Ground test

[crashland]

Hello all,

I want to do some ground tests with my machine but the wife is getting fed up of me digging holes in the back garden. I realise that this may be a daft idea, but, if I filled a plastic bowl with earth then put the item underneath it and scanned over the top of the bowl would it be the same as burying the item 5 or 6 inches down?
If it works then I could just lift the bowl and remove the item without a) digging a hole to bury it, and b) digging the hole again to retrieve it.
Hmmmm?

[Stig(The)]

I read about this sort of ground test in Treasure hunter Magazine & can confirm there`s no problem in testing your machine this way .

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

I personally think that it wont give you an accurate test. Your detector will react different to  Items in settled soil. In fact your detector will probably  perform better than the garden test indicates.

[U.K. Brian]

I agree that any test is better than none...you can at least see the effect of say increasing discrimination but Rob is right saying that the results will always be slanted.

Why not wait till your wife is out and just bury a few coins/targets and leave them. They will need time to settle in and the ground to recover its normal matrix.

One thing to do after you have at least a basic in ground test bed is to take each new detector or coil you buy and note down some figures. If the detector has pre sets you could use these for each test. If not check all metal and then discrimination at a level that knocks out a set item such as a one inch nail.
You then have results that should be the detector or coil at its peak performance. Recheck every few months to make certain that the results are not getting worse. This could be a sign the detector is developing a fault or more likely the coil is going off tune.
I've had this a lot. If you don't check, a year later you are wondering why your finds are down or why you are only getting copper coins on the beach and little cupro nickel or gold.

[coleggwent(phil)]

you are right there rob not the same as settled ground for sure well said mate

[Landyman]

There is no difference in filling a bowl with earth or filling a hole that you have just dug. 
We have lots of pot plants in the garden with soil that has been in them for years. I have tested detectors by putting the item on the ground and then trying different size pots on top of it. Much quicker than digging holes. Might not be quite as good as testing on items that have been in the ground for a while but still much better results than air testing.

[mole]

Hello Crashland if you want to to carry out in ground test without disturing the ground matrix !! which you will do every time you dig a hole to plant a coin dig a hole approximately six inches in diameter down to say fourteen inches in depth you can then either press coins in the the side wall or remove a small amount of soil with a penknife or screwdriver to insert your coins at differant depths around the hole failing this an exposed banking is ideal just slot your coins in and away to go ground matrix intact hope this is of use to you good hunting  ;)mole