Tuesday, March 01, 2005

Chapter 6: The Strip Mine Method or "How to Find What the Others Missed"

Why, you may ask, is the technique called the "Strip Mine Method"? Well, as discovered by its developer Mark B., you will be digging up target IDs that you never gave second thought before. This is done by investigating multiple or complex signals by sweeping the target from various directions or giving it the Minelab wiggle. Let me emphasize that the "COMPLEX" signals I am talking about are targets which normally would be dismissed as "INTERFERENCE". Investigate these much closer!

Beyond the IDing the target, you will also be digging up more co-located targets. Not only does this mean digging up multiple targets in one hole, you will soon find yourself diggin multiple holes within a coil's width. After doing so, and looking at turf you have just ravaged, you will see for yourself why this is called the "Strip Mine Method".

As background, Chapter 5 basically discussed the setting for trashy parks. FAST ON makes the detector reset faster between targets and minimizes masking. GAIN setting can range from 6 to 10. There are no hard rules there. It all depends on user preference and site specifics.

Chapter 4 briefly described the advantages of hunting with no discrimination or Iron Mask. Doing so allows the user to still hear targets displaced in the smartfind or digital ID screens by target masking. (UPDATE:If running on wide open becomes too "hectic", you can always mix in some IM. Not too much as it is my opinion that any kind of DISC reduces depth. IM-14, is just about right to filter our pesky junk and get you concentrating on good targets. Just like if you are new to the explorer, every time I go hunting after not doing so for a while, I find using IM makes for a more enjoyable hunt, just because it is easier)

To give you a vivid example of how this stuff works and what to look for in finding the stuff that others missed, I am posting a typical situation of the technique in practice.

My friend Randy G. wrote the following story after digging up his most productive hole ever. His experience with the technique along with his "wandering probe style" is very effective in "unmasking" the good stuff from where they lie.

In his own words -

"Mark and I were detecting Bings hill and we had just got there. Right off the bat Mark scores a nice looking gold ring. Not being a very competitive or envious person ;) , I was thinking, nice ring Mark, but deep down I kept saying to myself "how the heck did I miss that ring" Confused. I then started thinking I better find at least one silver coin or my own ring because most days Mark spanks me pretty good and it looked like it was going to be one of those days. Every once in awhile I get the upper hand on Mark (not that I'm a competitive person :) ). A little bit later I get me a wheat. Then I move over next to the spot where I pulled out 3 wheat's in one hole while detecting with Michael the other day and I'm getting one of those readings where the numbers and tones are jumping all over the place. The main number that kept locking on was 04-20, but I was also getting 00-27, 00-26, 31-27 and some of the targets sounded deep. I dug a plug and the 1st thing I pull out is a pulltab, than a piece of small iron. I stick the probe into the hole and at the bottom I get 00-26. Out comes a wheat. I stick the probe back in and I get nothing, but I decided to take out some more dirt. I took out about 2 more inches of dirt and rechecked the hole with my probe. At the bottom of the hole I just catch a slight high tone. Take out a little more dirt and I get a 03-28 reading and it sounds like silver. I yell at Mark, here is my silver coin and out pops a 42 Merc. I stick the probe back into the hole and off to the side I get another chirp so I take out some more dirt from the side of the hole. I stick the probe in and I get a bouncer that reads 11-05 and 10-6. I swear to God I tell Mark, here comes my buffalo and I pull out a no date buffalo Shocked . Now I stick my probe back into the hole and I get nothing. I decide to dig down deeper. I take out a little more dirt and I get another 03-28 reading. Out comes a 1941 merc ( I did tell Mark this was going to be a barber but I can't always be right Smile ). I stick my probe back into the hole and I'm still getting a nice tone off to the opposite side of the hole. Out comes another wheat.

Things looked great. We had just got there and Mark had found gold and I had found 2 Merc's, 1 buffalo, and 3 wheat's and then the roof caved in when the park guy came over and told us they don't allow digging in the park anymore.

Mark, I got you in old coins today, but I'll trade them all to you for that gold ring Very Happy . Great find!

HH Randy

In summary, FAST ON allows one to cut thru the proverbial "crap" and hear the tones despite extremely co-located targets. When found, you wont always get the good tone on every sweep, but with slow swings and patient wiggling from a variety of directions, a semi-repeatable tone with a marked static crackle is the key. Digital ID will be way off but the ratios for silver or gold will be there (ex. 4-20, 22-06).

And, ALWAYS RECHECK THE HOLE, not just with the coil, BUT WITH THE X-1 PROBE TOO. There will be targets that the coil cant reach that X-1 can. If youve dug 12inches down for the 42 mercury dime, you might as well check for what else is down there, just like the bust dime that Randy G. found on one of his wandering probe meanderings.