Pin Pointing

[swansea jack]

Hi Gents.
I been out a dozen times now with my Explorer SE and ultimate 13, I'm happy with the performance of the machine and coil. Pinpointing shallower targets is no problem but on the iffy targets which usually turn out to be deep my pin pointing is quite often off the mark I will say even in pin point mode I'm struggling and if I'm honest I'm not totally sure I'm over the target when I start to dig. Any suggestion, many thanks

[jcmaloney]

I normally do a left to right sweep, then move around 90 degrees and go left to right and where the + is I dig.

Can be tricky on faint/deep targets though.

Alternative is to take a spit of soil out and try again.

[fred]

You should have no trouble. You should be able to swing it side to side and forwards and backwards at speed until you lock on to the target. If you are struggling try varying the swing speed and knock out a larger plug.

[sweepstick47]

My personal method since starting - Take short left to right swings (of 30cm ish) over the target whilst moving the coil back towards you. When the target response ceases the target is marginally just in front of the toe of the search-coil. Insert the trowel another 10 cm towards you (to ensure you don't 'bruise' the find and remove the flap/plug of earth. If the target is deep increase the 10cm 'margin'.
After removing the target, note it's size and the depth and position it was recovered from and commit it to memory for assessing future margin allowances. This is the most commonly used method of pinpointing a target using the search-coil.
Some detectorists reduce detector sensitivity to narrow the target response signal as an aid to improving pin-pointing with the search-coil. (remember to return sensitivity to your search setting
before recommencing your search) Cheers Eric

[swansea jack]

Cheers to the three of you for your suggestions, I should have added I'm digging in sand at the beach. My go to method of crossing over the target and with a shallow target it's not a problem it's the very deep ones that is an issue. I have dug 15 ins plus, and there is still a signal but I'm still not sure if I'm over the target, I've even tried moving a few inches of sand so I can move the coil down a bit deeper, the target is there, but I can't in all honesty say exactly where. I have tried moving the coil back and forth gradually moving backwards till the signal drops off and repeating 180 degrees before repeating at 90 degrees to the original two, trying to establish the size and location but I'm still coming up with nothing.

[sweepstick47]

The 13inch ultimate is a coil option I sometimes use 'in-land' given the right conditions.
Pin-pointing a target position while simultaneously assessing it's size/length, is pretty straight forward with a 'stock' sized coil but may require a little more practice when a large coil is in use. The system you're currently utilising by sweeping from all points of the compass is perfectly sound so practice and time should be all that's needed.
Cheers Eric

[swansea jack]

cheers Eric yours and the the others advice are well appreciated.