9/24/19 Report - Using Target ID Numbers. Three Tropical Storms. Green Cabin Wreck Coin.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Three Tropical Storms.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

Now we have three tropical storms in the Atlantic: Jerry, Karen, and Lorenzo.  None are supposed to come our way.  Also there is a little system down by the Yucatan.

---

It appears that the Mexican reale found after Dorian and said to be found near the Disney resort came from the Green Cabin wreck - the 1618 wreck of the San Martin.  I think that is what the certificate issued by the West Bay Trading Company says.  It also must say that the coin is from the late 1500s.  I can't really read it all.

Coin Certificate

Photo submitted by Kenneth T.

Somebody recently asked me how to get an artifact certified.   I didn't know that the West Bay Trading Company issued certificates, and I still don't know if they would certify a dug artifact.

Many of the certificates of authenticity that you see on eBay or similar sites are made by whoever is selling the item and are worth no more than the reputation of the person or company that issues them.

You might remember that I mentioned people parking along the road and going to the beach between Wabasso and Seagrape Trail right after Dorian.

---

I've been informally field testing the target ID readings on the Equinox metal detector and trying to determine the usefulness of the numbers. I have concluded that you can NOT safely decide whether to dig or not just on the basis of the ID meter readings - at least not if you do not want to miss something good.  The readings do seem to provide some information though.  I am still very much in the dig it up and look at it camp, but I also understand that some people hate to dig trash and aren't bothered by what they  might have missed.

Joe D. has commented on the usefulness of using the signal tones of the Equinox, and I've observed that you can really reduce the amount of junk (defined as non-coins) you dig by using the tones alone.

Here is a section from the Equinox Manual, which you can find online.

Source: online Equinox manual.

Notice that "Aluminum, Gold" is in the 11 - 20 range, which is also where you'll find nickels, pull tabs and bottle caps.  Also tiny gold nuggets, gold nuggets and larger gold nuggets range from close to 1 up to about 30.  That is a huge range and very much agrees with some YouTube videos showing that gold rings can show up almost anywhere on the scale.

Providing some information (in other words, increasing the probability of a correct ID) the ID numbers can be more useful when combined with other sources of information.

Lets take one other source of information - information about the site itself.   Targets are not randomly distributed, and you can make good use of whatever information you have acquired about a site.  For example, many sites have one or two prominent types of junk.  It might be nails or pull tabs or bottle caps.  But that information, when combined with the target ID numbers can be useful.

Lets say you are finding a number of bottle caps of a particular type.  They might show as a narrow range of target ID numbers -  lets say 21/22, for example.  Some pennies will produce those numbers too, but pennies are of low value, so it is no big deal to miss some of those.  After you have found a few bottle caps showing as 21/22, and you conclude you are in an area where those types of items are common, the probability is greater that when you do not dig a 21/22 item, that you will be missing a bottle cap, or at least something not real valuable.   The likelihood of a correct rejection has been increased by combining your the target ID number with your knowledge of the most probable targets in that area.  Furthermore, if you can gain additional knowledge from the audio signal, such as a dual tone, which you can get with some kinds of bottle caps.   That additional information can also help you increase the probability of a correct target ID.

There are a variety of other types of information that you could and perhaps should use, but I could go on for a very long time about that.  The point is that combining different types of sources of information can help you improve your target ID and improve the probability of a correct dig or reject decision.  Notice that I said "probability."  You won't be completely accurate every time.  There is still the possibility of making a big mistake.  How comfortable you are with that will have a lot to do with your strategy.

Unfortunately I've forgotten most of what I once knew about probability theory and statistics so I can only talk about this in general terms now.

Knowledge of different sites can be very helpful.  You have closer to a random distribution of targets in the dry sand, however the distribution in dry sand is still far from random.  More targets will be lost where there is more activity, such as volley ball courts, and of course, there will generally be more targets where there are more people, and the targets will be more valuable where there are more wealthy people, and there will be more gold where people from certain cultures assemble, etc., etc.

In the wet sand the target distribution is determined more by the forces of nature.  Of course human and socio-cultural factors are also involved, but there are definite patterns that can be discerned.  I've talked about those a lot in the past.  The bottom line is that you can improved your pre-dig target ID by using a variety of sources of information.

One additional note: although I'm talking about the Equinox, you can generalize to other similar metal detectors that provide target ID numbers.

---

The surf will be decreasing for a few days.  That can allow you to get out into ground that you haven't been able to metal detect for a while.

Happy hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

9/16/19 Report - Big Surf Predicted For a Few Days as Humberto Moves Away. Usefulness of Target ID Numbers.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Source: MagicSeaWeed.com.

Look at that!  If the predictions are correct you can expect four days of increasing surf and some pretty high surf for a few days.  On top of that, the swells are going to be coming from the north for a good while.  There is a heck of a lot of sand that needs to be moved, but we might get some openings.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

Humberto did not move north and away from us as expected.  Looks like it will move more east rather than going north.  And there is still that system out in the Atlantic that is getting more organized.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

 When it comes to shipwreck beach finds, the vast majority occur on a few days.  Yes there are those days when a few scattered finds might be made, but there are many more days and months when none are made.  And of course, there are those rare times when a lot of finds are made.  Everybody remembers those, and the stories are retold for decades.

When it is hot, it is hot, and when its not, its not.  That means you can't afford to miss those few special times when the window of opportunity opens.  You have to somehow endure and make the best of those long periods in between.

---

As you might know, I have long been a big advocate of digging everything.  I've explained my reasons in the past.  Those reasons include (1) the inability of any metal detector that I know about to accurately enough identify a broad range of targets, including some very valuable targets, and (2) the time wasted trying to identify buried targets before digging when it takes only seconds to actually dig them, and (3) the fact that you can drastically reduce the number of junk targets if you know something about target distribution patterns on a beach.  I also know that some people do not have the desire to dig trash even if it means missing valuable targets and some people have physical limitations that they must accommodate, so I am by no means saying that discrimination should never be used, but it should be done only with a full awareness of the risks.

With that background, I have been exploring the Equinox metal detector and video target ID generally.  I believe my conclusions can be generalized to many detectors even though I am using the Equinox for the majority of my tests.

I haven't used target ID very much, but I have spent lot of time listening to the audio signals of a wide variety of metal detectors and believe you can often tell a great deal about a buried target from the audio signal alone.

In my 9/11 post, I reported on a brief ground test that I conducted with the Equinox on a few gold objects and questioned the usefulness of the displayed numbers.  A couple readers sent links to videos showing the target ID numbers produced by the Minelab Equinox for a variety of objects, including many pieces of gold jewelry.  While I prefer to conduct my own tests for a variety of reasons, one reason being that not all detectors of the same make and model will always perform exactly the same, I took a look at those videos, which basically confirmed the opinions I got from my own very limited tests. 

One of the videos showed that gold rings and other gold items can produce numbers anywhere from the low end of the range to the high end of the range and everywhere in between.  To give one example, a few small gold rings produced exactly the same number as an aluminum pull tab.  One YouTuber that conducted an extensive test explained that you have to dig it all with the Equinox and showed why.   See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsgspduZA_8 

The videos I viewed were slightly flawed, but I believe were basically correct in their conclusions.  They would run the coil past the object or the object past the coil directly under the center of the coil at what appeared to be an inch or so.  That is not what typically happens in the field.   In the field there is ground mineralization, objects are at different depths and laying at different angles, the coil is moving at different speeds and the object is seldom under the sweet spot of the coil.  I have not systematically tested the effect of all those things, but I have observed that some of those things definitely affect the readout.  I hope be able to be much more specific about that in the near future.  I know that the numbers are not very consistent in some environments.

While at this point (with me having very little personal experience with the Equinox) I have concluded that the visual target ID numbers have very limited utility for discriminating objects if you don't want to miss anything good, but I do think the numbers will be of some help, especially, when combined with other information, including the audio signal and some level of knowledge of the type of items that are most likely in the area.  I expect the numbers to be more useful when combined with other information but of very little help when used as the sole criterion for deciding whether to dig or not unless you don't mind missing valuable targets.

Being much more experienced with interpreting audio signals than display meters, I feel like I can get some good information about a target from the audio signal and it seems to me that the audio signal produced by the Equinox contains a lot of information.  I expect to learn to better interpret the audio signals as I gain more experience.

I know that it is often possible to get an idea of the shape of an object from the audio signal.  The easiest example, perhaps, is that of a long elongated object such as a nail.  I think I'll also be able to reliably distinguish other shapes by simply listening to the audio signal of the Equinox.  

Just the other day when doing a ground test with four gold objects, I noticed how a ring with a larger amount of mass on the one side made a different signal when swept over from different angles.  With some additional experimenting I think I might be able to tell an open object, such as a ring, from an a solid or closed object, such as a coin or round charm.  I need to study that more.

So far my conclusion is that you cannot use the target ID numbers alone on the Equinox, and probably no other metal detector, without a strong risk of missing valuable targets.  There is no doubt that you can use target ID numbers to avoid digging a lot of junk, but you will also miss a lot of good targets.  While the target ID numbers on the Equinox, are not as helpful as I hoped, the Equinox does provide a lot of benefits and will find a definite place in my arsenal or metal detectors.  So far I am impressed by its extremely light weight, stability in salt water environments, and good sensitivity to small and deeper targets.

Thanks to those who sent me the links to Equinox target ID tests.

---

Keep watching the weather.  I'll try to keep you informed on beach developments.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/10/18 Report - Experimenting To Learn More About Your Detector. A Tale of Three Different One-Cent Coins.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Here is a little demonstration using three one-cent coins and a Garrett Ace 250.  In the video I'll pass the coil over each of the three one-cent pieces so you can hear the signal.  See what you can tell from the signal.  The coins are on the surface so you can see them, although you probably can't make them out.

The first coin had a stable bell tone.  On the Ace, that indicates a coin and the meter read penny.

On the second, the signal varied from pass to pass and the meter sometimes read dime and sometimes junk.

On the third coin, the target was consistent and the meter read iron.

Can you guess why the detector reacted that way?
,
The first target was a modern zinc penny.  It sounded like a coin and the meter showed it as a penny.  Nothing surprising there.

The second target was very inconsistent, giving two types of signal, and sometimes showed as iron on the meter and sometimes as a dime.

The third target, was a U. S. penny, but sounded like iron and showed on the meter as iron.  That target was a 1943 steel penny.

So what about the second target?  This one was a little tricky.  It was a euro one-cent piece, which is copper coated steel.

The Ace 250 is an inexpensive detector, but in my opinion works well for the money, but sometimes coins are not easy to identify.  Many are made of more than one type of metal.  Even a regular Lincoln penny is only 95% copper. And a regular zinc penny is only 97.5 percent zinc, with a thin copper coating.  Much of the time you can identify a type of coin from the meter or digital output, but sometimes it is more complicated, especially when you get into world coins.

It might seem that the Ace did a poor job, however I think it did pretty well.  The first target was identified as coin-like, the third as iron, and the second sounded very much like the combination that it actually was.

My main point is not what the Ace does.  It is just one example.  The bigger point that I want to make is the value of conducting experiments in order to get to better know what your detector is trying to tell you.

I always highly recommend experimenting with your detector and a variety of types of targets.  Often the more interesting targets are not simple to identify from the detector output.

When I get a new detector I do a lot of testing.  I might use the manual as a starting place, but I don't accept much of what the manual says without testing it out.  I like to test a detector in various modes and using various settings on a variety of types of targets and different types of environments.

I recommend not only testing your detector at the beginning, but continuing to test it as long as you use it.  You'll continue to learn about how your detector responds to various types of targets in different situations.

Someone might be very disappointed to learn that their detector wouldn't always correctly identify a penny, but there are different types of pennies, and there are other things that will affect the detectors ability to identify targets.

One big problem with relying too much on target ID I already referred to.  The most interesting targets are often not common targets and that can make it risky to go entirely by your detector's ID meter.  If you want to know if a target is a dime or quarter, most detector's will do that pretty well, however when you get into watches or other more complex targets, you'll need to use your own brain more.  I did a video or two in the past showing how a couple detectors responded to various watches.  I bet a lot of Rolex or other high-end watches are passed over simply because the detector ID didn't identify the target well enough.

In pinpoint mode many detectors give a lot of information on a target.  You can get a good idea of depth and size without referring to anything other than the signal if you spend enough time learning.

There are other factors that will help you with target ID that requires using your brain and assessing the entire situation.  Some types of targets will be in certain areas and at certain depths, for example.

There is no substitute for careful observation and experimentation.

Experience doesn't guarantee expertise, but it does make it more likely.

---

I still haven't been out again yet.  I'd like to get some recent reports.

The tides are now small.  The surf is down to around three or four feet. And the wind is from the south tomorrow.  None of those things are encouraging.c

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

8/19/17 Report - New Video To Show How To Identify Target Shape From Audio Signal Alone. Tropical Activity and Predictions.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

Harvey is going to cut across the Yucatan and then back out into the Gulf again.

L92, which is the next one to the east of Harvey is headed towards us.  The question is how strong it will be.  It did not strengthen last night.  It has a ways to go yet though.

Right now the surf is only one to two feet on the Treasure Coast.  Nothing big is predicted at this point.

The tides are pretty big.  There are some nice negative tides.

---

ATX Coil Over Broken Iron Shipwreck Spke.
Source: See link to video below.

I've talked a lot about how much you can tell about a buried target from the audio signal alone even if you are using an All Metals or Pinpoint mode.  The audio signal will tell you a lot about the target's shape, size and depth if you really understand your detector.

I made a video that demonstrates how you can tell something of the shape of a buried object from the audio signal alone.  In the video I used a quarter (just for comparison), along with a fairly large bolt, smaller screw, piece of an iron shipwreck spike, and an odd shaped piece of metal that responds a little bit like a fish hook.  I usually can identify fish hooks by the sound of the signal.

I used a Garrett ATX, although you would get the same type of results with many other metal detectors.  I used this same technique to identify target shapes before I ever got the ATX.  It worked exactly the same when using an Excalibur, for example.

I put the items on a board so you could see them well.  I also cut the sensitivity of the Garrett ATX down to less than half, just to temper down the signal, and used Motion mode, although the results would be similar using the Non-motion mode.

When you run your coil over a long straight object you will get a different type of signal depending upon the direction you move the coil.  You'll see that clearly in the video.

When you move the coil over the long object from one end to another, you'll get a double signal.  One towards each end of the object.  And if you move the coil over the object at 90 degrees to that, the signal will sound very much like a coin-shaped object.  So if you swing in one direction and get a regular signal and then change the direction of your sweep 90 degrees, you'll get something like a double signal.  You can also get an idea of the length of the object something by the amount of time between the double blips.  There will be more time between the blips when the object is longer.

Here is the link to the video.  There is really a lot of good useful information in this video if you really study the objects and signals they produce.  If you don't want to dig nails, you don't need a target ID meter on your detector.

https://youtu.be/Mu7sbkrLC1k

If you move the coil too fast, you might not always catch the double blip.  You can gather additional information by varying how fast you move the coil too.

All of this is does not have to take extra time.  You can do it while pinpointing.

If you dig all targets, you don't have to do it at all, but if you are at a site littered with nails or other long narrow objects, you might want to be more selective.  This is a type of target ID that does not require a ID meter or any particular metal detector mode or function.

Notice that on the last object, there is a break.  I don't know what to call that thing right off, but you get what I'm calling a double blip when you sweep the coil in both directions.  The latch on the object is open.  You get the double blip in both directions, instead of just one direction like you would get with a bolt or nail or other long thin object.

My main point is that if you learn to analyze your signals, you can get a lot of information from just listening to the audio signal.  I always say that the human brain is a better processor than the detector's circuitry.  You can also learn to get a good idea of the targets depth and size from just the audio signal.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

8/12/17 Report - Detector Signals Produced by Three Different Complex Targets and The Effect of Position.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Source: nhc.noaa.gov

It looks like the weather shown on the map above will become a cyclone in the next few days, but will probably stay out to sea and go north of us.  At this point I don't expect the Treasure Coast to get much from it.

---

I had to correct yesterday's post.  My description of the signals produced by the watches in the video was incorrect.  I described the wrong video.  That must have been confusing.  Sorry about that. I corrected it last night.  If you read that post before I made the corrections, you might want to go back to read it again.

Today I'll describe a third video on detecting watches.  I'm sure some of you will think I've already done too much of that, but I'm illustrating a variety of important points.  There are some things that are very difficult to correctly identify unless you dig them.  It isn't limited to watches.

Complex and irregularly shaped targets are not as easy to identify as coins or rings.  I've also shown in the past that when a ring is buried so that it is standing on end, it will produce a very different signal than the same ring laying flat in the ground. I posted a video on YouTube about two years ago that shows that.  The position of a watch will affect the signal too.  The signal is more unpredictable due to the irregular shape of watches, the variety of materials that can be used in a watch, how the watch is laying, as well as how the detector is used.

In the next video I used the same three watches and put them on the ground so that the face is facing up instead of being perpendicular to the ground as they were in the previous two videos.

Here is the link for that video.

https://youtu.be/lqZ9XJiKy7o

You probably noticed that the first watch (Polo Club) produced mostly a low tone signal.

The second watch was very inconsistent: sometimes producing no signal, sometimes a Bell tone and sometimes a lower tone signal.

The third watch ( large high-end Seiko ) consistently produced a Bell Tone, no matter which direction the coil was moved.  The ID meter gave a meter ID that was in the coin range.

The lower tone (produced by both the first watch and sometimes by the second watch) was accompanied reading of something between a pull tab and penny on the ID meter.

If you were only digging targets that produced the Bell Tone, you would have dug the third watch, maybe dug the second watch, but probably left the first watch in the ground.

Target ID is not always simple.  Of course different detectors give you more or less information, but no metal detector can identify everything correctly, and as a result you can easily miss something very good.  It is important to really know your detector and how it responds to different types of targets.

Targets such as coins are easier to identify than complex or irregularly shaped targets such as watches.  You can often get more information about a buried target by changing the angle of your sweep and comparing the signals obtained by sweeping in two different directions.

One thing I hope you see is that there are some very good targets that might not sound good or read as good on a meter.  At helps to really get to know your detector.  I highly stress the value of experimenting with test targets.  Most targets will not be as complex as watches, however they might be more complex than you think.  Various things, even those as simple and common as coins, can give signals different from what you might expect.

For example, coins sometimes seem to disappear when you are digging.  They can slip deeper into a hole or  stick to the side of the hole.  A coin sticking to the side of a hole so that it presents the narrow edge of the coin to the coil will be much more difficult to detect and can seem to disappear.

As you probably know, I do a lot of different kinds of posts on a variety of topics.  I'll undoubtedly be back on some other topic before long.

I hope you find the videos useful.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

8/11/17 Report - More on Metal Detecting Watches and All Metals Mode. Sedwick Treasure Auction. Numismatic and Shipwreck Salvage Presentations.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Two Areas of Weather That Might Affect the Treasure Coast
Source; nhc.noaa.gov

---

Yesterday I showed how one metal detector responds to watches.  I used the inexpensive Garrett Ace 250 for my demonstration.  I could have used a variety of other metal detectors and got very similar responses.  I might  actually do that some time.  Of course different detectors will respond somewhat differently, but the main point remains the same: how you use your detector will determine what you find or don't find.  As I am showing, it is easy to miss potentially valuable targets such as watches if you are not careful.  I've often warned of the risks involved with various forms of discrimination and too much reliance on target ID as well as other detector settings such as search modes that might seem convenient.  You can miss very good targets and never be aware of it.

Yesterday for my demonstration I used the Ace 150 in Coin Mode.  As you saw, there were times when the detector completely missed or responded minimally to large men's watches.  But what if you were not using such a selective mode?  I'll show you what happened when I switched to All Metals mode.

I used the same watches placed in very similar positions.  Also the same detector.  The only difference is that I switched to All Metals mode.

Here is the video link.

https://youtu.be/BtIVumXmtyU

[ I corrected the following three or four paragraphs.  My original text was incorrect.  Sorry! ]

There are are basically two tones that you heard.  One is the Bell Tone that is used by the Ace to indicate a coin or similar good target.  The other tone is lower.

The signal produced by the various watches varied depending upon the direction the coil was moved.  That happens with a lot of targets, especially those that are elongated like nails or spikes.

The signal produced by the last watch ( the heavy high-end Seiko ) was the most consistent.  It produced a definite signal almost all the time, no matter if the coil was moved parallel or perpendicular to the face of the watch.  In one direction, though, the signal was a Bell Tone, and in the other direction is was the lower tone.

The first two watches often produced no signal, which you might find very surprising, especially since it was made using All Metals mode.

The main point is that with complex targets such as watches, the signal will vary depending upon a variety of factors, including how the coil goes over it.  Changing the direction pf the sweep or position of the coil by a few inches one way or another, often resulted in a very different response. That makes target ID for such targets very tricky.

---

Below is a notice I received from the Sedwick's concerning the upcoming treasure auction.  Even if you aren't participating in the auction, you might want to catch the guest speakers, which are listed at the bottom of this notice.

Sedwick's Treasure, World, U.S. Coin & Paper Money Auction #22

Now is the last chance to consign to our Treasure, World and U.S. Coin & Paper Money Auction #22, which will be our Fifth LIVE PUBLIC FLOOR sale. As usual this event will take place at the DoubleTree by Hilton at Lake Buena Vista in Orlando, FL, with live floor auction on Thursday-Friday, November 2-3, 2017 and lot viewing and guest speakers the day before (Wednesday, November 1).

The final deadline for consignment to our upcoming auction is almost here: August 17. We have secured a vast amount of great pieces but there is always a spot for interesting consignments and trophy coins. Many international guests will be coming from Latin America and Europe, so take advantage of our great LIVE FLOOR event and get top exposure for your pieces.

This auction will feature Part II of The Richard Stuart Collection Selections, which includes the largest group of Panama cobs ever offered in one sale with 10 unique pieces; an impressive assortment of unique and finest pieces from Central America, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua (including the largest offering of provisional coinage ever presented in a single auction) and Panama; plus the largest single-sale offering of British "Admiral Vernon" medals from the same pedigree.

Other features in this auction include a selection of Lima gold cobs from the 1715 Fleet (many unique dates and finest known pieces) in addition to many other Fleet treasures like gold chains, ingots and other artifacts. Finally we have hundreds of cobs, particularly Lima and Potosi, and an exquisite collection of Mexican pillar dollars.

Guest Speakers Include:

1) Jorge Proctor, Numismatist and Researcher: "The Forgotten Mine of Colonial Panama"
2) Manuel Chacón, Numismatic Curator: The Central Bank of Costa Rica "Costa Rica Numismatics"
3) Carlos Jara, Numismatist and Researcher: "Central American Provisional And Provincial Mints"
4) Capt. John Brandon, Historical Shipwreck Salvor: “An Overview of the Exploration For and Recovery Of Historical Shipwrecks: 1715 Fleet, Atocha and Lucayan Beach Wrecks”

We look forward to hearing from you, with thanks in advance.

Daniel Frank Sedwick, LLC

---

There are now two areas of weather pinpointed on the National Hurricane Center map for our area.  The first will just produce rain.  The other one has been out there for a while and might develop this weekend.  At this time it is expected to stay east of us and possibly make landfall in the Carolinas.  It is too early to say much about how that one might affect us.

On the Treasure Coast we'll be having something like a two foot surf again.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

12/20/16 Report - Detector That Displays Target Images and Has Exceptional Target ID? Higher Surf Coming

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Interesting Intertwined Ring Design
Find and photo by Dan B.

Below you can see how it looked when found.

Same Ring Shown Above.

Thanks Dan.

---

I haven't posted many pictures lately.  I've been having some trouble with the camera I usually use.

There will soon be  new book out that was written by a salvage crew member who worked on 1715 Fleet wrecks.   Keep watching and I'll let you know when it is available.   This one will be different than most of the others.  It takes a unique perspective.  More on that in the near future.

---

I don't often talk about specific metal detectors, but I do sometimes.  I think most detector tests aren't worth much.  Many are done by people who either don't now how to use the detector or only barely know how to use it.  Some detectors take a while to really learn how to use them well.  Others not so long.

I came across some YouTube videos demonstrating a line of detectors by DRS Electronics - a German company.  The low end detector starts at around $4,500 and the upper end system costs around $45,000.  At those prices you should expect something good.

It appears from the DRS videos that the DRS Ground Exper Pro, the $4,500 detector, that the detector has truly exceptional discrimination capabilities.  The video shows the detector being able to discriminate out both iron and lead and still detect and identify gold.  That is a good trick.  From the video it would appear that the discrimination capabilities exceed those of other detectors costing up to $3000 or more.  It looked as if the detector was capable of allowing the detectorist to dig nothing but gold, if that is what they wanted to do.  That would be great for some situations - if it actually works well.

As you probably know if you've been reading this blog very long, generally speaking I encourage digging everything.  Don't just see the trash, but get rid of it.  There are however situations when discrimination and target ID, if it is accurate enough, would be very useful.

One thing I think I saw mentioned in a DRS video is the statement that strong batteries are required for accurate target ID.  From what I've seen with other detectors, I'd say that is true for most detectors.  Also, with many detectors, depth makes a difference.  Deep targets are not identified as accurately as shallow targets.

Back to the DRS detector.  Not only does it appear from the video to have exceptional discrimination and target ID capabilities, but it also can produce target images.  You can see the round shape of a coin, for example, or the more rectangular shape of an aluminum can.   Images can be displayed on an iPad that comes with the detector or your own smart phone.

I seem to remember years back seeing advertisements of detectors that displayed target images like that.  Was it Whites or Garrett?  It seems that it didn't catch on at the time.  Does anyone remember that, and if so, why it didn't work out.  Am I just dreaming, or does someone else remember that.

Three types of coil come with the GroundExper, including a large coil for detecting large targets meters deep.

Here is a link if you want to look into it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ziv6ZU2W7dE

I'm not advertising this detector or company.  I have never used a DRS detector and would never draw any strong conclusions about a detector without having used it or at least seen a demonstration.

I would like to hear from anyone who has used a DRS system or seen it demonstrated in person.

I also recommend not buying any detector without a personal demonstration, especially something this expensive or advertising capabilities that seem so remarkable.

Again, it does seem like years ago I saw advertisements of detectors that provided target images on a display screen, but I don't know what happened with that.

---

It looks like beginning Saturday and lasting for about a week, we'll have a four to six foot surf.  That isn't bad.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/23/16 Report - Why You Might Not Be Finding Old Silver Coins Where You Would Expect Them.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Two Silver Quarters Recently Found by Russ P. At An Old Home Site.
See story below.

Not finding any old silver at sites where you would expect to find old coins?  There could be some reasons for that.  The following email that I received from Russ P. might give you some good ideas.

Here is what Russ had to say.

Can you stand another story about digging pennies?  This one is from a mainland site.

I have worked a small, trash infested site a dozen times in the past few weeks without finding a single silver coin using conventional hunting methods.  I decided to give another try with the detector after a decent rain.

After a fruitless hunt, not a single coin, I was headed back to the car when I got a poor, inconsistent chirp that was occasionally high-pitched.  It registered, at times, as a zinc penny.  I dig all questionable signals at this site so got after it.  I took about three inches of soil and, to my surprise, amongst the trash was a wheat penny.  I swung the detector over the hole and got another poor signal, but more of a copper penny signal and reading.  I had a large shovel with me and took a generous scoop.  I ran the detector over the dirt and an got an incredible sweet signal.  It was a Standing Liberty quarter!  I put my pinpointer in the hole.  Of course, there were still several different metal targets, but one of those targets was another Standing Liberty.  

I never got a good signal on any of the coins until they were out of the hole.  In my judgment, the penny was not part of the spill as it was much shallower, but certainly helped mask and confuse the detector (and its user).

Now a question for you and the readers.  Everyone can probably see the rust on the coins from the close proximity of iron.  Does anyone have specific experience with the best means of cleaning rust off a silver coin?  I know one very valid option is to do nothing, but, should I choose to at least attempt for a visible date (one is a 1917 from the reverse), I'd like to rely on some expertise.  I thought electrolysis or muriatic acid were best options, but not sure.  

Russ P.

First notice that Russ detected the site several times without finding a single silver coin. 

Also, he tried again after a rain.  Rain can make deep targets more detectable.

He finally got a poor, inconsistent chirp that was occasionally high pitched.  On the ID detectors that I've used, target ID is less reliable on deep targets and targets that are close to or masked by other targets.  Also if the target is on end or not laying flat in the ground or bent, the target ID will not be as accurate.  That is something to remember, especially if you are interested in deeper targets.  Older targets are often deeper.

Russ dug the target, and the first thing he found was a wheat penny among the trash.  

How many times have your heard that you should check the hole after removing the first target.  I talked about an expanding hole a few days ago.

If you have never tried it, take a variety of coins out in the yard and lay them flat on the ground and see what your detector tells you.  Then take the coins and stand them on edge and see how the detector reads.  And then move your coil up and away from the coin to near its range, and see how the detector responds.  Then put a nail or other junk targets beside the coins and see how the detector responds.  That kind of testing will really help you get to know your detector and what it is trying to tell you.

Thanks or sharing Russ.

After checked again, Russ got a target ID suggesting something like a copper penny, but after removing the dirt from the hole, got a very "sweet" signal.  He removed a Standing Liberty Quarter and then another Standing Liberty Quarter.

You can skip over trash if you want, but it can mask a lot of good targets.  As I've said before, if you remove a lot of surface junk, you'll then often be able to find some better targets that you did not hear before.

Russ says he never got a good signal on those targets until they were out of the hole.

If you throw a target on the ground or if the target is shallow, you'll likely get a good reading, but as I said above, if the target is deeper, you might not get a good target reading.

Now to the question.  Have you ever removed surface rust from a silver coin?  I'd like to get help for Russ and all of my readers on how to that.  I'd like to hear from any of you who have tried methods either successfully or unsuccessfully.

Please send your ideas on that to me at treasureguide@comcast.net.

---

The surf has calmed down some now.  We'll have a couple of days of south winds.  That will not help most beaches.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/17/16 Report - Foot Fanning and Expanding Holes. 12.5 Karat Diamond Ring Lost and Found.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

14K Ring That Gave Penny ID
Submitted by Robert H.

Here is one more example of the dangers of going totally by target ID meters.  This ring rang up as a penny on the CTX 3030.   There is simply no perfect target ID system.  You can use it as much as you want, but beware of possible mistakes and make your decisions accordingly.

Thanks much to Robert H. for this example.

---

A 12.5 karat diamond ring was accidentally thrown in the trash but was found in tons of trash by a waste company worker.

Here is the link.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/west-county-woman-s--carat-diamond-ring-tossed-in/article_e57fe788-cbef-5072-9eb1-c1d7ef1db01d.html

---

I hope you took the time to look at the report on the Vasco da Gama ship.   It has a lot of very good information and a lot of hints for the detectorist or treasure hunter.  It talks a lot about the location of the wreck and distribution or artifacts.  Here is that link once again.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1095-9270.12175/epdf

---

I like to find areas with a good concentration of good targets.  There are times when a hole just keeps getting bigger and bigger and produces more and more targets.

Here is one example of when I found an excellent shallow water spot.  The bottom was covered by rock and sand.  The rocks were close together and there was enough sand on and between the rocks that it was impossible to dig with a scoop.  It was almost like pavement.  I used one of my favorite techniques, foot fanning, to make holes.  I've described it before.

By fanning with my foot, the sand would be lifted from over and between the rocks and the rocks would then come up.  The targets would also eventually pop up out of the hole a lot of the time.

After the first hole was made and the first target retrieved, I then scanned the hole with my coil to see if there were any other targets in the hole.

In this example there was one in the side of the hole, so I fanned again to the side of the hole, which made the hole larger.  The second target was retrieved.  Then the hole was scanned again and another target located.  This was repeated over and over and the hole got larger and larger as it got both wider and deeper.  That continued for quite a while.  It was a lot of work, but a lot of good targets were retrieved.

In the simple illustration above, the brown circles represent rocks, The black dip is the first hole, the orange is the second hole, the purple is the third hole the yellow is the fourth hole, etc.  Targets were between and under rocks.

When you get in a good area like that, make sure to detect the sides and bottom of the hole after you remove sand and rocks.  As the hole gets bigger and deeper, more targets might be detected.  Take advantage of the additional depth you get by making the hole deeper.

I'd have to find my records, but I know a lot of coins and gold was found in that area.  It kept me busy a couple of days.

---

The surf will increase a little today, reaching 3 or 4 feet by tomorrow, then not much more.

Happy St. Patricks Day,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/15/16 Report - Finding Shipwrecks Using Satellite Images. Target ID Issues.

Written by the Treasureguide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.BlogSpot.com.

NASA Satellite Photo Showing Plumes From Two Shipwrecks.

Researchers have found that shipwrecks near the coast can leave sediment plumes at the sea’s surface that help reveal their location. Using data from the NASA/USGS Landsat 8 satellite, researchers have detected plumes extending as far as 4 kilometers (about 2.5 miles) downstream from shallow shipwreck sites. This discovery demonstrates for the first time how Landsat and Landsat-like satellites may be used to locate the watery graves of coastal shipwrecks....

While airborne lidar (which uses light pulses to measure distance) can be used to detect shipwrecks close to shore and multibeam echosounders and other sound-based methods can be used anywhere deep enough for a survey vessel to sail, the former method requires clear water and cost prohibits both methods from being used to conduct exhaustive coastal surveys.

A new study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science by authors Matthias Baeye and Michael Fettweis, from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences; Rory Quinn from Ulster University in Northern Ireland; and Samuel Deleu from Flemish Hydrography, Agency for Maritime and Coastal Services, aims to change things. The authors have found a way to use freely available Landsat satellite data to detect shipwrecks in sediment-laden coastal waters...

The two plumes coming from the shipwrecks marked by the two red dots are not easy to see in the above photo.  You might be able to see them more clearly if you use the link to go to the original article.

Here is the link for the entire article.

http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/landsat-spots-shipwrecks-in-coastal-waters

---

They say that ignorance is bliss.  It might be bliss and a lot of other things, but it is still ignorance.  I never make mistakes in my posts - at least not until I go back and check them, use spell checker, or post them. Then I find tons of mistakes that up until that point I didn't know I made.

The same thing is true in metal detecting.  You never know what you miss.  You never know for sure until you dig.  You might think you know.  You might be highly accurate, maybe even 99.9 % accurate, and that might be good enough for you, but for me, I get surprised from time to time, and the surprises are very valuable.  The surprises might be few, but it is the surprises that I learn from.  And it is the surprises often turn out to be rare artifacts or especially valuable items like Rolex watches.

I'm not trying to convince anyone.  I know that there are people who can not be convinced.  I learned long ago, that you can seldom change someone else's mind.  I'm just telling how I see it.

I might be the only one that has to actually dig a target and see it to be absolutely sure what it is. Everybody else might be 100% accurate with their target signal identification.  They might be absolutely certain that the target they just passed up was a pull tab or penny.  And they might never make a mistake.

I'm just not that good.  Every time I dig up a Rolex or some unusual artifact, I'm surprised.   Some of my most valued finds were complete surprises.

For a few years I wasn't digging iron and I wasn't digging big stuff.  I was focused primarily on coins and jewelry.  As a result, it took me a long time to find shipwreck spikes.  That was a conspicuous absence from my list of finds.  Now I don't like to miss shipwreck spikes so I change my decision strategies.  Now I usually dig things like that when I am in an area where they might be found.

That word "usually" is an important word.  I don't always dig those types of things - just when I am in the right places and when it fit my goals.

To optimize success it is important to take in to account a variety of factors.  I'd be an even bigger fool than I am to hunt the same way everywhere no matter what the situation or what I am trying to accomplish.

A lot of my strategy is to hunt areas where the types of things that I am targeting are concentrated. These days I seldom hunt where there are lots of the kinds of items that I want to skip.  So when I am successful in doing that, discriminating those items does not save a lot of time because they are simply not there in great numbers.  And when I run into a lot of them, I am in the wrong kind of area, and I move.  As I've explained before, junk provides information too.

I  can't get into that in any more detail now.
\
The other day when I was talking about some of the most popular detectors as indicated by the Kellyco People's Choice Awards.  I gave some of my positions on target ID.  One of the things I mentioned was that target ID is not perfect.  Just a few minutes ago I went to YouTube and the first video I looked at illustrated what I was saying.  The title of the video is Target Issues With the CTX 3030.  The guy, who seemed to be very thoughtful and competent, was running into a lot of twist off caps which gave him something like a 1242 reading. so he was bypassing them as would be natural. He didn't know what he missed on the first pass when he passed up items that gave that type of reading.  He decided to go back and check some that he passed on the first pass.  He ended up being surprised and thought maybe he should go back and check some of the other signals that he passed on.

Take a look a the video.  I highly recommend going through the entire thing.  It illustrates many points that I have mentioned in the past.

Here is the link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzXUhou_maE

If you want to skip over targets, and everybody does to one extent or another, (there are definitely times to skip things) there is nothing wrong with that, but I want you to be aware of what could be happening.

I never have to tell people to use discrimination.  People will naturally do that.  Judging from my experience they are more likely to discriminate too much rather than too little.  And I will never convince anyone to dig more even though that is a lesson I've learned for myself.  Maybe I'm the only one that occasionally makes a big mistake when I don't dig.

Digging also has other benefits that I like.  I like removing junk from places that I hunt a lot so there are fewer junk signals when I return.  I don't like getting any kind of signal from the same pull tab day after day so I remove a lot of them.  It doesn't really take long to make a place you hunt frequently much less junky.  You can do it bit by bit.

---

I'm expecting to receive a report on a home site that was thoroughly sifted that will show how much is really there and how much is usually missed.  I can't wait to see the final report.

---

On the Treasure Coast expect a couple of days of one-foot surf.  The wind will be mostly from the west.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

3/23/15 Report - Strange Tight Cluster Including Unexpected Coins. How Does A Rolex ID On A Detector Readout.

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.

Strange Cluster.
Aruba 5 Cents.  Mexico 1 Peso,  U. S. Quarter.

The other day I talked about selecting a strategy for a particular hunt.  In order to select an effective strategy, you have to have knowledge of the site.  You also need to know what your detectors do well and what they don't do well.

The other day when I was checking out a hunted out area I did find this strange cluster of coins.  They were the only coins found in the hunted out area.

The were closely clustered together, and on my PI detector gave a huge signal.  It was a confusing signal though.  It didn't sound like anything I recognized.  I scooped the area and found all three coins.  Each and everyone gave a good strong signal on the PI detector.

There is nothing strange about the quarter, of course.  But the other two coins are sort of unusual.

The 2005 Mexican peso is bimetallic.  The center is aluminum-bronze and the ring is stainless steel.  On the Garrett Ace 250, it usually is identified as a quarter, but not totally consistently.  It occasionally shows as iron.

Now the little 5 cent Aruba coin is small.  It weighs only two grams, is 16 mm in diameter and 1.7 mm thick.  It is made of nickel bonded steel.

The PI detector gave a gives a good loud signal on that little coin.   The Ace does not give a signal to that coin in any mode other than the All-Metals mode.   As you probably know I have a preference for working in an all-metals mode anyhow.   The Ace gives a good strong signal on it only in All-Metals mode.

I can see how a detectorist could miss this cluster.  The Aruba coin would definitely not give a good ID, and would not give any signal at all in many cases.  I'm sure you wouldn't hear it with an Excalibur, for example.   The peso could mix things up too, however if you are using a PI detector or All-Metals mode, you are not going to miss targets like that. 

Even with a PI detector I could tell it was something other than the usual.  It confused me at first.  I've learned to identify a variety of trash targets using a PI.  Fish hooks for example, give a signal something like a elongated object such as a nail when you do a criss-cross scan, but it is a little quirky in a way that I can't easily explain.  

I've explained how to identify elongated objects like nails by scanning repeatedly first in one direction and then again at a 90 degree angle.

The point is, know your detector and how it responds to a wide variety of targets.  Try to guess what the target is from the signal before you dig it even if you don't have target ID.   That will help you learn how your detector responds to various types of targets.

Remember, there are a lot good targets that will not be correctly Identified by a target ID detector.  How will a Rolex watch be identified by your detector?  Not knowing could be an expensive mistake, especially if you don't dig unknown targets.  Cobs won't be identified correctly either. 

As an example, if you use a simple ID detector such as the Ace 250, working in the Coin mode you will not get a signal from a Rolex Yacht-Master watch.

You know that quiet you like so much when you use discrimination - that was your Rolex watch.   Just kidding - sorta.

By the way, the Rolex that I tested was found on the Treasure Coast using an Excalibur in pinpoint mode.

Using the Ace, you will get an inconsistent ID on the Rolex Yacht-Master if you are working in the Jewelry or All-Metals mode.   There is that "All-Metals" word I preach so much.  In those two modes the ID jumps around depending upon what part of the watch your coil is over.  Mostly you will get a reading going between 1 cent and 5 cent, which is also where bronze and gold, and also pull-tab,  is marked on the ID readout display.

You might remember that a few months ago I did a poll to determine the primary motive for most detectorists.  One person added something I didn't have in the poll by sending me an email.  He said that what keeps him going is the possibility of that one big unexpected find that might occur at any time.  I'm sure that motivates a lot of us, never knowing what big find might pop up unexpectedly.  You have a lot better chance of finding that one big find if you know your detector very well and aren't passing over everything that isn't easily identified.

-----

Here is a good video of the surf and beach from a couple of days ago.

---

On the Treasure Coast today we'll have West winds today, a good smooth surf and some nice big spring tides.

Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net

11/23/14 Report - At Least Two Beaches More Erosion This Morning, Long Lost Stumps Resurfacing, Coin Hole Found, Wasting Time With Target ID

Written by the Treasure Guide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.BlogSpot.com.

Sticking Out Of The Surf This Morning As The Tide Receded

I went out this morning before low tide to do a little detecting.  I dug more coins on a treasure beach than I had for a very long time.   I was really surprised., but mostly clad, and a pendant.  An entire pocket full.  ( I have a funny story about a pocket full of coins, but I won't tell it now.)  I'll talk about the distribution pattern some other time soon if I don't forget.

I saw this stump (photo above) in the surf, which reminded me of a time back in the eighties when there was a line of pine stumps along the water line towards the North end of John Brooks Park.  They disappeared for two or three decades.  I'm wondering if this is one of those resurfacing.  It was just to the beach side of the where the waves were breaking on the front of the sand in front of the beach.

I wonder what else might be getting washed up.

Since I was there yesterday, some additional erosion occurred, followed by a touch of refilling.  Notice the sea weed in the following  photos.

The cut was about three or four feet running for hundreds of yards.  I think there will probably be more filling since the wind is now coming from the South.

 I miss the cooler air already.

The snow birds are back in numbers now too.

Three To Four Foot Cuts This Morning Before Low Tide.

I always like to dig coin holes like the one I found this morning.  It tells you a lot about what is going on at the beach and how things get distributed.  Clad coins are not a good indicator of cobs though.  Most often I've found cobs when there are very few or no clad coins.

-------------------

I learned a long time ago that it is not easy to convince most people of anything.  Most people have
their mind made up and the longer they have held an idea or opinion, the harder it is to change them.  Instead of evaluating new information or alternate opinions, people generally begin by defending what ever they have believed.  The longer they have believed whatever it is, the more examples they have to prove their belief because what they have seen in the past was always interpreted in terms of those beliefs.

I'm in the market for a new detector and so have been looking around for what I can learn about a couple of models.  I keep running into detectorists who say that target ID helps save time because you don't waste time digging as much junk. That is something that sounds like it would be true, but if you actually evaluate, observe and measure, you'll find that is not always as true as it sounds.

Here is an example.  I was watching  a video comparing target ID on two sophisticated and highly regarded detectors - the CTX 3030 and Whites Vi.   Those, by the way, are not the detectors that I am interested in.

The fellow went around a grassy public park with one detector and marked questionable targets, about half of which seemed to be in the nickel/foil range.  He then went back over the undug targets with the other detector to see how the second detector identified the same target.  After getting the readouts from both detectors he then dug the target to see which of the detectors was correct.

Here is what I noticed.   He took longer getting the readout than digging the target.   On one example that I timed with the timer on the video, he took 26 seconds to determine the target ID using the various displays.  He took less than half that amount of time to plug the grass and retrieve the target.  That time was using a single detector, of course.  How much time was saved?  About minus 13 seconds.

And to make matters worse, that was in grass.  It would normally take less time to recover a target in sand.  And most junk targets in sand will be near the surface.  If you are skilled and have good equipment, it should take you even less time to recover the average junk target in sand.

I know that there are people that just don't like to dig junk.  That is OK.  No problem.   If you are one of those people, "To thine own self be true."  But don't be fooled into thinking you are saving a lot of time by using target ID.  Take into account the time you spend getting a good stable reading and looking at the various readouts before you dig.  You might be saving effort or frustration, but you are probably not saving much time.  In fact, as I just showed you might be wasting more time.

If you really want to save time, perfect your pinpointing and your scooping and sifting skills.  Learn to interpret your detector's signals.  Learn about layering.  And most of all use search strategies that lead you to good target areas rather than junk intensive areas.

------------------

The surf today was a little smaller than yesterday.  It was about 4 - 5 feet.  The waves seemed to be hitting almost straight on.

The surf on the Treasure Coast will be decreasing the next few days down to something more like 2 - 3 feet. 

I'm not decreasing my beach detecting conditions rating yet though, although I am back to a minimal 2.   I expect a decrease in the next couple of days but will be watching to see what happens.

If you missed the beaches I showed yesterday, you might want to go back and take a look at that post.


Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@Comcast.net