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Sunday, December 11, 2016

Target depth tests

When I search for jewelry at a tourist type beach, I like to make sure my metal detector is fine tuned for detecting small gold.
I often use a thin gold ring on a length of string to help make sure I am using the correct metal detector control settings to get the best target depth possible at the beach. 
If you are mainly searching for coins at the beach, try using a small thin piece of silver with a hole in it, tied to a length of string to use as a test target.
Tying knots in the string every three of four inches will help you judge how deep you are detecting the gold ring or coin.
I prefer to use a small thin gold ring as a test target, as I know if I can detect the test target I will have no problem detecting larger pieces of gold jewelry.
If you set your metal detector controls to the same settings every time you go beach hunting, you have the most to learn from this simple ring or coin on a string test. 
It takes five minutes out of your beach hunting time to make sure you have your sensitivity and discrimination controls set correctly to detect what ever it is you are hoping to detect at the beach.
Occasionally testing your metal detectors response to test targets at the beach will insure you do not have an unknown problem with your metal detector. 
When you do the same things and set your detector up the same way every time you visit the beach, you run the risk of not knowing you have a problem which hinders your chance of recovering a desirable target.
Along with the lower beach test in my previous blog entry, target depth tests are the second way I judge a new metal detector or search coil at the beach. 
Check out these gold chains (Found without pendants) I have recovered on past beach and shallow water hunts using my favorite Minelab metal detectors. 


Some of these notoriously difficult to detect gold chains were recovered from pretty good depths thanks to testing similar targets at the beach ahead of time.
Target depth tests help me to know if I need to tweak certain metal detector control so I can detect the targets I am searching for, I think you will agree it is always better to know the depth and sensitivity capabilities of the main thing you are relying on to detect stuff.
Never assume anything in beach treasure hunting, and that also applies to your metal detector controls by making sure you are getting the most out of your metal detector.
When is the last time you tested your metal detector at the beach to see if you could detect something you hope to detect?
Little things often lead to big things in this hobby, as long as you know how to take care of the little things that can make a huge difference.  




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