hours ago, Trailertrash said: Thanks. I get a lot out of these forums. Read, read, repeat. The dim little light bulb in my head is flickering, after reading these replies. I wonder if I am not setting up the machine correctly, for the conditions I am in. I will try some experiments with the nugget I have, and see if a combination of lower sensitivity, and ground balancing more often helps. I may be creating half the problem myself. That would not surprise me a bit. A lot of these mystery signals start as a tiny waver in the threshold, but no actual tone. I have been cranking the sensitivity up to 25, and trying again. This is where I get the -8/-9 signals, most of the time. Perhaps by maxing the sensitivity like that, I am just hearing the ground itself... I'll keep playing with it, and see if I can learn something. Thanks, Kyle Too much sensitivity will indeed increase ground noise and false signals.... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailertrash Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 35 minutes ago, Nugget Shooter said: Too much sensitivity will indeed increase ground noise and false signals.... Thanks Bill, Once the 40mph winds finally quit here, that's my first order of business. Dial the machine back a bit, and see if that helps... Kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Relichunter2016 Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 IMHO you will dig everything when you want too, and other days you will not dig everything. I can't stay consistent, for me it's random and a sign of a healthy mind. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brownnugget Posted January 24, 2019 Share Posted January 24, 2019 On 1/21/2019 at 7:53 AM, Micro Nugget said: I use my GPZ7000 almost all the time these days. Since it does not purport to discriminate, I dig them all -- or at least partially dig them all. When I get closer to the target I stick the tip my earth magnet (which is attached to the tip of my pick's wooden handle opposite from the pick head) into the loosened dirt and churn it around. Small ironstones that stick to it I try to toss into the center of a thick scrubby bush so as not to have to dig them again in the future. Larger ironstones I isolate and leave exposed on the surface after smoothing out the disturbed spot. I swing my detector as close to and in bushes as I can thinking most don’t. I think I have some of your iron stone and such🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️🤪🤪🤪 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc5391 Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 On the 800 turn your sensitivity down to 15-17, turn the iron bias up to 5-6, speed to 3-4, and learn the signal for gold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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