DetectingWales.com

ive been scanning away at my spot for a few weeks now, nice finds and all the rubbish to go with it but ive been finding a lot of coal / really hard carchole. machine thinks its metal  :-\ :-\ :-\ any ideas?

what machine do you use?? if its a goldmax they love that sort of thing

They are what we call Hot Rocks Rhyso.

They tend to be coal or charcoal that has been fired and will show up on some machines, but not all. They used to be a pain on my Muskateer, but not evena squeak on the Explorer. On the plus side - I have always taken the finding of them as at least showing occupation on a site.

Cheers
Neil

Rhyso - if you have a meter on your machine it should give a good indication and stop you digging them  : ???

i thought hot rocks were actual rocks not burnt material??. im using ace 250, you cant discriminate as they usually show in silver range on my machine! time to get a better machine?!

Your right Rhyso, they are not "Hot Rocks" in the true sense but are just pieces coke, They will sound off in the silver range on many single frequency machines and so you disc them out at your peril, however they will usually appear in the same place and the tone is slightly different to that of a good target in the same region. A bit of practice listening to their signal and that of a 10p ??? (if that's close) may help you to be able to tell the difference.

I think hot rocks often come from the old steam engines that were used for threshing, binding, etc. These enormous machines were the first efforts at mechanisation of farming and must have been a major step forward at the time.

lumps of coke on the beach from the steel works >:(

Yes I think your right Win much of the coke that turns up probably comes from the old steam ploughing.

In the Vale of Glamorgan they have used huge amounts of coke on some farms as land fill (like green waste) and as drainage additives for farm gate ground cover. They usually give a bouncy signal, meaning the signal seems to jump about and give inconsistent audio responses on my Etrac, and a loud iron response on my CScope. Either way, the audio can be used to screen them out because it is such a messy signal it is obviously coke.

Eric

On the Deus they come in about 25 or 26 on the VDI which is normally in the junk range. I dig the occasional
one just to check sometimes. Small iron is normally discriminated out at 10. The hammered are normally 40 +
which is a good thing for us!

Minelab multi-frequency machines normally discriminate them out, but some users running their machines "hot"
complain of finding them.

I know some people have a terrible problem identifying them with their machines.

As said, in some ways it's a good sign as it signifies that the field has been "worked" in the past.

interesting response's thanks all. most have been found close to trees, im in a woody area so may be signs someone has been clearing out and burning old twigs and sorts, the area is quite well looked after. any suggestions for an upgrade?? gti 2500??  :-\ :-\

GTi 2500 ??? Not unless your thinking of moving to the States any time soon ::)

not at all, ill never set a foot on US soil! there cheap to buy from there bout £600 plus customs charges, whatever they are! Any other suggestions? got up to £800 to spend spend spend!

A Tecknetics Omega 8000 with T2 coil ............. new with a lotta change.

Yes I agree with Bob (there's something wrong with that statement :D) The Omega is good contender as is it's stable-mate the new G2.

Also you could well be on very acidic soil that has been treated with burnt limestone in the past. (coke is a by product of burning process) If you finds are very corroded including copper alloy items this is most likely the case .(Ask the landowner about the soil PH to comfirm this)

Blimey!  ;D

I've seen the Omega (7.8khz)  in action many times and it's so easy to use, efficient, and really does the business in
terms of hammered (cut halves/quarters) etc.

The G2 (19khz) is fairly new out and another friend has done tests with it and said it excellent and not far behind
the Deus (which he owns) in terms of depth and recovery speed. Obviously the Deus has more versatility but for the money, he really rated it.

The G2 is about £100 more than the Omega to buy but will be easier to sell, if you need too, as it's more known and in demand.

Let us know what machine you buy!

Both those machines still sound off on coke though, and you'll have to dig holes because tiny silver items is exactly the same output signal. The GM3+ is single frequency and squeals only with coke, grunts mean iron and everything in between is a mid tone 'dig it' signal.
The best machine to avoid coke I ever used was the Etrac. I dig loads of coke with my T2Ltd, but I don't mind as the odd signal turns into a hammered Eddy!

ill have a look into what you mentioned, thanks for the advice, and yes ill let you know what machine i get. need to get my finger out and get permission to dig from farmers before i buy new machine!  :P :P

i have dug up allot of charcoal aswell with my euroace

yup, when using my whites xlt I usually turn up the odd hot rock, sounds like silver, but as chef says with practice u will learn the different tones,however if in doubt dig it. If however I am using the ex 11 I very rarely pick up coke/hot rocks,it seems to discriminate them out.

As for choosing another machine u need to decide what type of detecting u do most,read plenty of reviews and ask loads of advice before parting with ur cash.
 I tend to use the xlt to cover ground quickly and try to find any concentrations of finds (it allows a faster sweep speed than the ex11), then I will use the ex11 to cover the ' hot spots' (the slower sweep speed ensures that u cover the area in greater detail,it is also deeper).
I can also use the ex11 on the beach but it ain't so good on plough. However technology has moved on and as suggested teknetics have good affordable machines that cover most bases.
Others to consider are: xp goldmaxx , gm3+, troy shadow x5 for the price bracket in mind.
Pob lwc

been doing some research and Ive narrowed it down to a few machines. the one i need answers with is the Minelab X-TERRA 705. most reviews boast how good it is with gold. i don't go detecting specifically for gold, i want to find the coins and all that aswell. is this machine good in the fields, pasture / plowed? the other thing is you have to buy a different coil to get different frequency. I'm not to hot on that front, what do i need to know?

Yes the 705 is an excellent machine, if your buying new....great, but if your thinking of S/H then don't forget the X-terra 70 as this has exactly the same performance as the newer 705.
It's gold finding capabilities are generally talked about in "prospecting" terms when using the 18.75KHz 6" coil. If your doing general detecting then the 10.5" 7.7KHz (standard on the 705) and/or the 18.75KHz elliptical coil are the ones to have.

ok great, i forgot to mention the other one i had in mind was the MINELAB SOVEREIGN GT, its a bit more expensive but how much better than the 705 is it? is it worth the extra £150   :o

Ahhh! OK, hang on I'll need to put my tin hat on to answer this one ;D
Personally I would be going for the Sov but this is only due to it being deeper on pasture and the king on beaches (the x-terra's are no good on wet sand). However for comfort (weight) and pleasure in use then the XTerra just takes takes it.

im used to having a machine with a digital display so i like the 705 for this. how hard are the sov to use and get used to? the 705 seems simpler but i want that depth!!

The Sov is simple, although it gives a multitude of tones, There are basically only three to worry about just like your Ace and with the Sov you can say goodbye to Coke as like the Explorers it doesn't see it..

one more post and im off for lunch!!!! thanks for that Chef, where wud be the best place to get one? idealy in the UK.

I personally get all my stuff from Detecnicks, Give Laura a ring on 01243 545060 and I'm sure she will be able to give you a good deal and take your Ace in part ex if that's what your planning.

This is a private add from their web site

Minelab

Minelab Sovereign GT
Immaculate condition - only used three times
Purchased Christmas 2010
Supplied in original box with control box cover, bungee harness and Carry Bag.

£475.00 o.v.n.o. + postal cost if pick up not an option

MICHAEL

Tel:07715605888 or 01302722320

Ok, if u r going down this route ,the sov gt is great, but if u want the depth and an lcd display u could try the explorer 11.

If it is any help we could meet up sometime and u could have a go on my ex 11 just so u can get an idea of the weight, which can b an issue over long sessions!

thanks all. that seems like a bargain chef, ill have to think about it for a few days before i buy! can the sov show how deep an item is underground? (maybe a different ding tone or something) 

Only in it's volume but if your only planning on digging finds that are 2" down, give up ;D

i want it for the depth Chef!! ok so the fainter the sound = deeper down it is! i also noticed the control box is on the other side of the shaft. is this for balance? anything else i cud do with knowing before i buy it?

where did you find the advert you previously posted?

Sorry Rhys I was being flippant, Yes your right the stronger the signal the closer or larger the target will be. The control box can be mounted in three way, hip mount, near and under the hand grip or at the top behind the arm rest. and yes the positioning is for balance. The top position was always my favourite position.
The add is from Detecnick's own website  and the page address is:-
http://www.detecnicks.co.uk/2nd-hand-machines.htm (http://www.detecnicks.co.uk/2nd-hand-machines.htm)

i just did it! should have it thursday!! anyone want to buy a ace 250 with 2 coils?!!  ;D ;D

Congratulations Rhys, you wont regret it, they can be a little frustrating at first but you'll get the hang of it in no time. My only advice would be to use in manual sens not auto and don't turn it up to high, 12 o'clock is powerful enough. Good luck with it. ;)

Nice one rhys - cracking machine,  we will have to meet up and compare :o :o

indeed we shall, arrives tomorrow before 12, but wont get home until 10pm to see it!