Lack of low conductors

[Chef Geoff]

Hi all, as I've mentioned in my last couple of "Finds" posts, due to the dry ground I've noticed that the low conductive signals are already getting scarce. These include your hammered pennies, small lead, gold rings and Roman bronzes amongst others.
On Sunday I noticed that it wasn't so much a matter of them disappearing but their signal response had got lower (on the explorer). Now on paper this can't actually happen as the target has it's own conductivity which can only be effected by extremes of temperature and I do mean extremes. Moisture should only effect the ability of the machines to see the target.

BUT that is what I found to be happening none the less and as Nomad found out this morning, the same seemed to be happening with him and he may have left the hammy in the ground as foil on another occasion. I knew he and Pipster were off out today so gave them a call to give them a heads up on my experience and glad I did.

So the real reason for this post is a warning to dig ALL low numbers that are above iron on most machines and all targets even on the bottom of Explorers or tight left on the Etracs. I know we always should but lets be truthful when you have dug umpteen shotty caps and foil you tend to get a bit blasé about similar signals (or is that just me ). I can't say this is happening on your sites or with machines other the Minelab but just be aware it could.
Good hunting and I hope this helps someone.

[Meatslicer]

Good advice Geoff.

I have changed to using my big SEF coil this week because the signals were getting weak on the smaller coil.

Also digging dried clay can be hard work. Gave my spade a grind in the workshop to sharpen it up.

Eric

[nomad]

thatwas and is a sound tip geoff..excuse the pun!........as i can say under normal conditions i would have not dug the hammered signal....and as pip and were talking i had to admit to not digging threeor more signals prior...i inly dug as it had been quiet for a spell and i thought i wonder .......so good tip yet again geoff

[Rob Two Spades]

Same on the T2SE, I was concerned at my lack of diggable signals on bone dry, recently seeded fields, I buried a hammered at about 7 inches and noticed it was giving me a clean 2-way grunt with numbers around 30, well into the iron don't dig zone. No setting would give me higher numbers. On normal pasture hammys give numbers over 60.

[Val Beechey]

Same here Geoff with the M6.with a spider coil. I wondered if I was missing signals because I didn't recognise them so I took a couple of old silvers (1 vicci 4d and 1 george shilling)  and buried them at about 6in. I trod down the soil and did a sweep.
NO signal from shilling and the faintest from the 4d. Made me realise I could have missed numerous items cause I certainly wouldn't have dug the faint signal with no reading.
Was begining to doubt myself but praps it's not just me.

Val

[tyna]

Oh God!!!!  What am I ignoring?

[nfl]

cheers for the heads up geoff,i usually dig the iffy signals as well as the good ones ,,which is fine if im on a site thats quiet on the rubbish front but when im on a field thats full of rubbish it can be a pain in the a**e.

[tyna]

exactly - i was on such a site Sunday pm !!!!  GREEN WASTE 

[dances with badgers]

dont get that problem on the beach lol.

[tyna]

I'm getting withdrawal symptoms from Gold now Mikey!!!!  Need another 'great storm' though.....

[rjm]

Wet ground always seems to enhance signals.

It's said that if 'in air' tests are the limit's of a machines depth and you can take off 25% of that for targets
in the ground.

I personally don't agree. How often have we dug a signal only for it to disappear, but with the probe it's
at the bottom of the hole?

Minelabs are notoriously bad at detecting on ploughed land due to the air in the soil. In fact, the worse
mineralisation probably the better they are!

So I agree there is logic in Chef's suggestion.