Metal Detecting

I have been using the XP Deus for about 1 month and have only been detecting for about 2 months.

I generally use Gary's Hot program, and most of the time I am searching pasture.

My question is about those very strong signals that are either pretty stable in the 90s (usually with an iron buzz too) and those that jump around a bit in the 80s/90s. I started off digging everything, but got a bit fed up with giant horseshoes and deep iron. So, I have begun to ignore these signals. As a result, I am digging less iron, but wonder if I am actually missing good targets as well? How do you tell the difference between, for example, the "deep iron / large iron" tone that sometimes blows your ears off and a good high conductivity target that just happens to be near some iron?

Short answers.. First I normally detect in GMP.. If i get one of these strong signals and have doubt, I click down in Basic 2 and try.. If silent it is Iron..

Yup large , deep iron comes in around 87 and the tone is normally digable .. The target is normally pretty big though and if you raise the coil you'll get an idea of size

If in doubt dig off the top and check again .. If your pinpointer sounds off all over the place then it's large iron

Thanks for the tips.
It has been suggested that I ought to try Basic 1 rather than a more complicated custom program until I get a better understanding of the machine. This seems like good advice and will save my ears from being assaulted by the full tones constantly! Just need to get my head around the 3rd tone and what it is for?

Kristian1974 wrote:Thanks for the tips.
It has been suggested that I ought to try Basic 1 rather than a more complicated custom program until I get a better understanding of the machine. This seems like good advice and will save my ears from being assaulted by the full tones constantly! Just need to get my head around the 3rd tone and what it is for?

To make it easy for you I will recommend you to start of in GMP or Fast.. And as mentioned in previously post.. Recheck the hig targets in Basic 2.. But maybe that is just me..
HH - John

Danzigman wrote:

Kristian1974 wrote:Thanks for the tips.
It has been suggested that I ought to try Basic 1 rather than a more complicated custom program until I get a better understanding of the machine. This seems like good advice and will save my ears from being assaulted by the full tones constantly! Just need to get my head around the 3rd tone and what it is for?

To make it easy for you I will recommend you to start of in GMP or Fast.. And as mentioned in previously post.. Recheck the hig targets in Basic 2.. But maybe that is just me..
HH - John

Does it make any difference what surface you are detecting on or do you just use the same programs all the time?

Yes pretty much.. I even sometimes use the GMP on the dry sand on beach.. You can still lower Fequenze if you like to adapt to plowed fields..

Danzigman wrote:Yes pretty much.. I even sometimes use the GMP on the dry sand on beach.. You can still lower Fequenze if you like to adapt to plowed fields..

Thanks a lot for your advice.

Im sure others will have different advise, but the first step to change the setting is to hig the sensitivity to as much you can in GMP.. Im on 94 (standard is 90) and then lower the disc to 3 -4

I started with fast and moved on to GMP, now starting to use the HF programs from the magazine which are different as they definitely show deeper signals.

I have been mulling this over myself as the large hoard recently found was said to be a dodgy signal debatable to dig. If you think about it, a large mass will come up as a big signal.

Where I found my 12 hammered there is a signal which has, in hindsight, been bugging me as I dismissed it as large iron but when the crop is off I am going to dig to make sure it is not a pot full!

Another field has a massive signal which I reckon is going to be a buried gate judging by the size of it!

I have come to the conclusion that the big signals "might" be worth digging.

Hi there Kristian, The best advice I can give is-If in the slightest doubt about any signal, dig it! digging anything will get you more confident with any machine in the long run and you wont have sleepless nights wondering what youve left behind.Hope this helps! Jeff (alias Jt Pro)

Tinheed wrote:Hi there Kristian, The best advice I can give is-If in the slightest doubt about any signal, dig it! digging anything will get you more confident with any machine in the long run and you wont have sleepless nights wondering what youve left behind.Hope this helps! Jeff (alias Jt Pro)

I will get myself an even bigger finds bag for all those horseshoes then
I found one the other day that must have been used on a 30ft tall stallion!

Actually, I don't mind the horseshoes so much - it is those annoying ones where you dig down to 12 inches and the hole is still empty despite a strong signal.

Sounds like a good method on the Deus is to:

1. Use GMP/Basic 1 as main program and check any iffy signals with Basic 2 (in 4mhz or 8mhz) to weed out most of the tricky iron targets.

2. Dig anything that is still "dinging" at all frequencies.

Thanks again for the help.

I usually keep to the HF programs. When im not sure on a signal i switch to basic 2 and as said previously if it still 'Sounds out' then ill dig it.

JamieB wrote:Yup large , deep iron comes in around 87 and the tone is normally digable .. The target is normally pretty big though and if you raise the coil you'll get an idea of size

If in doubt dig off the top and check again .. If your pinpointer sounds off all over the place then it's large iron

Not wanting to throw a spanner in the works what would a hoard sound like ?

Got to like Nigel's comment;if I think I'm in an area that has the faintest chance of a hoard I usually remove some soil and see how this effects the signal;if there is any improvement I keep digging.